By Amie Oliver, Librarian and Curator of Print Materials, and Paul Fisher, Processing Archivist
Each month, we post an update to notify our readers about the latest archival collections to be processed and some highlights of our print material acquisitions. These resources are primed for research and are just a sampling of the many resources to be found at The Texas Collection!
Here are January’s finding aids:
The Selsus E. Tull papers contain hundreds of sermons written and preached by Reverend Tull. Selsus E. Tull papers, 1901-1964, undated (#3977), box 3, folder 1.
Selsus E. Tull papers, 1901-1964, undated (#3977): Contains the sermon notes and publications of longtime Baptist preacher Selsus Estol Tull (1878 – 1973). Tull pastored numerous Baptist churches over a six-decade career and was an influential participant in the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meetings for more than four decades. You can read more about the Selsus E. Tull papers here and here, and view them online here.
John Cheney Ellis papers, 1890-2000 (#3623): Includes photographs, post cards and correspondence relating primarily to the life and travels of John Cheney Ellis, as well as his mother, Inez Pratt.
Frank Elisha Burkhalter papers, 1902-1959 (#109): Writings by and photographs of Frank Elisha Burkhalter from his time in Waco as a volunteer with local youth and as a Baylor University student and professor.
Archie Hoppenstein papers, 1967-1999 (#3718): The Archie Hoppenstein papers include subject files from various Waco and McLennan County organizations. Hoppenstein was very involved in community activities, and attended Congregation Agudath Jacob in Waco, Texas.
Reverend Tull stored his many sermons in packets like this one, with notes about where and when he preached that particular sermon. One of the entries is for Temple, Texas, in July 1917. Selsus E. Tull papers, 1901-1964, undated (#3977), box 3, folder 1.
Here are January’s featured print materials:
Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the World. Chicago: Blakely Print. Co., 1893. Print. Featuring a beautiful full color front and back cover, this unique volume contains photographs and illustrations of Buffalo Bill and his contemporaries. Also included is the “programme” for the Wild West show featuring music, horse races, cowboy fun, and Annie Oakley demonstrating her firearm prowess.Facts and Figures about Mexico and Her Great Railroad: the Mexican Central. City of Mexico: Issued by the Bureau of Information of the Mexican Central Railway Co., 1898. Print. Published by Mexico’s Bureau of Information as a handbook for potential investors and settlers, this beautifully preserved volume also highlights the unique beauty of the country. The volume helps to answer questions about taxes, safety, agriculture, and education and features photographs and a map.Austin Hook & Ladder Fire Co. No. 1. Constitution and By-Laws of Austin Hook & Ladder Fire Co. No. 1. Austin: Eugene von Boeckmann, 1893. Print. This small volume provides a glimpse into the 1893 Austin Hook and Ladder Fire Company. With the motto, “Always Ready,” the company’s constitution also includes information on membership, officers, and fines while the by-laws cover duties, committees, and amendments.
By Amie Oliver, Librarian and Curator of Print Materials, and Paul Fisher, Processing Archivist
Each month, we post an update to notify our readers about the latest archival collections to be processed and some highlights of our print material acquisitions. These resources are primed for research and are just a sampling of the many resources to be found at The Texas Collection!
Here are December’s finding aids:
E.S. James, noted editor of the Baptist Standard for twelve years, presents his personal papers to James E. Wood Jr., director at the time of what is now Baylor University’s J. M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies. Dr. Wood was also a noted Baptist leader, who led the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs for eight years. The Texas Collection recently acquired these papers of Dr. James mentioned in this photograph. James E. Wood Jr. papers 3969, Box 5, Folder 10.
Leuschner Family papers, 1845-1927 (#3361): The collection includes land deeds, mortgage and insurance papers from Falls and McLennan counties, and family and business correspondence.
Charles Otto Leuschner is one of two probable men for which the town of Otto, Texas, was named. His business affairs included cotton, oil, cattle and real estate in Central Texas. This ledger shows the details of his cotton crop and sales. Leuschner Family papers, Accession 3361, Box 1, Folder 12, The Texas Collection, Baylor University.
San Leon: Destined to Become the Greatest Resort City in America. Houston: Western Land Corp., 1910. Print. Located in Galveston County, San Leon is called the “bright spot of Texas” in this promotional volume. Highlighting San Leon’s prime location, public improvements, sporting, and environment, this rare volume, one of only two known in existence, entices people to come, build, and invest in this raw land that is prime for development.Red Book of Dallas. Dallas: Holland Brothers Publishing, Co., 1895. Print. Filled with the names and addresses of upper-class families, many specifying which day they receive visitors, this volume is the must-have social registry for 1895 Dallas. Also included is information on proper etiquette when calling on families, membership directories for exclusive clubs, a shopping directory, and ads for local businesses.The first several pages from the Red Book of Dallas. The volume begins by describing how proper introductions should be done among the ladies and gentlemen of Dallas in 1895.Monroe, James. Message from the President of the United States…Relating to the Occupation of Amelia Island. March 26, 1818. Read, and Ordered to Lie upon the Table. Washington: E. de Krafft, 1818. Print. Listed in Thomas W. Streeter’s Bibliography of Texas, 1795-1845, this volume primarily concerns Florida’s Amelia Island. However, contained within is also information about Galveston, including a letter to the Minister Plenipotentiary of the Mexican Republic from Luis Aury concerning his plans to “abandon the establishment at Galveston” and a statement by Vincente Pazos declaring Galveston “the established port of the Mexican Republic.”
By Amie Oliver, Librarian and Curator of Print Materials, and Paul Fisher, Processing Archivist
Each month, we post an update to notify our readers about the latest archival collections to be processed and some highlights of our print material acquisitions. These resources are primed for research and are just a sampling of the many resources to be found at The Texas Collection!
Here are November’s finding aids:
When Otto and Hilde left Germany in 1938, they brought a few pieces of Nazi German history with them, including this 1937 deportation letter from the Geheime Staatspolizei or Secret State Police of the Nazi German government. These were sent to German Jews and many of those who did not leave voluntarily eventually perished in concentration camps. Otto and Hilde Rosenfeld Levy papers 3251, Box 1, Folder 2.
García Cubas, Antonio. The Republic of Mexico in 1876. Mexico: La Enseñanza Print. Office, 1876. Print. Exploring social life, customs, habits, and vocations of 19th century Mexican people, The Republic of Mexico in 1876 contains a wealth of information. A unique aspect of this volume is the beautiful, full-color illustrations.A sampling of the beautiful, full-color illustrations from The Republic of Mexico in 1876.
Golden Jubilee Souvenir of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, 1869-1919. San Antonio: The Congregation, 1919. Print. This volume explores the history of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, which originated in Lyons, France, in 1627, and was later in Galveston before coming to San Antonio in 1869. Produced to mark the 50 year anniversary of the congregation in San Antonio, this rare work, one of only two known copies in existence, contains many photographs of the far-reaching work of the Sisters of Charity.Clossin, Jimmy and Carl Hertzog. West Texas Square Dances. El Paso: Carl Hertzog, 1948. Print. Filled with dance illustrations, West Texas Square Dances provides detailed descriptions for anyone wishing to learn a variety of square dance calls, including “Spinning Wheel,” “Texas Star,” and “Zig Zag Through and Around the Ring.” In the inscription, Carl Hertzog writes that only 50 copies were bound in cloth, making this edition rare.
Texas has changed quite a bit over the years, as is readily seen in our vast photograph and postcard collections. To help bring some of those changes to life, we’ve created a “Texas over Time” series of GIFs that will illustrate the construction and renovations of buildings, changing aerial views, and more. Our collections are especially strong on Waco and Baylor images, but look for some views beyond the Heart of Texas, too.
Opened to the public on January 7, 1870, the 475-foot structure is one of downtown Waco’s iconic landmarks.
At the time of its completion, it was the longest single-span bridge west of the Mississippi.
The cables and steelwork were supplied by John Roebling Co., who also helped build the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City during that decade
As the only bridge over the Brazos River, it brought much publicity to Waco, helped local economic stimulation and served as a public bridge starting in 1889.
During times of high water, the bridge was used greatly for moving cattle herds.
In 1914, it went under total reconstruction including a brand new cable system; the roadway is now supported with steel and the towers were remodeled with stucco.
In July 1970, it became the first Waco site on the National Register of Historic Sites.
Sources
Roger N. Conger, “The Waco Suspension Bridge,” Texana, I (Summer 1963); Minute Books of the Waco Bridge Company (MS., Waco-McLennan County Library).
“The City of Waco.” Suspension Bridge & Riverwalk, Parks & Recreation. City of Waco Municipal Information, n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2015.
Smyrl, Vivian Elizabeth. “Waco Suspension Bridge.” Texas State Historical Association. TSHA, University of Texas, 15 June 2010. Web. 28 Sept. 2015.
GIF and factoids by Haley Rodriguez, student archives assistant. Learn more about the history of the suspension bridge in our YouTube video and see these images in our Flickr album.
By Amie Oliver, Librarian and Curator of Print Materials, and Paul Fisher, Processing Archivist
For the past couple of years, “Research Ready” has featured our newly processed archival collections. Starting this month, we also will include a few highlights of items recently added to our print materials. As always, this is just a sampling of the many, many resources to be found at The Texas Collection!
Dr. McGlasson served as the chief medical officer for the last year of the building of the Panama Canal. This photo, amid a scrapbook largely comprised of European cityscapes and landscapes, highlights the scale of this massive construction project in which he played a small role. Irvy Lee McGlasson papers 3946, Box 4, Folder 1.
Here are October’s finding aids:
Jack and Gloria Parker Selden collection, 1755-2007, undated (#3954): These papers include materials about the Parker family throughout Texas history, including the stories of Cynthia Ann and Quanah Parker. Much of the collection is Jack Selden’s extensive research on the Parker family to write his book Return: The Parker Story in 2006.
E.S. James papers, 1938-1969 (#3965): Sermons, correspondence, and other collected materials about James, his colleagues, and subscribers to the Baptist Standard. E.S. James was editor of the Baptist Standard for twelve years.
Irvy Lee McGlasson papers, 1904-1931 (#3946): Materials include artifacts, photographs, and other materials about McGlasson, a doctor from Waco that served as the chief medical officer for the workforce building the Panama Canal.
Here are October’s featured print materials:
Le Champ-d’Asile, au Texas. Paris: Chez Tiger, 1820.
This volume, listed in Thomas W. Streeter’s renowned Bibliography of Texas, 1795-1845, provides a rare account of the failed Champ-d’Asile colony of Napoleonic loyalists who settled on Texas’ Trinity River in 1818.
Annual Catalogue Hill’s Business College, 1905-1906. Waco: Hill’s Business College, 1905. Print.
In 1881, Robert Howard Hill founded Hill’s Business College, which operated in Waco for more than 40 years. This volume offers a glimpse into the faculty, curriculum, and student body of the 1905-1906 academic year.
The City of Fort Worth and the State of Texas. St. Louis: Geo. W. Engelhardt & Co., 1890. Print.
Part of the Engelhardt Series of American Cities, this volume examines business opportunities in 1890 Fort Worth and includes information on the railroad, real estate, manufacturing, and finances.
“Why haven’t we developed the Brazos into something like San Antonio’s River Walk?”
“Sure, we have sail-gating, but when are we going to develop this river properly?”
“Why haven’t people realized the value of the Brazos and put some real money into developing it?”
“Lock and Dam No 8 Brazos River. Placing Concrete in Lock Floor. Lower End Lock- (March 5, 1913)” is in folder 419a, box 7, E.FW18 —“Records of the Dallas Engineer Office”, Record Group 77—Records of the Army Corps of Engineers (Southwest Division), National Archives and Records Administration (Southwest Division)
Questions like these resonate along the length of the Brazos but are regularly volleyed around Waco lunch tables. If anything, the revitalization of Waco’s city center and the construction of McLane Stadium have only made these questions more pressing. Many Wacoans simply don’t understand why one of this state’s most iconic rivers has seemingly escaped the reach of developers. They cannot fathom the lack of attention. Coach Art Briles even raised this question over the summer, insisting that the lack of development is “unbelievable” and something that “blows [his] mind.” I understand that sense of shock and awe. When I began my work on the Brazos River nearly a decade ago, I approached it with the exact same question. Why, I asked, has the Brazos avoided the attention of developers? How could any businessman allow that to happen? As I began looking into the river’s history, however, I realized that I was asking the wrong question.
“[Baylor Bookstore in Flood], 1989, “Waco—Events—Floods—1989,” Photograph Collection, Texas Collection
This belief that the Brazos River should be more heavily developed is actually very old. Stephen F. Austin introduced American immigrants into Mexican Texas in 1821, and in the nearly two hundred years since then, developers and boosters and politicians have worked almost unceasingly to improve this powerful and temperamental waterway. Even before Austin’s arrival, however, Spanish settlers and Indian populations manipulated the river, developing it for their own purposes. The Spanish, for example, built irrigation canals and small embankment dams in Texas. No, the conviction that this river should be developed is not new. The end result of development has changed, but the idea of improving this river has not. A better question, then, is this: given the long history of attention to the Brazos, why has it not been developed more fully? Why must men like Art Briles shake their heads in wonder today, mind reeling at the untapped potential of this river? Why must politicians and business leaders and the inestimable public do likewise? “[Brazos in Flood], 1913,” “Waco—Events—Floods—1913,” Photograph Collection, Texas CollectionThe short answer–and the topic of discussion in my lecture–is that any lack of development is not due to a lack of effort. There has actually been a concentrated, long-standing effort to improve this waterway. The problem is that most of the proposed development projects along the Brazos have been, at best, a temporary success.
Take, for example, the lock and dam project (early 1900s). To expand navigation along the Brazos River, the Army Corps of Engineers proposed a series of eight structures that would use a small-scale dam and a lock to raise water levels in areas plagued by shoals, falls, and bars. This project was applauded energetically, but construction of the locks and dams proved to be problematic, to say the least. In 1912, for example, engineers at the lock and dam near Waco reported that an untimely drought had dried up the river, leaving a scant 8 inches of water in the lock. One year later, employees at the same lock noted that a recent flood had done more than $20,000 worth of damage (the equivalent of $481,000 today).
“Why haven’t we tried to develop the Brazos River?”
As I said, that isn’t the right question.
“Why haven’t we been able to develop the Brazos more fully?”
That question may not have an easy answer, but it does guide us down a productive path of research and discussion.
Eager to hear more about this discussion? Join us in Bennett Auditorium at 3:30 pm on Thursday, October 22, to hear her thoughts on development along the Brazos River. Dr. Archer, an instructor at Angelo State University and Baylor alumna, is promoting her book, Unruly Waters: A Social and Environmental History of the Brazos River. The book will be available for purchase at a reception following at The Texas Collection and at the Baylor Bookstore during Homecoming.
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:
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.
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).
Texas has changed quite a bit over the years, as is readily seen in our vast photograph and postcard collections. To help bring some of those changes to life, we’ve created a “Texas over Time” series of GIFs that will illustrate the construction and renovations of buildings, changing aerial views, and more. Our collections are especially strong on Waco and Baylor images, but look for some views beyond the Heart of Texas, too.
A few notable superlatives centered around Austin’s Congress Avenue…
The Bosche-Hogg building was the site of the first steam laundry west of the Mississippi, circa late 1890s.
At nine stories, the Littlefield building (c. 1912) was briefly the second tallest building west of the Mississippi behind the ALICO, which was completed the year before, in 1911. (Many Austin sources state it as being the tallest, despite it being shorter than and built later than the ALICO.)
The street was home to a mule powered streetcar line starting in 1875. It was later upgraded to an electric line. The street was the first in Austin to be paved, in 1905, reportedly causing horses and buggies to fall whenever it rained, as they weren’t used to making fast turns on the pavement.
The Angelina Eberly/Texas Archives War statue (between Sixth and Seventh Streets) is one of the only public sculptures celebrating archives. Eberly is depicted firing a cannon to alert the people of Austin (in 1842) that Sam Houston’s men were stealing the Republic of Texas’ archives, part of President Houston’s efforts to relocate the capitol to Houston. Eberly, who ran a boarding house, fired off a grapeshot load from a cannon, sending soldiers on their way to head off the records thieves and ultimately, preserve Austin as the state capitol.
Sources:
Castle, Melissa Allen. Austin Through a Century: Know Your Capitol. Austin: S.n., 1939. Print.
Historic Walking Tours: Congress Ave. & E. 6th St. Austin, TX: Visitor Information Center, 1995. Print.
Humphrey, David C. Austin: A History of the Capital City. Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 1997. Print.
Jackson, Pearl Cashell. Austin Yesterday and Today: A Glance at Her History, a Word about Her Enterprises, a Description of Her Big Banking Establishment. Austin, TX: E.L. Steck, 1915. Print.
Shelton, Emmett. My Austin: Remembering the Teens and Twenties. Boston, MA: American, 1994. Print.
See all of the images in our Flickr set. GIF and factoids by Braxton Ray, archives student assistant.
Texas has changed quite a bit over the years, as is readily seen in our vast photograph and postcard collections. To help bring some of those changes to life, we’ve created a “Texas over Time” series of GIFs that will illustrate the construction and renovations of buildings, changing aerial views, and more. Our collections are especially strong on Waco and Baylor images, but look for some views beyond the Heart of Texas, too.
Images from the John Oscar Birgen “Swede” Johnson collection
On September 13, 1896, William George Crush organized the infamous collision of the Katy Roundhouses on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad.
Crush, as the new General Passenger Agent of the MKT System, had the idea to demonstrate a train crash as a publicity stunt and was assured by all but one mechanical engineer that the boilers of the trains would not explode.
For the price of $2 a ticket, over 40,000 spectators came out to the pop-up town of Crush, Texas, to see the “famous duel of the iron monsters.”
Just after 4 pm, Crush threw a hat up into the air, signaling red No. 1001 and green Old No. 99 to begin racing at 90 miles an hour towards each other. The thundering crash of the locomotives sent flying debris towards the massive crowd, causing three deaths and other injuries.
One of the two photographers capturing the event, Jarvis Deane, was among the injured. He lost his eyesight after a missile put out his eye and a metal bolt lodged into his head.
The incident inspired Scott Joplin to write “The Great Crush Collision March.”
See all of the images in our Flickr set. GIFs and factoids prepared by Haley Rodriguez, archives student assistant.
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 May’s finding aids:
Cope family Civil War letters, circa 1863-1865 (#3949): Contains correspondence from two brothers, John and Thomas Cope, who were soldiers in the Confederate 45th Alabama Infantry and 24th Arkansas Infantry, Army of Tennessee.
Letter from Confederate soldier Thomas Cope to his brother. At the time of this letter, he was in a hospital in Tunnell Hill, Georgia. He passed away eight days after writing this letter. Cope family Civil War letters, Accession 3949, Box 1, Folder 1, The Texas Collection, Baylor University.
M. P. Daniel papers, 1907-1986 (#3919): The M. P. Daniel papers contain the correspondence, legal, and literary documents of Marion Price Daniel, Sr., a prominent businessman in southeast Texas in the early 20th century.
Elizabeth Lay papers, 1860-1869 (#2465): Contains one letter written by a Baylor Female College student in Independence, Texas, describing student life to her sister.
In this 1929 letter home, one of M.P. Daniel’s sons, Price Daniel, provides a glimpse into Baylor student life in the late 1920s, with topics ranging from hunting to being the editor of the campus paper, The Daily Lariat. Although he did not attend Baylor University, M.P. Daniel was an active supporter of the university and all three of his children attended Baylor. M.P. Daniel papers, Accession 3919, box 6, folder 4, The Texas Collection, Baylor University.
Corrie Lee Taylor Powell papers, 1896-1949 (#164): These papers include materials about the personal life of Powell, a Texan from Kaufman County, who studied piano at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.
