urn:taro:sjmh.00138 John Andrew Box Papers Manuscript Collection: MC138 Lisa M. Lomas Albert and Ethel Herzstein Library
San Jacinto Museum of History, La Porte, Texas
20110502 Finding aid encoded by Lisa A. Struthers. 20110502 Finding aid written in English. Collection Summary Albert and Ethel Herzstein Library,
San Jacinto Museum of History, La Porte, Texas
Box, John Andrew, 1803-1874 John Andrew Box papers 1944-1975 Materials are in English and Spanish. MC138 17 items This small collection, primarily Photostats and photocopies of documents from the 1830s, provides insight into the genealogy and land ownership of John Andrew Box and his family. Creator Sketch

John Andrew Box was born in Franklin County, Tennessee on July 1, 1803, son of Stephen F. and Keziah Box. He married a Miss Allbright and together they had four children. Box later married Lucinda Yarborough, and had nine children. In 1834, he moved to Texas where he received a league of land in Joseph Vehlein's colony, in present-day Houston County. He enlisted in the Texas army in 1836 and served during the Battle of San Jacinto. In 1837 the Box family and others petitioned Congress to establish a constitutional county which eventually became Houston County, the first county formed by the Republic of Texas. In 1861, Box served as a delegate to the Texas Secession Convention. Box died on August 2, 1874.

 Bibliography: BOX, JOHN ANDREW.> The Handbook of Texas Online. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fbo53 Scope and Content Note

The John Andrew Box Papers contain legal documents, printed materials, creative works, a map, photographs and Photostats. The legal documents series contains a copy of a Photostat of an 1835 petition made by John Box to empresario Joseph Vehlein to be admitted as a Texas colonist. The document is written in Spanish, and a typed transcript and English translation of the document is included in the collection. A photocopy of an 1839 land certificate issued to John Box is also included.

Printed materials includes a 1961 reprint of Texas Pioneers, the Box Families, in the Houston County Courier, a photocopy of page 587 of the Texas Scrap-Book and a photocopy of page 123 of an unknown book captioned Officers and Men of the Texas Army at San Jacinto containing the names of Joseph Campbell and John Andrew Box. Also included is a photocopy of the title page and page 15 of General Sam Houston's report to President David G. Burnet on the Battle of San Jacinto, which lists John Box, and a copy of an article by A. A. Aldrich, titled John Andrew Box, a Veteran of San Jacinto. A copy of page 175 of Texans in the War, 1861-1865 listing the Delegates to the Secession Convention includes a J. Box.

The creative works series includes a mimeograph copy of Texas Pioneers, the Box Families compiled by Winnie Mae Box Kelley and Edna Box Riley, genealogical data pertaining to John Andrew Box and an index to the John Box Papers by Edna Box Riley. A single copy of an 1836 map shows the purchase of the headright of Francis Johnson in Houston County by John Box.

Photographs include a photographic copy of an 1863 portrait of John Andrew Box and a photocopy of a photograph of the historical marker for John Andrew Box. In the Photostat series is a 1944 copy of an 1835 map of Houston County, Texas, including the John Box headright. Also included in this series is an 1838 deed of land issued to John Box; the Photostat is of a partially printed signed document.

Arrangement

Arrangement is chronological.

 Restrictions on Access

None.

 Terms Governing Use

Open for research by appointment.

 Publication Rights

Copyright has not been assigned to the San Jacinto Museum of History. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Library Director. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the San Jacinto Museum of History as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

 Acquisition

Gift of Edna Box Riley, April 1962 and March 1975.

 Processing Information

Processed by Lisa M. Lomas, 2011.

 Citation

[Identification of Item], John Andrew Box Papers, MC138, San Jacinto Museum of History, Houston, Texas.

 Index Terms

Names: Box, John Andrew, 1803-1874 Kelley, Winnie Mae Box Riley, Edna Box Box family Subjects: Land tenure--Texas Places: Houston County (Tex.) Inventory 158.31Legal 1975 158.32Printed Materials 1961-1975 158.33Creative Works 1962-1975 158.34Maps 1975 158.35Photographs ca. 1975, n.d. 158.36Photostats 1944, 1975