Most of the more than three hundred historical manuscript collections in the Special Collections Division focus on either 19th or 20th century Texas and Mexican history or the Mexican American War of 1846-1848. The materials are primarily personal papers, family collections, and organizational records. Special emphasis is on materials from the North Texas area and surrounding counties as well as counties once part of the Robertson Colony, a 19th century empresario venture that brought U.S. immigrants to Texas.

Comprising the bulk of the collection, 19th century materials include letters and documents on the formation of early colonies, and materials from pioneers who participated in the Texas Revolution and the formation of the State of Texas.

There are also letters, journals, and photographs of Confederate and Union soldiers as well as papers of city builders, farmers, pioneer women, ranchers, and surveyors.

Broadsides, diaries, letters, and government records are available which document the U.S. War with Mexico (1846-1848).

Twentieth century materials focus primarily on the papers of Texas authors, businessmen, civic leaders, collectors, families, journalists, and organizations.

Manuscripts and galley sheets of books are available for research as well as the records of corporation builders, social organizations, and collections concerning events or Texas topics.

Finding aids, inventories, and descriptions are available for many of the archival collections. All collections, both processed and unprocessed, are listed and described, in the 2000 edition of A Guide to Archives and Manuscripts in the Special Collections Division at The University of Texas at Arlington Libraries. An electronic version is available online, and a loose-leaf addendum to the Guide is available at the Special Collections reference desk. Most of the collections are also cataloged and appear in OCLC and the UT Arlington Library Catalog.

See online Finding aids

If you have questions about the Historical Manuscripts collections, please contact Brenda McClurkin at mcclurkin@uta.edu or (817) 272-7512.