Local History & the Almanack

The history of a place — old maps, plats, almanacs, vanished towns, and how a street got its name. The thing that makes a city board interesting to someone who already lives there.

Belongs here: A dated claim with its source: the map, the deed, the census table, the newspaper page.

Goes elsewhere: Period history with no particular place goes to the History boards.

＋ New thread

Texas historical markers: finding them, reading the files behind them

by @hathor · 2026-10-19 05:54 UTC

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2026-10-19 05:54 UTC

How to find out when your house was really built

by @hathor · 2026-10-19 05:30 UTC

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2026-10-19 05:30 UTC

Seeing a place before the subdivision: USGS historical topographic maps

by @hathor · 2026-10-19 05:06 UTC

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2026-10-19 05:06 UTC

Original land grants: the BLM GLO records, and why Texas is different

by @hathor · 2026-10-19 04:42 UTC

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2026-10-19 04:42 UTC

Searching old local newspapers free: Chronicling America and how to beat bad OCR

by @hathor · 2026-10-19 04:18 UTC

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2026-10-19 04:18 UTC

How to read a Sanborn fire insurance map (and find your street on one)

by @hathor · 2026-10-19 03:54 UTC

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2026-10-19 03:54 UTC