Stephen F. Austin State University

Active Projects

African American Education Project

The mission is to create a repository of artifacts, documents, and visual images that chronicle the African American educational experiences in Dallas County. It is important to preserve this history so that contemporary society can study the lessons learned through the struggles and triumphs of African American educators, students, and the community at-large. To learn more, please visit the African American Museum website.

African American Heritage Project of Nacogdoches - Oral Histories

During the summer of 2010 the African American Heritage Project of Nacogdoches (AAHP) graciously and excitingly agreed to work with graduate students enrolled in an SFA Public History graduate seminar on oral history taught by Dr. Paul J. P. Sandul by providing interviewees. The Center for Regional Heritage Research sponsored the project, purchased equipment and supplies, and help build and host a Web site featuring the audio of interviews, as well as full transcriptions and biographical information.

Camino Real de los Tejas Oral History Project

The focus is on three counties along the Camino Real de los Tejas corridor-Sabine, San Augustine, and Nacogdoches counties. The purpose of the project is to provide the research base for future interpretation of the Sabine to Angelina River corridor of the Camino Real de los Tejas.

Federal Court History in East Texas (1840 - Present)

The multifaceted project combines oral history, photographs, and historical narrative creating a unique history of the Eastern District Court of Texas.

Over 45 oral histories were conducted as part of the project. These include interviews with sitting and retired judges and magistrates, attorneys, politicians, and court clerks. Adding to these, friends and spouses of judges and magistrates were also interviewed.

Scroll through the list below to listen to the interviews. Transcripts of each interview are also available.

Historic Nacogdoches Train Depot

Since the opening of the Historic Nacogdoches Train Depot in December 2011, the building has been host to several exhibits and discussions. According to the City of Nacogdoches website, "the present-day brick depot was built by Southern Pacific and opened April 3, 1911; less than a year after the original wooden building, built in May 1910, burned to the ground after being struck by lightning. In August of 1954 Southern Pacific terminated passenger services through Nacogdoches. The railroad depot is the only surviving passenger depot on the old HE&WT line. The depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. Future plans for the depot include a museum depicting the importance of all transportation in the early development of Nacogdoches."

Source: http://www.ci.nacogdoches.tx.us/index.aspx?nid=695

Houston County Historical Commission Survey Project

In the summer of 2009 a group of seven SFASU undergraduate and graduate students under the direction of Dr. Perky Beisel worked with the Houston County Historical Commission to survey a majority of the county's known cemeteries, markers, monuments, and notable architectural resources. With funding and logistical support from the Center for Regional Heritage Research, other SFASU departments, and members of the Houston County heritage community, the project was extremely successful.

Mission Dolores - San Augustine, Texas

The site of Mission Nuestra Senora de los Dolores de Los Ais which was established in 1716 by Padre Fray Antonio Margil de Jesus.

Mission Dolores is located in the East Texas town of San Augustine.

Nacogdoches Census Report Project

Censuses from the Spanish colonial period are an invaluable source for answering social, cultural, geographical, and genealogical questions about early multi-ethnic populations in Texas. The enclosed census data provides important clues about how the population of Nacogdoches, one of the oldest towns in Texas, originated and grew. Tracking variables such as residents' place of origin, occupation, and caste designation can help researchers better understand the extent of cultural diversity, economic development, and social hierarchy within Nacogdoches and reveal its connections to other regional and international communities, states, and empires. By comparing these findings with those from neighboring communities, such as Natchitoches and San Antonio, researchers from multiple disciplines can gain a better sense of the demography of the region.

Restoration of the Annie-Hoya Building

The Hoya building at 116 S. Pecan in downtown Nacogdoches is currently being restored. To document the process, CRHR staff will be stopping by 2-3 times a week to take a series of photographs as the restoration proceeds. These photos will be loaded into a slide show showing the progress of the work over time. Full restoration is expected to take one year. Currently the structure is being stabilized and decorative brickwork is being restored. Check back periodically to see what changes have taken place as work continues on this historic structure.

Read more about the Hoya building in the City of Nacogdoches Historic Site Survey at http://www.sfasu.edu/heritagecenter/1174.asp.

The Washington Square Project

The Center for Regional Heritage Research (CRHR) at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) was chosen as facilitator for this project due to its multidisciplinary nature. Through the CRHR, the project was able to access their resources within the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis, the Public History program, the Columbia Regional Geospatial Service Center, the Anthropology and Archaeology Laboratory, and the East Texas Research Center.