Manuscript Collections at Stephen F. Austin State College

Abstract

THE manuscript collections at Stephen F. Austin State College are of two types. There are papers, diaries, and a few rare books dealing with the early history of Texas. There are also collections of business records. Of the two the latter are by far the more numerous. Among the materials denoted as early Texana, perhaps the most significant is the Robert B. Blake collection. Blake was a tireless researcher and translator and for many years a court reporter for the Nacogdoches District. His translations and typescripts comprise some 93 volumes of material concerning East Texas from the Bexar and Nacogdoches Archives (Spanish Texas). I understand that a copy of this set is held by the University of Texas Library. There are a number of files of personal papers of Texans of local prominence. Perhaps the most important are the papers of the Reverend George L. Crocket, longtime Episcopal clergyman in East Texas and local historian and collector. His papers contain many significant items not included in his Two Centuries in East Texas, but they have not yet been completely cataloged. Mr. Crocket also prepared a calendar of all Texas items appearing in Niles' Weekly Register, 1811 through 1849. This is a most useful aid for students of the Texas Revolution and the Republic. The manuscript collections also include a fairly considerable number of land certificates, Confederate muster rolls and pension items, and papers concerning the history of Texas families. More than 22,000 items have been donated by D.A.R. chapters and individuals. There are also some early maps, a good file of early Texas almanacs, newspapers (many on microfilm), and some rare books. These materials are housed in a special East Texas Room, which