Dallas Municipal Archives

Overview

The Dallas Municipal Archives, a division of the Office of the City Secretary, preserves, protects, and facilitates access to City of Dallas governmental records.

History

The Archives was established in 1986 (some city sources cite 1985). As part of the City Secretary's Office, it is also responsible for preserving the City Secretary's council action files, which contain the originals of all City ordinances and resolutions, meeting minutes, agendas, and support documentation.

Collections, Holdings, and Publications

The Archives holds over 2,000 cubic feet of city departmental records, including ledgers, meeting minutes, speeches, maps, photographs, microforms, and printed materials, plus thousands of permanently valuable documents and architectural plans. Notable holdings include Dallas Police Department materials on Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, Dallas Police Department records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the earliest extant City of Dallas Charter, City Council minutes and ordinances dating from 1868, City Charters from 1871, and Annual Reports from 1888. Digitized materials are contributed to the University of North Texas Libraries' Portal to Texas History.

Access and Usage

The Archives is located at Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla Street, Dallas, Texas, and is open to researchers who agree to its regulations for handling materials.