Texas Emigration and Immigration

Online Resources

 * 1500s-1900s All U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s at Ancestry; index only ($); Also at MyHeritage; index only ($); includes those with Destination of Texas


 * 1846-1948 Galveston Immigration Database 1846-1948; index only
 * 1846-1849 Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild Galveston Arrivals: Vol. 1; index only
 * 1846-1847 Vol. 2; index only
 * 1846-1852 Vol. 3; index only
 * 1847-1866 Vol. 4; index only
 * 1850-1853 Vol. 5; index only


 * 1893-1963 Texas, Passenger Lists, 1893-1963 at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1895-1956 United States, Border Crossings from Canada, 1895-1956 at MyHeritage; index & images ($); includes those with Destination of Texas
 * 1895-1964 All U.S., Border Crossings from Mexico to U.S., 1895-1964 at Ancestry; index & images ($); includes those with Destination of Texas
 * 1896-1951 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1903-1910 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1903-1929 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1903-1955 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1905-1927 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at Findmypast; index & images ($)
 * 1905-1953 United States, Passenger and Crew Lists - Alien Arrivals At Eagle Pass, Texas; index & images ($)
 * 1905-1954 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1906-1953 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at Findmypast; index & images ($)
 * 1905-1953 United States, Passenger and Crew Lists - Alien Arrivals At Eagle Pass, Texas; index & images ($)
 * 1906-1956 Indexes of vessels arriving at Brownsville, Texas, 1935-1955; Houston, Texas, 1948-1954; and at Port Arthur and Beaumont, Texas, and Lake Charles, Louisiana 1908-1954 - FamilySearch, images
 * 1909-1924 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1912-1965 Aransas, Texas Crew Lists, 1912-1965 at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1924-1952 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1924-1954 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1924-1954 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1929-1955 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1931-1964 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1943-1964 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at Findmypast; index & images ($)
 * 1944-1952 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at Findmypast; index & images ($)
 * 1945-1952 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1946-1954 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1948-1959 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild at MyHeritage; index only ($)
 * OliveTree Genealogy, Ships Passenger Lists to Texas

Cultural Groups

 * 1901-1917 Galveston, Texas, Jewish Immigration Records, 1901-1917 at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1920-1939 Germany, Bremen Emigration Lists, 1920-1939 at MyHeritage; index only ($); includes those with Destination of Texas
 * 1844-1847 A New Land Beckoned:German Immigration to Texas, 1844-1847 at Ancestry; images only ($)
 * 1847-1861 A New Land Beckoned:German Immigration to Texas, 1847-1861 at Ancestry; images only ($)
 * Germans Immigrating to the United States at MyHeritage; index only ($); includes those with Destination of Texas
 * Italians Immigrating to the United States at MyHeritage; index only ($); includes those with Destination of Texas
 * Russians Immigrating to the United States at MyHeritage; index only ($); includes those with Destination of Texas
 * Czech immigration to Texas, e-book
 * Passenger lists of the pioneer Czech immigrants into Texas, 1850-1870, e-book
 * The French in Mexico and Texas, 1838-1839. e-book
 * The Mexican Texans, e-book

New Orleans
Many immigrants to Texas arrived through the port of New Orleans. See also Louisiana Emigration and Immigration.

Mexican Border Crossing Records
Numerous Mexicans came to Texas in the late 19th and early 20th century. Records of 20th century Mexican border crossings are available at the National Archives and FamilySearch Library. These include:


 * (A3365)
 * (M1502)
 * (M1758)
 * (M1754)
 * (M2040)
 * (M2041)
 * (M1757)
 * (M175)
 * (M1768)
 * (M1766)
 * (M2008)
 * (A3379)
 * (M1722)
 * (M1851)
 * (M1503)
 * (M1849)
 * (M2024)

Passport Records Online

 * 1795-1925 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1795-1925 U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925 Index and images, at Ancestry ($)

Offices to Contact
Although many records are included in the online records listed above, there are other records available through these archives and offices. For example, there are many minor ports that have not yet been digitized. There are also records for more recent time periods. For privacy reasons, some records can only be accessed after providing proof that your ancestor is now deceased.

National Archives and Records Administration

 * The National Archives (NARA) has immigration records for arrivals to the United States from foreign ports between approximately 1820 and 1982. The records are arranged by Port of Arrival (See Part 5).
 * You may do research in immigration records in person at the National Archives Building, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408-0001.


 * Some National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) regional facilities have selected immigration records; call to verify their availability or check the online Microfilm Catalog.
 * Libraries with large genealogical collections, such as the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah and the Allen County Piblic Library also have selected NARA microfilm publications.
 * Order copies of passenger arrival records with NATF Form 81.

U.S. Citizenship and and Immigration Services Genealogy Program
The USCIS Genealogy Program is a fee-for-service program that provides researchers with timely access to historical immigration and naturalization records of deceased immigrants. If the immigrant was born less than 100 years ago, you will also need to provide proof of his/her death.

Immigration Records Available

 * A-Files: Immigrant Files, (A-Files) are the individual alien case files, which became the official file for all immigration records created or consolidated since April 1, 1944.
 * Alien Registration Forms (AR-2s): Alien Registration Forms (Form AR-2) are copies of approximately 5.5 million Alien Registration Forms completed by all aliens age 14 and older, residing in or entering the United States between August 1, 1940 and March 31, 1944.
 * Registry Files:''' Registry Files are records, which document the creation of immigrant arrival records for persons who entered the United States prior to July 1, 1924, and for whom no arrival record could later be found.
 * Files:''' Visa Files are original arrival records of immigrants admitted for permanent residence under provisions of the Immigration Act of 1924.

Requesting a Record

 * Web Request Page allows you to request a records, pay fees, and upload supporting documents (proof of death).
 * Record Requests Frequently Asked Questions

Finding Town of Origin
Records in the countries emigrated from are kept on the local level. You must first identify the name of the town where your ancestors lived to access those records. If you do not yet know the name of the town of your ancestor's birth, there are well-known strategies for a thorough hunt for it.
 * U. S. Immigration Records: Finding the Town of Origin

Background

 * The first settlers of Texas generally came from Spain, although a few Frenchmen settled in eastern Texas.
 * Between 1821 and 1836 about 38,000 settlers came from the United States, especially from the southern states.
 * In the thirty years before the Civil War, many European emigrants came to Texas. They were mostly Germans, Poles, Czechs, Swedes, Norwegians, and Irish.
 * By 1850, some 33,000 Germans had settled in Texas.
 * After the Civil War many people left the South and went to Texas.
 * Others came from the North Central states, especially farmers of Swedish, Polish, and Irish descent.
 * More Europeans came at this time, including Belgians, Danes, and Greeks. Most of these settled in the cities.

Immigration Records
Immigration refers to people coming into a country. Emigration refers to people leaving a country to go to another. Immigration records usually take the form of ship's passenger lists collected at the port of entry. See Online Resources.

Information in Passenger Lists

 * Before 1820 - Passenger lists before 1820 included name, departure information and arrival details. The names of wives and children were often not included.


 * 1820-1891 - Customs Passenger Lists between 1820 and 1891 asked for each immigrant’s name, their age, their sex, their occupation, and their country of origin, but not the city or town of origin.


 * 1891-1954 - Information given on passenger lists from 1891 to 1954 included:
 * name, age, sex,
 * nationality, occupation, marital status,
 * last residence, final destination in the U.S.,
 * whether they had been to the U.S. before (and if so, when, where and how long),
 * if joining a relative, who this person was, where they lived, and their relationship,
 * whether able to read and write,
 * whether in possession of a train ticket to their final destination, who paid for the passage,
 * amount of money the immigrant had in their possession,
 * whether the passenger had ever been in prison, a poorhouse, or in an institution for the insane,
 * whether the passenger was a polygamist,
 * and immigrant's state of health.


 * 1906-- - In 1906, the physical description and place of birth were included, and a year later, the name and address of the passenger’s closest living relative in the country of origin was included.

Information in Passports
Over the years, passports and passport applications contained different amounts of information about the passport applicant. The first passports that are available begin in 1795. These usually contained the individual's name, description of individual, and age. More information was required on later passport applications, such as:


 * Birthplace
 * Birth date
 * Naturalization information
 * Arrival information, if foreign born

Texas Migration Routes
Colorado River (Texas)|· Pecos River|· Red River· Rio Grande· Sabine River|· Butterfield Overland Mail· Camino Real de los Tejas· Camino Real de Tierra Adentro· Chisholm Trail· Coushatta-Nacogdoches Trace· Jones Plummer Trail· Preston Trail· San Antonio-El Paso Road· Santa Fe Trail· Texas Road· Southern Pacific Railroad· Texas and Pacific Railway

For Further Reading
The FamilySearch Library has additional sources listed in their catalog: