David Nathan Arnett:

An Inventory of His Papers, 1866-1939, in the Southwest Collection, Special Collections Libraries

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.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Open for research

Related Material

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

David Nathan Arnett Papers, 1866-1939, Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas

Gift, 1977

Processed by

Karen Hicks, June 2003

Bibliograpy

Collection Inventory