Third Annual 3S Genealogy Symposium- Solutions...Support...Success

The Third Annual 3S “Solutions…Support…Success” Genealogy Symposium will be held on Saturday, May 16, 2009 at the Friench Simpson Memorial Library. 

The theme for this year’s symposium will deal with preserving and identifing historic photographs.  The staff is currently booking an agenda of speakers that will cover all aspects of historic photographs.

Additional information will be posted on this website as it becomes available.  If you have any questions, please contact Brenda Lincke Fisseler at magnolia@cmaaccess.com or call 361-798-3243. 

Brenda's Links

If you have questions regarding the genealogy collection please email
Brenda Lincke-Fisseler at magnolia@cmaaccess.com

Coming Events...

If your historical organization has sceduled an event in 2009 please email the library with the details.
We would be happy to help you publicize your event.
magnolia@cmaaccess.com

Resources Available at the Library

• Microfilm Holdings

• Family Files Surname Index
  A-D
  E-H
  I-L
  M-P
  Q-T
  U-Z

• Lavaca County History Books

• Photograph Index

Lay down your research, take a break and enjoy a little fiction written for people just like you! Every title on the list is available at the Library.

New "Old" News

Your place to find "new" news about "old" things in Lavaca County.

HALLETTSVILLE – Lavaca County has been awarded $2.8 million from the state to help preserve the county courthouse.

Lavaca County Judge Ronnie Leck received the letter of award and confirmation from Texas Historical Commission Friday. In his letter, Executive Director F. Lawrence Oaks wrote that the commission had awarded the full $2,863,200 requested for the restoration project and was pleased with the work Lavaca County had done in the request.

The award is part of the Round V of the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program and Lavaca County was one of 17 projects approved from 47 requests submitted. The commission awarded nearly $56 million in matching funds for the courthouse projects.

Advocate Staff Report

About Our Local History Collection

The Friench Simpson Memorial Library is the repository of the most extensive collection of material on the history and inhabitants of Lavaca County, Texas which was established in 1846.  The book collection includes community histories, immigration records, church histories, cemetery records, military histories and family histories along with a complete set of the well known and out of print Lavaca County history books written by the late Judge Paul C. Boethel.

 The microfilm collection includes census records, Lavaca County records, military records, church records and the mainstay of the collection our historic newspaper microfilm including English and foreign language newspapers.

 The Historic Photography Collection is comprised of over 900 photographs of people, places and events in Lavaca County history.  The collection also includes the largest collection of photographs by the late H.J. Braunig and his partner Pius Fey.  Together and separately, Fey and Braunig used their camera lens to capture the history of Hallettsville and Lavaca County for over 50 years.   Also available are rural school photographs and historic postcards. 

 Historic maps are also available.  The map collection includes appraisal maps, Sanborn fire maps on microfilm, topography maps, and copies of historic Lavaca County maps from the collection of the Texas General Land office in Austin, Texas.

 Our extensive vertical file collection includes family surname files, church and fraternal records, obituaries, cemetery records and funeral notices, scrapbooks and miscellaneous materials.