Archibald Earle (1830-1903), a native of Virginia, was a teacher. He was appointed to a topographical corps by President Buchanan to survey the route of the Texas and Pacific Railway to determine where water could be obtained. In 1861, he enlisted in the Confederate army and served with the Thirty-first Virginia Infantry. For much of the Civil War, he served as a scout and was captured twice but never wounded. In 1866, Archibald Earle moved to Fort Worth where he worked in freighting and took on government contracts. Later, he began raising stock, mainly mules and horses, and worked as a farmer, cultivating his land to grow a variety of crops, primarily wheat. In 1875, he married Adeliza Brown (1844-1933). They had three children: Archibald Bernard Earle (1875-1956), Charles Jefferson Earle (1876-1959), and Clay Campbell Earle (1878-1883). Generations of this family have continued to live in Fort Worth and Tarrant County.
Adeliza Brown Earle hailed from a prominent Virginia family, the daughter of a Randolph County district attorney. From her home, she heard the sound of cannon from one of the first skirmishes of the Civil War. She moved to Fort Worth after marrying Archibald Earle.
Charles Jefferson Earle, a farmer, was the son of Archibald and Adeliza Earle. He married Clara Boyer in 1912; the couple had seven children.
The Earle Family Papers is primarily comprised of correspondence between Archibald Earle, Adeliza Brown Earle, and their middle son, Charles Jefferson Earle, from 1893 to 1903. The letters, penned from Chicago, Illinois, and Fort Worth, Pampa, and White Deer, Texas, discuss daily life on the farm, cattle markets, family matters, and condolences following the death of Archibald Earle in 1903. The collection also includes photocopied newspaper clippings, obituaries, the memorial record of Adeliza Earle, and digital files of all collection materials plus an index to the abbreviations of names used in the transcription.
The Earle Family Papers reflect farm life at the turn of the century. Those interested in the pioneers of Fort Worth, Texas, would also be interested in this family who was one of the early settlers of the city.
Open for research.
Permission to publish, reproduce, distribute, or use by any and all other current or future developed methods or procedures must be obtained in writing from Special Collections, The University of Texas at Arlington Library. All rights are reserved and retained regardless of current or future development or laws that may apply to fair use standards.
Gift of Robert Thomas Connell,
Gift,
Accessioned as number 2009-25.
Earle Family Papers, 1893-1942, AR554, Box Number, Folder Number, Special Collections, The University of Texas at Arlington Library.
The finding aid was prepared by Ann Hoang on May 11, 2011, and revised by Brenda S. McClurkin on August 30, 2011 and April 18, 2012. Janet Earle transcribed the letters contained in this collection, created a list of abbreviations used in the transcriptions, and digitized all collection materials.
The Earle Family Papers are arranged alphabetically by record type then chronologically thereunder.
Many of the letters in this collection are very fragile. Please use care when handling them. Each letter is followed by its transcript. Please keep the papers in each folder in their original order.
These materials are indexed under the following headings in the catalog of The University of Texas at Arlington Library. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
Two personal letters from Archibald Earle, Jr. to Adeliza Earle, with transcripts.
Correspondence between Archibald Earle, Jr., Adeliza Earle, and Charles Earle, discussing daily life, family matters, and farm and cattle business, with transcripts.
Correspondence between Archibald Earle, Jr., Adeliza Earle, and Charles Earle, discussing daily life, family matters, and farm and cattle business, with transcripts.
Correspondence between Archibald Earle, Jr., Adeliza Earle, and Charles Earle, discussing daily life, family matters, and farm and cattle business, with transcripts.
Correspondence between Archibald Earle, Jr., Adeliza Earle, and Charles Earle, discussing daily life, family matters, and farm and cattle business, with transcripts.
Personal correspondence and condolence letters in regards to the death of Archibald Earle, Jr., with transcripts.
Two letters between Charles Earle and Adeliza Earle discussing daily life, family matters, and the family farm, with transcripts.
Three compact discs containing digital files of all collection materials plus index of names and initials used in the transcripts. The digital file for the May 16, 1901, correspondence between Adeliza Earle and Charles Earle was mislabeled as 1902.
Photocopy of memorial service record of Adeliza Earle.
Photocopies of articles on Adeliza Earle, obituaries of Adeliza Earle and Clara Boyer Earle.