Guide to the C. A. Dwyer collection, 1854-1882

Historical Note

The six deeds in this collection are a sampling of the system of public documentation used for recording property transactions in and around San Antonio, Texas, during the early decades of the state’s existence; the public meeting against polygamy and the Resolution for which it was written reflect concern over evidence that the practice of polygamy then existing in the Territory of Utah was spreading into adjoining Territories.

Scope and Contents

The C. A. Dwyer Collection consists of seven items ranging in date from 1854 to 1882 (six deeds and one anonymous Resolution against polygamy). The deeds are mainly for sales of property in and around San Antonio, Texas (some specifically designated as lying in “Alamo City,” the name then applied to the region east of the San Antonio River); one deed describes the boundaries of a plot by the location of certain stakes and types of trees; another includes a notarized declaration from a private interview with the wife of a couple selling property, verifying that she had “willingly signed, sealed and delivered” the deed and did not wish to retract it. The Resolution against polygamy urges members of the United States Congress to enforce eradication of polygamy in the Territory of Utah and prevent its spread into adjoining territories, arguing the inconsistency of polygamy with moral and religious principles established at the nation’s founding.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

This material is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from the C. A. Dwyer Collection must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

C. A. Dwyer Collection, Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University

Acquisition Information

The C. A. Dwyer Collection, 1854-1882, was a gift of C. A. Dwyer and was received March 15, 1977.

Detailed Description of the Collection