The Genealogy and Local History Department of Fort Bend County Libraries is known throughout the region as an excellent source for research in these subjects.
The George Memorial Library in Richmond, houses the Genealogy and Local History Department's collections and resources.
The department's resources focus on the southeastern United States, Fort Bend and the surrounding counties through the Regional Historical Resource Depository (RHRD) program and include materials relating to the history of the South, federal censuses, genealogy, American Revolution, the Civil War, etc.
Over many years, the Genealogy Department’s volunteers and staff have compiled a Fort Bend County Burial Records database, which has become a major tool for genealogy researchers. The database was published in five volumes in 1997, as the Registry of Cemeteries in Fort Bend County, Texas. A supplement was published in 2004, and another supplement is currently being compiled. The printed volumes are housed in the Genealogy Department at George Memorial Library; the database is also available online.
Contact Information
Address:
Second Floor
1001 Golfview Drive
Richmond, Texas 77469
Phone: 281-341-2608
Fax: 832-471-2445
Department Manager: Daniel Sample
Upcoming Genealogy & History Events
Our buildings are closed, but our online library is always open!
You can access our:
Learn about the genealogical information available at Fort Bend County Libraries for the beginning genealogical researcher.
Family-History Research: Introduction to Native American Genealogy
Have you ever wanted to prove that you are Native American and not understood where or how to begin? This will be an overview for anyone wanting to research the ‘Native American’ legend in their family history.
2025 Book Festival
Welcome to 2025 Book Festival! We celebrate literature, creativity, storytelling, and more. This year, we're featuring our Fort Bend Community Reads pick, Amanda Churchill, author of The Turtle House.
2025 Book Fest: Japanese War-Brides, In-Depth
Join us for an in-depth discussion on Japanese War Brides, one of the central themes of the Fort Bend Community Picks Read, "The Turtle House" by Amanda Churchill.
Family-History Research: Introduction to Native American Genealogy
Have you ever wanted to prove that you are Native American and not understood where or how to begin? This will be an overview for anyone wanting to research the ‘Native American’ legend in their family history.
Our buildings are closed, but our online library is always open!
You can access our:
Genealogy & Local History Services
Microfilm Reader / Printer
The Genealogy and Local History Department at George Memorial Library has several microfilm reader/printers available to the public. Copies are 10¢ per page and payment is by coin.
Online Genealogy Resources
Ancestry Library Edition (ProQuest)
Available in-library only. Ancestry has records on over two billion people. These include US records like birth, marriage, and death info, draft registrations from WW I, Social Security records, and US Census records from 1790 to 1930. It also has records from the UK and Ireland, and immigration records like passenger lists and naturalization papers.
Chronicling America Newspaper Database
The Chronicling America Newspaper Database gives access to historic U.S. newspapers digitized through a national program by the NEH and Library of Congress. Newspapers from across states and territories show local history and events. The collection is free and will be permanently available online.
Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet
Cyndi's List has over 41,700 links, organized into 100+ categories to help you easily find genealogy and family history resources.
Online History & Biography Resources
African-American History (Infobase)
African-American History covers over 500 years of African-American experiences. You can start by watching a video or slideshow, explore important topics from the homepage, or dive deeper using the Topic Centers. You’ll find stories about key people and events, famous speeches and documents, and detailed timelines.
American Archive of Public Broadcasting
This collection from the Library of Congress and GBH has 40,000 hours of shows. Most come from local areas and share stories about American life from the 1950s to the early 2000s. Find local news, history, and programs about school, the environment, the arts, religion, and even local movies.
American History (Infobase)
American History is an easy-to-use website with lots of helpful information about U.S. history. The main page gives you different ways to start, like videos, slideshows, and special topic sections. It includes many types of information all in one place—like articles, biographies, original documents, pictures, timelines, maps, and more.