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Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas Governor Oran Milo Roberts:

An Inventory of Records at the Texas State Archives, 1861-1883 (bulk 1878-1883)


Overview

Creator: Texas. Governor (1879-1883 : Roberts)
Title: Records
Dates: 1861-1883
Dates: (bulk 1878-1883)
Abstract: Types of records are correspondence, telegrams, printed messages, petitions, reports, letterpress books, clippings, and other materials dating from 1861 to 1883, with the bulk dating from 1878 to 1883. Documents are records of Oran Milo Roberts' tenure as governor of Texas from 1879 to 1883.
Quantity: 8.46 cubic ft.
Language English.
Repository: Texas State Archives

Biographical Sketch

Oran Milo Roberts served as governor of Texas from January 21, 1879 to January 16, 1883. Born in South Carolina in July 1815, Roberts was raised in Alabama from the age of three. By the time he graduated in 1836, he was librarian of the University of Alabama. Roberts was admitted to the bar the next year, and served a term in the Alabama Legislature. In 1841 Roberts moved to San Augustine, Texas, where he became district attorney (1844) and district judge (1846-1851). He was a member of the board of trustees and the faculty of the University of San Augustine when he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Texas (1857). Roberts was elected president of the Secession Convention of 1861, led an infantry regiment during the Civil War, and briefly served as chief justice of the Supreme Court (1864-1865). After serving in the Constitutional Convention of 1866, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, but was refused his seat by that radical Republican body. Roberts practiced law in Tyler and Gilmer until he was reappointed to the Supreme Court in 1874.

In 1878 Roberts was unanimously chosen candidate for governor by the Democratic state convention after a week of deadlocked ballots. His motto was "pay as you go," and to reduce the state debt inherited from the Davis and other administrations, he reduced pensions to veterans of the Revolution. Roberts also discontinued the payment of rewards for capture of criminals, liberally granted pardons to relieve the overcrowded prisons, and reduced appropriations for the public school system to save money. Despite this latter measure, he helped found two normal schools (Sam Houston State and Prairie View), revitalized Texas A&M, and helped create the University of Texas, where classes began in 1883. An unexpected added expense was the need to build a new state capitol building after the old one burned in 1881. After his second gubernatorial term ended in 1883, Roberts taught law at the University of Texas for ten years. In addition to writing several books, he helped create and lead the Texas State Historical Association. Roberts died in Austin on May 19, 1898.

Scope and Contents of the Records

Types of records are correspondence, telegrams, printed messages, petitions, reports, letterpress books, clippings, and other materials dating from 1861 to 1883 (bulk 1878-1883). Documents are records of Oran Milo Roberts' tenure as governor of Texas from 1879 to 1883. Most letters from 1878 and 1879 are requests and recommendations for appointment to office, as well as letters of resignation. Subjects include the sale of bonds to reduce state debt, education, school lands, railroads, and requests for pardons and rewards. Included is correspondence which relates to quarantines against yellow fever (particularly in Brownsville) and cholera, and the creation of a commission to settle the boundary between Texas and the United States along the Red River. Materials dating from 1861 to 1877 include papers of Dr. John L. Carter, superintendent of the Deaf and Dumb Asylum in Austin.

 

Arrangement of the Records

Arrangement is by type of material, then chronological.

Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

None.

Restrictions on Use

None.

Technical Requirements

None.

Index Terms

The terms listed here were used to catalog the records. The terms can be used to find similar or related records.
Personal Names:
Roberts, Oran Milo, 1815-1898.
Corporate Names:
Texas. Office of the Governor.
Subjects:
Governors--Texas.
Quarantines--Texas.
Yellow fever--Texas--Brownsville.
School lands--Texas.
Education--Texas.
Bonds--Texas.
Railroads--Texas.
Places:
Texas--Politics and government--1865-1950.
Texas--Boundaries.
Texas--Officials and employees--Selection and appointment.
Document Types:
Correspondence--Texas--Governors--1861-1883 (bulk 1878-1883).
Reports--Texas--Governors--1878-1883.
Letterpress copybooks--Texas--Governors--1878-1883.
Proclamations--Texas--Governors--1878-1883.
Functions:
Appointing.

Related Material

The following materials are offered as possible sources of further information on the agencies and subjects covered by the records. The listing is not exhaustive.

Texas State Archives
Texas Secretary of State, Executive record books, 1835-1917, 14 reels of microfilm
Texas Secretary of State, Executive clemency records, 1840, 1845-2002, 103.62 cubic ft., 168 reels of microfilm (originals), 22 reels of microfilm (duplicates)

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item), Records, Texas Governor Oran Milo Roberts. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

No accession information for these records was located.

Processing Information

June 1984

Tonia J. Wood, December 1995, March 1996

Detailed Description of the Records

 

Records, 1861-1883 (bulk 1878-1883),
8.46 cubic ft.

Box Folder
301-105 1. Correspondence, December 1861
2. Correspondence, August 1873
3. Correspondence, September & October 1876
4. Correspondence, January 1877
5. Correspondence, January 1878
6. Correspondence, May-June 1878
7. Correspondence, July 1878
8. Correspondence, August 1878
9. Correspondence, September 1878
10. Correspondence, October 3-15, 1878
11. Correspondence, October 17-30, 1878
12. Correspondence, November 1-12, 1878
13. Correspondence, November 13-30, 1878
14. Correspondence, December 1-15, 1878
15. Correspondence, December 16-27, 1878
16. Correspondence, December 28-31, 1878
Box Folder
301-106 17. Correspondence, 1878 & undated
18. Correspondence, January 1-7, 1879
19. Correspondence, January 8-15, 1879
20. Correspondence, January 16-23, 1879
21. Correspondence, January 24-31, 1879
22. Correspondence, February 1-6, 1879
23. Correspondence, February 7-15, 1879
24. Correspondence, February 16-21, 1879
25. Correspondence, February 22-25, 1879
Box Folder
301-107 26. Correspondence, February 26-28, 1879
27. Correspondence, March 1-3, 1879
28. Correspondence, March 4-5, 1879
29. Correspondence, March 6-9, 1879
30. Correspondence, March 10-15, 1879
31. Correspondence, March 16-19, 1879
32. Correspondence, March 20-25, 1879
33. Correspondence, March 26-31, 1879
34. Correspondence, April 1-4, 1879
35. Correspondence, April 5-7, 1879
Box Folder
301-108 36. Correspondence, April 8-9, 1879
37. Correspondence, April 10-12, 1879
38. Correspondence, April 13-16, 1879
39. Correspondence, April 17-18, 1879
40. Correspondence, April 19-21, 1879
41. Correspondence, April 22-30, 1879
42. Correspondence, May 1-5, 1879
43. Correspondence, May 6-8, 1879
44. Correspondence, May 9-12, 1879
Box Folder
301-109 45. Correspondence, May 13-18, 1879
46. Correspondence, May 19-31, 1879
47. Correspondence, June 2-14, 1879
48. Correspondence, June 16-30, 1879
49. Correspondence, July 1-7, 1879
50. Correspondence, July 8-11, 1879
51. Correspondence, July 12-15, 1879
52. Correspondence, July 16-18, 1879
Box Folder
301-110 53. Correspondence, July 19-22, 1879
54. Correspondence, July 23-25, 1879
55. Correspondence, July 26-28, 1879
56. Correspondence, July 29-31, 1879
57. Correspondence, August 1-2, 1879
58. Correspondence, August 3-8, 1879
59. Correspondence, August 9-13, 1879
60. Correspondence, August 14-17, 1879
61. Correspondence, August 18-21, 1879
Box Folder
301-111 62. Correspondence, August 22-26, 1879
63. Correspondence, August 27-29, 1879
64. Correspondence, August 30-31, 1879
65. Correspondence, September 1-5, 1879
66. Correspondence, September 6-20, 1879
67. Correspondence, September 21-30, 1879
68. Correspondence, October 1-18, 1879
69. Correspondence, October 20-31, 1879
70. Correspondence, November 1-15, 1879
Box Folder
301-112 71. Correspondence, November 16-31, 1879
72. Correspondence, December 2-16, 1879
73. Correspondence, December 20-31, 1879
74. Correspondence, 1879 & undated
75. Correspondence, 1879 & undated
76. Correspondence, January 2-31, 1880
77. Correspondence, February 1-12, 1880
78. Correspondence, February 14-28, 1880
79. Correspondence, March 1-18, 1880
80. Correspondence, March 19-31, 1880
Box Folder
301-113 81. Correspondence, April 1-15, 1880
82. Correspondence, April 16-30, 1880
83. Correspondence, May 1-11, 1880
84. Correspondence, May 12-15, 1880
85. Correspondence, May 17-31, 1880
86. Correspondence, June 1-14, 1880
87. Correspondence, June 15-30, 1880
88. Correspondence, July 1880
89. Correspondence, August 2-30, 1880
Box Folder
301-114 90. Correspondence, September 1880
91. Correspondence, October 1880
92. Correspondence, November 1-9, 1880
93. Correspondence, November 10-20, 1880
94. Correspondence, November 21-30, 1880
95. Correspondence, December 1-6, 1880
96. Correspondence, December 7-14, 1880
97. Correspondence, December 15-31, 1880
98. Correspondence, 1880
99. Correspondence, January 2-12, 1881
100. Correspondence, January 13-30, 1881
Box Folder
301-115 101. Correspondence, February 1-10, 1881
102. Correspondence, February 11-16, 1881
103. Correspondence, February 17-19, 1881
104. Correspondence, February 21-24, 1881
105. Correspondence, February 25-28, 1881
106. Correspondence, March 1-9, 1881
107. Correspondence, March 10-15, 1881
108. Correspondence, March 16-24, 1881
109. Correspondence, March 26-30, 1881
110. Correspondence, April 1-12, 1881
111. Correspondence, April 13-17, 1881
112. Correspondence, April 18-24, 1881
Box Folder
301-116 113. Correspondence, April 25-30, 1881
114. Correspondence, May 1-21, 1881
115. Correspondence, May 26-31, 1881
116. Correspondence, June 1-10, 1881
117. Correspondence, June 12-20, 1881
118. Correspondence, June 21-30, 1881
119. Correspondence, July 1-15, 1881
120. Correspondence, July 16-30, 1881
121. Correspondence, August 1-8, 1881
122. Correspondence, August 9-18, 1881
Box Folder
301-117 123. Correspondence, August 19-31, 1881
124. Correspondence, September 1881
125. Correspondence, October 1881
126. Correspondence, November 1881
127. Correspondence, December 1881
128. Correspondence, 1881
129. Correspondence, 1881 & undated
130. Correspondence, January 1882
131. Correspondence, February 1882
132. Correspondence, March 1882
133. Correspondence, April 1882
Box Folder
301-118 134. Correspondence, May 1882
135. Correspondence, June 1882
136. Correspondence, July 1882
137. Correspondence, August 1882
138. Telegrams, August 1882
139. Correspondence & Telegrams, September 1882
140. Correspondence & Telegrams, October 1882
141. Correspondence, & Telegrams, November 1882
142. Correspondence, December 1882
143. Correspondence, 1882
144. Correspondence, 1882 & undated
145. Correspondence, 1883
146. Printed Messages, 1879
Box Folder
301-119 147.-150. Printed Messages, 1881
151. Printed Messages, 1882
152.-154. Printed Messages, 1883
155. Reports, 1883
Box Folder
301-120 156. Reports, 1883
157.-166. Miscellaneous, undated
Box
301-121 Letterpress, January 21, 1879-August 16, 1879
Letterpress, February 14, 1879-March 19, 1880
Letterpress, March 19, 1880-November 3, 1880
Letterpress, November 3, 1880-September 29, 1881
Box
301-122 Letterpress, September 29, 1881-January 9, 1883
Letterpress, April 7, 1882-October 18, 1882
Box
301-122a Letterpress, 1882