The Texas Folklore Society Collection

History

In 1916 Stith Thompson, then secretary, oversaw the publication of the Society's first volume, for which Kittredge wrote the preface. This volume was entitled Publication No. I, and was reprinted in 1935 as Round the Levee. In 1923 J. Frank Dobie took over as secretary-editor, and in the following twenty years of his tenure edited an impressive collection of Texas and Mexican border lore in sixteen numbered volumes. Ever since Publication No. II was issued in 1923, the Society has sent out a book annually to its members, although some have not been numbered publications of its own.

The tradition established by J. Frank Dobie was continued by Mody C. Boatright when he assumed the office of secretary-editor in 1943. He had assisted Dobie in editing Dobie's last five volumes. Harry Ransom also participated in editing the last four. Boatright served for twenty years and produced fifteen volumes. He was succeeded by Wilson M. Hudson, who had been associate editor since 1951.

In 1971 the Society's office was moved to the Stephen F. Austin State University campus in Nacogdoches, and Francis Edward Abernethy became the Secretary-Editor. Abernethy edited fifteen volumes of the PTFS and wrote a three-volume history of the Texas Folklore Society: Volume I (1909 - 1943); Volume II (1943-1971); and Volume III (1971 - 2000).

In 2004, Kenneth L. Untiedt became the sixth Secretary-Editor, after Abernethy's retirement.

About the Society's Publications

The volumes published by the Society contain many of the papers read at its meetings and other articles both volunteered and solicited. Most contributions are the product of original collection, and together they constitute a wealth of material in the various branches of folklore. Some topics dealt with in past publications are home remedies for man and beast, cowboy songs, Negro songs and tales, games, oil field lore, diction used in various occupations, tales of border Mexicans, German customs, superstitions, weather signs, yarns about birds and snakes, Indian myths and legends, the origins of place names, lore of the high plains, of the Gulf Coast, of the brush country, household rhymes, and traditional songs. Texas Folk and Folklore (1954) is made up of items that appeared in earlier volumes. TFS books contain many photos and other illustrations, including original artwork by renowned artists such as José Cisneros. In recent publications the amount of space devoted to folklore studies as distinguished from folklore collections has increased.



At a Glance



Cite This Collection

Here is our suggested citation. Consult an appropriate style guide for conformance to specific guidelines.

The Texas Folklore Society Collection in The Portal to Texas History. University of North Texas Libraries. https://texashistory.unt.edu/explore/collections/TFSP/ accessed December 13, 2024.


Explore Holdings

Start browsing through the holdings of this collection in one of the following ways:

Counties (expand list)

Bexar County, TX
59
El Paso County, TX
54
Travis County, TX
40
Nueces County, TX
32
Dallas County, TX
31
Nacogdoches County, TX
28
Galveston County, TX
21
Live Oak County, TX
20
Harris County, TX
19
Tarrant County, TX
13
Llano County, TX
12
Webb County, TX
10
Crosby County, TX
8
Denton County, TX
8
Frio County, TX
8
Gillespie County, TX
8
Grimes County, TX
8
La Salle County, TX
8
Wheeler County, TX
8
Bell County, TX
6
Bosque County, TX
6
Duval County, TX
6
Gregg County, TX
6
Houston County, TX
6
Jefferson County, TX
6
Lubbock County, TX
6
Mills County, TX
6
Parker County, TX
6
Polk County, TX
6
Scurry County, TX
6
Shelby County, TX
6
Starr County, TX
6
Taylor County, TX
6
Uvalde County, TX
6
Washington County, TX
6
Angelina County, TX
4
Brazoria County, TX
4
Brewster County, TX
4
Brooks County, TX
4
Cameron County, TX
4
Cherokee County, TX
4
Cooke County, TX
4
Coryell County, TX
4
Cottle County, TX
4
Eastland County, TX
4
Fisher County, TX
4
Freestone County, TX
4
Guadalupe County, TX
4
Hardeman County, TX
4
Hays County, TX
4
Hunt County, TX
4
Jones County, TX
4
Karnes County, TX
4
Kendall County, TX
4
Kerr County, TX
4
Madison County, TX
4
McLennan County, TX
4
McMullen County, TX
4
Montague County, TX
4
Montgomery County, TX
4
Nolan County, TX
4
Wichita County, TX
4
Zapata County, TX
4
Zavala County, TX
4
Brazos County, TX
3
Atascosa County, TX
2
Bandera County, TX
2
Blanco County, TX
2
Bowie County, TX
2
Caldwell County, TX
2
Callahan County, TX
2
Cass County, TX
2
Collin County, TX
2
Comal County, TX
2
DeWitt County, TX
2
Dickens County, TX
2
Dimmit County, TX
2
Ector County, TX
2
Ellis County, TX
2
Erath County, TX
2
Falls County, TX
2
Fayette County, TX
2
Franklin County, TX
2
Goliad County, TX
2
Grayson County, TX
2
Hamilton County, TX
2
Hardin County, TX
2
Harrison County, TX
2
Hidalgo County, TX
2
Hood County, TX
2
Howard County, TX
2
Jack County, TX
2
Jackson County, TX
2
Jeff Davis County, TX
2
Jim Hogg County, TX
2
Jim Wells County, TX
2
Kaufman County, TX
2
Kimble County, TX
2
King County, TX
2
Lamar County, TX
2
Limestone County, TX
2
Marion County, TX
2
Matagorda County, TX
2
Maverick County, TX
2
Medina County, TX
2
Milam County, TX
2
Navarro County, TX
2
Newton County, TX
2
Palo Pinto County, TX
2
Panola County, TX
2
Pecos County, TX
2
Presidio County, TX
2
Red River County, TX
2
Reeves County, TX
2
Robertson County, TX
2
Rusk County, TX
2
Sabine County, TX
2
San Jacinto County, TX
2
San Patricio County, TX
2
Sherman County, TX
2
Smith County, TX
2
Somervell County, TX
2
Throckmorton County, TX
2
Tom Green County, TX
2
Tyler County, TX
2
Walker County, TX
2
Williamson County, TX
2
Wise County, TX
2
Anderson County, TX
1
Bastrop County, TX
1
Fannin County, TX
1

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