Local History

The San Marcos-Hays County Collection serves as a center for gathering and preserving books, photographs, maps, documents, newspapers, and other archival materials related to the history, geography, and cultural life of San Marcos and Hays County.

Resources

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ResCarta

ResCarta is a powerful tool aggregating several of our collections: photography, early telephone directories, selected obituaries, cemetery inscriptions, and other seminal history documents.

Local History Photographs

Looking for photographic gems preserved in the library's local history archives? Some photos are available online. Photographs can also be scanned by library staff for a fee.

Tula Townsend Wyatt Collection

Included in the San Marcos-Hays County Collection, is the Tula Townsend Wyatt Collection. The Wyatt Collection was named for local historian Tula Townsend Wyatt who donated an extensive collection of photographs, manuscripts, newspaper clippings, and other materials to the San Marcos Public Library in 1977. Mrs. Wyatt's generous gift served as the catalyst for the library to begin gathering and organizing a local history collection.

Frances Stovall Collection

In 2001, historian Frances Stovall generously donated her extensive collection of local history materials to the library. The Frances Stovall Collection was dedicated as part of the San Marcos-Hays County Collection in January 2001.

Community Contributions

In addition to the outstanding contributions of Mrs. Wyatt and Mrs. Stovall, many other members of the community have helped the collection grow through their generous donations of historical materials. Several dedicated volunteers have contributed countless hours toward the organization and maintenance of the collection. The library staff would particularly like to acknowledge the contributions of the following volunteers; Elizabeth McSwain, Bobbie Wayne, Jerrie Harper, and the late Mary McSwain. Mary McSwain cataloged materials for the collection for nearly twenty years prior to her death in 1998.  

The library recognizes Mrs. Johnnie Armstead for her dedication to the collection and preservation of African American history in San Marcos. Mrs. Armstead's efforts led to the creation of the Calaboose African American History Museum, located in San Marcos. Thanks to the Calaboose, portions of Mrs. Armstead's collection has been digitized and can be viewed in the library's newest collection The Johnnie M. Armstead African American History Collection.

Financial Support

Ongoing financial support for the collection is provided by the City of San Marcos and Friends of the San Marcos Public Library.