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Community History Archives

Community History Archive Partner

San Marcos Public Library

Buda, Texas

Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Buda.

Institution Website
4Titles

Explore publications and collections from the past.

2022 to 2025Dates represented

See individual titles for available dates.

28,462Archive pages

Historical pages reported for this collection.

Explore local history

Discover the people, places, and stories of Buda, Texas.

Explore the past of Buda, Texas through newspapers in the community archive shared by the San Marcos Public Library. Its four titles include material from 2022 to 2025.

Free access is available at the institution

Bring the names, dates, or questions you hope to investigate when you consult the collection.

Confirm access arrangements before planning an in-person visit.

  • Selected titles

    Selected titles from San Marcos Public Library include “Hays Free Press” and “The Wimberley View”.

  • In-person access

    Visit or contact the institution for access details.

  • Ways to explore

    Explore a connection with Buda from more than one perspective, keeping each source’s time and purpose in view.

Reporting from the time can reveal how people described the events, work and concerns of their day, placing a local story within the history unfolding around it. Whether you are tracing a family connection, exploring a local event or sharing history with a class, there is more to discover than names and dates alone.

Explore the collection

Titles in this collection

Browse four titles and 28,462 digitized pages, with material from 2022 to 2025. This collection is shared through San Marcos Public Library's partnership with Advantage Archives. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown. The title list can help you plan in-person research. Contact the institution to confirm access before your visit.

Follow a family connection or a question about the community through the titles below and the history they preserve.

Hays Free Press

1,264 pages in 2022

Hays Free Press

2,410 pages from 2023 to 2024

San Marcos Daily Record

19,686 pages from 2022 to 2025

The Wimberley View

5,102 pages from 2022 to 2024

Visit or contact the institution for access details.

About the Archive

About The San Marcos Public Library's History Archives

  • The San Marcos Free Press (1877-1890)
  • The Hays County Times And Farmers' Journal (1886-1912)
  • San Marcos Record (1919-1977)
  • The Free Press (1996-2006)
  • Hays Free Press (1993-2020)
  • San Marcos Daily Record (1975-2021)
  • Daily Record (1973-2016)
  • The Hays County Citizen (1957-1978)
  • Wimberley View (2008-2018)
  • Onion Creek Free Press (1982-1991)
  • Asterope (1943-1945)
  • The Citizen (1975-1975)
  • The San Marcos Times (1873-1918)
  • San Marcos Daily Herald (1905-1908)
  • The San Marcos Record (1924-1926)
  • San Marcos Daily News (1934-1937)
  • San Marcos Daily News and San Marcos Record (1936-1937)
  • The San Marcos Daily Times (1916-1917)
  • Texas Democrat (1902-1906)
  • Daily Leader (1982-1982)
  • The People's Business (1945-1946)
  • Citizen Advertiser (1966-1966)
  • The People's Era (1898-1899)
  • The Laurel (1926-1927)
  • The Kyle News (1905-1939)
  • The West Texas Free Press (1873-1875)
  • The San Marcos Daily Record (1975-2021)
  • La Otra Voz (1970-1972)
  • Daily Times-Herald (1912-1914)
  • The People's Business (1945-1946)
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About the Library

About The San Marcos Public Library

The San Marcos Public Library's mission is to help make San Marcos a great place to live by providing citizens with access to an outstanding collection of library materials; entertaining and educational programs for all ages; fast, free computer, Internet, and information services; and comfortable facilities in which to read, relax, and connect with others. The library strives to provide truly outstanding customer service and to promote reading and learning as vital, enjoyable, lifelong activities.

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Library History

The History Of The San Marcos Public Library

In 2014, Dewberry Architects were contracted to complete a facilities master plan for the San Marcos Public Library. This document offered a snapshot of the library, where it was heading, and how it could address its current and future needs. A $14,500,000 bond election was passed in May 2017 to fund this project. On October 3, 2019, a major milestone was celebrated in the history of the City of San Marcos as ground was broken for the start of the public library expansion and remodel project. The expansion was completed in May 2021, adding 28,000 square feet to the existing 27,000 square feet. The newly modernized space includes a teen room, makerspace, technology hub, and an enclosed children’s area. Additionally, the library now features study rooms, conference rooms, and a large meeting room that can accommodate up to 240 people.

About the Community

About The San Marcos Area

San Marcos, Texas, is a city rich in history and culture, located between Austin and San Antonio. The city is home to Texas State University, which significantly contributes to its vibrant community. San Marcos is known for its beautiful natural surroundings, including the San Marcos River, which offers recreational activities such as tubing, kayaking, and paddleboarding. The area is also recognized for its historic downtown, featuring unique shops, restaurants, and the annual Sights & Sounds of Christmas festival. San Marcos has a diverse and dynamic community, blending a small-town atmosphere with the amenities of a larger city.

Local History

Did You Know?

San Marcos is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the United States. Archaeological discoveries suggest that the area has been inhabited for more than 12,000 years. Additionally, the San Marcos River is one of the few rivers in the world that originates from a spring, providing a constant flow of clear, fresh water. Texas State University, located in San Marcos, was the alma mater of Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th President of the United States. The city also hosts the annual Mermaid Festival, celebrating the San Marcos River and the community’s artistic and environmental efforts.

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More ways to explore and share local history

Research Guidance

Make a research visit count

Start with one question about Buda and the evidence you hope to find. The details shared by the San Marcos Public Library can help frame it; contact the institution to confirm visit arrangements before making plans. Note which detail you hope to check and what remains uncertain, without assuming a source confirms a connection.

Check whether the collection description names a relevant title or date range. An incomplete description or unsuccessful search does not establish that a record never existed. Write down what you searched and what the description covers; if another source is suggested, ask what details to use when requesting it.

Keep the title, date, page, or item reference with each useful finding. Separate the words in a historical account from your interpretation, and note conflicting perspectives rather than choosing one too quickly. These notes help connect a local story to its evidence and show what remains uncertain. Note which details were confirmed and which remain open; a catalog description is not the same as the source it describes. Keep both points with the reference you plan to check.

Review collection titles

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Community Partnership

Keeping local history a community resource

This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the San Marcos Public Library, its community, and Advantage Archives. Together, these partnerships preserve local sources and give people a way to explore, learn from, and share the history around them.

Advantage Archives covers ongoing archive hosting, storage, development, and maintenance. The institution and its community do not pay a subscription, seat license, annual support contract, or other recurring archive-service charge. Local history remains a community resource, not a subscription to maintain.

Would you like to see more of your community's history preserved and accessible? Start a conversation with your library, newspaper publisher, historical or genealogical society, museum, or school about the materials they would like to share and a possible partnership with Advantage Archives.

Learn about partnerships
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Read All About It

Stories, research tips, and archive news

Read All About It connects archive research with the people and institutions preserving local history. Explore partner and community stories, project updates, research ideas, and perspectives on digitization, education, and working with primary sources. Use the articles as a starting point for your next question or a new way to share a discovery.

Newest published articles

March 18, 2025

It’s Your Community’s History, So Why Rent Something You Own?

We believe that history belongs to the communities where it was made - not locked behind paywalls or inaccessible due to budget restrictions. Subscription-based services and large content aggregators are generally more concerned with "content" and less concerned with the history that content contains. Their models typically involve a reoccurring charge for a plan that renews annually or licensing agreements with the library based on population served or circulation numbers. You are essentially Renting Access To YOUR History.
Read article
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