Special Collections The University of Texas at Arlington Libraries Vol. XV III* No. 2 * Fall 2004

Philpott Collection Treasures Emerge: From Emily West and Santa Anna . . . to Dead Bank Robbers!
By Brenda S. McClurkin

Nestled in the file folders and portfolios comprising the William A. Philpott, Jr. Collection, documents significant to the study of Texas history have lain in quiet repose for decades. Their arrival in Special Collections in July, 2004, signals a new chapter in an odyssey that has taken many interesting twists and turns.

Dallas resident, William A. Philpott, Jr. (1885-1971), served as Secretary of the Texas Bankers Association from 1915 through 1964. For over fifty years, Philpott assembled and nurtured an acclaimed collection of books, maps, historical manuscripts, national bank notes and coins. In 1969, Philpott prepared for the dispersal of his manuscript materials by publishing a Texiana catalog, including two addenda. A third addendum followed in 1973, after his death. In the introductory remarks to Texiana, Philpott reflected on his collecting career: "…The project was an all-consuming hobby, and has paid off adequately by pleasant excursions with great men and events of the past; in promoting mental composure; and in lasting satisfaction of the soul.…I am sad at heart to contemplate passing on these treasures to others…."

A Houston businessman purchased a significant portion of the Philpott Collection in 1973. The new owner later pledged his Philpott documents to a Houston bank as collateral for debt obligations. In l986, a portion of the pledged collection was publicly auctioned by a Dallas art gallery; the remaining documents continued to secure the debt. Through a series of bank mergers, custody of the remaining documents ultimately passed to Wells Fargo Bank Texas, N.A. in 1996. Recognizing the historical significance of the materials, Wells Fargo sought a public institution where its Philpott Collection would be available for research and study. In July, 2004, through the generosity of the Summerlee Foundation in Dallas, the William A. Philpott, Jr. Collection was acquired by The University of Texas at Arlington Libraries Special Collections where it will soon be available for research.

The Philpott Collection is comprised of some 215 Texana and other historical documents and manuscripts, divided into 185 lots. Diverse in nature, the documents reflect its creator’s collecting interests. The oldest item is a 1633 French document signed by the Engraver of the Mint under King Louis XIII. The most recent is a 1956 Texas Bankers Association Dallas convention program.

Approximately one-fourth of the collection pertains to James Morgan (1787-1866), early Texas settler, merchant, land speculator, and commander at Galveston during the Texas Revolution. These manuscript items document the business dealings of Morgan beginning in 1830 and ending with Morgan estate materials dating to 1876. Of particular interest are employment contracts, apprentice indentures, and other agreements bringing individuals to work for Morgan in Texas, services that were not available locally.

The most significant document included in the collection is among these -- an 1835 employment contract written in New York, between Morgan and Emily D. West of New Haven, Connecticut. A free woman of color, Emily West was soon to become the legendary "Yellow Rose of Texas" for the role she is said to have played in the Battle of San Jacinto. Signed in her own delicate hand, West agreed to come to Texas for one year to work "at any type of house work she is qualified to do," earning an annual wage of $100. This is the only document known to bear her signature. Also included is a contemporary copy of a November 4, 1836, letter written by Morgan to the Secretary of War alluding to allegations of impropriety during his tenure as commander at Galveston.

Rich and diverse in scope, the Philpott Collection offers many more items of interest ranging in focus from Texas colonization, revolution and annexation to modern times. Among this Texana are two letters of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna dated 1832 and 1842. The latter, written from the National Palace of Mexico on July 10, 1842, to General Don Mariano Paredes y Arrillaga, bears Santa Anna’s signature and presidential seal. Santa Anna wrote "…we should pursue a proper course in spite of those miserable persons who try to sew discord between us… Power is an unsupportable burden for the man who has no ambition; but it is necessary that we should work together so that our unfortunate country should some day reap the fruits of our endeavors…."

Four letters in the collection were written to Montgomery County official, Nathaniel Hart Davis, from 1845 to1849. His family in Eutau, Mississippi, discussed news of the day, particularly the public reaction to the annexation of Texas, a matter the writer opposed. An April 28, 1865, letter written by Confederate General Samuel B. Maxey from his headquarters at Beauchamp Springs near Houston regards rations. Seven items pertain to the Texas Emigration and Land Company, a Louisville, Kentucky, company that settled the Peters Colony in Texas.

Printed items of note include Gruetzmacher’s People’s Guide to Galveston (1890) and Map of Texas and Part of New Mexico (1857), compiled by the Bureau of Topographical Engineers for chiefly military purposes. Texas Bankers Association materials are also represented in the collection, including annual convention programs from the first meeting in Lampasas Springs (1885) and subsequent meetings in Dallas and Fort Worth, and a 1933 poster publicizing a reward offered for dead bank robbers.

The Philpott Collection with its diverse documents and printed materials complements and enhances Special Collections’ rich and highly respected holdings of early Texana materials. It joins a multitude of other 19^th century Texas manuscript holdings, including the Irion Family Papers; the Plummer Family Papers; the papers of Galveston land broker and commission merchant, Samuel Maas; the Merchant Shipping in the Republic of Texas Collection; Texas Navy Collection; Republic of Texas Collection; Republic of Texas Finances Collection; the Texas Currency and Land Scrip Collection; and the vast Robertson Colony Collection. The Adina de Zavala Papers are also held by Special Collections. Primarily dating from the late 19^th to early 20^th century, the de Zavala Papers include correspondence from family members, including Adina’s grandmother, Emily West de Zavala, second wife of the Republic of Texas Vice President Lorenzo de Zavala.

The significant historical content of the Philpott Collection will generate intense interest from students and historians researching early Texas history. The collection is currently closed to research, pending its processing and conservation treatment. For further information, please contact Brenda McClurkin at (817) 272-7512 or mcclurkin@uta.edu.

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