Texas Archival Resources Online

TABLE OF CONTENTS


Descriptive Summary

Biographical Sketch

Scope and Contents

Restrictions

Index Terms

Related Material

Administrative Information

Description of Series

Correspondence

Civil War Material

Literary Production

Printed Material

Scrapbook Material

W. R. McEntire

George H. McEntire, Sr.

Elliott Taylor McEntire

George H. McEntire, Jr.

Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University

McEntire Family Papers:

An Inventory of Their Papers, 1821-2000 and undated, at the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library



Descriptive Summary

CreatorMcEntire family
Title:McEntire Family Papers,
Dates:1821-2000 and undated
Abstract:Personal family papers of the McEntire Family who live in Sterling City, Texas, and operate the U Ranch.
Collection #S 1612.1
Quantity:4 boxes (4.0 linear feet)
LanguageEnglish.
Repository:Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University

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.

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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.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Open for research

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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.

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Related Material

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

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

McEntire Family Papers, 1821-2000 and undated, Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas

Collection Accession number(s):
2002-0023-B and 2002-0203-B

Gifts, 2002

Processed by

Abel Ramirez, October 2002

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Collection Inventory

 

Correspondence

boxfolder
11Family and Business, 1821-1926
2Family and Business, 1870-1923
3Postcards, 1894-1917

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Civil War Material

boxfolder
14Confederate Veterans comments, 1861-1920
5Confederate Veterans magazine, 1920
6George H. McEntire, Jr.'s hand note on W. R. Entire, undated
7Truth of the War Conspiracy of 1861, by H. W. Johnstone, 1921
8We Are Old-Time Confederates song, undated

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Literary Production

boxfolder
19Untitled Story by Virginia McEntire, 1915
10This Heart is Thine, poem, author H. F., 1860s

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Printed Material

boxfolder
111Livestock Weekly, news articles, 1972-1974
12Masonic publications, 1903-1921
13Merchandise publications, 1882-1920 and undated
14Miscellaneous booklets, 1913 and undated
15Texas Indexed Pocket Map and Auto Road Guides, 1918 and undated

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Scrapbook Material

boxfolder
116Business cards and blank postcards, undated
17Cowboy cartoons from newspapers, 1924-1927
18George McEntire, Sr. and W. R. McEntire, news clippings, 1848-1975
19Koon Kreek Klub, 1902-1908
20Lula McEntire and George McEntire, Sr., Civil War materials and letters, 1870-1914 and undated
21McEntire Family news clippings, 1912-1954
22Miscellaneous, 1866 and undated
23Wallets, empty, Property of W. R. McEntire, 1870s-1910s

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W. R. McEntire

boxfolder
124Correspondence: W. L. Mosley, 1907
25Correspondence: J. M. McCormick, 1906
26Correspondence: Miscellaneous, 1896-1917
27Financial Material: Cancelled Checks and Receipts, 1887-1922
boxfolder
21Financial Material: Loose Notes and Receipts, 1880-1897
2Financial Material: Notebooks and Small Ledgers on Expenses, 1880s-1910s
3Financial Material: Receipts, Loan Payment Notes, and Expenses, 1865-1910
4Legal Material: American National Bank of Dallas Shareholder's document, 1904
5Legal Material: Promissory Note for State of Georgia Property, 1870
6Literary Production: Civil War Record, 1920
7Literary Production: Journal of W. R. McEntire, 1873-1878
8Printed Material: Probate Record of McEntire's Will, 1920
9Scrapbook Material: Fiftieth Anniversary Card, 1915
10Scrapbook Material: Wedding Invitation for Lula Elizabeth, 1887

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George H. McEntire, Sr.

boxfolder
211Correspondence: Western Union Telegram Messages, 1907-1923
12Literary Production: Copies of Letters, 1931-1943
13Literary Production: Copies of Poems, 1931-1938
14Literary Production: Copies of Short Stories, 1930-1933 and undated
15Literary Production: Stories and Poems, additional material, 1930-1951
16Legal Material: Bill of Sale for Land, 1930
17Scrapbook Material: News clippings, 1947
18Scrapbook Material: Personal Cards, Letters, and Publications, 1889-1949

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Elliott Taylor McEntire

boxfolder
219Correspondence: The Alamo and Cannonball, 1980
20Correspondence: Cousin Annie, 1941
21Correspondence: Genealogy Papers and Birth Certificate, 1940-1951
22Correspondence: Mitchell and Margaret Harvin, 1961
23Correspondence: Letters Sent while in the hospital, 1919
24Correspondence: Marshall McCrea, 1931
25Correspondence: Neiman-Marcus, 1947
26Correspondence: Unknown, undated
27Financial Material: Anvil Rock Mining Company share certificate, 1890
28Legal Material: Wills of George, Sr., 1920-1962
29Literary Production: George, Sr.'s Speech on Closing of San Jacinto School, Dallas, 1897
30Printed Material: The Cattleman, magazines, 1930-1937
31Printed Material: The Favorite Pictorial Dictionary, 1900s
32Printed Material: Oliver Optics Annual, book, 1888
boxfolder
31Printed Material: "Lady Jane" book by Mrs. C. V. Jamison, 1891
2Printed Material: The Security News, 1920
3Scrapbook Material: George, Sr.'s High School graduation announcement, 1902
4Scrapbook Material: Linden Hall Seminary, 1901-1906
5Scrapbook Material: News clippings on McEntire's Marriage, 1907
6Scrapbook Material: Memorial Book for Elliott, 1967
7Scrapbook Material: Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Blueprint, 1900
8Scrapbook Material: News clipping on George, Jr., 1908
9Scrapbook Material: Obituaries of McEntire's, 1960-1967
10Scrapbook Material: Order of the Eastern Star Papers, 1906
11Scrapbook Material: Miscellaneous, 1905-1907 and undated
12Scrapbook Material: Scrapbook of Correspondence, 1902-1962

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George H. McEntire, Jr.

boxfolder
313Correspondence: Boyle Valve Company, 1929
14Correspondence: George and Geraldine to McEntire's Parents, 1925-1948
15Correspondence: Jenemaia U. Natoko, 1948
16Correspondence: McEntire Parents to George H. McEntire, Jr., 1943-1947
17Correspondence: Miscellaneous, 1926-1990
18Correspondence: Rosa, 1970
19Correspondence: Telegrams to Parents, 1940-1948
20Correspondence: Ernest O. Thompson, 1940
21Correspondence: Ruth Elliott McEntire to Grandparents, 1946-1947
22Air Service Record: Essie Stafford's Pilot Log Book, 1943
23Literary Production: Cowden Genealogy Book, 2000
24Literary Production: Hand Written Autobiography, undated
25Printed Material: "Description of Airports and Landing Fields in the U.S.," manual, 1938
26Printed Material: Geraldine Cowden's High School Year Book, Midland, 1922
27Printed Material: "Line of Position Book" by P. V. H. Weems, 1940
boxfolder
41Printed Material: "The Ready Room" and "Hangar Flying" Newsletters of Lockheed, 1940s
2Scrapbook Material: Business Cards, 1938-1989
3Scrapbook Material: Currency Souvenir, 1947
4Scrapbook Material: George McEntire, Jr., news clippings on, 1926-1989
5Scrapbook Material: Name Tag and Badge, undated
6Scrapbook Material: Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Papers, 1956-1984
7Scrapbook Material: Airline Ticket, 1948
8Scrapbook Material: Passport, 1984
9Scrapbook Material: Poems, 1969-1970
10Scrapbook Material: George, Jr.'s Baby book, 1908
11Scrapbook Material: George, Jr.'s School Days in Sterling City, Texas, 1917-1918
12Scrapbook Material: Marriage License, 1936
13Scrapbook Material: Santa Claus Letters, 1913 and undated
14Scrapbook Material: Schreiner Institute, Kerrville, Texas, Certificate, 1928
15Scrapbook Material: Passports and Vaccination Records, 1946-1971
16Scrapbook Material: Bumper Sticker, undated
17Scrapbook Material: Memorial Card for Geraldine Cowden McEntire, undated
18Air Service Record: Departure and Arrival Reports, 1942-1944
19Air Service Record: Pilot Log Books, 1931-1974
20Air Service Record: Copy of Pilot Log Books, 1931-1974
21Air Service Record: Correspondence and Publications, 1930-1992
22Air Service Record: Airman Certificate, 1948-1982
23Air Service Record: Fragile Documents, 1941-1966
24Air Service Record: "Practical Radio Range Data," notebooks, 1941

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