McGrain family papers A Guide to the Collection


Overview
	Creator:	McGrain family.
	Title:	McGrain family papers
	Inclusive Dates:	1840-1970
	Abstract:	The William E. McGrain family papers consist mostly of letters between members of the McGrain family who lived in Kentucky, Missouri, and Texas from the 1840s through the 1970s. The collection includes hundreds of family letters , a small amount of financial data, and some photographs.
	Accession No:	A2010.0007
	Extent:	2 boxes (1.5 linear feet)
	Language:	Material is in English
	Repository	DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University

Biographical Note

The William E. McGrain family papers is a collection of records that spans from the mid-nineteenth century to the late twentieth century. The collection contains the letters of William McGrain and Agnes Crane, as well as their descendants. McGrain was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1850, and in 1872 he married Agnes Crane of Potosi, Missouri. For several years the couple lived in Jefferson, Missouri, where McGrain worked as the Assistant Missouri State Auditor. In 1875 McGrain relocated to Dallas, Texas, where he worked in various businesses (banking, cottonseed oil, laundry) and served as the Assistant to the Dallas City Secretary and later as the Dallas City Secretary from 1888-1893. McGrain’s daughters and a number of his descendants remained in Dallas for many years after he died.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The vast majority of this collection consists of letters written by various members of the family spanning the dates of the collection, 1840 to 1970. There are also a handful of photographs included at the end of the collection.

The collection will be primarily of interest to social historians of the United States. Letters reveal insights into some of the key moments in U.S. history since the 1840s mentioning topics such as African-American slavery in Kentucky, the Civil War, World War I, and life in Dallas in the late-nineteenth century. Personal details of the family’s life can also be reconstructed from the collection.

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Arrangement of the Collection
	The collection is organized into 9 series:

		Series 1: Series 1: Kate McGrain
		Series 2: William E. and Agnes Crane McGrain
		Series 3: Agnes McGrain
		Series 4: Katie McGrain
		Series 5: Louise McGrain Weller
		Series 6: Samuel C. Weller
		Series 7: Miscellaneous
		Series 8: Research Notes
		Series 9: Photographs

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Restrictions

Access to Collection:

Collection is open for research use.

Publication Rights:

Permission to publish materials must be obtained from the Director of the DeGolyer Library.

Copyright Statement:

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain copyright authorization.

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Access Terms
	This collection is indexed under the following terms in the Southern Methodist University Libraries' online catalog. Researchers desiring related materials may search the catalog using these terms.

		McGrain family.
		McGrain, William E.
		Businessmen -- Texas -- Dallas.
		Dallas (Tex.) -- Social life and customs -- 19th century.
		Dallas (Tex.) -- History -- Sources.
		Letters.

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Series 1:
Kate McGrain
1 folder

Box

Folder

Correspondence between Kate McGrain and her sons Thomas and James McGrain, 1840-1841

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Series 2: William E. McGrain (1850-1911) and Agnes Crane McGrain (1852-1928) 23 folders

Box	Folder
1	2	Letters from Virginia Corlette McGrain Harrison to William McGrain, 1863-1864, 1874
	3	Letters from Crittenden Y. Collings to William McGrain, 1863-1864
	4	Letters from Zach Edwards to William McGrain, 1863-1864
	5	Letters from James Lee Gray to William McGrain, 1863-1864
	6	Letters from James McGrain, Jr., to William E. McGrain, 1863-1864
	7	Letters from friends to William McGrain, 1863-1864
	8	Letters from John B. Cary to William E. McGrain, March-April, 1864
	9	Letters from Aunt Mary Ward to William McGrain, 1864
	10	Letters from B.S. Floyd (merchant) to William McGrain (his employee), 1864
	11	Letters from William McGrain to Agnes Crane McGrain, 1873
	12	Letters from William McGrain to Agnes Crane McGrain, 1874
	13	Letters from William McGrain to Agnes Crane McGrain, 1875
	14	Letters from William McGrain to Agnes Crane McGrane and Agnes "Dear Pet" McGrain (daughter), 1884-1887
	15	Letters from Agnes Crane McGrain to William McGrane, n.d.
	16	Letters to William McGrain, circa 1874-1875
	17	Letters from "Sis" to Agnes Crane McGrain, circa 1872
	18	Correspondence between Agnes Crane McGrain and Elizabeth "Lizzie" Crane, 1872-1888
	19	Letters from Myra M. Ware to Agnes Crane McGrain, 1873-1874
	20	Letters to Agnes Crane McGrain from her mother (Margaret Shanahan Crane) and her mother-in-law (Virginia Corlette McGrain Harrison), 1875-1884
	21	Letters from Cornelia "Neelie" Price Crane to Agnes Crane McGrain, 1895-1899
	22	Letters to Agnes Crane McGrain and Elizabeth Crane, 1871-1901
	23	Land Records of William McGrain and James McGrain, 1875-1905
	24	William McGrain’s Financial Records (business and personal), circa 1870s-1890s

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Series 3:
Agnes McGrain (1875-1943)
2 folders

Box

Folder

Letters to Agnes McGrain (1875-1943), 1884-1901

Letters from William McGrain to his daughter Agnes McGrain, 1887

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Series 4: Kate McGrain (1883-1970) 5 folders

Box	Folder
1	28	Letters from William McGrain to his daughter Kate McGrain, 1887
	29	Letters from Cornelia "Neelie" Crane to Kate McGrain, 1899-1901
	30	Letters from Linnie L. Whitworth to Kate McGrain, 1901-1903
	31	Letters from Agnes Casey (1882-1969) to her cousin Kate McGrain, 1961-1968
	32	Letters to Kate McGrain, 1900-1928

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Series 5: Louise McGrain (1891-1961) 18 folders

Box	Folder
1	33	Letters from "Drexel" to Louise McGrain [Weller], 1915-1918
	34	Letters to Louise McGrain Weller, 1919-1961
	35	Letter from Dorothy Weller Thompson to her mother Louise McGrain Weller, 1950
	36	Letters from "Anne" to Louise McGrain Weller, 1959-1961
	37	Letters from "Marie" to Louise McGrain Weller, 1961
	38	Letters from Samuel C.Weller to Louise McGrain, 1914
	39	Letters from Samuel C.Weller to Louise McGrain, 1915 [part 1]
	40	Letters from Samuel C.Weller to Louise McGrain, 1915 [part 2]
	41	Letters from Samuel C.Weller to Louise McGrain, 1916
	42	Letters from Samuel C.Weller to Louise McGrain, 1917
	43	Letters from Samuel C.Weller to Louise McGrain, 1918 [or 1919?]
	44	Letters from Samuel C.Weller to Louise McGrain, 1919
	45	Letters from Samuel C.Weller to Louise McGrain, 1920
	46	Letters from Samuel C.Weller to Louise McGrain, 1921
	47	Letters from Samuel C.Weller to Louise McGrain, 1922
	48	Letters from Samuel C.Weller to Louise McGrain, circa 1917-1922
	49	Letters from Louise McGrain to Samuel C. Weller, circa 1914-1915
	50	Wedding announcements for marriage of Marie Louise McGrain and Samuel C. Weller, 1916

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Series 6: Samuel C. Weller (1888-1968) 9 folders

Box	Folder
1	51	Letters to Samuel C. Weller, 1916-1960
	52	Letters from W.J. McDaniel to Samuel C. Weller, 1945-1946
	53	Letters from Edward L. Kelley to Samuel C. Weller, 1948-1955
	54	Letters from George V. Weller to Samuel C. Weller, 1951-1956
	55	Letters from Dixie Weller to her sons Samuel and George Weller, 1952-1953
	56	Letters from "Mary" to Samuel C. and George Weller, 1953-1954
	57	Letters from Samuel C. Weller to George V. Weller, 1951-1960
	58	Letters from and to Dorothy Weller, circa 1920s

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Series 7:
Miscellaneous
1 folder

Box

Folder

Miscellaneous papers of George V. Weller, 1952-1955

Miscellaneous items, 1858-1966

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Series 8:
Research Notes
1 folder

Box

Folder

Research Notes created by previous owner of collection

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Series 9:
Photographs
1 box

Box

Folder

Photographs (circa 1860s)

(Remaining items in this box are photographs contained in a smaller box)

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