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Pirie and Sinclair Families Papers, 1899-1981
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Friends and neighbors, members of the Pirie and Sinclair families resided in eastern Bexar County, Texas. The son of Scottish immigrants, John Lang Sinclair (1869-1947) attended the University of Texas at Austin from 1899 until 1904. While there, he wrote "The Eyes of Texas are Upon You," which became the official school song.
Letters, speeches, printed material, and photographs document the close relationship between the Pirie family and the neighboring Sinclair family. Several items in the collection relate to John Lang Sinclair.
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Polk (Victoria Thomas) Autograph Album, 1859-1875 and undated
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Victoria Thomas Polk (1841-1924) was a resident of San Augustine, Texas. Her father Iredell Dickinson Thomas (1805-1866) was an early settler in the area and soon amassed considerable wealth and land holdings as a merchant and planter. In 1860, Victoria married Charles Isaac Polk (1832-1889), a member of another prominent family in San Augustine.
The autograph album is a copy of Cherished Fragments containing inscriptions from friends, usually in verse form, that bestow wishes for Victoria Thomas Polk's future happiness, ask for her remembrance, and praise her personal traits. The album also includes illustrations, primarily watercolors of flowers that accompany some of the inscriptions, but also engravings and ink and pencil drawings depicting other subjects.
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Polley (Joseph H.) Papers, 1852-1879 and undated
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
A native of New York, Joseph Henry Polley (1795-1869) came to Texas in 1821 from Missouri as part of Stephen F. Austin’s colony. Settling first in the Brazoria district, Polley concentrated on cattle raising, rapidly expanding his herds and land holdings. He moved to the area of Sutherland Springs in Wilson County in 1847, where he built an imposing stone home, called Whitehall, in the 1850s.
Consisting primarily of letters received, the Joseph H. Polley papers provide a glimpse of his various business activities. Most of the letters were written by Polley’s business associate and former son-in-law John James concerning land, livestock, cotton trade, and other business matters. Several letters from family and friends are part of the papers, most of them addressed to Mary B. Polley. A few financial documents and some family notes are also part of the papers.
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Quillin (Ellen Schulz) Annotated Field Guides, 1922-1968
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
The collection contains the author's copies of two of her published guides, 500 Wild Flowers of San Antonio and Vicinity (1922) and Texas Wild Flowers (1928). Each contains extensive annotations by Quillin. Also included are letters, notes, clippings, and printed material removed from the pages of the books.
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Quillin (Ellen Schulz) Papers, 1924-1968
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Ellen Dorothy Schulz was born 1892 June 16 in Saginaw, Michigan, growing up on a small farm in the area. After receiving a degree from the University of Michigan, she moved to San Antonio, Texas, where she taught science at Main Avenue High School. She soon became interested in establishing a museum in San Antonio and helped organize the acquisition of a large natural history collection, which was housed in Main Avenue High School. The collection was the nucleus of the Witte Memorial Museum, which opened in 1926 with Schulz as its director, a position she held until her retirement in 1960.
Literary manuscripts, research material, correspondence and photographs are part of the Ellen Schulz Quillin Papers, documenting her research and writing in the field of botany and popular science.
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Rabia (Santiago) Papers, 1836-1852 and undated
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
The Santiago Rabia Papers contain a small selection of miscellaneous items reflecting military, business, and personal activities. The earliest items are three small notebooks which contain notes and lists of soldiers relating to the Mexican Army’s campaign in Texas in 1836. Included in the notebooks are itineraries of the army’s route from Mexico to Texas, very brief accounts of the Battle of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto, short lists of Mexican soldiers, an account of Antonio López de Santa Anna’s address to his troops upon his departure from Texas, and some personal notes on Rabia’s family.
Later items concern Rabia’s life in Texas and include military returns of militia companies in Nacogdoches, orders from the Republic of Texas government, legal documents, letters, and a photograph of Rabia’s daughter, Emily Rabia Wald. The government orders concern the provision of supplies to destitute families and the treatment of Mexican-American and Indian citizens, the latter signed by president Sam Houston.
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Raguet Family Papers, 1835-1918
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Correspondence, legal documents, financial documents, and printed material providing a sampling of the business and personal activities of several family members make up the Raguet Family Papers.
A number of items are related to Frost Thorn and his wife Susan W. Thorn, primarily bills and receipts connected with trips to New York and New Orleans. Similar items are related to Susan W. Thorn and her second husband, James F. Thorn.
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Ramsdell (Charles) Papers, 1947-1968
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Born on 1909 April 5 in Austin, Texas, author and journalist Charles W. Ramsdell, Jr. was the son of noted historian Charles W. Ramsdell (1877-1942) and Susanna Griffith Ramsdell. Through his mother, he was a descendant of Angelina Dickinson Griffith (1834-1869), who with her mother survived the 1836 Battle of the Alamo. Ramsdell attended the University of Texas and traveled extensively in Mexico before working as a historian for the National Park Service and as a translator for the Texas General Land Office. He contributed articles to numerous publications and was a staff writer for the San Antonio Express Magazine for a number of years. Ramsdell published a highly-regarded guidebook, San Antonio, a Historical and Pictorial Guide, in 1959 and updated it in 1968. He translated a work by Alfonso Reyes, Mexico in a Nutshell, for publication in 1964.
Three unpublished typescripts and a published newspaper article by Charles Ramsdell make up his papers. The longest of the unpublished works, Highlights of Texas History, is a general state history emphasizing the events of the Spanish and Mexican eras through the Republic of Texas. Later chapters are in draft form and are often based on Ramsdell’s newspaper articles. Work on this project apparently began about 1959 and continued through about 1964 under the sponsorship of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.
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Riddle and Eagar Families Papers, 1840-1945
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
The roots of the Eagar family go back to the early days of Anglo-American settlement in San Antonio, Texas. Wilson I. Riddle first came to the city in 1839, returning in 1841 with his wife, Elizabeth Mary Menafee. The couple's first child, Sarah, was reputedly the first Anglo child born in San Antonio. Sarah Riddle married Robert Eagar in 1866 and had three children. Mrs. Eagar and her daughters were early members of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and among the first Custodians of the Alamo after the DRT was granted custody of the site in 1905.
Correspondence, property records, legal and financial documents, and personal material in the Riddle-Eagar family papers are associated with several family members, dating from soon after the arrival of Wilson I. Riddle in San Antonio, Texas.
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Roark (William) Papers, 1832-1862
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Born in Tennessee in 1803, William Roark came to Texas in 1834 with his wife Margaret Reed Roark, three children, and other family members. Living in Nacogdoches and Cherokee Counties, Roark worked as a surveyor, business owner, and farmer. He was appointed as a justice of the peace for Nacogdoches County and was elected to the office of county commissioner upon the formation of Cherokee County in 1846. Roark died at his home near the town of Linton in 1862.
Correspondence, land records, legal documents, financial documents, and maps record the business and personal life of William Roark and his family. Many items are associated with Roark's service as justice of the peace. Several of these concern legal actions involving Peter E. Bean. Other names noted in the papers include Kelsey H. Douglass, Alpheus Wickware, and James H. Starr.
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Roberts (Florence Eagar) Papers, 1905-1944
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Florence Eagar Roberts (1867-1969) was a San Antonio, Texas, resident. An early member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, she was one of the first Custodians of the Alamo after the DRT was granted custody of the site in 1905.
The collection contains correspondence and printed material, including personal letters, letters concerning the activities of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and the custody of the Alamo, and clippings on the Clara Driscoll opera Mexicana.
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Robinson and Locke Families Papers, 1853-1900
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
David C. Robinson (1826-1891) was a lawyer in San Antonio, Texas, where he also served as City Attorney under Mayor Wilhelm Thielepape and was a County Judge. Robinson represented Bexar County as a Democrat in the State Legislature for two terms (1887-1891). His daughter Brent (1862-1959) married Canadian Jonathan "Jack" Locke (1865-1933).
The collection contains a letter, notebook, plats, and printed material associated with two San Antonio, Texas, families. The bulk of the collection consists of newspapers from San Antonio and other Texas cities, dating from 1878-1915; these materials and a scrapbook have been separated from the collection.
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San Antonio Guidebook Collection, 1890-circa 1979
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
The San Antonio Guidebook Collection was created by the library to gather together printed pamphlets and leaflets with descriptive content on the city of San Antonio, Texas, presented in textual or pictorial form. Most of the items were aimed at the tourist market and emphasized the historic, cultural, and scenic landmarks of the city. A lesser number were produced for economic development purposes, promoting local businesses or business opportunities. Some works, mostly pictorial in nature, were intended as souvenirs. Also included are reports from the Municipal Advertising Commission, on promotional efforts on behalf of the city.
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San Antonio Historical Association Records, 1940-1985
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Formed in 1940, the San Antonio Historical Association holds regular meetings to hear presentations on local history.
Minutes, correspondence, printed material, and literary productions are part of the Association's records, documenting its activities from its formation through 1985. The most significant portion of the records is the minutes, which provide an account of the founding of the Association and its regular meetings. The most complete minutes cover the years 1940-1965.
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San Antonio Self Culture Club Records, 1900-1975
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
The San Antonio Self Culture Club was a Texas women's club devoted to the study of literature, art, history, and other topics. Formed in 1900 by nine women, the club held regular meetings until it disbanded in 1975.
Minutes, financial records, yearbooks, scrapbooks, and artifacts provide a comprehensive portrait of the seventy-five year history of the San Antonio Self Culture Club.
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Sandusky (William H.) Papers, 1838-1894
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
A surveyor and draftsman, Ohio native William H. Sandusky (1813-1847) resided in Austin and Galveston, Texas, where he held several government positions. Sandusky served as President Mirabeau B. Lamar’s personal secretary and, while working in the General Land Office, helped survey and map the city of Austin.
The collection contains letters, journals, legal documents, and printed material associated with William H. Sandusky and members of his family.
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Scanlan (Michael) Papers, 1831-1834
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
According to Stephen F. Austin’s register of families, Michael Scanlan (or Scanlon) was born in Louisiana about 1809. A single man working as a trader, Scanlan arrived in Texas in 1830 August and settled in Austin’s colony.
The Michael Scanlan Papers contain passports and other travel documents and a land transfer. Items include applications and passports for travel to the United States. The land document transfers property in Austin's Colony from Jeremiah Scanlan O'Connor to Michael Scanlan.
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Schelper Family Papers, 1884-1926
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
A native of Hanover, Germany, Henry Schelper (1844-1928) immigrated to the United States in 1870, eventually settling in San Antonio, Texas. He married Austrian Magdalena Schneider (1847-1936) around 1871; the couple had six children.
The Schelper Family Papers contain letters, receipts, legal documents, and printed material. Items are miscellaneous in nature, and most of them are associated with Henry C. Schelper.
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Schuchard (Ernst F.) Papers, 1832-1973
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Ernst F. Schuchard worked as an engineer, secretary, and president of the Pioneer Flour Mills, founded by his grandfather. Schuchard also played a role in the historical preservation of the San José and Concepción missions in San Antonio.
Notebooks, scrapbooks, printed material, artwork, and photographs make up the Ernst F. Schuchard Papers, the material produced and gathered as part of research into San Antonio history.
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Schuetz-Miller (Mardith) Papers, 1954-1983
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Mardith Schuetz-Miller is an archaeologist, anthropologist, and author. Throughout her career, she has directed archaeological excavations in Texas, the American Southwest, and Latin America and has written extensively on the archaeology and history of those areas.
Made up of typescripts of her historical writings, the Mardith Schuetz-Miller papers cover the Spanish mission period of the San Antonio, Texas, area. A large part of the papers consists of the typescript of Schuetz-Miller's doctoral dissertation on the mission Indians of San Antonio. Also included are shorter articles on the architecture and construction practices of the mission buildings, in typescript and published form.
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Seale Family Papers 1841-1888
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
North Carolinian Elias Seale (1793-1857) came to Texas from Alabama in 1835 January with his three brothers and participated in the Texas Revolution, serving under Captains Burnett and Lynch. Elias remained in Texas after the Revolution and brought his family to the new Republic. Among the early settlers of Brazos County, Seale was on the committee that selected the first county seat and served on its first grand jury.
The Seale Family Papers contain letters, legal documents, and land records. Papers pertain to Eli Seale, his son Thomas Seale, and others. Included is a letter from Paul Bremond of the Houston and Texas Central Railway Company, seeking to hire slaves for work on the railroad.
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Shaughnessy (Frances Drennon) Family Papers, 1828-1898 and undated
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Ancestors of Frances Drennon Shaughnessy (1920-2010) emigrated from Germany to Texas in the mid 1800s and settled in San Antonio and Bexar County.
The Frances Drennon Shaughnessy Family Papers contain correspondence, notebooks, printed material, photographs, and artifacts associated with several family members.
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Smith (John W.) Papers, 1822-1934
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
John William Smith was active in business and government in San Antonio. After assisting in the Texas Revolution, Smith became the first mayor of the city under the new Republic of Texas, eventually serving in many other elected offices in San Antonio.
Encompassing records of business activities and public service, the John W. Smith Papers consist of correspondence, legal documents, financial documents, and printed material.
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Smith (Julia) Papers, 1965-1967
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Born in Denton, Texas, Julia Smith (1905-1989) graduated from North Texas State Teachers College (now the University of North Texas) and studied at St. Mary's Institute of Musical Art in Dallas. She next attended the Julliard School of Music in New York and later received her Master's degree and Ph.D. from New York University. Smith performed as a pianist and wrote, taught, and lectured on music. Her compositions included operas, symphonic, piano, and choral works. Remember the Alamo was commissioned by the U.S. Navy Band for its inaugural concert of 1965 and completed in collaboration with Cecile Vashaw.
Musical scores, printed material, photographs, and a letter make up the Julia Smith papers, documenting the composition and performance of Remember the Alamo. Four versions of the score are included, along with programs and clippings related to the performance. President Lyndon B. Johnson, to whom the work was dedicated, expresses his appreciation in a letter to the leader of the Navy band.
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Sowell (Andrew Jackson) Family Papers, circa 1880-circa 1954
DRT Collection at Texas A&M University-San Antonio
A native of Seguin, Texas, Andrew Jackson Sowell (1848-1921) was a Texas Ranger and the author of Rangers and Pioneers of Texas (1884), Life of Big Foot Wallace (1899), Early Settlers and Indian Fighters of Southwest Texas (1900), History of Fort Bend County (1904), and Incidents Connected with the Early History of Guadalupe County, Texas (undated).
The collection is primarily comprised of handwritten and typed drafts of Andrew Jackson Sowell’s works. Included is a manuscript copy of Life of Big Foot Wallace written entirely in Sowell’s hand and approximately fifty manuscripts and typescripts of short works by Sowell on early Texas history. Most of these essays describe various armed conflicts between Native Americans and Texas settlers.
A finding aid is a tool that enables researchers to learn more about the contents of a collection. Box and folder numbers help the staff locate material that researchers would like to view. For more information and assistance, please contact us at archives@tamusa.edu or 210-784-1512.
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