Texas Immigration

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This entry was originally written by Wendy Bebout Elliott, Ph.D. FUGA for Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.

This article is part of
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the Texas Family History Research series.
History of Texas
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Census Records for Texas
Background Sources for Texas
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Texas Immigration
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Native Americans of Texas
Republic of Texas Settlers
African Americans of Texas
Hispanic Americans of Texas
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Both New Orleans and Galveston served as ports of entry for those who immigrated and settled in Texas. Some early immigrants entered at New Orleans. The National Archives'Southwest Region in Fort Worth is the regional location for the archives' extensive microfilm collection of immigration lists (see page 12). The FHL has microfilm copies of passenger lists for New Orleans (1820'1921; indexes to 1952); also, the FHL has copies for Galveston (1846'71, 1893, and 1896'1921; with indexes grouped from 1896'1906 and 1906'51). Prior to 1852 there is no separate index to passengers.

Printed sources include the following:

  • Baca, Leo. Czech Immigration Passenger Lists. 3 vols. Hallestville, Tex.: Old Homestead Publishing Co., 1980'83. While not limited to Texas, a great many of the lists do pertain to Texas and are based on records no longer extant in Texas port of arrival records.
  • Biesele, Rudolph L. The History of the German Settlements in Texas, 1831'1931. Austin, Tex.: Von Boeckman-Jones Co., 1931.
  • Blaha, Albert J. Passenger Lists for Galveston, 1850'1855. Houston: the author, 1985. Based on European sources. Galveston and Indianola passenger arrivals are included.
  • Brown, John Henry. Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas. St. Louis: L. E. Daniels Publishers, 1890.
  • Brozek, Andrzej, and Henryk Borek. Pierwsi Ślązacy w Ameryce [First Silesians in America]. Opole, Poland, 1967.
  • Chabot, Fred Charles. With the Makers of San Antonio. San Antonio, Tex.: Ars Graphica, 1937.
  • Dworaczyk, Edward J. The First Polish Colonies in America in Texas. San Antonio, Tex.: Naylor Co., 1936.
  • Galveston County Genealogical Society. Ships Passenger Lists, Port of Galveston, Texas, 1846'1871. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1984. Lists surviving fragments of records.
  • Geue, Chester, and Ethel H. Geue. A New Land Beckoned, German Immigration to Texas, 1844'1847. Waco, Tex.: Texian Press, 1972. These records provide coverage for the period when the Republic of Texas kept no records of immigrants arriving at its ports and complements the fragmentary records for the port of Galveston maintained by the United States.
  • Geue, Ethel H. New Homes in a New Land, German Immigration to Texas, 1847'1861. Waco, Tex.: Texian Press, 1972. These lists are based on records in the Archives of the General Land Office. While there may be some duplication with records maintained by the federal authorities at New Orleans and Galveston, these lists are generally unique.
  • Haiman, Miecislaus. The Poles in the Early History of Texas. Chicago: P.R.C.U. of A. Archives, 1936.
  • . Polish Past in America. Chicago: P.R.C.U. of A. Archives, 1939.
  • Hudson, Estelle, and Henry Maresh. Czech Pioneers of the Southwest. Dallas: Southwest Press, 1934.
  • March, Helen, and Timothy March. Tennesseans in Texas. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1986.
  • McManus, J. Conrad County, Texas: New Braunfels, Texas, German Immigrant Ships, 1845'1846. St Louis: F. T. Ingmire, 1985.
  • Przygoda, Jacek. Texas Pioneers from Poland: A Study in the Ethnic History. Waco: Texian Press, ca. 1971.