Descriptive Summary
McEntire family
McEntire Family Papers,
1821-2000 and undated
Personal family papers
of the McEntire Family who live in Sterling City, Texas, and operate the U
Ranch.
S 1612.1
Southwest Collection/Special Collections
Library, Texas Tech University
4 boxes (4.0 linear
feet)
English.
Biographical Sketch
The U Ranch is located 10 miles northwest of Sterling City in
Sterling County, Texas. The ranch was founded by Col. W. R. McEntire, a Civil
War Confederate Veteran, when he acquired the land from M. B. Stephenson in
1880. Some of the land was passed down to W. R.'s children. George H., Sr.
received title to the ranch in 1906. Each of his children, George H., Jr. and
Virginia, inherited half of the ranch in 1962. Virginia ran the ranch the under
the name VJ Ranch while George H., Jr. called his the U Ranch. Currently, the
ranch is owned by Ruth McEntire Caldwell, the daughter of George H., Jr.
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of correspondence, financial materials, and
scrapbook material that detail the activities of the McEntire family from the
late 19th Century to the 1990s. It includes personal materials of Ruth
McEntire's great grandfather, W. R. McEntire, as a Civil War veteran and
rancher, her grandfather George H. McEntire, Sr., her father George H.
McEntire, Jr., her grandmother Elliott Taylor McEntire, and her mother
Geraldine Cowden McEntire. The Civil War materials include responses from
Confederate veterans detailing their military experiences. George McEntire, Sr.
was an amateur writer who wrote poems, short stories, and letters between
1930-1950. Copies of his materials are included. They describe daily life on
the ranch, history of the region and people, local events, family humor, and
philosophy of life. Also includes the air service records of George, Jr. who
was a test pilot for Lockheed. Of interest is the Koon Kreek Klub file, a
fishing, hunting, and boating organization in Dallas, Texas.
Index Terms
The subject headings used by the Southwest Collection/Special
Collections Library are derived from the Library of Congress and/or locally
developed.
Subjects (Persons)
McEntire, W.
R.
McEntire, George H.,
Sr.
McEntire, George H.,
Jr.
McEntire, Geraldine
Cowden
McEntire, Elliott
Taylor
Subjects (Organizations)
Koon Kreek
Klub
U Ranch (Tex.)
Places
Sterling City
(Tex.)
Sterling County
(Tex.)
Subjects
Ranching--Texas
United
States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Personal narratives
Ranch
life--Texas--History--19th century--Anecdotes.
United
States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Societies, etc.
Collection Accession number(s):
2002-0023-B and 2002-0203-B
Gifts, 2002
Access Restrictions
Open for research
Processed by
Abel Ramirez, October 2002
Preferred Citation
McEntire Family Papers, 1821-2000 and undated, Southwest
Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University, Lubbock,
Texas
For related materials located in the Southwest Collection/Special
Collections Library, see the following collections:
- U Ranch Records, 1846-1996 and undated
- U Ranch Photograph Collection, SWCPC 778
- U Ranch Film Collection
- U Ranch Oversized Materials of maps and blueprints, O9.19
Collection Inventory
Correspondence
1
1
Family and Business,
1821-1926
1
2
Family and Business,
1870-1923
1
3
Postcards,
1894-1917
Civil War Material
1
4
Confederate Veterans comments,
1861-1920
1
5
Confederate Veterans magazine,
1920
1
6
George H. McEntire, Jr.'s hand note on W. R. Entire,
undated
1
7
Truth of the War Conspiracy of 1861, by H. W. Johnstone,
1921
1
8
We Are Old-Time Confederates song,
undated
Literary Production
1
9
Untitled Story by Virginia McEntire,
1915
1
10
This Heart is Thine, poem, author H. F.,
1860s
Printed Material
1
11
Livestock Weekly, news articles,
1972-1974
1
12
Masonic publications,
1903-1921
1
13
Merchandise publications,
1882-1920 and undated
1
14
Miscellaneous booklets,
1913 and undated
1
15
Texas Indexed Pocket Map and Auto Road Guides,
1918 and undated
Scrapbook Material
1
16
Business cards and blank postcards,
undated
1
17
Cowboy cartoons from newspapers,
1924-1927
1
18
George McEntire, Sr. and W. R. McEntire, news clippings,
1848-1975
1
19
Koon Kreek Klub,
1902-1908
1
20
Lula McEntire and George McEntire, Sr., Civil War
materials and letters,
1870-1914 and undated
1
21
McEntire Family news clippings,
1912-1954
1
22
Miscellaneous,
1866 and undated
1
23
Wallets, empty, Property of W. R. McEntire,
1870s-1910s
W. R. McEntire
1
24
Correspondence: W. L. Mosley,
1907
1
25
Correspondence: J. M. McCormick,
1906
1
26
Correspondence: Miscellaneous,
1896-1917
1
27
Financial Material: Cancelled Checks and Receipts,
1887-1922
2
1
Financial Material: Loose Notes and Receipts,
1880-1897
2
2
Financial Material: Notebooks and Small Ledgers on
Expenses,
1880s-1910s
2
3
Financial Material: Receipts, Loan Payment Notes, and
Expenses,
1865-1910
2
4
Legal Material: American National Bank of Dallas
Shareholder's document,
1904
2
5
Legal Material: Promissory Note for State of Georgia
Property,
1870
2
6
Literary Production: Civil War Record,
1920
2
7
Literary Production: Journal of W. R. McEntire,
1873-1878
2
8
Printed Material: Probate Record of McEntire's Will,
1920
2
9
Scrapbook Material: Fiftieth Anniversary Card,
1915
2
10
Scrapbook Material: Wedding Invitation for Lula
Elizabeth,
1887
George H. McEntire, Sr.
2
11
Correspondence: Western Union Telegram Messages,
1907-1923
2
12
Literary Production: Copies of Letters,
1931-1943
2
13
Literary Production: Copies of Poems,
1931-1938
2
14
Literary Production: Copies of Short Stories,
1930-1933 and undated
2
15
Literary Production: Stories and Poems, additional
material,
1930-1951
2
16
Legal Material: Bill of Sale for Land,
1930
2
17
Scrapbook Material: News clippings,
1947
2
18
Scrapbook Material: Personal Cards, Letters, and
Publications,
1889-1949
Elliott Taylor McEntire
2
19
Correspondence: The Alamo and Cannonball,
1980
2
20
Correspondence: Cousin Annie,
1941
2
21
Correspondence: Genealogy Papers and Birth Certificate,
1940-1951
2
22
Correspondence: Mitchell and Margaret Harvin,
1961
2
23
Correspondence: Letters Sent while in the hospital,
1919
2
24
Correspondence: Marshall McCrea,
1931
2
25
Correspondence: Neiman-Marcus,
1947
2
26
Correspondence: Unknown,
undated
2
27
Financial Material: Anvil Rock Mining Company share
certificate,
1890
2
28
Legal Material: Wills of George, Sr.,
1920-1962
2
29
Literary Production: George, Sr.'s Speech on Closing of
San Jacinto School, Dallas,
1897
2
30
Printed Material: The Cattleman, magazines,
1930-1937
2
31
Printed Material: The Favorite Pictorial Dictionary,
1900s
2
32
Printed Material: Oliver Optics Annual, book,
1888
3
1
Printed Material: "Lady Jane" book by Mrs. C. V.
Jamison,
1891
3
2
Printed Material: The Security News,
1920
3
3
Scrapbook Material: George, Sr.'s High School graduation
announcement,
1902
3
4
Scrapbook Material: Linden Hall Seminary,
1901-1906
3
5
Scrapbook Material: News clippings on McEntire's
Marriage,
1907
3
6
Scrapbook Material: Memorial Book for Elliott,
1967
3
7
Scrapbook Material: Marconi's Wireless Telegraph
Blueprint,
1900
3
8
Scrapbook Material: News clipping on George, Jr.,
1908
3
9
Scrapbook Material: Obituaries of McEntire's,
1960-1967
3
10
Scrapbook Material: Order of the Eastern Star Papers,
1906
3
11
Scrapbook Material: Miscellaneous,
1905-1907 and undated
3
12
Scrapbook Material: Scrapbook of Correspondence,
1902-1962
George H. McEntire, Jr.
3
13
Correspondence: Boyle Valve Company,
1929
3
14
Correspondence: George and Geraldine to McEntire's
Parents,
1925-1948
3
15
Correspondence: Jenemaia U. Natoko,
1948
3
16
Correspondence: McEntire Parents to George H. McEntire,
Jr.,
1943-1947
3
17
Correspondence: Miscellaneous,
1926-1990
3
18
Correspondence: Rosa,
1970
3
19
Correspondence: Telegrams to Parents,
1940-1948
3
20
Correspondence: Ernest O. Thompson,
1940
3
21
Correspondence: Ruth Elliott McEntire to Grandparents,
1946-1947
3
22
Air Service Record: Essie Stafford's Pilot Log Book,
1943
3
23
Literary Production: Cowden Genealogy Book,
2000
3
24
Literary Production: Hand Written Autobiography,
undated
3
25
Printed Material: "Description of Airports and Landing
Fields in the U.S.," manual,
1938
3
26
Printed Material: Geraldine Cowden's High School Year
Book, Midland,
1922
3
27
Printed Material: "Line of Position Book" by P. V. H.
Weems,
1940
4
1
Printed Material: "The Ready Room" and "Hangar Flying"
Newsletters of Lockheed,
1940s
4
2
Scrapbook Material: Business Cards,
1938-1989
4
3
Scrapbook Material: Currency Souvenir,
1947
4
4
Scrapbook Material: George McEntire, Jr., news clippings
on,
1926-1989
4
5
Scrapbook Material: Name Tag and Badge,
undated
4
6
Scrapbook Material: Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Papers,
1956-1984
4
7
Scrapbook Material: Airline Ticket,
1948
4
8
Scrapbook Material: Passport,
1984
4
9
Scrapbook Material: Poems,
1969-1970
4
10
Scrapbook Material: George, Jr.'s Baby book,
1908
4
11
Scrapbook Material: George, Jr.'s School Days in
Sterling City, Texas,
1917-1918
4
12
Scrapbook Material: Marriage License,
1936
4
13
Scrapbook Material: Santa Claus Letters,
1913 and undated
4
14
Scrapbook Material: Schreiner Institute, Kerrville,
Texas, Certificate,
1928
4
15
Scrapbook Material: Passports and Vaccination Records,
1946-1971
4
16
Scrapbook Material: Bumper Sticker,
undated
4
17
Scrapbook Material: Memorial Card for Geraldine Cowden
McEntire,
undated
4
18
Air Service Record: Departure and Arrival Reports,
1942-1944
4
19
Air Service Record: Pilot Log Books,
1931-1974
4
20
Air Service Record: Copy of Pilot Log Books,
1931-1974
4
21
Air Service Record: Correspondence and Publications,
1930-1992
4
22
Air Service Record: Airman Certificate,
1948-1982
4
23
Air Service Record: Fragile Documents,
1941-1966
4
24
Air Service Record: "Practical Radio Range Data,"
notebooks,
1941