Descriptive Summary
Merchants and Planters Oil
Company
Merchants and Planters Oil
Company archives
1894-1941, Bulk Dates 1930-1945
18 linear feet
MS 260
Woodson Research
Center, Fondren Library, Rice University, Houston, TX
Materials are in English.
Correspondence,
contracts, credit reports, and leases in this collection document the business
of Houston, Texas based Merchants & Planters Oil Company, particularly
during the last period of its existence, 1930 through 1941. This company was
owned by William Marsh Rice and associated with Rice Institute after Mr. Rice's
death.
Organizational History
Merchants and Planters Oil Company, manufacturers of cottonseed oil, oil
cake, meal and linters, based in Houston, Texas, was founded in 1890. The
business was one of a number of cotton-based businesses owned by Rice Institute
founder, William Marsh Rice at the time of his death in 1900. On September 8,
1900, a powerful hurricane struck the Gulf Coast, causing severe damage to one
of the company's warehouses and inventory. The business manager telegraphed
Rice stating that the company needed money for repairs; the sum nearly equaled
the total of Rice's most liquid assets. This financial turn of affairs
accelerated an already brewing plot to murder Rice for his extensive fortune,
and indeed Rice was killed on September 23, 1900 by his valet and a lawyer
marginally associated with Rice. (See Rice University Archives and general Rice
University histories for further information on the story of William Marsh
Rice.)
At that time B.B. Rice, the youngest son of William Marsh Rice's brother
F.A. Rice, was the secretary and treasurer for the company. Probably shortly
after his uncle's death, B.B. Rice became the Vice President and general
manager of the company, a position he held until the company's demise in 1941.
In some correspondence, William Marsh Rice II, an older brother of B.B. Rice,
is referred to as president of the company, although it remains unclear who
actually was president. The Rice Institute Board of Trustees were members of
several governing boards and both W.M. Rice II and B.B. Rice were members of
the Board of Trustees. By the terms of his will, the Institute inherited all of
William M. Rice's businesses, and the Board of Trustees was ultimately
responsible for the management of those businesses. Therefore, a close
connection between the company and Rice Institute existed, with many of the
company's papers and contracts being sent to the Institute for signature.
The company bought cottonseed and manufactured various products such as
Polar White shortening for retail sale through brokers. Having persevered
through the Depression, a December, 1940 cottonseed storage and equipment
warehouse fire put the company out of business.
The history of the company is very hazy, little is known about the years
before 1935. Papers pertaining to prior years have been lost or destroyed. This
void may be explained by business practices of keeping only a limited number of
previous years' records.
Scope and Contents
Correspondence, contracts, credit reports, and leases in this collection
document the business of Houston, Texas based Merchants & Planters Oil
Company, particularly during the last period of its existence, 1930 through
1941. The largest of the four series is the first, Correspondence (1931-41),
relating to product orders, inventory, billing, and railroad transportation of
goods for clients such as wholesale grocers and other businesses, in Texas,
Louisiana, and other U.S. states. Small maps and blueprints of various sections
of Houston date from 1908-1927, and are located in IV. Leases (1893-1934).
This material reflects the cottonseed market workings of the early 20th
century, including relations between growers, brokers, and manufacturers of
various cottonseed products. Additionally, a close connection between the
company and Rice Institute existed, in that William Marsh Rice, founder of Rice
Institute, owned the company at the time of his death, after which the new Rice
Institute became responsible for the management of the company. As a result,
many of the papers and contracts were sent to the Institute for signature.
ArrangementSeries include:
- Series I. Correspondence (1931-1941), 16 linear feet (16
cartons),
- Series II. Contracts (1935-1940), 1 linear foot (1 carton),
- Series III. Credit Reports (1936-1938), 0.5 linear feet (21
folders), and
- Series IV. Leases (1893-1934), 0.5 linear feet (25 folders)
Arrangement within each series is chronological by year,
followed by alphabetical by correspondent or company.
Access RestrictionsNo access restrictions; this material is
open for research.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish material from the Merchants and Planters Oil
Company archives must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren
Library.
Index Terms
Subjects (Persons)
Rice, William Marsh,
1816-1900.
Subjects (Organizations)
Rice University, Houston,
Tex.
Baker &
Botts.
Subjects
Shortenings.
Cottonseed oil.
Cottonseed -- Texas.
Cottonseed oil -- Southern
States -- History -- 20th century.
Food brokers.
Grocery trade - Southern States - 1900-1940.
Formats
Correspondence.
Contracts.
Reports.
Leases.
Telegrams.
Blueprints.
Maps.
Related MaterialBaker & Botts Papers
Rice University Archives
Preferred Citation
Merchants and Planters Oil Company - Papers, 1894-1941, MS #260, Woodson
Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University
Acquisition Information
Frank Vandiver and William Masterson donated the papers 1965, which were
found on the sidewalk outside Wiess College. No one is certain of how or when
these papers came to the Rice campus, but the collection was retrieved from the
garbage around 1965, with most of the papers having been damaged by neglect and
exposure to the weather.
Detailed Description of the Collection
1-16
Series I. Correspondence (1931-1941)
1-15
Subseries A : General Correspondence
(1931-1941),
14 feet (14 cartons).
Correspondence largely regarding orders, inventory, and billing
for clients including wholesale grocers and other businesses, in Texas,
Louisiana, and other U.S. states. This material is arranged in chronological
order by year, then alphabetical by company name, and within a company's
correspondence, again chronologically. Much of the correspondence includes a
carbon copy of the Merchants & Planters Oil Company's outgoing
communications. A very few folders are not strictly correspondence, but might
be an inventory or a grouping of newsletters or reports such as Market Reports,
National Cottonseed Products Association, South Texas Cotton Seed Products
Association, and Texas Cottonseed Crushers' Association newsletters.
1 1
1931
1 1
A-Z
1 2-3
1934
1 2
A-R
1 3
S
1-3
1935
1 4
A
1 5
Alexander Grocery Company
1 6
American District Telegraph Company
1 7
Anderson Brothers
1 8
Armour and Company
1 9
Atlanta Wholesale Grocer Company
1 10
Avoyelles Wholesale Grocery Co.
1 11-12
B
1 13-14
Black, W. M. and Company
1 15-17
C
1 18
Central Texas Wholesale Grocery Company, Athens,
TX
1 19
Central Texas Wholesale Grocery Company, Mexia,
TX
1 20
Cooperative Association
1 21
Crossett Mercantile Company
1 22
D
1 23
Desha Wholesale Grocery Company
1 24
Dublin Wholesale Grocery Company
1 25
E
1 26
Everett and Sons
1 27
F
1 28
Fidelity Products Company
1 29
G
1 30
Gladney, A.T.
1 31
Gordon, Sewall & Company
1 32
Great A. & P. Tea Company
1 33
H
1 34
Heard, Raymond Inc.
1 35
I
1 36
International Great Norhtern Railroad v. Merchant
& Planters Oil Co.
1 37
Inventory
1 38
J
1 39
Jefferson Wholesale Grocery Company
1 40
K
1 41
Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Company
2 1
L
2 2
Lawrence Grocery Company
2 3
Liberty Grain & Grocery Company
2 4
Livingston Grain & Grocery Company
2 5
Louisiana Tax Matters
2 6
Lynn, V. Frank Company
2 7-8
M
2 9
Machinery
2 11
Milam's Spot Cash Wholesale House
2 12
N
2 13
National Cottonseed Products Association,
newsletter
2 14
O
2 15-16
P
2 17-18
Pelican Provision Company
2 19
Proctor & Gamble Company
2 20
Q
2 21
R
2 22
Requisitions, Lard plant
2 23
Rice, Ben B. (officer of Merchants & Planters Oil
Co.)
2 24-25
S
2 26
Salley, C.T., Cash Wholesale
2 27
Schuhmacher Company
2 28
Sealy Oil Mill & Manufacturing Company
2 29
Shipping (correspondence with railroad
companies)
2 30
Sims Wholesale Grocery
2 31
Simmons, J.W.
2 32
Smith's Flour & Feed Company
2 33
South Texas Cotton Oil Company
2 34
Southern Pacific Lines (railroad)
2 35
Southwest Box Company
2 36
S.T. Landry Wholesale Grocery
2 37
Steinberg Maas Company
2 38
Sutherland Paper Company
2 39
T
2 40
Texas Grocery Company
2 41
Texas & New Orleans Railroad
2 42
Theriot, Gaston, Cash Stores
2 43
Tipps & Houston
2 44
U
3 1
V
3 2
Varino, Frank, Company
3 3
Vasek, W.H., Candy Company
3 4-5
W
3 6-7
Weatherly, E.M.
3 8
X,Y,Z
3-5
1936
3 9
A
3 10
Alexander Grocery Company
3 11
American District Telegraph
3 12
Anderson Brothers
3 13
Anthony, R.E.
3 14
Armour & Company
3 15
Atlanta Wholesale Grocer Company
3 16
Avoyrelles Wholesale Grocery Company
3 17-18
B
3 19
Baker, Botts, Andrews & Wharton
(attorneys)
3 20-21
Black, W. M.
3 22-23
C
3 24
Central Texas Wholesale Grocery Company, Athens,
TX
3 25
Central Texas Wholesale Grocery Company, Mexia,
TX
3 26
Commerce, Dept. of
3 27
Cooperative Association
3 28
D
3 29
Delta Cash Wholesale
3 30
Dermott Grocery & Commission Company
3 31
Dodd, Howard, Company
3 32
E
3 33
Edge, W.M., Company
3 34
Everett & Sons
3 35
F
3 36
Fidelity Products Company
3 37
Frey Brothers
3 38
G
3 39
Gladney, A.T.
3 40
Goose Creek Grain Company
3 41
Gordon, Sewall & Company
3 42
Great A. & P. Tea Company
3 43
Green, R. H.
4 1-2
H
4 3
Heard, Raymond, Inc.
4 4
I
4 5
Inventory
4 6
J
4 7
Jefferson Wholesale Grocery Company
4 8
K
4 9
Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Company
4 10
L
4 11
Louis Levy Grocer Company
4 12
Liberty Grain & Grocery Company
4 13
Livingston Grain & Grocery Company
4 14
Lynn, V. Frank, Company
4 15-17
M
4 18
Market Wholesale Grocer Company
4 19
Meador & Barnett, Inc.
4 20
Milam's Spot Cash Wholesale House
4 21
Missouri Pacific Lines
4 22
N
4 23-24
National Cottonseed Products Association
4 25
O
4 26
P
4 27
Pailet, Maurice Brokerage Company
4 28
Panola Grocery Company
4 29
Paterson Parchment Paper Company
4 30-31
Pelican Provision Company
4 32
Picoffs, Maurice, Company
4 33
Proctor & Gamble Company
4 34
Q
4 35
R (1 of 2)
5 1
R (2 of 2)
5 2
Rice, Ben B. (officer of Merchants & Planters Oil
Company)
5 3-4
S
5 5
Salley, C.T., Cash Wholesale
5 6
Shortening Bulletins
5 7
Simmons, J. W.
5 8
Smith's Flour & Feed Company
5 9
South Texas Cotton Seed Products
Association
5 10
Southern Brokerage Company
5 11
Southern Pacific Lines
5 12
Southwest Box Company
5 13
Steinberg Maas Company
5 14
Sutherland Paper Company
5 15
T
5 16
Texas & New Orleans Railroad
5 17
Texas Cottonseed Crushers' Association
5 18
Texas Grocery Company
5 19
Theriot, Gaston, Cash Stores
5 20
Tipps & Houston
5 21
Traffic file (regarding costs of rail transportation
for products)
5 22
U
5 23
V
5 24
W
5 25-26
Weatherly, E.M.
5 27
X, Y, Z
5-8
1937
5 28-29
A
6 1
Accident Information (Workmen's Compensation reports
and correspondence)
6 2
American District Telegraph
6 3
Anderson Brothers
6 4
Anthony, R.E.
6 5
Armour & Company (Armour Soapworks)
6 6
Armstrong Packing Company
6 7
Avoyelles Wholesale Grocery Company
6 8-9
B
6 10
Baker, Botts, Andrews & Wharton
(attorneys)
6 11
Baker, Lawhon & Ford, Inc., Alexandria,
La.
6 12
Baker, Lawhon & Ford, Inc., Monroe,
La.
6 13
Baker, Lawhon & Ford, Inc., Shreveport,
La.
6 14
Barnhill, E. F., personal (officer of Merchants &
Planters Oil Company)
6 15
Best Foods, Inc.
6 16-18
Black, W.M.
6 19-20
C
6 21
Central Texas Wholesale Grocery Company, Athens,
TX
6 23
Commerce, Chamber of (Houston and U.S.)
6 24
Commerce, Dept. of (U.S.)
6 25
Crane Company
6 26
D
6 27
Delta Cash Wholesale
6 28
Dermott Grocery & Commission Company
6 29
Dodd, Howard, Company
6 30
E
6 31
Edge-Cline Company
6 32
F
6 33
Faulk Grocery Company
6 34
Fidelity Products Company
7 1
G
7 2
Gladney, A.T., Groceries - Hardware
7 3
Gordon, Sewall & Company
7 4
Gough Brokerage Company
7 5
Great A. & P. Tea Company
7 6
Green, R.H., Wholesale Grocery Company
7 7
Grubbs Tank Line
7 8
H
7 9-10
Heard, Raymond, Inc.
7 11
I
7 12
Inventory
7 13
J
7 15
K
7 16
Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Company
7 17
L
7 18
Lacy-Logan Company
7 19
LeFlore Grocery Company
7 20
Louisiana, State of, Bureau of Food and
Drugs
7 21
Lynn, V. Frank, Company
7 22-23
M
7 24-26
Meador & Barnett
7 27
Milam Spot Cash Wholesale
7 28
Missouri Pacific Lines
7 29
N
7 30-31
National Cottonseed Products Association
7 32
O
7 33-34
P
7 35
Paterson Parchment Paper Company
8 1
Pelican Provision Company
8 2
Proctor & Gamble Company
8 3
Q
8 4-5
R
8 6
Rice, Ben B. (officer of the Merchants & Planters
Oil Company)
8 8
Richmond Cotton Oil Company
8 9
Ritchie Grocery Company, Bastrop, La.
8 10
Ritchie Grocery Company, Monroe, La.
8 11
Ritchie Grocery Company, Ruston, La.
8 12-14
S
8 15
Shortening bulletins (regarding price
changes)
8 16
Smith Flour & Feed Company
8 17
South Texas Cottonseed Products
Association
8 18
Southern Brokerage Company
8 19
Southern Pacific Lines (a.k.a. Texas & New Orleans
Railroad Company)
8 20
Southwest Box Company
8 21
Sutherland Paper Company
8 22-23
T
8 24
Tax - City of New Orleans
8 25
Taylor-Lowenstein Company
8 26
Texas Cottonseed Crushers' Association
8 27
Toma, Joseph E., Grocery Co.
8 28
Traffic file (regarding costs & management of rail
transportation for products)
8 29
U
8 30
V
8 31
Van Loan & Bigner
8 32
Varino, Frank, Company
8 33-34
W
8 35
Weatherly, E. M.
8 36
X, Y, Z
8-11
1938
8 37
A
8 38
American District Telegraph
8 39
Anthony, R.E.
8 40
Armour & Company
8 41
Avoyelles Wholesale Grocery Company
8 42-43
B
9 1
Baker, Botts, Andrews & Wharton
(attorneys)
9 2
Baker, Lawton & Ford, Inc., Alexandria,
La.
9 3
Baker, Lawton & Ford, Inc., Monroe,
La.
9 4
Baker, Lawton & Ford, Inc., Shreveport,
La.
9 5
Best Foods, Inc.
9 6-8
Black, W.M. & Company
9 9-10
C
9 11
Commerce, Chamber of (Houston and U.S.)
9 12
Commerce, Dept. of (U.S.)
9 13
Continental Can Company, Inc.
9 14-15
Cottonseed Oil and Market Reports
9 16
Cuero Cotton Oil & Manufacturing
Company
9 17
D
9 18
Delta Cash Wholesale Company
9 19
Dermott Grocery & Commission Company
9 20
Dodd, Howard, Company
9 22
Drew Grocery Company
9 23
E
9 24
F
9 25
Faulk Grocery Company
9 26
G
9 27
Gordon, Sewall and Company
9 28
Great A. & P. Tea Company
9 29
Green, R. H.
9 30
Grubbs Tank Line
9 31
H
9 32
Heard, Raymond, Inc.
9 33
I
10 1
J
10 2
K
10 3
Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Company
10 4
L
10 5
LeFlore Grocery Copmany
10 6
Lynn, V. Frank, Company
10 7-8
M
10 9
Market News
10 10-11
Meador & Barnett
10 12
Milam's Spot Cash Wholesale
10 14
Morris, E. Louis
10 15
N
10 16
National Cottonseed Products Association
10 17
O
10 18-19
P
10 20
Paterson Parchment Paper Company
10 21
Pelican Provision Company
10 22
Proctor & Gamble Company
10 23
Q
10 24-25
R
10 26
Rapides Packing Company
10 27
Rice, B.B. (officer of the Merchants & Planters
Oil Company)
10 28
Ritchie Grocery Company, Bastrop, La.
10 29
Ritchie Grocery Company, El Dorado, Ark.
10 30
Ritchie Grocery Company, Haynesville, La.
10 31
Ritchie Grocery Company, Monroe, La.
10 32
Ritchie Grocery Company, Pine Bluff, Ark.
10 33
Ritchie Grocery Company, Ruston, La.
10 34
Rush Wholesale Grocery Company
10 35-36
S
11 1
Shortening Bulletins
11 2
Smith Flour & Feed Company
11 3
South Texas Cottonseed Products
Association
11 4
Southern Brokerage Company
11 5
Southern Pacific Lines
11 6
Southwest Box Company
11 7
Sutherland Paper Company
11 8-9
T
11 10
Taft Cotton Oil Company
11 11
Tax
11 12
Texas Cottonseed Crushers' Association
11 13
Toma, Joseph E., Grocery Co.
11 14
Traffic file
11 15
U
11 16
V
11 18
Van, Loan and Bigner
11 19
Varino, Frank, Company
11 20
W
11 21
Walker-Craig Company, Brownsville, TX
11 22
Walker-Craig Company, Kingsville, TX
11 23
West Texas Cotton Company
11 24
X, Y, Z
11-12
1939
11 25
A
11 26
Agriculture, U.S. Dept. of
11 27
B
11 28
Baker, Botts, Andrews & Wharton
(attorneys)
11 29
Black, W. M., Company
11 30
C
11 31
Chamber of Commerce (U.S.)
11 32
Continental Can Company, Inc.
11 33
Cottonseed Oil Market Reports
11 34
D
11 35
E
11 36
F
11 37
Faulk Grocery Company
11 38
G
11 39
Great A. & P. Tea Company
11 40
H
11 41
I
11 42
Insurance
11 43
J
11 44
K
11 45
L
11 46
Louisiana Taxes
11 47
M
11 48
Market News
11 49
Meador & Barnett
12 1
Morris, E. Louis
12 2
N
12 3
O
12 4
P
12 5
R
12 6
Rice Institute (A. Dwyer of Rice Institute, Secretary
of Merchants & Planters Oil Company, outgoing correspondence
only)
12 7
S
12 8
Shepherd, Tom
12 9
Shortening Bulletins
12 10
Shortening, Returned
12 11
T
12 12
Traffic
12 13
U
12 14
V
12 15
W
12 16
X, Y, Z
12-14
1940
12 17
A
12 18-19
Allen, Charles R.
12 20
American District Telegraph Company
12 21
Anthony, R.E.
12 22-23
B
12 24
Barnhill, E.F., personal
12 25
Black, W.M., Company
12 26
Busbee Brokerage Company
12 27
Butt, H.E., Grocery Company
12 28
C
12 29
Cantu, S., & Sons
12 30
Carruthers, J. L. (Merchants & Planters Oil Co.
traveling salesman)
12 31
Carruthers, J. L. - Salesman's Daily Call
Report
12 32
Census Bureau
12 33
Coleman, W. L., & Company
12 34
Collins, O. P., & Sons
13 1
Continental Can Company
13 2
Coyle Company
13 3
D
13 4
Depts. Of Agriculture, Commerce, War
13 5
Dorsett Company
13 6
Drew Grocery Company
13 7
E
13 8
Empire Fiber Company
13 9
Employment (letters of application)
13 10
F
13 11
Faulk Grocer Company
13 12
Fidelity Products Company
13 13
Fort Worth Wholesale Grocery Company
13 14
G
13 15
Garcia, Gomez & Champion
13 16
Gordon, Sewall & Company, Inc.
13 17
Great A. & P. Tea Company
13 18
Griffith Company
13 19
H
13 20-21
Hall, John T.
13 22
Hutchings Brokerage Company
13 23
I, J, K, L
13 24
Louis Levy Grocer Company, Ltd.
13 25
Luckenbach Gulf Line
13 26-27
M
13 28-29
Market Letters
13 30
N
13 31
O, P
13 32
Paterson Parchment Paper Company
13 33
Pattison, W. C., Wholesale Grocery Company
13 35
Peoples Packing Company
13 36
Peoples Cotton Oil Company
13 37
Pollock Paper Box Company
13 38
Presley, Gus, Grocery Company
13 39
R
13 40
Raclin, H. L., Brokers
13 41
Rice, Ben B. (officer of the Merchants & Planters
Oil Company)
13 42
Rice Institute
13 43
Richardson, C.C., Food Broker
14 1-2
S
14 3
Scharff-Koken Manufacturing, Inc.
14 4
Sharples Corporation
14 5
Shortening Bulletins
14 6
South Texas Cotton Oil Company
14 7
T
14 8
Traffic file
14 9
U, V
14 10
W
14 11
Walker-Craig Company
14 12
Webster, J. P., & Sons
14 13
Whitson-Bowen Company
14 14
X, Y, Z
14-15
1941
14 15
A
14 16
Allen, Charles R.
14 17
B
14 18
Black, W.M., Company
14 19
Busbee Brokerage Company
14 20
Butt, H. E., Grocery Company
14 21
C
14 22
Carruthers, J. L. (travlling salesman)
14 23
Carruthers, J. L. - Salesman's Daily Call
Record
14 24
Census Bureau
14 25
Cline, W. G.
14 26
Coleman, W. L., & Company
14 27
Collins, O. P., & Sons
14 28
Continental Can Company
14 29
Coyle Company
14 30
D
14 31
Depts. Of Labor and Commerce
14 32
Drew Grocery Company
14 33
E
14 34
F
14 35
G
14 36
Gordon Sewall & Company, Inc.
14 37
H
14 38
Hall, John T.
14 39
I, J, K, L
14 40
M
14 41-42
Market Letters
14 43
N
14 44
P
14 45
Quin, C.A. & Company
14 46
R
14 47
Raclin, H. L., & Sons
14 48
Rice, Ben B. (officer of Merchants & Planters Oil
Company)
15 1
Richardson, C.C.
15 2
S
15 3
Shortening Bulletins
15 4
T
15 5
Traffic Files
15 6
U
15 7
V, W, X, Y, Z
15-16
Subseries B : Seed Correspondence
(1935-1941),
2 lin. feet (2 cartons).
This material is arranged in chronological order by year, then
alphabetical by company name, and within a company's correspondence, again
chronologically. Much of the correspondence includes a carbon copy of the
Merchants & Planters Oil Company's outgoing communications. Subjects of the
seed correspondence generally include the purchase and sale of cotton seed; the
Merchants & Planters Oil Company purchased seed from growers, arranged to
have it ginned and sacked, then either sold it as processed seed, meal, or
hulls, or manufactured it into various products such as shortening and oils.
"Seed Bulletin" files typically contain carbon copies of statements issued by
Merchants & Planters Oil Company regarding their prices for cotton
seed.
15 8-25
1935
15 8
A
15 8
B
15 9
C
15 10
D
15 11
E
15 12
F
15 13
G
15 14
H (no existing "I" file)
15 15
J
15 16
K
15 17
L
15 18
M
15 19
N
15 20
O
15 21
P
15 22
S (no existing "R" file)
15 23
T
15 24
V (no existing "U" file)
15 25
W (no existing "X, Y, Z" file)
15 26-48
1936
15 26
Seed bulletins
15 27
A
15 28
B
15 29
C
15 30
D
15 31
E
15 32
F
15 33
G
15 34
H
15 35
K (no existing "I" file)
15 36
L
15 37
M
15 38
P (no existing "N", "O", or "Q" files)
15 39
R
15 40
S
15 41
Short, Frank - Runge, TX
15 42
Stanley, W.N. - Lovelady, TX
15 43
Summers, J.A. - Abbeville, LA
15 44
T (no existing "U" file)
15 45
Veal, D. L. - Corrigan, TX
15 46
W
15 47
Weatherly, E. M. - Appleby, TX
15 48
X, Y, Z
15-16
1937
15 49
Seed Bulletins
15 50
A
15 51
B
15 52
C
15 53
D
15 54
E
15 55
F
16 1
G
16 2
H (no existing "I" file)
16 3
J
16 4
K
16 5
L
16 6
M
16 7
N (no existing "O" file)
16 8
P (no existing "Q" file)
16 9
R
16 10
S
16 11
T (no existing "U" file)
16 12
Veal, D.L. - Corrigan, TX
16 13
W (no existing "X, Y, Z" file)
16 14-34
1938-39
16 14
A
16 15
B
16 16
C
16 17
D
16 18
E
16 19
F
16 20
G
16 21
H
16 22
I
16 23
J
16 24
K
16 25
L
16 26
M
16 27
N (no existing "O" file)
16 28
P (no existing "Q" file)
16 29
R
16 30
S
16 31
T
16 32
U
16 33
Veal, D.L. - Corrigan, TX
16 34
W (no existing "X, Y, Z" file)
16 35-55
1940-41
16 35
A
16 36
B
16 37
C
16 38
D
16 39
E
16 40
F
16 41
G
16 42
H
16 43
I
16 44
J
16 45
K
16 46
L
16 47
M
16 48
N (no existing "O" file)
16 49
P (no existing "Q" file)
16 50
R
16 51
S
16 52
T
16 53
U
16 54
V
16 55
W (no existing "X, Y, Z" file)
16-17
Series II. Contracts
(1935-1940)
1 linear foot (1 carton).
Contracts filed in chronological order by year, and then
alphabetically by the name of the cotton seed seller. These forms include name
and address of seller, quantity of seed sold, price, date, shipment terms, and
the contact name at Merchants & Planters Oil Company. Some correspondence
related to the contracts is also filed with the contracts. No records exist for
the year 1939.
16-17
1935
16 56
A
16 57
B
17 1
C
17 2
D
17 3
E
17 4
F
17 5
G (no existing "H" or "I" files)
17 6
J
17 7
K
17 8
L
17 9
M
17 10
N (no existing "O" file)
17 11
P (no existing "Q" or "R" files)
17 12
S
17 13
T (no existing "U" file)
17 14
V
17 15
W
17 16-32
1936
17 16
A
17 17
B
17 18
C
17 19
D
17 20
E
17 21
F
17 22
G
17 23
H (no existing "I" file)
17 24
J
17 25
K
17 26
L
17 27
M
17 28
N (no existing "O" file)
17 29
P (no existing "Q" file)
17 30
R
17 31
S (no existing "T" or "U" files)
17 32
W (no existing "X, Y, Z" file)
17 33-49
1937
17 33
A
17 34
B
17 35
C (no existing "D" file)
17 36
E
17 37
F
17 38
G
17 39
H (no existing "I" file)
17 40
J
17 41
K
17 42
L
17 43
M
17 44
N (no existing "O" file)
17 45
P (no existing "Q" or "R" files)
17 46
S
17 47
T (no existing "U" file)
17 48
Veal, J.L. - Chester, TX
17 49
W
17 50-51
1938
17 50
A-G
17 51
H-W
17 52
1940
17 52
A-W
17-18
Series III. Credit Reports by Dun & Bradstreet
(1936-1938)
0.5 linear feet (21 folders).
Arranged alphabetically by the name of the person or business whose
credit record was investigated, these reports on grocers were acquired by the
Merchants & Planters Oil Company. The reports give a brief business
history, a detailed picture of financial status (assets / debts, income /
expenses), and payment history.
17 53
A
17 54
B
17 55
C
18 1
D
18 2
E
18 3
F
18 4
G
18 5
H
18 6
I
18 7
J
18 8
K
18 9
L
18 10
M
18 11
N-O
18 12
P
18 13
R
18 14
S
18 15
T
18 16
U-V
18 17
W
18 18
X, Y, Z
18 19-43
Series IV : Leases, Indentures
(1893-1934)
0.5 linear feet (25 folders).
Leases of warehouse spaces along railroad lines in Texas, dating
from 1893-1934. Many of these documents were signed by B. B. Rice (nephew of
Wm. M. Rice), who served as Secretary & Treasurer, and as General Manager
for Merchants & Planters Oil Co. Most files include only lease documents
and accompanying blueprints of land lots, many in Houston, TX; some also
include correspondence regarding the leases, amongst the lessee, lessor, or
attorneys Baker, Botts, Parker & Garwood. Arranged in chronological order
by year, with some years missing, as indicated in folder listing.
The first of the files is labeled "Leases used in Wm. M. Rice
Litigation," and dated 1903, three years after Wm. M. Rice's death. The file is
comprised of leases of warehouse space for the Merchants & Planters Oil
Company, as are the remaining files in this series, but it does not
specifically indicate how the leases were used in relation to Mr. Rice's estate
litigation.
18 19
Leases used in Wm. M. Rice Litigation, Returned by Messrs.
Baker, B., B. & L.,
Jan. 29, 1903 (1893-1900)
18 20
1895
18 21
1901
18 22
1902
18 23
1903
18 24
1907
18 25
1908
18 26
1910
18 27
1911
18 28
1914
18 29
1915
18 30
1916
18 31
1918
18 32
1919
18 33
1920
18 34
1921
18 35
1922-23
18 36
1925
18 37
1926
18 38
1927
18 39
1928
18 40
1929
18 41
1930 (linter litigation
correspondence)
18 42
1932
18 43
1933-34