General Informational Handouts

• Research Room Registration Form and Policies
  When visiting the General Land Office Archives and Records, please view the rules and policies that are in place to protect the archival holdings. For a faster research experience, please print and fill out the appropriate information in advance, and bring it with you.
• Archives and Records Survey Order Form
  When requesting Field Notes or Patents for duplication, please use this form and submit by clicking the button on the form, or email to archives@glo.texas.gov.
•  Preferred Citations
  This is a listing of the preferred citations for records found in the General Land Office Archives and Records.
• Reproduction Authorization Form
  In order to receive a digital image or publish a digital image from GLO collections, please fill out this form, and pay the necessary fees.
• Resources for Educators
  Learn more about the variety of GLO programs educators can use to help foster a love of history in our children, and an appreciation for our state.
• Land Patents FAQ
  Frequently asked questions about land patents and the services offered by the GLO Archives.
• Mineral Rights and Land Grants FAQ
  Frequently asked questions about mineral rights and the original land grants of Texas.
• Surveyor Resources Handout
  A concise list of the resources available at the GLO for survey professionals, including a list of applicable map and sketch collections with descriptions and links.

Land Grant Collection

• GLO Headright and Military Land Grants
  Learn about headright and military land grants in Texas, and the unique criteria associated with receiving land for service.
• GLO Scrip Land Grants
  Learn about the various types of loan and sales scrip, as well as scrip given for internal improvements.
• GLO German Collections
  The Land Office is the repository for several collections that focus on German immigration to Texas in the 1840s-1860s. Learn about these helpful resources.
• History of Texas Public Lands
  This is an in depth look at the history of the Public Lands of Texas. (27 pages).
• Appendices - History of Texas Public Lands
  This is an in depth look at the history of the Public Lands of Texas, with a specific focus on Mexico’s land policies, as well as the role of the GLO in creating county maps. (29 pages).

Spanish Collection

• GLO Spanish Collection
  The Land Office is the repository for original Spanish and Mexican land titles in Texas. These records, known collectively as the Spanish Collection, are the most important collection of original documents anywhere for the history of land distribution in Texas prior to 1836.
• Calendar of Catalogue II of the Spanish Collection
  The Calendar is a finding aid that contains summary descriptions of each document found within Catalogue II of the Spanish Collection. Catalogue II describes the correspondence, mission records, empresario contracts, decrees, reports, and proceedings generated by Spanish and Mexican efforts to administer their colonization and land distribution systems in Texas.

Map Collection

• Selected Maps and Sketches of the GLO Archives
  This is a brief description of the different types of map collections found in the General Land Office Archives and Records.
• Land Districts Map
  Texas was divided into 36 Land Districts in 1846 to help simplify the disposition of public lands at a time when new counties were constantly being created and older ones modified. The General Land Office adopted these Land Districts (plus two others: Panola and Paschal) for our land grant filing system and remains in place today. This document helps to map Land Districts to present-day counties and vice-versa.

Genealogical Information

• Genealogy Research Sheet
  When researching your ancestors, it is important to organize your information. This sheet helps organize relevant information found in land grant files.
• Genealogy Name Search Request Form
  Genealogists should submit this form to request a genealogical name search. Land Office researchers will conduct a comprehensive search of our files on any individual found in our records, abstract the information, and send an easy-to-understand explanation of what was found. NOTE: A Genealogy Name Search is a service offered for $20 per name.