A business directory is a collection of online listings that collate and present key information about businesses in a readily digestible format. These directories are often a source of publicity for small businesses.
Listed by Standard Industrial Classification code, this database provides detailed company profiles and data on industry trends. It is available at the Portal to Texas History and in digitized form through HathiTrust.
Texas Historical Commission
The Texas Historical Commission (THC) consults with citizens and organizations to preserve the state’s architectural, archeological, and cultural landmarks. It is nationally recognized for its preservation programs and employs 173 people in fields of archaeology, architecture, history, economic development, heritage tourism, and public administration.
The THC has many tools to protect and designate historic resources, including working in partnership with local governments’ planning or preservation offices, official county historical survey committees, community historians, history and preservation groups, the Texas Main Street program, and the Certified Local Government programs. The THC also advises federal agencies that may have projects involving the designation or protection of historic properties, a process called a Section 106 Review.
One of the THC’s most visible activities is erecting historic markers. These commemorate the history of houses, commercial and public buildings, and religious congregations; significant events such as famous gunfights or unique weather conditions; and notable Texans. A site must meet age, significance and architectural requirements to be eligible for a marker.
The Community Heritage Division works in partnership with communities and regions to revitalize historic districts, stimulate tourism and economic development, and foster heritage education. The division operates the Main Street, Heritage Tourism, and Certified Local Government programs. Records of the division include correspondence, memoranda, research files, community profiles, meeting minutes, clippings, slides, and photographs, assessments of historic architecture, conference proceedings, and publications.
Portal to Texas History
The Portal to Texas History is a gateway to unique historical collections from libraries, museums, archives, historical societies and private family collections across the state. It includes books, images, documents and newspapers. The Portal also contains resources for teachers and students. The Portal is a joint project of the University of North Texas libraries and dozens of content partners. The site has been accessed over 1 million times in the past year.
The site was created in 2004 and hosts a growing collection of archival materials from libraries, museums and historic sites in the state. It is funded by grants and donations from a variety of entities. The portal allows visitors to search for specific materials or browse by topic. The portal is constantly updating its collections.
Some of the collections include digitized Texas newspapers, as well as other types of documents. The portal also offers historical maps and photographs. These collections are available to anyone with internet access. They can be searched by location, subject and time period.
The portal has over a thousand collections and is continually expanding. It features over 12.7 million digital items from 408 partner institutions. Its collections are used by people around the world more than a million times a month. In addition, the Portal to Texas History provides an array of other educational resources for students and teachers.
Library of Congress Historical Company
The Library of Congress Historical Company conducts business history research and provides information about the history of American businesses. It maintains an extensive collection of printed materials and online resources for researchers. Its collections include historical newspapers, city directories and corporate annual reports. It also has a wide range of business-related photographs and other artifacts. It also publishes books and periodicals. These publications can be accessed through the Library’s catalog or through subscription databases.
The Library has many historical city, county and business directories from throughout the United States. These are arranged alphabetically and list names of people and businesses in an area. They are often accompanied by advertisements and illustrations. These directories are useful for determining the type of people who live in an area, which can be helpful when researching genealogy or local history.
There are several subscription databases that contain a wealth of business-related material. The databases are available to users on-site at the Library of Congress, and can be accessed through a remote computer. The Library of Congress also has several digitized collections that can be searched using subject facets.
Various historical business and trade journals are indexed in the Library of Congress’ subscription databases. Some of these are full-text, while others are not. The Library of Congress’s Business Reference Services staff has created guides to help researchers use these resources.
Texas Secretary of State
The Texas Secretary of State is one of the six officers designed by the state constitution to head the Executive Department. The others are the governor, lieutenant governor, comptroller of public accounts, commissioner of the Office of General Lands and the attorney general. The Secretary of State, however, is the only officer not elected by statewide voters. The secretary is appointed by the governor, “with the advice and consent of the Senate.” The Secretary of State’s office oversees elections, maintains official and commercial records and publishes state rules.
The Business and Public Filings Division handles the registration of domestic and foreign business entities and maintains an archive of commercial records. It also administers the laws relating to the issuance of corporate charters and provides an online filing service through SOSDirect.
If a person wants to conduct business under an assumed name, he or she must file a written assumed name certificate with the secretary of state and with the county clerk in each county in which the person maintains a place of business or transacts business. See Form 312 (Word, PDF).
The secretary of state serves in a ceremonial role when state officers take the oath of office. In addition, she receives and keeps a file of sworn oaths of affirmation from legislators and other elected officials who promise to protect the state constitution.
