urn:taro:ttu.sw.00170 George D. Keith Family: An Inventory of Their Papers, 1912-1977 and undated, in the Southwest Collection, Special Collections Libraries Karen Hicks The Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library
The Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library Texas Tech University MS 41041 Lubbock, Texas 79409 Phone: (806) 742-3749 Fax: (806) 742-0496 Webpage: http://www.swco.ttu.edu Contact Person: Reference Archivist
June 2003 Text converted and initial EAD tagging provided by Karen Hicks, July 2003. Finding aid written inEnglish Tue Jul 22 15:23:38 CDT 2003 urn:taro:ttu.sw.00170 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (20030505). Inventory for the George D. Keith Family Papers, 1912-1977 and undated Karen Hicks The Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, June 2003 Descriptive Summary Keith, George D. Family George D. Keith Family Papers, 1912-1977 and undated Paper relating to the business and personal activities of members of the George D. Keith family in Texas. S 521.1 Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University, 11 Boxes (11.0 linear feet) English. Biographical Sketch

George D. Keith, Sr. was born 1875 in Falmouth, Tennessee and later became Vice-President and co-founder of the Ben E. Keith Company. He was a rancher and owned the George D. Keith & Sons Ranch near Wichita Falls, Texas. Keith's ranching interests included the breeding of registered Hereford cattle and Palomino horses. He served as the first president of the Texas and Oklahoma Fair Association and was active in civic affairs. In 1897, Keith married Meta Ransom with whom he had two sons, George, Jr. and Calvin. His second wife, Mollie Black, whom he married in 1908, also bore two sons. Ben E. Keith, his brother, operated the Ben E. Keith Company, a fruit and vegetable brokerage, from its Fort Worth headquarters. Mollie Black Keith and her sons, Kenneth and Jim, operated the ranch after George Keith's death in 1955. Mollie Keith died in 1973 and Jim Keith was killed during a robbery at the ranch in 1975. Kenneth later donated some of the antiques from the ranch house to the National Ranching Heritage Center at Texas Tech University.

 Scope and Contents

The collection contains detailed records concerning cattle breeding, cattle sales, property taxes, and the financial operations of a breeding farm. Collection bulks with financial material (1916-1977) and cattle records (1925-1977) consisting mostly of registration certificates and pedigree records. Significant amounts of correspondence (1919-1977) and general files (1914-1977) exist. There are lesser amounts of legal materials (1912-1977), printed material (1922-1977), and scrapbook material (1912-1977). These items reflect both business and personal activities of the Keith family.

 Organization

The collection is organized into the following series:

Correspondence (Box 1) Cattle Records (Box 2-3) Address Files (Box 2) Calendars and Date Books (Box 2) Farm Records (Box 3) Financial Material (Box 3-6) General Files (Box 6-9) Legal Material (Box 9) Notes (Box 9) Photographs (Box 10 Printed Material (Box 10) Scrapbook Material (Box 10) Miscellaneous, (Box 10) 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) Keith, George D. (George Donathan), 1875-1955 Keith, Mollie Black, 1886-1973 Keith, James Carter, 1908-1973 Keith, Kenneth M., 1910-1977? Subjects (Organizations) American Hereford Association Texas Hereford Association Texas and Oklahoma Fair Association Ben E. Keith Company Places Clay County (Tex.)--History Subjects Hereford cattle--Breeding Ranches--Texas--History

Gift, 1977

 Access Restrictions

Open for research

 Processed by

Karen Hicks, June 2003

 Preferred Citation

George D. Keith Family Papers, 1912-1977 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:

Gail Dudley Papers Stanford and Black Family Papers John B. Stribling Papers Swenson Land and Cattle Company Records Collection Inventory Correspondence, 1919-1977 and undated 1 1 General, 1919-1949 and undated 1 2 General, 1950-1954 1 3 General, 1955 1 4 General, 1956-1959 1 5 General, 1960-1969 1 6 General, 1970-1972 1 7 General, 1973 1 8 General, 1974 1 9 General, 1975 1 10 General, 1976 1 11 General, 1977 Address Files, undated 2 1 Address Files, undated Calendars and Date Books, 1940-1977 2 2 Calendars and Date Books, 1940-1977 Cattle Records, 1925-1974 and undated 2 3 Certificates, 1934-1974 2 4 Ledgers, 1925-1927 2 5 Ledgers, 1926-1931 2 6 Ledgers, 1928-1974 2 7 Ledgers, 1938-1962 3 1 Ledgers, 1956-1974 3 2 Ledgers, undated 3 3 Notes, 1944-1974 and undated 3 4 Miscellaneous, 1939-1974 and undated Farm Records, 1950-1975 and undated 3 5 Conservation Plan, 1955-1975 and undated 3 6 Maps, undated 3 7 Miscellaneous, 1950-1974 and undated Financial Material, 1917-1977 and undated 3 8 Correspondence, 1938-1976 and undated 3 9 Bank Records, 1948-1976 and undated Bills and Receipts 3 10 General, 1928-1940 and undated 3 11 General, 1940-1949 3 12 General, 1950-1959 3 13 General, 1960-1969 3 14 General, 1970 3 15 General, 1971 4 1 General, 1972 4 2 General, 1973 4 3 General, 1974 4 4 General, 1975 4 5 General, 1976 4 6 General, 1977 Check Books 4 7 Check Books, 1937-1971 5 1 Check Books, 1944-1957 5 2 Check Books, 1948-1949 5 3 Check Books, 1955-1959 5 4 Credit Cards, 1955-1974 and undated Deposit Slips 5 5 George D. Keith and Sons, 1946-1974 5 6 Jim Keith, 1944-1975 5 7 Kenneth Keith, 1943-1975 5 8 Dividends, 1955-1977 and undated Income Tax 5 9 Income Tax, undated 5 10 Income Tax, 1917 5 11 Income Tax, 1919-1929 5 12 Income Tax, 1925-1926 5 13 Income Tax, 1927 5 14 Income Tax, 1928 5 15 Income Tax, 1929 5 16 Income Tax, 1931 5 17 Income Tax, 1932-1933 5 18 Income Tax, 1935 5 19 Income Tax, 1936 5 20 Income Tax, 1935-1938 5 21 Income Tax, 1937-1938 5 22 Income Tax, 1939 5 23 Income Tax, 1939-1940 5 24 Income Tax, 1940-1941 5 25 Income Tax, 1942 5 26 Income Tax, 1943 5 27 Income Tax, 1944 5 28 Income Tax, 1945 5 29 Income Tax, 1946-1947 5 30 Income Tax, 1947-1948 5 31 Income Tax, 1948-1949 5 32 Income Tax, 1949-1950 5 33 Income Tax, 1950-1951 5 34 Income Tax, 1951-1952 5 35 Income Tax, 1952-1953 5 36 Income Tax, 1953-1954 5 37 Income Tax, 1954-1955 5 38 Income Tax, 1955-1956 5 39 Income Tax, 1956-1957 5 40 Income Tax, 1957-1958 5 41 Income Tax, 1958-1959 5 42 Income Tax, 1959-1960 5 43 Income Tax, 1960-1961 5 44 Income Tax, 1961-1962 5 45 Income Tax, 1962-1963 5 46 Income Tax, 1963-1964 5 47 Income Tax, 1964-1965 5 48 Income Tax, 1965-1966 5 49 Income Tax, 1966-1967 5 50 Income Tax, 1967-1968 5 51 Income Tax, 1968-1969 5 52 Income Tax, 1969-1970 5 53 Income Tax, 1970-1971 5 54 Income Tax, 1971-1972 5 55 Income Tax, 1972-1973 5 56 Income Tax, 1973-1974 5 57 Income Tax, 1974-1975 5 58 Income Tax, 1976-1977 5 59 Quarterly Payment Stubs, 1963-1968 6 1 Insurance, 1925-1976 Ledgers 6 2 Ledgers, 1916-1939 6 3 Ledgers, 1929-1930 6 4 Ledgers, 1933-1947 6 5 Ledgers, 1939-1955 6 6 Livestock Deals, 1937-1975 and undated 6 7 Medical, 1961 6 8 Notes, 1943-1975 and undated 6 9 Promissory Notes, 1920-1939 6 10 Tax Receipts, 1939-1955 6 11 Worksheets, 1958 6 12 Miscellaneous, 1944-1976 and undated General Files, 1930-1975 and undated 6 13 American Hereford Association, 1939-1977 and undated 6 14 Automobile Receipts, 1934-1961 and undated Ben E. Keith Company 6 15 General, 1930-1943 and undated 6 16 General, 1935-1939 6 17 General, 1936-1937 6 18 General, 1948-1976 6 19 General, 1949-1954 and undated 6 20 General, 1955 6 21 General, 1960-1976 6 22 Earnings Statements, 1939-1953 7 1 Cattle Buyers, 1951-1954 and undated 7 2 Cattle Deals, 1954-1971 and undated 7 3 Census of Agriculture, 1969 7 4 Christmas Lists, 1954-1971 and undated 7 5 Clay County Taxes, 1947-1975 and undated 7 6 Correspondence, 1954-1975 and undated 7 7 Expenses on Stocker Cows, 1958-1959 and undated 7 8 Farm Program, 1940-1974 and undated 7 9 Feed Contracts, 1956-1963 and undated 7 10 Feed Contracts, 1959-1960 7 11 Feed for Calves, 1954-1958 and undated 7 12 Feed for Calves and Bull, 1959 7 13 Ford, 1971 and undated 7 14 Government Purchases, 1953 and undated 7 15 Government Programs, 1938-1956 and undated 7 16 Hackler Land Lease, 1914-1971 7 17 Highway Rights-of-Way, 1961-1969 and undated 7 18 Humphrey, Leslie, 1956-1962 and undated Insurance Records 7 19 General, 1940-1954 and undated 7 20 General, 1954-1962 and undated 7 21 General, 1954-1974 7 22 General, 1955-1974 and undated 7 23 General, 1963-1965 and undated 7 24 General, 1966-1967 and undated 7 25 General, 1969-1974 and undated 7 26 General, undated 7 27 Keith Brothers, 7 28 7 29 8 1 1941-1948 and undated 7 28 Keith, George D. Estate, 1948-1959 and undated 7 29 Keith, George D. and Sons: Mineral Lease, 1968 and undated Keith, Mrs. George D. (Mollie) 8 1 General, 1939-1974 and undated Settlement of Estate 8 2 General, 1963-1967 and undated 8 3 General, 1966-1968 and undated Keith, Jim 8 4 General, 1954-1975 and undated 8 5 General, undated Keith, Kenneth 8 6 General, 1936-1943 and undated 8 7 General, 1941-1942 8 8 General, 1941-1951 and undated 8 9 General, 1958-1975 and undated 8 10 General, 1960-1962 and undated 8 11 General, 1965-1972 and undated 8 12 Income Tax, 1959-1970 8 13 Lists of Materials, 1942 and undated 8 14 McClellan, C. H. Estate of, 1965-1975 and undated 8 15 Oil and Gas Purchase, 1955-1975 8 16 Old Records, 1922-1931 and undated 8 17 Orkin, 1975 8 18 Palominos, 1937-1947 and undated 8 19 Pipelines: Rights-of-Way, 1958-1972 and undated 8 20 Purchases and Sales Receipts, 1955-1966 8 21 Sales, Deposit Slips, 1950-1956 Texas Hereford Association 8 22 General, 1935-1943 and undated 8 23 General, 1939-1958 and undated Texas Livestock Sanitary Commission 8 24 General, 1946-1953 and undated 8 25 General, 1944-1973 and udated 8 26 Texas-Oklahoma Hereford Breeders Association, 1951-1954 8 27 Texas Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Dealer's Association, 1927 8 28 Wichita County Taxes, 1947-1974 and undated 9 1 Wichita Falls Stockyard Company, 1954-1975 and undated Miscellaneous 9 2 "B", 1939-1954 and undated 9 3 "C", 1938-1954 and undated 9 4 "D", 1946-1953 and undated 9 5 "E", 1938-1953 and undated 9 6 "F", 1939-1954 and undated 9 7 "G", 1946-1954 and undated 9 8 "H", 1939-1953 and undated 9 9 "I", 1947-1951 and undated 9 10 "J", 1939-1952 and undated 9 11 "K", 1942-1954 and undated 9 12 "L", 1940-1954 and undated 9 13 "M", 1939-1954 and undated 9 14 "N", 1947-1954 and undated 9 15 "O", 1947-1953 and undated 9 16 "P", 1939-1954 and undated 9 17 R", 1945-1954 and undated 9 18 "S", 1938-1954 and undated 9 19 "T", 1922-1954 and undated 9 20 U", 1947-1952 9 21 "V", 1947-1951 and undated 9 22 "W", 1929-1954 and undated 9 23 "X", "Y", 1948 9 24 "Z", 1947 Legal Material, 1942-1977 and undated 9 25 General, 1942-1975 and undated 9 26 Estate of Keith, James Carter (Jim), 1975-1977 and undated Notes, 1948-1974 and undated 9 27 Notes, 1948-1974 and undated Photographs, 1945-1954 and undated 10 1 Photographs, 1945-1954 and undated Printed Material, 1922-1977 and undated 10 2 News Clippings, 10 3 10 4 10 5 1922-1976 and undated 10 3 News Clippings, 1923-1977 10 4 Magazines, 1939-1954 and undated 10 5 Miscellaneous, 1938-1976 and undated Scrapbook Material, 1955-1977 and undated Funeral Memorabilia 10 6 General, 1955-1976 10 7 General, 1955-1973 General 10 8 General, 1912-1977 and undated 10 9 General, 1933-1955 and undated 10 10 Keith Clan, The, 1941-1945 and undated Miscellaneous, 1955-1973 and undated 10 11 Miscellaneous, 1955-1973 and undated Scrapbook, 1928 11 1 Scrapbook 1928