by Cecilia Aros Hunter
Published in The Journal of South Texas 10 (1997), 106-111.
Early in 1954, the Nueces County Historical Society conceived the idea of forming a historical association to preserve the history of South Texas and that part of northern Mexico that affected the history of South Texas. At the organizational meeting, November 6, 1954, it was specified that the "Association was formed to encourage the organization of and to aid in the development of local historical societies and to discover, collect, preserve and publish historical records and data relating to South Texas, and with special emphasis on the Tamaulipan background and the colony of Nuevo Santander."1
The thirty charter members immediately started working on plans to establish a repository for the archives they hoped to develop. They planned to publish all papers presented at their semiannual meetings, original historical materials that they were able to locate, and to archive copies of all materials published along with the research data that supported those publications.
Members of the new association came from Kingsville, Taft, Rockport, Alice, Bishop, Victoria, Goliad, Beeville, and Corpus Christi. Correspondence reveals that the new leadership was eager to find a repository for the documents that several members had started to accumulate in their private libraries as well.
Although they entered into discussion with other local libraries, Dr. Carlos Castaņeda, professor of history at the University of Texas who was producing their first publication, suggested that their archives should be located in the library of what was then Texas College of Arts & Industries at Kingsville.
At the November 1955 meeting, the membership accepted the "Articles of Academic Association between the South Texas Historical Association and the Texas College of Arts & Industries at Kingsville, Texas." It stated that "the Archives at A&I would become the only official depository for all such manuscripts, records, newspapers, books, magazines, maps, photographs, microfilms and all other such historical records and materials as the South Texas Historical Association, acting through its officers, directors and its individual members and patrons may from time to time hereafter accumulate and acquire as the academic, historical, and research material property of The South Texas Historical Association, and its only general archives, all dues, monies, fees, bequests, donations, gifts, contributions, and all other valuable properties which it may own now, or later acquire, by purchase, gift, or inheritance, and all its current and future publications and all financial proceeds now or in the future to be derived there from..."
Texas A&I, for its part, promised to accept the materials and to house, index, catalog, file, make accessible, keep safely and make reasonable secure, for the membership of the South Texas Historical Association, all such material archives of the Association as may legitimately and properly come into its custody. It stipulated that the archives would be made available for those who had a legitimate and scholarly purpose as determined by the guardian of the papers. Members of the South Texas Historical Association need only present their membership cards to be allowed to work with the materials in the collection.
Following the acceptance of the "Articles of Academic Association" the group deposited only a very limited number of documents and indeed the agreement seemed to have been completely forgotten until a request was made by the current administration of STHA for a report on the status of the archives. The materials are now housed at the South Texas Archives, James C. Jernigan Library, Texas A&M University-Kingsville. As can be noted, Texas A&I has become Texas A&M University-Kingsville, the library as been named for former president James C. Jernigan, and a special Archives division has been created within the Library. The name changes have not in any way invalidated the "Articles of Academic Association" agreement because the institution continues to be the same school and must honor past contracts.
Included in the STHA Archives are a copy of the first Journal of South Texas. Vol. 1, 1974 which was published at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi for one issue only. Also found in the papers is a publication entitled Documents for the History of the Gulf Coast Region from the Sabine to the Rio Grande. Joachin de Orobio y Bazterra and the Exploration of the Gulf Coast and Unpublished Documents with an introduction and notes by Carlos E. Castaņeda. South Texas Historical Association, 1957. Vol. 1, No. 1.
There are a number of other papers on file, some with notations about when and where they were presented. Some notations are incomplete, noting that papers were read, delivered, or submitted to the STHA, and sometimes including the data and place. The papers include:
"Rainmaking in South Texas, 1891 " a paper delivered before the South Texas Historical Association, November 9, 1957, Corpus Christi, Texas, by John Rayburn.
"Progress of Mapping in Texas" a paper read before the STHA, November 7, 1955, [Corpus Christi] by Phillip G. Young.
"The Garza Revolution: A Story of Planned Futility" by William M. Hager. Delivered to the STHA September 15, 1958.
"The Great Western" by Edward S. Wallace. A paper delivered to the STHA. November 1958.
"Jose De Escandon-Empire Builder" by Carlos Castaņeda. A paper delivered to the STHA.
"The Red River War of 1874-1875" by William H. Leckie. A paper read to the STHA May 7, 1955.
"Reminiscence of an Old 'Texas Pioneer"' by John I. Cochran. A paper submitted to the STHA February 3, 1965.
"Why Should I Vote?" by Mrs. W. Scott Vawter.
"Old Amargosa" an essay by Agnes Grimm.
An examination of the membership lists of the STHA reveals that several members have contributed significant collections to the South Texas Archives, although not with the specific stipulation that they are a part of the Association's archives. Some of the contributions in the South Texas Archives from STHA members include:
Jewell and Floyd Rees Collection. A collection of approximately 1,000 books and pamphlets on the history of South Texas, the Civil War in South Texas, and the railroads of South Texas. This collection also includes photographs of many railroad depots and train accidents throughout the 20th century. Mr. Rees also left several short manuscripts and notes about railroad history in South Texas which he accumulated through personal research and oral interviews.
Agnes Grimm Collection. Mrs. Grimm deposited many research notes, manuscripts, photographs, and copies of documents that she used in her extensive publications on the history of South Texas.
George O. Coalson Collection. George Coalson, a student and professor of history at Texas A&I, member and officer of the STHA, and historical scholar, left over 50,000 note cards, filed topically, on information that he had accumulated over forty-five y ears in preparation for an anticipated encyclopedia of South Texas. This work provides excellent bibliographies and information including citations from little known publications.
John E. Conner Collection. Professor Conner began accumulating documents and artifacts about South Texas history when he came to the South Texas State Teachers College at Kingsville in 1925 as a member of the original faculty. Through the years his collections became so extensive that a museum was opened in his honor. Today, the work he started has grown into the John E. Conner Museum and the South Texas Archives.
Edna Mae Tubbs Collection. Mrs. Tubbs was a journalist and historian who traveled extensively in the area and gathered historical information and interviews for her publications. She has left her notes and copies of some of her publications to the Archives.
Other members have donated materials, although not in as substantial quantities as those mentioned above. Undoubtedly, additional donations will continue to add to the collections of the South Texas Archives. The membership of the STHA is encouraged to continue to "discover, collect, [and] preserve" documents and materials for deposit in the Archives in compliance with the original intentions of the charter members.
Professor Coalson also maintained the records of the Association for many years and before his death placed those on file. Those records include correspondence, minutes and agendas, financial records, and constitutions of the organization from its founding through the late 1980s. Also placed on file were copies of the current Journal of South Texas, 1988 through 1996. Members of the Association who have other documents concerning the early of the STHA are encouraged to donate their records to the archives.
The South Texas Archives, James C. Jernigan Library, is now located in Baugh Hall, 930 West Richard, on the Texas A&M University-Kingsville campus. It is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the fourth Saturday of each month. The Archives are closed on all University holidays. Special appointments for research at other times may be made by calling the Archivist, Cecilia Aros Hunter at (512) 593-2776.
Cecilia Aros Hunter is the former archivist for the South Texas Archives at the James C. Jernigan Library on the Texas A&M University-Kingsville campus.
Note
1South Texas Archives. James C. Jernigan Library, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Box 457, folder 1.
