McLennan County – Page 2 – The Texas Collection

Research Ready: August 2015

Posted on August 31, 2015

Each month, we post a processing update to notify our readers about the latest collections that have finding aids online and are primed for research. Here are August’s finding aids:

BU records: Baylor Round Table, 1904-2010 (#BU/39): Contains the organization’s materials, including yearbooks, meeting minutes, financial documents, scrapbooks, membership documents, and programs.

Baylor Round Table Anniversary Dinner invitation — The Baylor Round Table celebrated its 40th birthday in 1944 with a dinner in Catherine Alexander Hall. The invitations of this era often were beautifully handmade, and the menus for the organization’s older events are a bit of a curiosity to us today. Highlights from the menu for this dinner included: half grapefruit, broiled chicken with gravy, baked potato, whole tomato salad, rolls, cake, ice cream, and coffee. BU records: Baylor Round Table #BU/39, box 16, folder 15.

Thomas E. Turner, Sr. papers 1814-2007, undated (#2200): These papers include information on issues, people, and events in Central Texas during the career of Thomas E. Turner, Sr. as a newspaperman for the Dallas Morning News, Central Texas Bureau, and as a Baylor administrator. Materials primarily cover current events from the 1940s-1980s.

William A. Mueller papers, 1871-1995, undated (#3959): Materials include the reading and lecture notes, sermons, and teaching materials from the long and productive career of a German-American Baptist seminary professor of theology, philosophy, church history, and German intellectual history.

Frank Heddon Watt papers, 1830, 1859-1860, 1866, 1874, 1881-1980, undated (#470): The Frank Heddon Watt collection includes extensive research material relating to archaeology, lithography, and printing in Central Texas, as well as research and collected materials regarding Watt’s personal family history, military service, and hobbies.

Baylor Female College, Independence, Texas-October 1969 (1) — This photo, contained in the Baylor University General Photo collection, shows Tommy Turner standing between the remaining columns of the female dormitory at the site of Baylor University in Independence, Texas. You can find more photographs like this on Central Texas and Baylor University in the Thomas E. Turner, Sr. papers 1814-2007, undated (#2200).

Research Ready: April 2015

Posted on April 30, 2015

Each month, we post a processing update to notify our readers about the latest collections that have finding aids online and are primed for research. Here are April’s finding aids:

George Sherman and Jeffie Obrea Allen Conner papers, 1866-1980 (#372): Contains correspondence, speeches, notes, and other materials about African American life in Waco, education, home economics, and New Hope Baptist Church.

Duer-Harn family papers. 1832-1928, undated (#26): Diaries, letters, legal and financial papers from the Republic of Texas and American Civil War. Notable documents include several diaries from the 1830s and 1840s written by German immigrant Johann Christian Friedrich Duer.

Gertrude Wallace Davis papers, 1896-1959 (#2166): Includes correspondence, notebooks, newspaper clippings, and other materials about the life of Gertrude Wallace Davis. Several items are from the Catholic-affiliated Academy of the Sacred Heart, in Waco, Texas, where Davis attended school.

German-language diary of Johann Christian Friedrich Duer, 1832

Research Ready: February 2015

Posted on February 27, 2015

Each month, we post a processing update to notify our readers about the latest collections that have finding aids online and are primed for research. Here are February’s finding aids:

BU records: Baylor Literacy Center, 1946-1988 (#BU/32): Contains the files of Baylor’s literacy center, which helped to teach members of the Waco community how to read. The collection contains brochures, subject files, and student work produced by the staff and students of the Literacy Center.

Tom Padgitt, 1870 — Photograph of Tom Padgitt, owner and head of the Tom Padgitt Company, a noted Waco-based leatherworking company. Forest Edwin and Edna Lee Sedwick Goodman Family photographic collection, 1870-1918, undated (#3944), box 1, folder 3.

Winter family photographic collection, 1880-1920 (#3945): Mostly unidentified photographs from Waco and Central Texas. The photographs provide insight into the style and photographic practices of American society at the turn of the twentieth century.
Jesse Breland and Jessie Brown Johnson papers, 1888-1929 (#440): Includes letters and mathematics notebooks. The letters describe Baylor student life in Waco 1888-1891.
John F. Baugh papers, 1946-1995, (#3339): Draft manuscripts, notes, and research files for Baugh’s book, The Battle for Baptist Integrity.
[Belton] First Christian Church records, circa 1962-1967, undated (#117): Contains research materials and draft manuscripts of the church history book History of the First Christian Church, Belton, Texas, 1856-1966.
Forest Edwin and Edna Lee Sedwick Goodman family photographic collection, 1870-1918, undated (#3944): Includes photographs documenting Goodman family life in Waco, Texas, along with a scrapbook of a trip to Mexico. Forest Edwin Goodman worked for the Tom Padgitt Company in Waco.

Jessie Brown Letter — Jessie Brown frequently wrote to her sister Lizzie while a student at Baylor, 1888-1891. In this letter, she mentions the local fair and a spat with the president’s wife and disciplinarian of Baylor women, Georgia Burleson, over the oft-discussed topic of fashion. Jesse Breland and Jessie Brown Johnson papers, 1888-1929 (#440), box 1, folder 1.

Exploring the Waco Jewish Community with the Texas Jewish Historical Society

Posted on February 11, 2015

By Paul Fisher, Processing Archivist

Texas Jewish Historical Society members exploring display in Texas Collection reading room, 2015 — Texas Jewish Historical Society members exploring display in Texas Collection reading room. The materials on display for society members to view included representative items from over nineteen collections documenting the life and faith experience of Jewish people in Waco.

On January 24, The Texas Collection welcomed the Texas Jewish Historical Society to a special display of materials on Jewish life and faith in Central Texas. Members of the society viewed many different kinds of materials, including:

a letter to a German Jewish family by the German secret police, warning them to leave the country (they later came to Waco, Texas),
an elaborate green velvet scrapbook with photographs from the 1800s of the Goldstein family in Waco,
photographs of Jewish-owned businesses in Waco, such as the Goldstein-Migel and Sanger Brothers department stores,
membership cards and past meeting pamphlets from the Texas Jewish Historical Society, and
photographs of Temple Rodef Sholom and Congregation Agudath Jacob in Waco from the early 1900s.

Photographic scrapbook of the Goldstein Family in Waco, Texas, from the early 1900s — Photographic scrapbook of the Goldstein family in Waco, Texas, from the early 1900s.

All together, The Texas Collection has more than 20 Jewish-related collections available for researchers to explore. Most of these collections are unprocessed, meaning they are not yet described through a finding aid in BARD or housed in modern acid-free boxes and folders. However, two Jewish collections have been processed recently, the De Cordova Family papers 1845-1956 and the Waco Chapter of Hadassah records 1928-2009, and we hope to process the rest of them soon. Stay tuned for more news about our Jewish collections!

Research Ready: January 2015

Posted on January 30, 2015

Each month, we post a processing update to notify our readers about the latest collections that have finding aids online and are primed for research. Here are January’s finding aids:

Elizabeth Borst White papers, 1905-1995, undated (#3910): Contains cookbooks produced by Texas utility companies as a service to their patrons, postcards of various places in Texas, and photographs of rice harvesting and processing machinery. White has also generously given The Texas Collection many historic cookbooks of Texas, which can be found in our online library catalog.

Truett Seminary Faculty Competition Advertisement — During finals, some Truett Seminary faculty participate in a Fight Club Wii boxing competition series–a chance for students to unwind by watching their professors compete! Students help campaign for and cheer on their professors with flyers like this one. BU records: George W. Truett Theological Seminary #BU/298, box 38, folder 10.

BU records: George W. Truett Theological Seminary (#BU/298): Materials about Truett Seminary history, faculty and student life, and academic achievements, including when the seminary was first housed in First Baptist Church, Waco.

Lou Ann Sigler East Waco Community Photograph collection, 1925-1961, undated (#3916): Contains photographs of African American life in Waco, including Paul Quinn College and A.J. Moore High School students. Most of the people in the record group are unidentified.

Texas Carrots Cookbook page — In the mid-twentieth century, the Texas Department of Agriculture began distributing cookbooks to the public in order to support Texas grown products, such as beef and carrots. Elizabeth Borst White papers #3910, Box 7, Folder 3, The Texas Collection, Baylor University.

Research Ready: November 2014

Posted on December 1, 2014

Each month, we post a processing update to notify our readers about the latest collections that have finding aids online and are primed for research. Here are November’s finding aids:

John M. Bronaugh papers 1862-1887 (#63): Contains Bronaugh’s records from his time as Confederate surgeon for the 5^th Texas Cavalry during the Civil War.

History Honors exam — How would you answer the questions on this test? This comprehensive history honors exam represents one of various subject exams from 1938-1941. BU records: Honors Program #BU/108 , box 2, folder 10.

BU records: Honors Program, 1935-1941 (#BU/108): Materials from an early attempt to standardize graduation with honors across participating Baylor programs.

[Robinson] First Baptist Church records, 1866-1969 (#1434): Records of the church, including minutes, membership lists, and other administrative materials.

Christopher J.J. Thiry Baylor Sports Cards collection, 1975-1992 (#3933): Collection contains sports cards of popular Baylor football and basketball players.

Foy Valentine papers, 1918-2000 (#2948): Materials documenting the life of Foy Valentine, a leader in various Baptist organizations and Baptist philosophy on ethics.

[Waco] Veterans Administration Medical Center records, 1938, 1945-1982 (#2608): Photographs, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, and other materials about the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Waco, Texas.

Sarah C. Pier Wiley papers, 1838-1868 (#139): Includes letters, photographs, and a journal about life on the Texas home front during the Civil War.

Handwritten poem — It was popular in the mid-1800s to handwrite poems in the personal notebooks of friends and family. Here we see Sarah Pier’s grandmother dedicating a poem to her. What poems would you dedicate to your friends and family? Sarah C. Pier Wiley papers #139, box 1, folder 6.

Research Ready: August 2014

Posted on August 29, 2014

Each month, we post a processing update to notify our readers about the latest collections that have finding aids online and are primed for research. We also have the last two finding aids completed by the Archival Collections and Museums class that worked on archival processing projects with us here at The Texas Collection last spring. Here’s the scoop for August:

“Concerning Our Investments” Texas Baptist fundraising pamphlet, circa 1926 — Pamphlet with articles on fundraising for Texas Baptist universities, including Baylor University, Wayland Baptist University, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. BU records: Endowment-Enlargement Program #BU/86, box 1, folder 3.

[Waco] Brook Avenue and Bethel Baptist Church records, 1894-1995 (#3879): Contains minutes from church meetings, correspondence between Bethel and various other churches and organizations, and information on the history of the church. (Archives class)
BU records: Endowment Enlargement Program, 1925 March-June (#BU/86): Includes letters and pamphlets related to raising money for Baylor’s endowment fund.
Waco Chapter of Hadassah records, 1928-2009 (#3716): Consists of board minutes, yearbooks, and membership newsletters generated by the volunteer organization, part of the national Women’s Zionist Organization of America. (Archives class)
Murray and Greta Watson Jr. papers, 1956-1972, undated (#3785): The political materials of politician Murray Watson, who was involved with education, environmental regulation, and agriculture initiatives while in the Texas House and Senate from 1957-1973.

Murray, Greta, and Milicent Watson photograph, 1969 — Murray and Greta Watson with daughter Milicent at the festivities for Watson’s prestigious Governor for a Day ceremony in July 1969. Murray and Greta Watson, Jr. papers #3785, box 279, folder 10.

Research Ready: July 2014

Posted on August 5, 2014

Tarrant County superintendent election certificate for Wade Hill Pool, 1888 — Wade Hill Pool earned his bachelor’s degree from Baylor in 1887 and very shortly thereafter was elected the Tarrant County superintendent of public schools. He returned to Baylor to lead its Academy in 1892. Wade Hill Pool papers #76, box 1, folder 2

Each month, we post a processing update to notify our readers about the latest collections that have finding aids online and are primed for research. This month’s finding aids include several produced by the Archival Collections and Museum class from spring 2014. Topics include the papers of a Paul Quinn College professor, a Texas lawyer involved with the Nazi war trials right after World War II, and a committee that considered moving Baylor University from Waco to Dallas, Texas. Here are July’s finding aids:

James Andrew and Ruth Newton Baggett papers, 1917-1919, undated (#3876): Comprised of letters and photographs written during James’ service in the United States Army during World War I.
Katherine McKinnon Edmond papers, 1849-1969, undated (#33): Consists of letters, newspaper clippings, and photographs relating to Edmond and the Edmond family. (Archives class)
John Thomas Harrington papers, 1884-1947 (#728): The John Thomas Harrington Papers consists of correspondence, financial papers, medical practice materials, and other literary documents from Harrington’s life in Waco, Texas. (Archives class)
Billie Huggins Harrison papers, 1923-1997, undated (#3906): Contains scrapbooks documenting Baylor campus life for a female student in the 1930s and 1940s.
L.L. Johnson papers, 1908 (#3905): Class lecture notes compiled by L.L. Johnson, a student in a class taught by Benajah Harvey Carroll.
Virgil Hoyt McClintock papers, 1911-1952, undated (#3912): Case files, photographs, and scrapbooks relating to McClintock’s judicial review of Nazi war crime cases.

Inside pages of “Military Training at Paul Quinn College” pamphlet — This pamphlet shows the military training Paul Quinn College students received during World War II. John H. Talton papers #3082, box 1, folder 7.

BU records: Movement for the Perpetuation of Baylor at Waco Committee, 1928 April-November (#BU/122): Letters and newspaper clippings documenting the proposed move of Baylor to Dallas and efforts to keep the university in Waco.
Wade Hill Pool papers, 1878-1941, undated (#76): Legal documents and literary productions related to the life of Professor Wade Hill Pool, a Latin professor at Baylor University.
Annie Keeling Randle papers, 1919-1928 (#2545): Contains copies of two plays written by Randle, an influential member of the black community in Waco throughout the twentieth-century.
John H. Talton papers, 1914-1968, undated (#3082): Includes letters and ledger books related to the life of John H. Talton, a history professor at Paul Quinn College when it was located in Waco, Texas.
Waco Public Library Association records, 1856-1925, undated (#2041): Traces the formation and continuing operations of the first Waco Public Library, funded in part by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.

Research Ready: February 2014

Posted on February 28, 2014

Each month, we post a processing update to notify our readers about the latest collections that have finding aids online and are primed for research. Here’s the scoop for February:

Flood at the Interurban Bridge, Waco, Texas, circa 1916 — The Interurban Bridge with a rail car crossing it is seen here from the west side of the Brazos River, Waco, Texas, circa 1916. Flood level water is obvious as it flows just under the bridge. Digital ID 3886-Blomeyer-500-1; box 1 OVZ, photo negative 2:33.

Edward C. Blomeyer Photographic collection, 1906-1923: Blomeyer was a leader in the early telephone industry and an amateur photographer whose subjects include the telephone industry in Missouri and Texas, scenes in Waco, Texas, and his family vacations.
Roxy Harriette Grove papers, 1906-1953, undated: Grove was chair of the Baylor School of Music from 1926 to 1943, when Baylor became the first school in Texas to attain membership in the National Association of Schools of Music. Her papers consist of correspondence, literary productions, financial papers, and teaching materials.
Frances Cobb Todd papers, 1899-1990, undated: The Todd papers represent the third generation of Smith-Cobb-Bledsoe family heritage and New Hope Baptist Church materials at The Texas Collection. The collection contains items from Todd’s life and work in Waco and New Hope Baptist Church.

"Alma Mater," by Roxy Grove (soprano part) — The Baylor faithful will know that, while this music is called “Alma Mater,” it is not actually used as Baylor’s alma mater! Roxy Grove, who was chair of Baylor’s School of Music from 1926-1943, wrote the piece when Baylor did not yet have an official alma mater. “That Good Old Baylor Line” became the school song in 1931. “Alma Mater” was still sung, but not nearly as often. Roxy Harriette Grove papers #1422, box 3, folder 12.

Research Ready: March 2013

Posted on March 26, 2013

"Ask the American boy why he prefers Kellogg's" — A patriotic advertisement for Kellogg’s Toasted Corn Flakes during WWI. The Thomas L. and Pit Dodson Collection has hundreds of similar early- to mid-twentieth-century art prints and clippings, providing a colorful window into American culture.

Each month, we post a processing update to notify our readers about the latest collections that have finding aids online and are primed for research. Here’s the scoop for March:

Kenneth Hazen Aynesworth papers, 1826-1965, undated: Aynesworth’s papers consist of family materials, correspondence, literary productions, collected materials, and medical records collected by Kenneth Hazen Aynesworth, a local doctor who gave the first donation to establish The Texas Collection in 1923.
[Waco] Branch Davidians: “The Facts About Mt. Carmel” Exhibit collection, 1961-2004, undated: This records group contains materials collected by various groups and individuals (including Calvin Smith of the Strecker Museum) to organize an exhibit about the history of the Waco Branch Davidians. The exhibit, entitled “The Facts About Mt. Carmel,” was featured at the Helen Marie Taylor Museum in Waco, Texas, in February 1994.
Adina E. De Zavala papers, 1830 (copy) -1940, undated: These papers document De Zavala’s historic preservation efforts in Texas to protect significant architecture in the state.

Correspondence from the Adina De Zavala papers — A letter of recommendation written by the Mexican Consul in San Antonio, Dr. Plutarco Ornelas, for Adina De Zavala on her historical research trip to Mexico in 1902.

Thomas L. and Pit Dodson collection, 1710-1991, undated: The Thomas L. and Pit Dodson collection contains a wide variety of collected materials, including literary productions, books, photographic materials, and scrapbooks. While spanning three centuries, this collection consists primarily of early- to mid-twentieth-century art prints and periodical clippings.
Marvin C. Griffin papers, 1940-2010, undated: The Griffin papers contain literary productions, photographic materials, audio recordings, and other materials pertaining to Reverend Marvin Griffin, an African American pastor who fought for the spiritual and political freedoms of his congregations at New Hope Baptist Church (Waco) and Ebenezer Baptist Church (Austin).
Roxie Henderson collection, 1852-1919: This collection contains personal items and collected materials of Roxie Henderson, a Baylor graduate who served during World War I as an American Red Cross nurse. Learn more.
Isabella M. Henry papers, 1931-1981, undated: Henry’s papers features manuscripts detailing her career in the Women’s Army Corps and the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps during World War II. Learn more.
Lula Pace collection, 1895-1969, undated: This collection contains student notebooks, topographical maps, and scholarly publications by Lula Pace, a PhD graduate of the University of Chicago who served as a science professor at Baylor University in the early 1900s. Learn more.