Local History

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Database NameDatabase Description
Baytown Sun - Page ScansFull-text, searchable scans of The Baytown Sun, Tri-Cities Sun, and Daily Sun on the Portal to Texas History.
Baytown Sun - Full Text ArticlesFull-text from articles in the Baytown Sun from 2001 through the present.
Baytown Sun - Index Only These articles of local history significance as well as obituaries from 1932 through 2017. Microfilmed Baytown Sun is available at the Library.
City Council MinutesUnder "Open Records Request", select "Public Records Search" then "Minutes" then "City of Goose Creek" or City of Pelly."
• Goose Creek: April, 1919 - March, 1947
• Pelly: March, 1920 - January, 1948
Documents of Baytown HistoryArticles covering unique aspects of Baytown History
History Collection on the PortalFull text book scans of  including general, church and school histories.
Houston ChronicleFull-text from articles in the Houston Chronicle from 1985 through the present.
Houston Metropolitan NewsFind information on community and state issues, business, cultural events, government, politics and more from over 70 Houston area news sources including newspapers, blogs and web-only content.
Humble Bee & Baytown Briefs - Page ScansFull text, searchable scans of The Humble Bee and Baytown Briefs on the Portal to Texas History.  Baytown Briefs includes local news about Humble Oil, Exxon USA and ExxonMobil. Humble Bee highlights employees of Humble Oil. 
Humble Bee & Baytown Briefs - Index OnlyBaytown Briefs includes local news about Humble Oil, Exxon USA and ExxonMobil. Humble Bee highlights employees of Humble Oil. The library has miscellaneous issues from 1921 to 1997. Index only.
Local History FilesList of clippings and other materials on subjects of local interest available at the library
Maps of BaytownStreet maps of Baytown in the 1940s and 1950s.
Oral Histories of Baytown - MP3sInterviews conducted during the 1970s and 1980s by volunteers and library staff. Available as MP3 files.
Oral Histories of BaytownOral histories from Lee College covering the Baytown World War II Collection, the Baytown Veteran’s Oral History Collection, and the Oral Histories of the Citizens of Baytown. Some of the interviews were conducted with Sterling Municipal Library. Available on the Portal to Texas History.
Photos of Baytown HistoryBaytown’s history photos dating back to the late 1800s. Sterling Municipal Library is not the copyright holder for these photos. The Library has obtained permissions to post these photos on the library web site. See the “information” tab for each photograph to learn more.
Videos of Baytown HistoryStreaming videos featuring Baytown local history, primarily from a lecture series given at the Library in the 1980s.
What Was ThereView historical photos above current Google maps and add your own.
Yearbooks: Cedar LogDigitized yearbooks for Cedar Bayou High School from 1949 - 1954.
Yearbooks: George W. CarverDigitized yearbooks for Carver High School and Carver, Harlem, and Walker Elementary Schools from 1957-1958.
Yearbooks: ImpactDigitized yearbooks for Impact High School in Baytown, Texas.
Yearbooks: LeeDigitized yearbooks for Robert E. Lee High School in Baytown, Texas.
Yearbooks: MemorialDigitized yearbooks for Goose Creek Memorial High School in Baytown, Texas.
Yearbooks: SterlingDigitized yearbooks for Ross S. Sterling High School in Baytown, Texas
Database NameDatabase Description
African American HeritageEssential records for African Americans, including census, marriage and cohabitation, military draft and service, registers of slaves and free(d) people of color, the Freedman's Bank, and more.
Ancestry  (In Library Only)Learn about your family history through historical records, family trees, and DNA testing with AncestryDNA®.
Bibliography of Native North AmericansCovers citations for all aspects of native North American culture, history, and life. Coverage ranges from the sixteenth century to the present.
Cemetery Records OnlineA free online library of cemetery records from thousands of cemeteries across the world, for historical and genealogy research.
Digital Sanborn MapsDelivers detailed property and land-use records that depict the grid of everyday life in more than 12,000 U.S. towns and cities from 1867 to 1970.
Fold3 Library EditionAccess military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served.
Harris County ArchivesDocuments the history of the citizens of Harris County as revealed through the county records and donated materials.
Heritage QuestComprehensive treasury of American genealogical sources—rich in unique primary sources, local and family histories, and finding aids - including but not limited to the U.S. Federal Censuses.
Historical Newspaper - Austin American-StatesmanFull-text articles from The Austin American-Statesman from 1871-1980.
Family SearchOffers a free collection of records, resources and services designed to help people learn about their family history.
Texas Archival Resources OnlineLocate primary documents in Texas archival collections.
Texas Historical NewspapersExplore America’s past via Texas newspapers, with coverage dating back into the early 1800s! Access provided by Friends of the Library.
Texas Reference CenterFor school and public libraries, contains 30 full text periodicals, 100 full text reference books, several Texas newspapers, and more.
VoyagesRecords of slave voyages between 1514 and 1866 from original documents