Latest content added for The Portal to Texas History Collection: O. Henry Collectionhttps://texashistory.unt.edu/explore/collections/OHENRY/browse/?sort=date_a&fq=untl_institution:GLO2011-04-11T13:43:29-05:00UNT LibrariesThis is a custom feed for browsing The Portal to Texas History Collection: O. Henry CollectionBexar Scrip 26922011-04-11T13:43:29-05:00https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154587/<p><a href="https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154587/"><img alt="Bexar Scrip 2692" title="Bexar Scrip 2692" src="https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154587/small/"/></a></p><p>Copy of a land Grant file for land issued to the Houston & Texas Central Railway Company in the Bexar Land District. Includes a folder jacket with table of contents and notes about the land grant (filed July 12, 1928); field notes by M.J. Doyle, Deputy Surveyor, Bexar Land District for Section 21 Block 20 (January 13, 1873); the affidavit of ownership of S.N. Allen (July 12, 1928); and a note by Land Commissioner J.H. Walker indicating that the file has no relation to the O. Henry story of the same name (December 4, 1933). O. Henry’s story tells the tale of a Railroad baron taking a poor homesteader’s land by stealing this file. Walker notes that although the file was missing for a period, due to office procedures the land fraud could not have occurred.</p>Roster of Employees in the General Land Office2011-01-08T14:31:57-06:00https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139471/<p><a href="https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139471/"><img alt="Roster of Employees in the General Land Office" title="Roster of Employees in the General Land Office" src="https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139471/small/"/></a></p><p>Ledger contains lists of General Land Office employees, their job titles, and monthly earnings. Excerpted here are 98 pages covering January 1887-January 1891, which are the dates O. Henry was employed at the land office. W.S. Porter, later known as the writer O. Henry, is listed as draftsman, compiling draftsman and assistant draftsman, earning $100 per month. Porter's name appears on roughly half of the pages.</p>Receiver's Memorandum2011-01-08T14:31:57-06:00https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139467/<p><a href="https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139467/"><img alt="Receiver's Memorandum" title="Receiver's Memorandum" src="https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139467/small/"/></a></p><p>These two pages are exerpts from a 141-page Receivers Memorandum dated 1887-1888. Pages appear to show payroll advances to O. Henry, here identified by his given name William S. Porter or W.S. Porter, for the months of June 1887 through December 1887. These pages are written in O. Henry's hand, and show his signature several times.</p>Map of Webb County2010-04-02T15:48:29-05:00https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth89053/<p><a href="https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth89053/"><img alt="Map of Webb County" title="Map of Webb County" src="https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth89053/small/"/></a></p><p>Cadastral map of Webb County, Texas in the South Texas Plains region. Some features are marked in color and some sketched illustrations around the title. Scale ca. 1:133,334 (4000 varas per inch).
Authorship is attributed to W.S. Porter, later known as the short story writer O. Henry.</p>Map of Kent County2010-04-02T15:48:28-05:00https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth88727/<p><a href="https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth88727/"><img alt="Map of Kent County" title="Map of Kent County" src="https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth88727/small/"/></a></p><p>Cadastral map of Kent County, Texas in the Panhandle Plains region. Scale ca. 1:133,334 (4000 varas per inch). Shows boundaries and ownership of land, including that of several railroad companies.
Compiled and drawn by William S. Porter, later known as the short story writer O. Henry. Map is notable for its landscape drawings near the top.</p>The Texas Trail of O. Henry2011-04-11T13:43:29-05:00https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154585/<p><a href="https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154585/"><img alt="The Texas Trail of O. Henry" title="The Texas Trail of O. Henry" src="https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154585/small/"/></a></p><p>Newspaper article includes sketches and photos of O. Henry and friends. Describes O.Henry's life and his time in Austin.</p>Patent 87, Volume 40-A2011-01-08T14:31:57-06:00https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139470/<p><a href="https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139470/"><img alt="Patent 87, Volume 40-A" title="Patent 87, Volume 40-A" src="https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139470/small/"/></a></p><p>This document was issued to the Houston & Texas Central Railroad Company as the final instrument in the land grant process, assigning ownership to the railroad company for 640 acres in Tom Green County, section 21, block 20, as described in the patent. O. Henry wrote a fictional account of illegal proceedings concerning a land certificate, Bexar Scrip 2692, in the short story "Bexar Scrip 2692.” This is the patent that ultimately gave land ownership to the railroad via that certificate.</p>In O. Henry's Memory2011-04-11T13:43:29-05:00https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154586/<p><a href="https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154586/"><img alt="In O. Henry's Memory" title="In O. Henry's Memory" src="https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154586/small/"/></a></p><p>Photo essay includes images of O.Henry's life in Austin, including the Hill City Quartette, houses O. Henry lived in, sketches by O. Henry and letters by his daughter Margaret Porter.</p>O. Henry Relics Guarded by State Land Office2011-01-08T14:31:57-06:00https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139469/<p><a href="https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139469/"><img alt="O. Henry Relics Guarded by State Land Office" title="O. Henry Relics Guarded by State Land Office" src="https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139469/small/"/></a></p><p>Photo essay containing images of photos, maps, and documents describing the General Land Office Archives holdings related to O. Henry. Includes a photo of Land Commissioner Bascom Giles standing next to O.Henry's drafting table in the Land Office.</p>My Recollections of O. Henry (W. S. Porter)2011-01-08T14:31:57-06:00https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139468/<p><a href="https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139468/"><img alt="My Recollections of O. Henry (W. S. Porter)" title="My Recollections of O. Henry (W. S. Porter)" src="https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139468/small/"/></a></p><p>Multiple typescript copies of a short character sketch describing O. Henry as a young man in the late 1800s, before he was a published writer. O. Henry worked as a draftsman at the General Land Office and for Maddox Brothers and Anderson.</p>Stories of the Old Land Office2011-01-08T14:31:57-06:00https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139473/<p><a href="https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139473/"><img alt="Stories of the Old Land Office" title="Stories of the Old Land Office" src="https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139473/small/"/></a></p><p>Pamphlet printed by the Texas Capital Visitor's Center. Contains a foreward and two O. Henry short stories: "Bexar Scrip 2692" and "Georgia's Ruling." Both stories take place in the old land office building where O. Henry worked as a draftsman, and both are about Texas land grants.</p>