The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 52, July 1948 - April, 1949 Page: 354

rexas CoIletiOl
H. BAILEY CARROLL
OF MAJOR continuing interest to the membership of the
Association is the conversion of the Old Library Build-
ing into the Eugene C. Barker Texas History Center
which is to house the Texas books, archival material, and news-
papers of the University Library as well as the offices of the Texas
State Historical Association. It is pleasing to be able to report
that in October, after the final approval of all contracts, work
on the building commenced. Some of the cabinet work arrived
first and was stored in the halls and in Room 107, which has been
the Association's Handbook section. Carpenters have been busy
with the partition work and in remodeling the south part of the
old Wrenn Library section for Dr. Barker's office. Probably addi-
tional delays will be encountered, especially in placing the stacks
for the library holdings, but it does seem possible that the lower
floor of the building will be ready for occupancy sometime in
January. At least by the time of the next annual meeting the
Association should be established in its new home.
Four significant contributions at the county level of local his-
tory have recently appeared.
The first is a Brief History of Hays County and San Marcos,
Texas, a seventy-one page pamphlet done by Dudley R. Dobie
who several years ago did his master's thesis at The University of
Texas on Hays County. Many of the members of the Association
have known for a number of years that Dudley Dobie while busy
with a rare book shop and with teaching in Southwest Texas
State Teachers College has also had in progress a comprehensive
history of Hays County. The present pamphlet is not by any
means the comprehensive history, but was done as a centennial
item celebrating the creation of Hays County by the legislature
of Texas on March 1, 1848. The present pamphlet, however, will
be good insurance until the longer work can be produced.
The second item is On the Edge of the Black Waxy: A Cul-