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Preserving Texas’ Legal History T - State Bar of Texas | Home
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186 Texas Bar Journal • March 2012 www.texasbar.com Preserving Texas’ Legal History exas lawyers have a rich legal history to draw upon in their work. This history is also inextricably linked to the larger history of the Republic and State of Texas. Historical court records provide important examples of not only how the Texas judicial system has worked and evolved, but also of the lives of everyday Tex- ans — as well as some of Texas’ more famous denizens — who found themselves accessing the courts. Some of these records have been preserved, but many still sit waiting in dusty storerooms to one day be examined and recognized for the invaluable information they contain. In this issue of the Texas Bar Journal, we examine the efforts of the Texas Supreme Court-appointed Texas Court Records Preservation Task Force to build awareness of the importance of preserving the state’s vast collection of his- torical court documents. Task Force members, as well as Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace B. Jefferson, Justice David Medina, and retired Chief Justice Thomas Phillips, provide essays on 21 historic records that were selected by the Task Force for preservation. In addition, Laura Saegart of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and Task Force member James W. Paulsen look at the issue of recovering stolen Texas court docu- ments, and John Anderson and Sarah Norris, both with the Archives Commission, offer important records preserva- tion tips. Finally, we highlight the work of the State Bar of Texas Archives Department and the ways State Bar mem- bers can utilize this important resource. Let us know your thoughts. We especially would like to hear your stories about finding or using some of Texas’ his- torical court records. Email us at [email protected]. T Map of Galveston, circa 1839-1841. Travis County criminal docket, 1852. Pre-Civil War estate record, including inventory of slaves.
Transcript of Preserving Texas’ Legal History T - State Bar of Texas | Home
186 Texas Bar Journal • March 2012 www.texasbar.com
PreservingTexas’ Legal
Historyexas lawyers have a rich legal history to draw uponin their work. This history is also inextricablylinked to the larger history of the Republic and
State of Texas. Historical court records provide importantexamples of not only how the Texas judicial system hasworked and evolved, but also of the lives of everyday Tex-ans — as well as some of Texas’ more famous denizens —who found themselves accessing the courts. Some of theserecords have been preserved, but many still sit waiting industy storerooms to one day be examined and recognizedfor the invaluable information they contain.
In this issue of the Texas Bar Journal, we examine theefforts of the Texas Supreme Court-appointed Texas CourtRecords Preservation Task Force to build awareness of theimportance of preserving the state’s vast collection of his-torical court documents. Task Force members, as well asTexas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace B. Jefferson,Justice David Medina, and retired Chief Justice ThomasPhillips, provide essays on 21 historic records that wereselected by the Task Force for preservation. In addition,Laura Saegart of the Texas State Library and ArchivesCommission and Task Force member James W. Paulsenlook at the issue of recovering stolen Texas court docu-ments, and John Anderson and Sarah Norris, both with theArchives Commission, offer important records preserva-tion tips. Finally, we highlight the work of the State Bar ofTexas Archives Department and the ways State Bar mem-bers can utilize this important resource.
Let us know your thoughts. We especially would like tohear your stories about finding or using some of Texas’ his-torical court records. Email us at [email protected].
T Map of Galveston, circa 1839-1841.
Travis County criminal docket, 1852.
Pre-Civil War estate record, including inventory of slaves.
www.texasbar.com/tbj Vol. 75, No. 3 • Texas Bar Journal 187
Immigration record from Galveston, 1929.
Kiowa Chief Satanta Galveston County lawsuit, 1901.
Deposition of Charles Goodnight, 1886.“ The Robin Hood of the Rio Grande,”Juan Cortina
Document from the Bob Wills lawsuit, 1933.
