Episode #103 – Lone Star Family Trails – The Southwest Collection at Texas Tech University

Listen now to:  Episode #103 – The Southwest Collection at Texas Tech University

Host:   Ron Barnett

Guest:  Dr. Monte L. Monroe, archivist for the Southwest Collection at Texas Tech University in Lubbock and State Historian for Texas

This episode features the Southwest Collection at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.  Ron Barnett, our host for the month, interviewed Dr. Monte L Monroe, the archivist for the collection.  As archivist Dr. Monroe works to extend their collection to include manuscripts of family history that provide “unique, tangible evidence of a person’s existence; how they lived, how they thought, and how we all remember them.”[1]

A manuscript collection allows a genealogist to add historical context to the names and dates they have already collected.  The individual collection might contain oral histories, ledgers, family Bibles, photographs, letters, or family group sheets that relate to a specific family or their descendants. The descriptions of the individual collections are found on their website to aid genealogy researchers in planning their visit. In addition, the collection is home to multiple Texas newspapers from west Texas, some beginning in the late 1880’s. Many of these newspapers are available digitally.  Also available digitally are oral history interviews, maps and a selection of photographs from the special collection.

Dr. Monroe is serving his second term as the official Texas State Historian. In that position he is responsible for increasing public knowledge about the rich and diverse history of the state, encouraging the teaching of Texas history in public schools, consulting with state leaders to promote Texas history, and making presentation on Texas history topics.

The Southwest Collection is open to the public and genealogists are welcome to visit.  They recommend contacting the reference desk prior to visiting to ensure that the materials needed can be gathered prior to the visit.

Address: 2805 15^th St, Box 41041, Lubbock, Texas 79409-1041
Phone: 806-742-3749
Reference email: james.marshall@ttu.edu

URL:  https://swco.ttu.edu

Digital Newspaper Collection URL: http://newspapers.swco.ttu.edu/

Stay tuned to our website for upcoming Lone Star Family Trails podcasts. Contact lonestar@txsgs.org for more information or suggestions on future topics.