Descriptive Summary
Arnett, D. N. (David Nathan),
1847-1934
David Nathan Arnett
Papers,
1866-1939 and undated
Records relating to
David Nathan Arnett's activities as a rancher and banker in West Texas
including his management of the Spade Ranch.
S 40.1
Southwest Collection/Special Collections
Library, Texas Tech University
4 boxes (4.0 linear
feet)
English.
Biographical Sketch
D. N. (David Nathan) Arnett was a West Texas rancher, trail boss,
ranch manager, and banker. He was born in 1847 in Milam County, Texas. Arnett
served in the Civil War as Texas Home Guard and later joined the regular Army
(CSA). In 1867 he became a Texas Ranger. His career in ranching began in 1870,
and he was employed as "trail boss" by D.H. and J.W. Snyder from 1877-1879,
later becoming the manager of the Snyder's Yellow Wolf Ranch in Coke County,
Texas, in 1881. Soon thereafter, in 1882, Arnett acquired his own ranch, the
Scissors Brand Ranch, in Mitchell County, Texas. From 1891-1912, he managed the
Renderbrook and Spade Ranches owned by barbed wire manufacturer, Isaac L.
Ellwood. He later raised cattle near Colorado City, Texas, and helped organize
the City National Bank of Colorado City, Texas, where he served as bank
vice-president. Arnett died 1934 in Colorado City, Texas.
Scope and Contents
Includes personal and business correspondence, financial and printed
material, and literary productions. Collection bulks with personal and business
correspondence (1908-1909), general files (1866-1939), and financial records
pertaining to Arnett's career as manager of Ellwood's ranching business
(1895-1917). Some of the correspondence was written by J. Frank Norfleet,
foreman of the Spade Ranch from 1891-1904, which details weather and business
concerns of ranch life. Content of the general files includes receipts, account
statements, checks, and correspondence, much of which is from his son W. D.
Arnett regarding a ranch in Terry and Hockley Counties.
Organization
The records are organized in the following series:
- Correspondence (Box 1)
- Financial Material (Box 1)
- General Files (Box 2-4)
- Literary Production (Box 4)
- Printed Material (Box 4)
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)
Arnett, D. N. (David
Nathan), 1847-1934
Arnett, Tom
Elwood, Isaac Leonard,
1833-1910
Places
Colorado City
(Tex.)--History
Hockley
County--Texas--History
Terry
County--Texas--History
Mitchell
County--Texas--History
Renderbrook Ranch
(Tex.)
Spade Ranch
(Tex.)
Subjects
Banks and
banking--Texas--Colorado City--History
Cattle
trade--Texas--History
Cattle
drives--Texas--History
Ranch
managers--Texas--History
Ranches--Texas--History
Terry
County--Texas--History
Gift, 1977
Access Restrictions
Open for research
Processed by
Karen Hicks, June 2003
Preferred Citation
David Nathan Arnett Papers, 1866-1939, Southwest Collection/Special
Collections Library, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
Kelton, Steve.
Renderbrook: A Century under the Spade
Brand. Fort Worth: Texas Christian University Press, 1989.
For related materials located in the Southwest Collection/Special
Collections Library, see the following collections:
- Isaac L. Ellwood Papers, 1878-1935, 1878-1919
- Ellwood Estates Records, 1860-1966, 1878-1966
- Spade Ranch Photograph Collection, 1900-1932
- Frank Reeves Photograph Collection, 1914-1975
Collection Inventory
Correspondence
1
1
Correspondence,
1903-1909
Financial Material
1
2
Ledgers,
1895-1900
1
3
Ledgers,
1903-1906
1
4
Ledgers,
1912-1917
General Files
1
5
General Files,
1866-1892
1
6
General Files,
1893-1895
1
7
General Files,
1896-1899
1
8
General Files,
1901-1902 and undated
1
9
General Files,
1900
1
10
General Files,
1902
1
11
General Files,
1903
1
12
General Files,
1904, January through July
2
1
General Files,
1904, July through December
2
1
General Files,
1905
2
3
General Files,
1906, January through July
2
4
General Files,
1906, August through December
2
5
General Files,
1907, January through May
2
6
General Files,
1907, June through December
2
7
General Files,
1908, January through July
2
8
General Files,
1908, August through December
2
9
General Files,
1909, January through May
2
10
General Files,
1909, June through December
2
11
General Files,
1910, January through August
2
12
General Files,
1910, September through December
2
13
General Files,
1911
2
14
General Files,
1912
2
15
General Files,
1913, January through May
3
1
General Files,
1913, June through December
3
2
General Files,
1914, January through May
3
3
General Files,
1914, June through September
3
4
General Files,
1914, October through December
3
5
General Files,
1915, January through April
3
6
General Files,
1915, May through August
3
7
General Files,
1915 (September through
December)-1917
3
8
General Files,
1916, January through May
3
9
General Files,
1916, June through October
3
10
General Files,
1916, November through December
3
11
General Files,
1917, January through March
3
12
General Files,
1917, April through July
3
13
General Files,
1917, August through October
3
14
General Files,
1917, November through December
3
14
General Files,
1918, January through April
4
1
General Files,
1918, May through December
4
2
General Files,
1919, January through June
4
3
General Files,
1919, July through December
4
4
General Files,
1920
4
5
General Files,
1921
4
6
General Files,
1922
4
7
General Files,
1923
4
8
General Files,
1924-1925
4
9
General Files,
1930-1939
4
10
General Files,
Undated
4
11
General Files,
Undated
4
12
General Files,
Undated
4
13
Undated
4
14
General Files,
Undated
Literary Production
4
15
Notes: Pharmaceutical Laboratory - W. D. (Dudley)
Arnett,
1909
Printed Material
4
16
New Testament and Psalms,
undated