Abner J. Strobel Collection: An Inventory of Records at the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library


Descriptive Summary
	Creator	Strobel, Abner J., b. 1858
	Title	Abner J. Strobel Collection
	Inclusive Date	1892-1931
	Bulk Date	1909-1921
	Identification	MSS 28
	Extent	12 lin. ft.: 10 document boxes
	Language	Materials are in English.
	Repository	Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library

Biographical Note

Abner J. Strobel was a celebrated author and historian in Brazoria County, Texas. His family first migrated from England to the United States in 1660; first settling in Albermarle County, Virginia. Mr. Strobel was born September 6, 1858 in Brazoria County on the Drayton Plantation. In his early years he lived throughout the South. He returned to Texas in 1875 and Brazoria County in 1882. At this time he assisted in the management of a sugar and cotton plantation, managed six plantations for Francis, Smith & Co., and served as a tax collector for four years for the County. In his later years he wrote the book entitled The Old Plantations and Their Owners in Brazoria County.

Mr. Strobel’s immediate family suffered greatly as a result of the Civil War. The family left their affluent Lake Jackson Plantation which was sold in 1870 when Mr. Strobel’s mother was nearly destitute.

Mr. Strobel is documented as being Brazoria County’s premiere historian; particularly concerning the county’s early agricultural and industrial growth. He died in his 70s at his home in Chenango, Texas.

References: Strobel, A. J., (1926). The Old Plantations and Their Owners in Brazoria County, Texas. Introduction by R. M. Farrar. Houston : The Union National Bank.

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Scope and Contents

The papers of Abner J. Strobel, lay historian, local politician, plantation manager, expectant oilman and longtime resident of Brazoria County are especially useful for documenting the impact of oil discoveries on the agricultural economy of Brazoria County. Particularly interesting in this regard are a collection of documents relating to the activities of the Union Cooperative Oil and Refining Association in which Strobel was active. Slightly less extensive, but rather significant are several items pertaining to Brazoria County politics at the turn of the century.

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Arrangement
	The arrangement of the collection is chronological and then further subdivided by subject.
	Series Description
		Series 1: Correspondence
		Series 2: Journals
		Series 3: Property Records
		Series 4: Business, Operations Records
		Series 5: Miscellaneous Materials
		Series 6: Half-Tone Engravings

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

None.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish or reproduce materials from the Abner J. Strobel Collection must be obtained from the Houston Metropolitan Research Center or the appropriate copyright holder. Due to their fragility, the half-tone engravings may be viewed, but not used for any other purpose.

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Index Terms

	Subjects
		Petroleum industry and trade—Texas—Brazoria County
		Politics—Texas—Brazoria County—20th century
		Union Cooperative Oil and Refining Association
	Subjects (Persons)
		Strobel, Abner J., 1858-1931
	Places
		Brazoria County (Tex.)

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Correspondence
	The correspondence series is organized chronologically and then listed by subjects contained in each folder.
		1892
Box	Folder
1	1		Personal
	2		Business
	3		Political
	4		Taxes
	5		Promotions
		1893
Box	Folder
1	6		Personal
	7		Business
	8		Political
	9		Taxes
	10		Promotions
		1894
Box	Folder
1	11		Personal
		1985 to 1898
Box	Folder
2	1		Personal
	2		Business
	3		Political
	4		Promotions
		1899 to 1900
Box	Folder
2	5		Personal
	6		Business
	7		Promotions
	8		Political
	9		Business
	10		Personal
	11		Promotions
		1900 to 1903
Box	Folder
3	1		Personal
	2		Business
	3		Political
		1904
Box	Folder
3	4		Personal
	5		Business
	6		Political
	7		Promotions
		1905
Box	Folder
3	8		Personal
	9		Business
	10		Promotions
	11		Political
		1906
Box	Folder
3	12		Personal
	13		Business
	14		Promotions
	15		Political
		1907
Box	Folder
3	16		Personal
	17		Business
	18		Promotions
	19		Political
		1908
Box	Folder
3	20		Personal
	21		Business
	22		Promotions
	23		Political
	24		Petroleum
		1909
Box	Folder
4	1		Personal
	2		Business
	3		Political
	4		Promotions
	5		Petroleum
		1910
Box	Folder
4	6		Personal
	7		Business
	8		Promotions
	9		Petroleum
		1911
Box	Folder
4	10		Personal
	11		Petroleum
	12		Business
		1912 to 1917
Box	Folder
4	13		Personal
	14		Business
	15		Petroleum
	16		Political
		1918
Box	Folder
4	17		Personal
	18		Business
	19		Petroleum
	20		Political
		1919
Box	Folder
5	1		Personal
	2		Business
	3		Petroleum
		1920 to 1921
Box	Folder
5	4		Personal
	5		Business
	6		Petroleum
	7		Political
		1922
Box	Folder
5	8		Personal
	9		Business
	10		Petroleum
		1923
Box	Folder
6	1		Personal
	2		Business
	3		Petroleum
		1924
Box	Folder
6	4		Personal
	5		Business
	6		Petroleum
		1925
Box	Folder
6	7		Personal
	8		Business
	9		Petroleum
		1926
Box	Folder
6	10		Personal
	11		Business
	12		Petroleum
		1927
Box	Folder
6	13		Personal
	14		Business
	15		Petroleum
		1928 to 1929
Box	Folder
7	1		Personal
	2		Petroleum
		1930
Box	Folder
7	3		Personal
	4		Business
	5		Petroleum
		1931
Box	Folder
7	6		Personal
	7		Business
	8		Petroleum
		Correspondence, No Dates
Box	Folder
7	9		Personal
	10		Business
	11		Petroleum

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Journals
Box	Folder
7	12	Daybook, 1892 to 1893
	13	Accounting and Daybooks, 1893 to 1899
	14	Diaries, 1899 to 1931

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Property Records
Box	Folder
7	15	Leases and Mortgages, 1894 to 1916
	16	Leases and Mortgages, 1917
	17	Manuscripts by Abner J. Strobel, no date
Box	Folder
8	1	Leases, Deeds and Mortgages, 1918 to 1933
	2	Leases, Deeds and Mortgages, 1923 to 1928
	3	Leases, Deeds and Mortgages, no dates

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Business, Operations Records
Box	Folder
8	4	Business transactions, 1890
	5	Business transactions, 1882
	6	Business transactions, 1891
	7	Business transactions, 1892
	8	Business transactions, 1893
	9	Business transactions, 1894 to 1897
	10	Business transactions, 1898 to 1913
	11	Business transactions, 1914 to 1915
	12	Business transactions, 1916
	13	Business transactions, 1917
Box	Folder
9	1	Invoices, 1919 to 1920
	2	Invoices, 1921 to 1931
	3	Invoices, no dates

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Miscellaneous Materials
Box	Folder
9	4	Miscellaneous Brazoria County election materials, 1890 to 1915
	5	Documents and Maps. Union Cooperative Oil & Refinery Association
	6	Pamphlets, Catalogs
	7	Assorted materials regarding Brazoria County, Texas
	8	Homestead deed and map, 1867

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Half-Tone Engravings from The Old Plantations and Their Owners of Brazoria County, Texas
Box	Folder
10	1	Willam H. Wharton of Brazoria County. Prominent in the Affairs of the Republic of Texas
	2	Plantation home of Major Abner Jackson of Brazoria County as it appeared in 1890. Constructed in 1851.
	3	Ellersly Place, ca. 1890. The plantation home of John Greenville McNeel near Brazoria, Texas. It was destroyed by fire in 1896.
	4	The first capitol of Texas, West Columbia, Brazoria County. Erected in 1836, destroyed in 1900.
	5	Abner J. Strobel
	6	Masonic Charter Oak at Brazoria where the first Masonic Lodge met under jurisdiction of G. L. of Louisianna

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