The Local History and Genealogy Room on the main floor of the Library is open during regular hours of operation.   It contains more than 500 volumes relating to Commerce, Hunt county, and surrounding areas. Also, on the walls are photographs from the 1800's to 1965 of early Commerce and local citizens.  Issues of the local newspaper, the Commerce Journal, from 1901 to present are available on microfilm. The Local History Archives are located in the basement of the library and house the majority of the local history collections.  It includes hundreds of photographs dating back to the mid 1800's as well as detailed information on many of the families and businesses in the area, the Cotton Belt Railroad, fraternities, women's clubs, public and rural schools dating back to the 1800's, yearbooks, city directories, memorabilia, and much more.  Access to the archives is only available on Wednesdays and Thursdays, or by appointment.

Commerce Public Library Digital Collections

Genealogy Spotlight:

Brigham Family of Neylandville

James Brigham's wife Belinda and several children were still bonded in 1959. One son, born in 1856 was named George in a document from Hopkins County. James was able to buy freedom for his wife and one child. The rest of his children became free at the end of the war. George's son was named Zebedee K. Brigham, born in 1885 in Neylandville. Zebedee married Mary Belle Bean who had been born in 1892. Their son William E. Brigham is the father of Rolanda Brigham.

Zebedee K. Brigham

Zebedee's wife, Mary Belle Bean

William Eugene Brigham Senior, son of Zebedee K. Brigham, with his great granddaughter Tone Lashelle Brigham, daughter of Windi Lashun Brigham.

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Available thanks to a grant from the Ladd and Katherine Hancher Foundation
The database also contains most of the SREGIT yearbooks for the years 1950-1989.
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East Texas History
Commerce History
includes many stories about the buildings in Commerce, Texas

The Commerce Public Library is very excited and proud to be a partner in the “HeirLoom Project”, sponsored by TAMU-Commerce James G. Gee Library (now renamed as the Velma K. Waters Library).  Select photographs and memorabilia from the library’s archives were scanned and entered into the university’s digital library database allowing world-wide access to those collections.  As one of twelve partners in the Northeast Texas region, the public library has contributed items from our popular Cotton Belt Railroad Collection and from our African-American Collection.    

       View the HeirLoom Project Collections:

http://dmc.tamu-commerce.edu/cdm4/browse.php
(Check back for access. This collection is currently being migrated.)


BLACK HISTORY VIDEO
(created for Black History Month 2022)

        History of the Commerce Public Library Building

Pictures of Library (former Post Office Building) being built

History of Author's Park and Brick Ceremony with plans for the future
List of Brick Recipients by year

The Texas Historical Foundation has provided funding for the parapet project by donating money for six spindles.  The Library acknowledges and appreciates this support.

Sign up for their newsletter by visiting their web page and clicking on the newsletter link.

Historical Highlight

(changed often)

Neylandville Future Farmers of America and Future Homemakers of America Clubs at St. Paul School.  Circa 1940-1950

Railroad Tracks and MLK east of Park Street

Bettina Zvanut, the Local History & Genealogy Librarian, is at the Library on Wednesdays 10:00-5:00 and Thursdays 10:00-6:00.  She would be happy to help you with any questions or research.  You can contact her by email at CPLgenealogist@gmail.com

Please take the opportunity to come by and see how much our town has changed throughout the years and share your knowledge of Commerce History.

The Archives Wish List:

• City Directories    
• High School Year Books   
• Railroad items  
• Photographs (copies can be made and the originals returned to owner)
• Any items related to the history of Commerce and/or surrounding areas
• Monetary donations to buy archival needs such as shelving, acid-free boxes and tissue paper, protective sleeves, equipment, etc.     

Author's Park

What was once an eyesore of litter, debris, and overgrown grass and weeds on the empty lot adjacent to the public library at the corner of Park and Main Streets is now an attractive small park, thanks to a group of caring Commerce citizens.  The land is owned by the city of Commerce and, as indicated in the deed, is to be designated specifically for library use.

In 1999, as a Big Event project (an annual one day event to beautify Commerce), the Commerce Public Library and the Literacy Program sponsored the clearing of the lot and added simple landscaping to the area.  In 2000, the coordinators of the Big Event decided to expend the work done on the improved lot by designating it as "Author's Park" and devised an elaborate landscaping plan that included the installation of a sprinkler system and the fourteen-foot gazebo.

In 2002, a commemorative stone with a plaque containing the names of financial contributors to Author's Park completed the three-year project.  Many social clubs, businesses and individuals gave freely of their time and money to make the park a beautiful addition to Commerce.

In 2004, the idea to honor local authors and artists during the Big Event was developed.  Otha Spencer was the first to be honored as a local writer by placing a brick with his name engraved on the walkway directly in front of the gazebo.  Since then the following have been added:

2005 - Jim Ainsworth
2005 - James Byrd
2005 - Charles Linck
2005 - Ernestine Linck
2005 - Charles McGough
2005 - Lawrence McNamee
2005 - Fred Tarpley

2006 - James Conrad
2006 - James Grimeshaw
2006- Theodore Hansen
2006 - Keith McFarland
2006- Paul Zelhart

2007 - Curt Anders
2007 - Norbert Elliot
2007 - Gordon Thomas

2008 - Shannon Carter
2008 - Donna Dunbar-Odom
2008- James Green
2008 - Bill Martin, Jr.
2008 - Michael Odom
2008 - Brenda Black White

2009 - Kathryn Jacobs
2009 - Mike Kelley
2009 - Donald E. Reynolds
2009 - Vaughn Wascovich

2010 - Alton Biggs
2010 - Carolyn Burt
2010 - Walt Davis
2010 - Isabel Davis
2010 - June Harris
2010 - Michael Miller

2011 - Ben K. "Doc" Green
2011 - Dorys Crow Grover
2011 - Debora Schubert Lytle
2011 - William Jack

2012 - Michael Johnson
2012 - Shulan Lu
2012 - Eusibia Lutz
2012 - Maximino Plata

2013 - Jerry Dodd
2013 - John Hanners
2013 - Derek Harter
2013 - Thomas Seawell

2014 - Avon Acker
2014 - Barbara Frey

2015 - Anthony Harris
2015 - Karl Umlauf
2015 - David Zvanut

2016 - Richard Tuerk
2016 - Jimmy Clark

2017 - Mary Beth Sampson-Perry
2017 - Chad Smith

2018 - Bill O'Neal
2018 - Tina Fletcher Selvaggi

2019 - Brian Dowsley
2019 - Earl Simpson

No brick ceremonies in 2020 and 2021

2022 - Bryant Canzoneri
2022 - David Canzoneri
2022 - Christina Canzoneri Darty

2023 - Jerry Lytle

In 2023, Ashley Bryan and her Girl Scout Troup, in cooperation with the City of Commerce, created a Pollinator Garden in the Park.  

2024 - Morgan Guinessey
2024 - Jefferson Helton