Texas Archival Resources Online

TABLE OF CONTENTS


Descriptive Summary

Biographical Sketch

Scope and Contents

Restrictions

Index Terms

Related Material

Administrative Information

Additional Sources

Description of Series

Correspondence

Burns Family

General Files

Financial Materials

Legal Materials

Organizations

Pitchfork Land and Cattle Company

Real Estate

Scrapbook Materials

Texas Tech University

Memorabilia

Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University

Douglas R. Burns:

An Inventory of His Papers, 1850-1980 and undated, at the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library



Descriptive Summary

CreatorBurns, D. (Douglas R.), 1895-1977
Title:Douglas R. Burns Papers,
Dates:1850-1980 and undated
Abstract:Personal papers of Douglas "D." Burns, rancher in Dawson County, Texas, and manager of the Pitchfork Land and Cattle Company.
Collection #S 141.1
Quantity:4 boxes (4.0 linear feet)
LanguageEnglish.
Repository:Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University

Biographical Sketch

Born on July 8, 1895 in Cuero, Texas, Douglas R. Burns, also called D. Burns, grew up in a ranching environment. He graduated from Texas A and M with a B. S. in Animal Husbandry, and married Mamie Sypert in 1924. Burns ranched for 13 years in Dawson County, Texas, and later managed the Pitchfork Ranch from 1942 to 1965. He was a member of the Texas Hereford Association, the American Quarter Horse Association, served as director of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raiser's Association, and as the first chairman of overseers of the Texas Tech University Ranching Heritage Association. Burns died in 1977 in Lubbock, Texas.

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Scope and Contents

The collection includes correspondence, financial and legal material, letters from organizations, photographs, Pitchfork Ranch documents, real estate ventures, printed items, scrapbook material, and news clippings.

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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)
Burns, D. (Douglas R.), 1895-1977
Subjects (Organizations)
Pitchfork Land and Cattle Company
Pitchfork Ranch (Tex.)
Subjects
Ranching--Texas, West
Ranch life--Texas
Ranchers--Texas
Ranches--Texas

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Related Material

For related materials located in the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, see the following collections:

  • Pitchford Land and Cattle Company Records, 1837-1976
  • Douglas R. Burns oral history interview [sound recording], 1969-1970
  • Douglas R. Burns oral history interview [sound recording], 1976
  • Burns family photograph collection, 1892-1917
  • Jim Humphreys oral history interview [sound recording], 1980
  • Charles Schreiner and Douglas "D." Burns photograph collection, 1976

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Douglas R. Burns Papers, 1850-1980 and undated, Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas

Gifts, 1979-1982

Processed by

Abel Ramirez, June 2002

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Additional Sources

Murrah, David J. The Pitchfork Land and Cattle Company: The First Century.Lubbock, Texas: Texas Tech University Press, 1983.

Burns, Mamie Sypert.This I Can Leave You: a Woman's Days on the Pitchfork Ranch.College Station : Texas A and M University Press, 1986.

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Collection Inventory

 

Correspondence

boxfolder
11General, 1903-1977 and undated
2General, 1939-1970 and undated
3Letters Received, 1921-1971 and undated
4Letters Received, 1972-1977 and undated
5Letters Sent, 1969-1977 and undated
6Pitchfork Ranch Job Application, 1942

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Burns Family

boxfolder
17Burns, Arthur, 1906-1916 and undated
8Burns, Columbus, 1868-1904 and undated
9Burns, D., 1964
10Burns, Frances Dockray, 1954-1962
11Burns, Hamilton, 1961-1963
12Burns, John Cardwell, 1890-1967 and undated
13Burns Livestock Company, 1942
14Burns, Mrs. M. E., 1921-1931

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General Files

boxfolder
115Cotton Bowl Tickets, 1949
boxfolder
27Gardener, Dan, 1897-1899
8J. A. Ranch Sale, 1934-1935
boxfolder
34Literary Materials, undated
5McGregor Livestock Forage Bid Invitation, 1973-1974
6Mills, J. C., 1966-1973
7News Clippings, 1952-1976 and undated
8News Clippings, 1942-1976 and undated
9News Clippings, 1964-1976 and undated
15Photographs, 1910-1975 and undated
boxfolder
44Prairie Dog Eradication, 1912-1916
5Printed Materials (4 items), 1919-1967 and undated
6Printed Materials, 1977
7Ranches, 1965-1970
8Reagan, Rocky, Sr., 1975
27Sypert, Annie, Estate, 1960-1967
28Texas A and M Class Reunion, 1969-1970
29Texas Department of Public Safety, 1962-1973
33Certificates, 1966-1972

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Financial Materials

boxfolder
116Bank Transactions, 1945-1965
17Bills and Invoices, 1935
18Expense Accounts, 1969-1977
19Internal Revenue Service: Annual Returns, 1937-1958
20Internal Revenue Service: Burns Grandchildren, 1941-1966
21Investments: Cuchara, Colorado Property, 1973-1975
22Investments: Keystone Common Stock Funds, 1961-1976
23Investments: Keystone Funds, 1977 and undated
24Investments: Maxwell Investment Company, 1917-1923
25Investments: Mississippi Valley Trust Company, 1949-1950
26Investments: San Isabel Electric Association, 1968
27Investments: Signal Oil and Gas Company, 1963-1969
28Investments: Western Natural Gas Company, 1964 and undated
29Loans, 1963-1967
30Personal Property, 1943-1961
boxfolder
21Statements and Cancelled Checks, 1946-1965
2Taxes, 1889-1977 and undated
3Taxes, 1889-1976 and undated
4Insurance: Medicaid, 1968-1976
5Insurance: Missouri State Life Insurance, 1924-1929
6Insurance: Southwestern Life Insurance, 1924-1927

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Legal Materials

boxfolder
29Burns Family Estates, 1914-1971
10Contracts and Agreements, 1886-1977
11Contracts and Agreements, 1870-1887
12Contracts and Agreements, 1859-1920
boxfolder
31Lloyd Sigler vs. J. C. Burns et al., 1926 and undated
2Oil and Gas Leases, 1919-1923
3Oil and Gas Leases, 1926-1967

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Organizations

boxfolder
310American Quarter Horse Association, 1971-1978
11Fort Griffin Fandangle Association, 1968-1972
12National Western Stock Show Association, 1970-1973
13Panhandle-Plains Historical Society, 1977-1978
14Texas Cowboy Reunion Association, 1969-1977

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Pitchfork Land and Cattle Company

boxfolder
316Appraisal, 1965
17Bug Ranch Estate, undated
18Correspondence: Burns, D., 1942-1965
19Correspondence: Humphreys, Jim, 1977
20Financial Materials, 1957-1975
21Financial Materials, 1964-1977
22Financial Materials, 1970-1975
23Goetz Ranch, 1970-1972 and undated
24Inventories, 1967
25Land Surveys, 1971-1972
26Legal Materials, 1965-1975 and undated
27Management, 1944-1968 and undated
28Proposed Mill Additions, 1972
29Quarter Horses: General, 1964 and undated
30Quarter Horses: Annual Sales Catalogs, 1963-1967
31Quarter Horses: Home Remedies, undated
32Renderbrook Ranch, 1963
33Reunion, 1976
34Shareholders, 1954-1964
boxfolder
41Travel Records (9 items), 1969-1974
2Virginia Lands, 1951
3Werner, Andrew P., 1973-1974

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Real Estate

boxfolder
49Borden and Dawson Counties: Land Lease to Grey Brothers, 1912-1916
10Borden and Dawson Counties: Payment Coupons, 1902-1923
11Borden and Dawson Counties: Purchases - Burns, Arthur from J. D. Earnest, 1908
12Borden and Dawson Counties: Purchases - Burns, M. E. from J. M. Christopher, 1914-1915
13Borden and Dawson Counties: Purchases, Earnest, J. D. and R. C. Ware from Magnolia Land and Cattle Company, 1890-1907
14Borden and Dawson Counties: Sales - Burns, D. et al. to Dan Whatley, 1926-1855
15Borden and Dawson Counties: Sales - Burns, D. et al. to Olin Nix, 1942-1955
16Borden and Dawson Counties: Sales - Burns, M. E. to Robert and Orson, 1928
17Borden and Dawson Counties: Surveys, 1925-1929
18Borden and Dawson Counties: Taxes, 1914-1920
19Borden and Dawson Counties: Trade - M. E. Burns and J. W. Southland, 1917-1924
20Borden and Dawson Counties: Vendor Lien, 1927
21Cuchara, Colorado, 1968-1972
22DeWitt County, Texas, 1957
23Lubbock, Texas, 1950 and undated

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Scrapbook Materials

boxfolder
424Clippings, 1939-1975 and undated
25General, 1930-1980 and undated
26General, 1969-1978 and undated

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Texas Tech University

boxfolder
430Library, 1977
31Museum, 1977
32Ranching Heritage Association, 1976-1977

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Memorabilia

boxfolder
434American Royal Livestock Show Plaque, 1959
35Plaques (2 items), 1956-1969

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