Sometimes history doesn’t arrive in neat boxes or formal archives. Sometimes it’s tucked away on a family bookshelf, passed from hand to hand, carried through generations by stories told at kitchen tables and family reunions. And sometimes, if you’re lucky, you discover that a piece of your own family’s story has already found a home at the library. 

For Rachel Clark, Metadata Librarian at UTA Libraries, that moment came unexpectedly earlier this year when she was planning a women’s history exhibit set to open in 2027. While searching for materials that could help tell stories about Texas women and their lived experiences, she found a copy of the book “The Pearces Pioneering Days in Texas,” written by her great-grandmother, Zelma (Hayley) Strom, in the Libraries’ collection.  

The book captures the history of generations of her family in Texas. Clark planned to donate a copy herself, but someone beat her to it. 

“I looked it up, and it was already there. I immediately got the key to the cabinet and went to look at it,” Clark said. “I texted every single person in my family, took a picture of the cover, and sent it to them. I was so excited. Everyone was like, ‘That’s so great.’” 

For Clark’s family, it felt almost surreal.  

“It was like finding a celebrity walking through the door,” Clark said. “That’s kind of what she was to our family. Anything from Grandma Zelma is cherished.” 

Published in 1976, “The Pearces Pioneering Days in Texas” is written in a third-person narrative and brings together stories Zelma learned from her mother and grandmother; stories passed down while quilting, working, and spending time together. These memories trace the family’s journey back to the mid-1800s, when ancestors arrived in Texas by covered wagon, lived through the Civil War, and helped shape early life in the state.  

Clark was young when she met her great-grandmother, but the memories remain vivid.  

“Grandma Zelma was always there with the great grandkids, telling stories, doing fun activities,” Clark said. “She was just an excellent storyteller.” 

That love of storytelling is at the heart of the book. Much of the family’s history had been shared orally for generations, and Zelma wanted to ensure it wasn’t lost or changed over time. Writing it down was her way of preserving those voices and those women, especially the ones Clark never had the chance to meet. 

Reading the book today, Clark sees pieces of herself reflected in its pages.  

“Her storytelling style, the way she spoke to people and reached them, I feel like that’s something I inherited from that side of the family,” Clark said. 

Sharing the book with the broader community through UTA Libraries is deeply meaningful to Clark and her family. Storytelling has always been central to their identity. They have been Texans for generations, and they carry a deep passion for Texas history. 

Clark believes her great-grandmother would be thrilled to know her book is preserved here.  

“She loved libraries,” Clark said. “She was a huge proponent of education and sharing knowledge. She would be ecstatic.” 

Now housed in the Garrett Library within Special Collections on the sixth floor of the UTA Central Library, “The Pearces Pioneering Days in Texas” offers more than a family story. It provides readers with a personal and engaging window into early Texas life, serving as a reminder of the power of family research. 

Clark hopes her story encourages others to explore their own roots and preserve what they find with archives for the community to share.  

“A lot of people come to Special Collections to research their families,” Clark said. “I hope this inspires them. You won’t want to put the book down. It’s fun to read, and maybe it’ll spark someone to dig a little deeper.” 

For Clark, knowing that her great-grandmother’s words might help someone else understand Texas history, or their own family’s story, is incredibly moving.  

“This is such a big part of who I am,” Clark said. “Knowing someone else might use it for their research or their understanding of what Texas was like back then, that’s huge for me.” 

At UTA Libraries, stories like Rachel Clark’s remind us that history isn’t distant or abstract. It’s personal. It’s rooted in family, memory, and care. And sometimes, it’s already waiting for you, right here on the shelf.