Descriptive Summary
Wheelock, Eleazar Louis Ripley, 1793-1847
Eleazar Louis Ripley Wheelock Papers
1833-1875
Materials are in English.
Doc 5215
18 items (18 folders)
Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library at the Alamo, San Antonio, Texas
New Hampshire native and War of 1812 veteran Eleazar Louis Ripley Wheelock (1793-1847) brought his family to Texas in 1833. He established the town of Wheelock in what is now Robertson County and there served as a surveyor, land agent and commissioner, lawyer, rancher, farmer, Indian commissioner, and soldier.
The collection contains letters, survey field books, legal documents, and financial records related to the business activities of E. L. R. Wheelock and his family.
Biographical Note
Eleazar Louis Ripley Wheelock was born in Hanover, New Hampshire, on 1793 March 31, the son of Col. Eleazar Wheelock, Jr., a Revolutionary War veteran, and Thankful Pennock. Wheelock saw active duty with the army during the War of 1812, fought in the Black Hawk War (1832), and throughout his adult life was active as a militiaman in several states. Wheelock settled in Illinois, where he became a successful businessman and, in 1818, married Mary Prickett; the couple had one daughter and four sons.
Wheelock started investing in Texas real estate as early as 1820 and first visited there three years later. In 1833, he brought his family to Texas and joined Sterling C. Robertson’s Colony, acting as assistant surveyor. The following year, he established the town of Wheelock in what is now Robertson County. Wheelock’s military service earned him an officer’s commission in the army, and he organized and captained a company of Texas Rangers during the Revolution. Occupied as a lawyer, rancher, and farmer, at various times Wheelock also served as a surveyor, land agent and commissioner, Indian commissioner, and soldier.
Returning to Texas from Washington, D. C., Wheelock died unexpectedly in Edwardsville, Illinois, on 1847 May 14.
References
Deal, Jerry. “Wheelock, Texas.”
Handbook of Texas Online. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hlw29.
E. L. R. Wheelock biographical file, Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas.
Eula Frances Dunn Peacock Papers, 1771-1995, Col 8116, Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas.
Hutchinson, Mary Foster. “Eleazar Louis Ripley Wheelock.”
Handbook of Texas Online. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fwh12.
Hutchinson, Mary Foster.
Texian Odyssey: The Life and Times of a Forgotten Patriot of the Republic of Texas: Colonel Eleazar Louis Ripley Wheelock (1793-1847). Austin, Texas: Sunbelt Eakin Press, 2003.
Shaw, Edwin Pliny, Jr.
Texas Wheelock Connections: 1,016 Descendants of Eleazar Louis Ripley Wheelock (b.1793) and Mary Prickett (b.1797). [Canyon Lake, Texas?: Edwin Pliny Shaw, Jr.?], 1993.
Scope and Content Note
The collection contains letters, survey field books, legal documents, and financial records related to the business activities of E. L. R. Wheelock and his family. Three field books contain notes on Wheelock's surveys in the Robertson Colony in 1835 and in Robertson County in 1839; other items record financial and legal transactions. In the papers is an undated constitution for a lyceum society, possibly in the town of Wheelock. A letter from Wheelock's brother describes the circumstances of his death. Later items are related to family members and include a notebook apparently belonging to Bruno D. Wheelock containing entries on his grandfather's mining projects.
Access Restrictions
No restrictions. The collection is open for research.
Usage Restrictions
Please be advised that the library does not hold the copyright to most of the material in its archival collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to secure those rights when needed. Permission to reproduce does not constitute permission to publish. The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright, literary property rights, and libel.
Related Material
Eula Frances Dunn Peacock Papers, 1771-1995, Col 8116, Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas.
Killough Family Papers, 1835-1900, Doc 11283, Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas.
Eleazer Louis Ripley Wheelock Papers, 1814-1935, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Eleazar Louis Ripley Wheelock Papers, 1833-1875, Doc 5215, Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Lloyd E. Eckel, 1966 June.
Processing Information
Processed by Warren Stricker, 1996 July.
Finding aid edited and encoded by Tom D'Amore, 2011 October.
Index Terms
Personal Names
Wheelock, Eleazar Louis Ripley, 1793-1847.
Wheelock, Bruno D., b. 1858.
Subjects
Real property--Texas--Robertson County.
Lyceums.
Surveyors--Texas--Robertson County.
Locations
Robertson Colony--Surveys.
Robertson County (Tex.)--Surveys.
Robertson County (Tex.)--History--Sources.
Genres/Formats
Personal papers.
Correspondence.
Deeds.
Field notes.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Eleazar Louis Ripley Wheelock Papers, 1833-1875
1
Deed: Anselmo Poliño to Michael Boren, San Felipe de Austin, Texas, 1833 November 19.
2
Agreement: Jennet Bowen, obligation to E. L. R. Wheelock, 1835 December 15.
3
Field book: E. L. R. Wheelock, 1835.
4
Field book: E. L. R. Wheelock, 1839.
5
Field book: E. L. R. Wheelock, Deputy Surveyor, Robertson County, Texas, 1839.
6
Field notes: Eaton's League survey, circa 1830-1839.
7
Mining patent: Republic of Texas to E. L. R. Wheelock [copy], 1844 October 15.
8
Bill and attached receipt: George W. Smith to E. L. R. Wheelock, Wheelock, Texas, 1846 February 2.
9
Letter: E. L. R. Wheelock to Mary Prickett Wheelock [incomplete], circa 1846.
10
Letter of introduction: to Franklin H. Delanoe, New York [incomplete], circa 1846.
11
Letter: D. Ayres, Center Hill, Texas, to E. L. R. Wheelock, Robinson [Robertson] County, Texas, [circa 1840-1849] December 24.
12
Statement: E. L. R. Wheelock on counterfeit Indiana currency, circa 1840-1849.
13
Letter: W. L. Rogers to E. L. R. Wheelock, circa 1840-1849.
14
Constitution: Kappa Lambda Society, circa 1840-1849.
15
Letter: William W. Wheelock, Alton, Illinois, to George Ripley Wheelock, Robinson [Robertson] County, Texas, 1847 June 1.
16
Sheriff's deed: William H. Wheelock to possibly Philip Chalk, Robertson County, Texas, 1853 May 5.
17
Deed: James C. Walker to James L. Forson, McLennan County, Texas, 1875 January 1.
18
Notebook: Bruno Darst Wheelock, undated.