These records document the taxes due on lands in organized counties in Texas, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. Between 1867 and 1876, there are eight letterpress volumes containing copies of statements of the amount of taxes due on lands in organized counties in Texas, which contain the following information: date of statement, years to be paid on, county where situated, number of abstract, name of original grantee, number of acres to be paid on, amount of taxes due (state, county, and total), and remarks. These are signed by the Tax Clerk of the Tax Bureau. Each of the volumes contains an index by the name of the person requesting the statement.

These records document the taxes due on lands in organized counties in Texas, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. Beginning in 1886, these statements of the amount of taxes due on lands in organized counties in Texas (on Form Number 5) were provided on request. The 38 letterpress volumes between 1886-1910 (also called Organized County Bill Books), contained the following information: name of person requesting the statement and date of statement; year for which taxes are due; description of the property (county, abstract number, certificate number, survey number, name of original grantee, number of acres, number of lot, number of block, number of division); the amount of taxes (state, school, county, and total); and memoranda (form, page, and line). These were signed by the Chief Tax Clerk and the Comptroller. Sometimes other forms (e.g., Form Number 36) are included in the same volume. These forms have the explanation that payment of the taxes can be made at the Comptroller's office prior to January 1 of the next year, but that after that date payment must be made in the county where the land is located. Each of the volumes contains an index by the name of the person requesting the statement.

These records document the taxes due on lands in organized counties in Texas, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. Between 1913-1919, there are six letterpress volumes containing copies of statements of the amount of taxes due on lands in organized counties in Texas. No longer called Form 5, these statements contain almost the same information as the Organized County Bill Books, which includes the following: name and address of person requesting the statement, and date of statement; date taxes are due; county; year for which taxes are due; description of the property (abstract number, certificate number, survey number, name of original grantee, number of acres, number of lot, number of block); the amount of state taxes (ad valorem, school, and pension); the amount of county taxes (ad valorem and special); and total. Each form contains the heading “This is a Statement of Taxes Due and Not a Tax Receipt,” and also the explanation that if not paid before February 1, the taxes will become delinquent and 10 percent penalty and 6 percent interest to date of payment will be added. Each of the volumes contains an index by the name of the person requesting the statement.

These records document the taxes due on lands in unorganized counties in Texas, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of six registers of land in unorganized counties in Texas upon which taxes were due for the years 1871 through 1879, as shown by the records of the Comptroller's office and compiled in compliance with An Act to provide for the speedy assessment and collection of taxes upon land and real estate in cases when such property has been subject by law to taxation, but the assessment thereof has been omitted, approved August 19, 1876 (Form F). The following information is provided by these registers: for what year, abstract number, survey number, name of original grantee, by whom rendered, where rendered, numbers of acres rendered, numbers of acres unrendered, total number of acres, and remarks. The columns designated for the value of the unrendered land, and for the amounts of state tax, county tax, and total tax due, are all blank. Book Number 1 is missing, containing unorganized counties A thru C.

These records document the taxes due on lands in unorganized counties in Texas, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of 52 letterpress volumes containing tax bills (i.e., statements of taxes due) for lands in unorganized counties in Texas, 1880-1913. In February 1885 the forms, previously unnumbered, began to be designated Form Number 7; but on May 8, 1885, the number was changed to Form Number 36. Eventually, each form began with the following: This is a statement of Taxes due, not a Tax Receipt. (Note--Compare description given in Tax-Bill with Deed or Patent). Information given on the form includes the following: date of statement; name and address of the person by whom rendered, and of the person for whom rendered (often self); the year for which taxes are due; county; number of abstract, number of certificate, and number of survey; name of original grantee; number of acres; amount of state tax, and (later) amount of school tax, county tax, and county special tax; and total tax. Each form is signed by the Chief Tax Clerk as well as by the Comptroller. Each volume is indexed by the name of the person rendering.

These records document the taxes collected on lands in unorganized counties in Texas, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of two volumes (labeled miscellaneous register), which document the rendering of property in unorganized counties for payment of ad valorem taxes directly to the Texas Comptroller, 1882-1909. Most of the unorganized counties were created from the huge Bexar District in 1876. The information provided in these registers includes the following: year for which payment is made, abstract number, certificate number, survey number, block number, patent number and volume (1883-1909), location made by virtue of scrip granted to whom (1883-1909), name of original grantee, by whom rendered/by whom paid, number of acres rendered, and number of receipt. Note that the amount of tax is not given. These registers contain the greatest amount of information of any of the records on this type of transaction.

These records document the taxes collected on lands in unorganized counties in Texas, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of two registers which document the receipts by the Texas Comptroller of taxes on property located in unorganized counties, 1879 and 1883-1884. Missing from these registers is information concerning the land taxed; and only one of the two provides any information concerning the taxpayer.

One volume is a statement of receipts at the Comptroller's office for payment of taxes in unorganized counties, between March and August, 1879. Information given in this register includes the following: date received, from whom, address, amounts brought forward, description of funds, date of receipt, number of receipt, amount of receipt, amounts returned and carried forward, and remarks.

The other volume is a register of taxes received by the Comptroller between April 1883 and March 1884, on lands situated in unorganized counties; it may have been called Book of Tax Distribution Number 3. Information given in this register includes no taxpayer information, but simply a (receipt (?)) number, amount of state tax, and amount of county tax. These amounts are subtotaled for each month. The 55 counties involved are almost all within the Texas Panhandle.

These records document the taxes collected on lands in unorganized counties in Texas, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of 22 volumes (19 of them letterpress volumes) containing copies of letters transmitting receipts for taxes paid on lands in unorganized counties in Texas (Form Number 3), March 1881 through October 1885. Each letter contains the following information: date of letter, name and address of the taxpayer, whether a remittance or a deposit, date of receipt, amount received, receipt number, and a statement of account (amount of receipts enclosed, amount returned, amount of deposit, and remarks). Also noted are the book number and page number on which the letter is recorded. Other types of letters are often included in these books, as for example commercial travelers' licenses. Each of the letterpress volumes contains an index of the names of the taxpayers.

These records document the ad valorem taxes collected from non-residents on lands in Texas counties, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of 24 volumes documenting the receipt by the Texas Comptroller's office of ad valorem taxes from non-residents of counties in which the taxed property was located, 1879-1902. Twenty-three of the volumes are registers, which include the following information: the date the tax was received, the number of the receipt, the amount of state tax, the amount of county tax, the amount of school district tax (beginning in 1885), the total amount of tax, and the name of the person or firm who paid the tax (this last item was given only sporadically until 1885). Except for the first register, which covers unorganized counties between 1879 and 1884, each register covers one year's taxes, most of which were paid in the last quarter of the year (October-December).

In addition, there is one letterpress volume which contains copies of transmittal letters from the comptroller to county treasurers, enclosing drafts for county taxes collected by the comptroller from non-residents, February 10-13, 1892. Information included in these letters includes draft number, amount, and name of county. This volume contains an index by county name.

These records document the ad valorem taxes collected from non-residents on lands in Texas counties, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of 53 letterpress volumes containing copies of lists of payments made at the Texas Comptroller's office on lands owned by non-residents, 1862-1865, 1885-1912, and 1921-1922. Beginning in 1885, these were designated Form Number 54: lists of payments made at the Office of Comptroller prior to January 1 of a given year, on lands and other property in a given county owned by non-residents, and assessed on the roll of a given year, for a given year. The information provided on these forms includes the following: date of the list; name of owner/in whose name assessed; description of land (abstract number, certificate number, survey number, name of original grantee, number of acres assessed, and number of acres paid on); description of town lot (city or town, number of lot, number of block, number of division); and amounts of taxes paid (state, school, county, district school, and total). Each volume contains an index by county.

These records document the sale of lands for taxes by Texas county assessor/collectors or sheriffs, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of twelve registers of tax sales maintained by the Texas Comptroller's office, documenting the sale of lands for taxes by county assessor/collectors or sheriffs dating 1846-1864, 1878-1883, and 1896-1906.

Information given by the registers on these sales varies over the years both in form and in content. This information includes the following data: number/abstract number, year for which sold, on whose account sold (1846-1864), by whom rendered or assessed (1878-1881), name of original grantee, number of acres assessed/advertised, number of acres sold, number of survey, on what stream (1846-1864), kind of claim (1846-1864), number of block and number of lot and where situated (for town lots), name of purchaser, residence of purchaser (1878-1881), amount of tax due (state tax and county/school tax), amount of tax due broken down by that lying in the county and that lying out of the county (1846-1864), costs, total tax and costs, date of the sale, the name of the official conducting the sale (1846-1864), and remarks. Types of remarks include redeemed, or cancelled, or withdrawn, or paid in ___ County, or balance paid on (date) by ___,” etc. If the property was redeemed, the later registers (1878-1881) also give the following: by whom redeemed, number of acres redeemed, amount paid for redemption, and number of redemption certificate.

These records document the sale of lands for taxes by Texas county assessor/collectors or sheriffs, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of 20 volumes of Texas Comptroller's tax deeds, executed between 1880 and 1895. Each deed certifies strict compliance with the provisions of An act to provide for the assessment and collection of taxes on lands and other property situated in the unorganized counties, and for the enforcement of the same, approved April 22, 1879.

The deed then names the highest bidder, or purchaser; describes the tracts and parcels so purchased (giving county where situated, years for which taxes were due and sale made, abstract number, original grantee, date of sale, number of acres advertised, number of acres sold, amount of state tax, costs, and total); lists the sale price (which equals the total of tax and costs); and officially transfers the title.

The format of the volumes changes somewhat in 1889 (using Form Number 41), but the information remains essentially the same, except for adding the following to the descriptive chart: scrip or certificate number, class, patentee, date of patent, number and volume of patent, amount of state school tax, and amount of county tax.

An additional volume, dating December 10, 1880-March 9, 1881, includes deeds of transfer of lands sold for taxes, from the purchasers to third parties.

These records document the sale of lands for taxes by Texas county assessor/collectors or sheriffs, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of six letterpress volumes containing statements of tax sales (on Form Number 60), furnished by the Texas Comptroller's office to persons on request, 1884-1909. These fragile volumes vary slightly in content over the years. They contain the following information: county, date of deed, date of sale (1884-1893), year for which sale was made, abstract number, certificate number (1893-1909), survey number (1893-1909), name of original grantee, number of acres advertised, number of acres sold, amount of state tax, state school tax, county tax, cost, total, name of purchaser, and residence of purchaser. At the bottom of the form is the following: Note: Parties desiring to redeem at this office, will return this statement with double the amount of Tax and Costs. Time for redemption at this office expires two years from date of Deed. As time continued, this statement was supplemented by the following additional notices: 1895: Unpaid taxes which have accrued subsequent to tax sale to State must be paid on or before the date of redemption. 1896: To redeem from sale to State, remit total amount of taxes and cost with 6% interest from January 1 following assessment of taxes. 1899: In addition to taxes and interest a penalty of 10% is charged against taxes of 1897 and subsequent years, provided such taxes are not paid on or before January 31 following assessment. Each volume is indexed by the name of the person requesting the statement.

These records document the sale of lands for taxes by Texas county assessor/collectors or sheriffs, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of eight letterpress volumes containing tax purchaser lists, (on Form Number 67), listing lands in unorganized counties sold for taxes due the State of Texas (plus costs of advertising), 1883-1893. These fragile volumes vary slightly in content over the years, and contain the following information: county; years for which taxes are due and sale is made; abstract number, scrip number, and survey number; name of original grantee; name of patentee, patent date, number, and volume (1888-1893); number of acres advertised (1888-1893); number of acres sold; amount of state tax, state school tax, and county tax; total tax; and costs. Each volume is indexed by the name of the purchaser.

These records document the redemption of Texas property that had been sold for nonpayment of taxes, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of two registers of certificates of redemption (for Texas property that had been sold for nonpayment of taxes), dated 1848-1873 (for taxes due 1846-1869) and 1885-1890 (for taxes due 1881-1889). Information in these registers includes the following: number of certificate, date of redemption, by whom redeemed/to whom sold, residence of buyer (1885-1890), number of acres, name of original grantee, description of land (1848-1870), abstract number (1885-1890), number of block, number of lot, where situated (for town lots, 1848-1870), for what year redeemed, county of location, amount of state tax, amount of county tax (1848-1870), sheriff's costs, total amount paid to redeem, and name of assessor by whom sale was made (1848-1870).

These records document the redemption of Texas property that had been sold for nonpayment of taxes, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of two volumes of duplicates of 742 actual certificates of redemption for Texas property which had been forfeited for nonpayment of taxes between 1846 and 1868, and redeemed between 1852-1853 and between 1860 and 1869. Each certificate has a number, date of issuance, amounts of state tax and county tax, costs of sale, date from which interest was added (eight percent between 1852 and 1853, ten per cent between 1860 and 1869), amount of interest on state tax and county tax, totals, for what year redeemed, by whom redeemed, description of property redeemed, in what county situated, and name of assessor/collector. Occasionally the original certificate of redemption is pasted to the back of the duplicate. These are registered in the first register, but sometimes have additional information not found in the register.

These records document the redemption of Texas property that had been sold for nonpayment of taxes, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of one volume of stubs of 417 certificates of tax sales (for Texas property which had been forfeited for nonpayment of taxes) which were cancelled, September 1881-January 1884. Information on these stubs includes certificate number (395 through 811), to whom issued, date issued, county where the property is situated, abstract number, name of original grantee, number of acres, and remarks. A typical entry under remarks would be the following: Sold for taxes of 1879. Evidence furnished by affidavit of owner and certificate of collector that the taxes have been paid for 1879, 80, 81 and 82 on the John Beauchamp Survey--as assessed by mistake. Unrendered.

These records document the redemption of Texas property that had been sold for nonpayment of taxes, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of ten letterpress volumes called transmissal books, maintained by the Redemption Clerk of the Texas Comptroller's office, which document the issuance of redemption certificates 1888-1893, 1895-1896, and 1900-1902 (with four gaps, two of them significant). These fragile letterpress books, each of which is indexed by the name of the person receiving the redemption certificate, contain the following information, all on Form Number 83: date of transmittal, name and address of the recipient, redemption certificate number, and date issued.

These records document the redemption of Texas property that had been sold for nonpayment of taxes, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of two letterpress volumes which contain copies of statements and outgoing correspondence from the Redemption Clerk of the Texas Comptroller's office to county tax collectors, 1891-1900. Some of these documents refer to redemption receipts by number, and provide information concerning them; while others return the numbered redemption receipts with specific requests for further action.

These records document the redemption of Texas property that had been sold for nonpayment of taxes, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of one letterpress book containing two forms: notices of return of redemption receipts (Form 148), and notices of hold on redemption receipts (Form 149), February 25-October 20, 1901. Each was addressed to a county tax collector, and contains the redemption receipt number and date. Those receipts returned are stated to have the reason set forth on the reverse of the receipt (which is not included). Those receipts held in the Texas Comptroller's office state that they will be issued when taxes for stated years are satisfied.

These records document the redemption of Texas property that had been sold for nonpayment of taxes, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of two volumes containing the stubs of duplicate certificates of redemption for Texas land that had been forfeited for nonpayment of taxes, issued between 1912 and 1926. Information given on the stubs includes the following: original number, to whom issued, town or city, number of stub book from which the original was issued, date of the original, date of the duplicate, county, and remarks. The duplicate was often issued many years after the original certificate of redemption.

These records document the receipt of ad valorem taxes by the office of the Texas Comptroller, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of five registers of tax receipts executed by the Comptroller on property lying in the different counties of the State of Texas, for the years 1835-1859, collected between 1835-1874. Contents of these registers varies over time. The register for the Republic of Texas (about May 1835-July 1846) is the simplest, containing the following information: name of county, date of receipt, by whom paid, name of grantee, date of title or number of certificate, number of labors of arable, number of labors of pasture, and amount paid.

Beginning with statehood in 1846, the registers contain the following information: county, date of payment, for what year, number of receipt, by whom paid, name of owner; for real property--land: survey number and section number (1850-1859), number of acres, name of grantee, from what tract taken, kind of claim, and description (1846-1852) or on what stream and in what land district (1852-1859); for real property--town lots: where situated, number of lot, number of block, and section number and division number (1852-1859); description of personal property (1846-1849); class of assessment on which payment was made (Comptroller, or Resident, or Nonresident, 1846-1849); amount of state tax, county tax, and total; and remarks.

These records document the receipt of ad valorem taxes by the office of the Texas Comptroller, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of 19 volumes containing duplicates of Texas property tax receipts for taxes from the years 1846 thru 1880, collected between 1853 and 1880. Two of the volumes are labeled marginal duplicates of certificates of deposit, which document the payment into the State Treasury of back taxes for the years 1850-1874.

The format of these volumes varies, but usually contains the following information: receipt number, from whom received, for what year, for property located in what county, the legal description of that property (between 1851 and 1868), the amounts of state tax and county tax, the total amount of tax, and the date of receipt. For taxes between 1871 and 1878, additional information includes name of the original grantee, number of acres, abstract number (for 1871), and additional numbers (1873-1878, which--when labeled--are identified as new abstract numbers, survey numbers, certificate numbers, scrip numbers, etc.).

These records document the receipt of ad valorem taxes by the office of the Texas Comptroller, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of 79 letterpress books of receipts of ad valorem taxes by the Texas Comptroller from taxpayers, 1885-1919. Designated as Form 52 at first (1885-1886) and soon redesigned as Form 71 (1886-1919), these receipts (or more precisely, copies of letters transmitting receipts) provided the following information: name of taxpayer, amount, whether a remittance or a deposit, date received, disposition of funds, and total amounts. Then for each of the four types of disposition of funds--(1) to unorganized counties, (2) to organized counties, (3) to redemption certificate, and/or (4) amount returned--are listed the receipt numbers and amounts.

Beginning in 1911, tax receipts from organized counties were kept in separate books from tax receipts from unorganized counties. Other forms were frequently to be found in the same volumes, as for example Form Number 81 (Tax Clerks: Notice to Railroads of No Report of Gross Passenger Earnings for Quarter), and Form Number 27 (Transmittal of Commercial Travelers' Licenses). There are five apparent gaps: February 1-March 25, 1890; June 28-December 6, 1894; January 1-October 15, 1913 (organized counties); February 25-November 1, 1915 (organized counties); and April 4, 1912-January 30, 1913 (unorganized counties). Each volume is indexed by the name of the taxpayer.

These records document the value of various kinds of taxable property owned by railroad companies in the State of Texas, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of three volumes reporting the value of various kinds of taxable property owned by railroad companies in Texas, 1873-1876, 1883-1890 and 1899.

One volume contains lists of railroad property rendered for assessment of taxes between 1873 and 1876, including the following information for each railroad company and for each year: land (abstract number, name of original grantee, number of acres, value, and county); town lots (number of block, number of lot, value, and city or town); the number of miles, value per mile, and total value of road completed including switches, sidings, turntables, etc.; likewise with miles of road graded; the number and value of depot houses, section houses, and roundhouses, machine shops and all other buildings; the number and value of machinery, tools and material on hand; (in some cases) the number, article, and value of office and depot outfits (e.g., furniture); the number and value of locomotives, engines other than locomotives, and cars and rolling stock of every description; the grand total value; the rate and amount of state tax and of county tax; and remarks. Arrangement of this volume is by railroad company (although not alphabetical), and therein by county where the property was located.

Another volume contains tax returns of railway companies in Texas, giving aggregated and detailed reports of rolling stock returned for taxation, 1883-1890. The information provided in these inventories or statements of valuation varies considerably in format and detail. For example, one report might include number and value of locomotives, passenger cars, and freight cars (box, flat, and stock); and for each of the counties traversed, the miles of roadbed (main track and side tracks), and number of acres in the right-of-way of 100 ft.. Another report might list number and value of locomotives, first class coaches, second class coaches, special coaches, pay cars, mail cars, baggage cars, box cars, flat cars, coal cars, stock cars, boarding cars, derrick cars, and cabooses, in addition to the number of miles of track per county.

A third volume contains a much simpler assessment of railroads for the year 1899, including the following information for each railroad company: county, number of miles, value, and value of rolling stock. There is an alphabetical index of companies in front.

These records document the reporting of various kinds of taxable property owned by railroad companies in the State of Texas, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of 20 letterpress volumes, containing copies of certificates concerning the rolling stock of railroad companies in the state of Texas, 1892-1919. At first (1892-1894), these forms were designated as Circular Number 30. Each certificate, signed by the Comptroller, is addressed to a county tax assessor, and gives the following information: date of certificate, name of county, name of railroad company, year (beginning January 1) for which the company made rendition of the total value of rolling stock owned by the company, total number of miles of roadbed of the company in the state of Texas, total number of miles of roadbed running through that county, total value of rolling stock of the company in Texas, and the apportionment of value of rolling stock to be assessed in that county. Each of the letterpress volumes contains an alphabetical index by county and also by railroad company. There are two small gaps: from August 16, 1901 to June 18, 1902; and from August 12, 1910 to June 21, 1911.

These records document land titles in the State of Texas, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of seven volumes of abstracts of Texas land claims, 1841-1856. Three of the volumes, designated Abstracts of Land Claims, Comptroller's office, cover the period 1841-1853 (possibly beginning earlier, since the date is not given for many of the claims); these are supplemented by four additional volumes of Abstracts, which cover 1854-1856. The information provided in these abstracts includes: year, names of grantees, amount of land (leagues, labors, square yards, acres), file (number), class (1st, 2nd, 3rd, B (= Bounty), D (= Donation)), county, number of survey, section, and locality (e.g., east bank of the Nueces, or on Grape Creek, or 7 miles NW from Huntsville, etc.).

These records document land titles in the State of Texas, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of 37 volumes titled Abstract of Texas Land Titles, which cover 1824-1899, bulk 1824-1881, but which began to be compiled in the late 1870s, making the dates the records were created about 1877-1899. The information provided in these abstracts includes: abstract number, original grantee, number of certificate, patentee, quantity (number of leagues/labors/acres), class, date of patent, patent number and volume (or page and folio), remarks, and old abstract number.

These records document land titles in the State of Texas, as accounted for by the Comptroller of Public Accounts. This subseries consists of 19 volumes titled General Land Register, Comptroller's Office, which cover 1871-1875 (plus 1876 for Dallas County) and 1880-1884. With a few exceptions, those counties covered by one chronological span are completely different from those counties covered by the other chronological span. A total of 117 counties are included, out of approximately 225 Texas counties (mid-1880s).

The information provided in these registers includes: abstract number, acres in survey, and original grantee, and then (for each of the five years covered by that register) by whom rendered, where rendered (i.e., county, for 1871-1875), acres rendered, and acres unrendered. For 1880-1884, the column where rendered is changed to receipt number; otherwise, the information is the same. The Dallas County register covers 1871-1876, and is in a different format, but otherwise provides the same information as the others.

These records document the examining of records of the Texas Comptroller's office to answer requests from the general public for information concerning the tax status of property in the State of Texas. This subseries consists of nine volumes maintained by the Examining Clerk of the Texas Comptroller's office between 1881 and 1911, as registers of applications for information on taxes. The job of the Examining Clerk and his assistants was to examine (for a fee) the records of the Comptroller's office, in order to answer requests for information received from persons and companies, both in Texas and out of state, for a variety of data concerning the payment and nonpayment of ad valorem taxes.

Examples of typical requests would be for the following: What property had been rendered by a specific person in a certain county for particular years? Whether or not a specific person had paid taxes for particular years on certain property which had been sold for taxes? What years a specific person paid taxes on certain property, and what years are unpaid? Whether there is delinquent tax for certain property for particular years? How much it would cost to redeem certain land sold to the state for taxes? Whether there is any record of ownership of lands for particular years, or for transfer of that ownership? etc.

In the 30 years covered by these registers, there were over 43,000 applications for such information. In January 1896, the numbering sequence began over again with #1. Beginning September 1, 1905, the numbering of applications started over again with the beginning of each fiscal year.

Information provided in these registers includes the following: name or initials of clerk making the examination, statement number, name of applicant, address of applicant (city and state), date of application, date received by examining clerk, date of statement, amount of office fee, date of payment of office fee (beginning 1888), mailing clerk's number (also beginning 1888), and remarks. The remarks column concerned the disposition of the request (e.g.: filed, or handed to Sadler, or out of order, by instruction of Comptroller, or transferred to tax clerk, or returned to chief clerk, no identification, or addition to #147, or verbal, etc.)

These records document the examining of records of the Texas Comptroller's office to answer requests from the general public for information concerning the tax status of property in the State of Texas. This subseries consists of 88 letterpress volumes containing copies of descriptions of lands and statements of the condition of those lands as to taxes (designated Form Number 2 beginning with volume 12 in late 1884). These statements were furnished on request by the Examining Department of the Texas Comptroller's office, 1881-1915. The information provided on these forms includes the following: the name and address of the requester, date of the statement and date of the request; a description of the lands (abstract number, certificate number, survey number, name of original grantee, name of patentee, number of acres in the grant, date of the patent, patent number and volume, and county where situated); a statement of the condition as to taxes (for what year rendered or assessed, owner, by whom rendered or assessed, where rendered or assessed, number of acres rendered or assessed, number of acres sold, to whom sold, date of sale, amount of state taxes, amount of county taxes, and amount of costs); and the amount of the office fee. These are attested by the examining clerk, and signed by the Comptroller. Each of these volumes is indexed by the name of the person requesting the statement.

These records document the examining of records of the Texas Comptroller's office to answer requests from the general public for information concerning the tax status of property in the State of Texas. This subseries consists of five letterpress volumes containing certified statements, mostly of the assessments for taxation of specific surveys of land, requested by individuals, researched by the Examining Department and signed by the Comptroller, 1893-1912 and 1918-1920. Each certificate of assessment contains the following information: the specific survey of land, county where the land is situated, year, to whom assessed, number of acres, county where assessed, date of certification, name and address of person or company requesting the certificate, and amount of office fee. Each of these volumes contains an index by the name of the requesting party. Occasionally other forms are included, particularly Form Number 2.