State School Cemeteries, Strikes, and More! Friday, February 17, 2023 (12:30-5:30)

The reading room was quiet today, so I spent much of my day researching resources related to a reference email that came in from a U.T. student looking for burial records for the Austin State School cemetery and the Travis State School Farm Colony. She offered a picture listing all the names of the children buried in the Austin State School cemetery in case that would help. I researched items in

our general collection and found a few items related to the Austin State Schools, but found nothing in our archival collections. Although we have burial records for the Austin State Hospital, we don’t have any for the State Schools mentioned. I did find an Austin American Statesman article about efforts (and a lawsuit!) to get the Department of Aging and Disability Services to release

burial information for state schools in Austin, but the Department refused citing privacy factors. I emailed her the information that I found and suggested that she contact the founder of Save Austin Cemeteries who is very knowledgeable about efforts to obtain the state school burial records. I also suggested that she reach out to the Texas State Archives and Libraries Commission.

I also assisted a patron that came in to the reading room seeking information about the Economy Furniture Strike. I pulled the vertical file for the Economy Furniture Strike and let her know that the U.T. Benson Center has the archival collection on this topic. I also answered a reference email that came in from the librarian at the Texas Department of State Health Services Library; she wanted to know whether he had any records related to the John H. Winters complex at 701 West 51st street. I checked our House-Building files, our architectural plans index and archives and manuscripts index, but found no records for this building. I emailed her back to let her know. I quickly refiled some materials and tidied up the reading room before heading home for the day.

Maria-Elena Cigarroa

Supervisor: Jennifer Hecker

General Schedule: Sundays (11-6); Thursdays (2:00-6:00); Fridays (12:30-5:30)