urn:taro:utexas.cah.00482 A Guide to the Jefferson Chaison-Holland Family Papers, 1880-1999 April 6, 2006Encoded in XMetal 2 by Amy Ziegler according to instructions in TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing Instructions. Descriptive Summary Chaison, Jefferson Jefferson Chaison-Holland Family Papers, 1880-1999Materials are written in English. 2003-168 12 ft., 4 in. Center for American History,The University of Texas at Austin Family papers document the Chaison and Holland families in Beaumont, Texas from 1880 to 1999 including the family businesses of The Texas Rice Land Company, Chaison Construction Company, and Jefferson Chaison Townsite Company. Biographical Note

Claude Elery Holland was born in 1904 to William Claude Holland, son of William E. Holland and Josephine Brown, and Ola Gripon. Claude Elery Holland graduated from Beaumont High School; South Park Junior College; The University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a bachelor’s in business administration; and Houston’s School of Law. After graduating from law school, Claude Elery held many positions in insurance, the military, and law. He worked for T.H. Mastin and Company, in the insurance industry, as a territorial manager, and eventually retired as the owner-operator of Holland Insurance Agency. While working for T.H. Mastin and Company Holland married Eloise Chaison, who was born in 1909, and who also attended Beaumont High School. Prior to her marriage to Claude Elery, Eloise was wed to Edward Laughlin, who died May 13, 1937. She was a civic and church leader involved in the Junior League of Beaumont and the Texas Gulf Historical Society. Together Claude and Eloise had two children, David and Jimmie. While the children were still young, Claude Elery began a lengthy career in the Navy spanning 1942 to 1962. He sailed on the USS Starlight to Pearl Harbor, where he was an administrative assistant to the commander of the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard. Additionally, he was an air raid warden for Harris County in 1942. Claude Holland was a member of many organizations including the Beaumont Country Club, International Hospitality Committee, and Royal Order of Jesters. Both Claude and Eloise were members of the Anglo-Texan Society founded in 1953 to foster and promote friendship between Texas and the United Kingdom. One of Claude Elery’s cousins, Corwin G. Mendenhall, had a celebrated military career in the Navy. He was the Captain of the USS Warrington and wrote about his experiences aboard the USS Sculpin and the USS Pintado in his book, Submarine Diary.

Eloise Chaison Holland was born to Charles James Chaison and Lola Lebleu. Charles founded both the Jefferson Townsite Company, which engaged primarily in the rental of real estate and the construction of homes, and the Texas Rice Land Company, which profited from rice farming and cattle raising. Her grandparents were Clara Baldwin and Thomas Jefferson Chaison, who served as Jefferson County’s first county judge in 1890. Her great-grandparents were Elizabeth McFaddin and a cattle rancher, Magloire Chaison. Eloise Chaison’s lineage traces back to Jean Baptiste Chaison, the father of Magloire Chaison, and one of two veterans of the American Revolution buried in Jefferson County.

 Scope and Contents

Correspondence, legal and financial documents, printed material, case files, maps, photographs, scrapbooks, and artifacts document the Chaison and Holland families in Beaumont, Texas from 1897 to 1999. The collection is comprised of five series: Claude Elery Holland papers, Eloise Chaison Holland papers, Holland family papers, Chaison family papers, and family business interests. Family members are listed chronologically within the Holland family papers and Chaison family papers. The majority of the records were created by Claude Elery Holland and Eloise Holland. Claude Elery’s papers document his life in the navy from 1941 to 1962, including military education, training orders, guides, and a typed diary of his experiences at Pearl Harbor. Eloise Chaison Holland’s papers document the resolution of her first husband, Edward Laughlin’s, estate, as well as Eloise’s presidency of the Junior League of Beaumont and membership in the Texas Gulf Historical Society. The Holland family papers reflect the lives of William Claude Holland, Ola Gripon, William E. Holland, Tracy Gripon, David Holland, Jimmie Holland, and Corwin Guy Mendenhall, including William Claude Holland’s career as an auto mechanics teacher at South Park Public Schools. The Chaison Family papers are comprised largely of correspondence between Charles J. and Lola Lebleu Chaison and their daughter Eloise. Assorted correspondence, ephemera, and newspaper clippings document Beaumont history, including early church history, Spindletop, and social events, as well as Chaison family members and friends, including Jefferson Chaison, Jean Houk, Jean Baptiste Chaison, Clara Chaison, and other prominent members of the Beaumont community. Family business interests include the Texas Rice Land Company, Chaison Construction Company, and Jefferson Chaison Townsite Company. Records of the Texas Rice Land Company and its parent company, the Jefferson Chaison Townsite Company, document the administrative history of the company, family struggles over the company’s management, and property lines. The Chaison Construction Company is documented only by a company calendar.

Use Restrictions

A portion of these papers is restricted. Contact repository for further information.

 Preferred Citation

Jefferson Chaison-Holland Family Papers, 1897-1999, Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

 Index Terms Chaison, Jefferson Holland, Claude Elery Holland, Eloise Chaison Mendenhall, Corwin Guy Chaison Construction Company Jefferson Chaison Townsite Company Texas Rice Land Company Rice farmers-Texas World War II Texas-Beaumont Detailed Description of the Papers Claude Elery Holland Papers 4M816A Personal papers 4M816A Correspondence, July-October 1934 4M816B November 1934-1935 4M816C 1944-1983, undated 4M817A Education 4M817A Beaumont High School 4M817A Creative works 4M817A Composition book, undated 4M817A Dictation, undated 4M817A High School News, 1919-1923 4M817A Sketches, 1913, undated 4M817A Typing exercises, 1921 4M817A Printed material 4M817A Report card, 1917 4M817A Typing certificate, 1920 4M817A South Park Junior College 4M817A Creative works 4M817A English assignments, 1923-1924, undated 4M817A The Sparkplug, 1923 4M817A The Navigator, 1924 4M817B Printed material 4M817B Student term report, 1923 4M817B Diploma, 1925 4M817B Reunion program, 1983 4M817B University of Texas at Austin 4M817B Creative works 4M817B Chemistry exams, 1924 4M817B Business statistics assignments, 1925 4M817B Business administration notes and assignments, 1925-1926 4M817C Government course assignments, 1927 4M817C Philosophy essays, 1927 4M817C Physical Anthropology assignments, 1927 4M817C College notebook, 1927, undated 4M817C Assorted essays, undated 4M817C Printed material 4M817C International trade desk maps, undated 4M817C Commencement program, 1927 4M817C Law school 4M817C Exams, 1930-1933 4M817C Legal documentation 4M817C Birth certificate, 1904 4M817C Abstract of title, 1956-1957 4M818A 1962, 1970 4M818A Agreements, 1947-1970 4M818A Deeds, 1945-1960 4M818A Liens, 1965, 1976 4M818A Real estate 4M818A Averill Addition property, 1955-1961 4M818B D. Brown survey, 1954-1956 4M818B Kenwood, 1957-1960 4M818B West End buildings, 1951-1970 4M818B Financial documentation 4M818B Bank statements, 1962, 1967-1969, 1981 4M818B Financial notebook, 1938-1942 4M818B Mortgage repayment schedule, 1957-1977 4M818B Real estate tax receipts, 1955-1980 4M818B Receipts, 1981, 1983 4M818B Printed material 4M818B Certificates, 1976, 1979 4M818C Organizations 4M818C Anglo-Texan Society, 1968 4M818C Milege and expense travel record, 1938 4M818C Catalogs: Teatros and Conciertos, 1967 4M818C Greece, 1976 4M818C Trip mementos, 1967-1977 4M818C Beaumont Country Club 4M818C Membership list, 1946 4M818C Yearbook, 1948 4M818C International Hospitality Committee 4M818C Tentative program for Mr. Gurugobindo Basu, of Calcutta, India, 1961 4M818C Royal Order of Jesters 4M818C Roster, 1983 4M818C Newspaper clippings, 1963-1966, undated 4M818C Professional papers 4M818C Insurance manager 4M818C Letterhead, undated 4M818C Navy 4M818C Correspondence, 1942-1984 4M819A undated 4M819A Printed material 4M819A Forms, 1942-1956, undated 4M819A Indentification cards, 1942-1945, undated 4M819A Information guide for officers first reporting for duty, 1943 4M819A Naval reserve law seminar roster, 1957, 1959 4M819A Navy certificates, 1943-1962 4M819A Organization of German Secret Service charts, undated 4M819A Programs, 1944-1953 4M819A Travel vouchers, 1942-1945 4M819A Reports 4M819A Active duty for training orders, 1949-1962 4M819A Officer service record, 1956 4M819A Physical examination, 1941-1945 4M819A Creative works 4M819A Correspondence course, 1949-1957 4M819A History of USS Tarawa, undated 4M819A Notes on trip from Norfolk to Pearl Harbor, undated 4M819A Ships present at Navy Yard in Pearl Harbor, 1945 4M819A Financial documentation 4M819A Expenditure claims, 1943-1944 4M819A Receipts, 1942-1945 4M819A Assorted material, undated 3S116 Photographs 3S116 Naval Reserve Law Company, 1955-1957 Restricted Negatives, 1943, 1945 4M819A Harris County Air Raid Warden 4M819A Identification card, 1942 4M819A Training course final examination, undated Eloise Chaison Holland Papers 4M819B Edward Laughlin Estate, 1915-1945 4M819B Correspondence, 4M819B 1953-1968 4M819C 1969-1999 4M820A Beaumont High School 4M820A Graduation book, 1925 4M820A Financial documentation 4M820A Balance sheet, 1956 4M820A Bank statements, 1947-1951 4M820B 1952-August 1954 4M820C September 1954-1960, 1982 4M820C Car license receipts, 1967-1972 4M820C Legal documentation 4M820C Birth certificate, 1909 4M820C Agreements, 1960, 1966 4M820C Deed, 1977 4M820C Organizations 4M820C Junior Leage of Beaumont 4M820C Annual report, 1966-1967, 1970-1971 4M820C Program, 1946 4M821A Texas Gulf Historical Society, 4M821A Texas Gulf Historical and Biographical Record, 1972 4N78B Scrapbooks (2), 4N78B 1901-1924, undated 4N79 1901-1924, undated 4M821A Newspaper clippings, 1949-1984, undated 4M821A Assorted material, 1940, undated Holland Family Papers 4M821A William E. Holland 4M821A Legal documentation 4M821A Abstract of title, 1926, 1955 4M821A Deed, 1945 4M821A Funeral announcement, 1908 4M821A Tracy Gripon 4M821A Notebook of poems and letters, 1880 4M821A Mrs. Hal Gripon estate file, 1954 4M821B William C. Holland 4M821B Personal papers 4M821B Correspondence, 1900-1902 4M821B 1911-1945, undated 4M821B Postcard collection, 1909-1912 4M821B Education 4M821B University of Texas at A&M 4M821B Geometric plates, 1901 4M821B The Long Horn, Texas A&M Yearbook, 1903 4M821B Legal documentation 4M821B Deeds, 1923-1941 4M821C Trusts, 1905, 1955, 1961 4M821C Funeral 4M821C Gould monument works guarantee, 1949 4M821C Funeral programs, 1964 4M821C Memorial service book, 1964 4M821C Sympathy cards, 1964 4M821C Professional papers 4M821C Beaumont High School 4M821C The Bee, 1911 4M821C Southpark High School 4M821C Exam administered, 1909 4M821C Legal documentation 4M821C Teaching certificate, 1912-1913 4M821C Teachers' contract, 1924-1927 4M821C Spindletop, 1920-1921 4M821C Heating, Ventilating, Air-Conditioning 4M821C Printed material 4M821C Letterhead, undated 4M822A Ola Gripon 4M822A Correspondence, 1898-1901, 1924-1944, undated 4M822A Education 4M822A South End Beaumont School 4M822A Report book, 1894 4M822A Newspaper clippings, undated 4M822A Jimmie Holland 4M822A Creative works 4M822A School notes, 1954-1956 4M822A Printed material 4M822A Certificate, 1945 4M822A Newspaper clippings, undated 4M822B David Holland 4M822B Correspondence, 1966-1999, undated 4N25b Scrapbook, 1960-1965, undated 4M822C Newspaper clippings, 1955-1984 3S116 Photographs, undated 4M822C Corwin Guy Mendenhall 4M822C Printed material 4M822C Programs, 1939, 1956 4M822C Newspaper clippings, undated 4M822C Assorted individual newspaper clippings, 1935-1996, undated 3S116 Family photographs, 1976, undated Chaison Family Papers 4M822C Jefferson Chaison 4M822C Printed material 4M822C Funeral announcement, 1897 4M822C Charles J. Chaison 4M822C Correspondence, 1942-1943, undated 4M822C Lola Leblue Chaison 4M822C Correspondence, 1922-1968, undated 4M823A Financial documentation 4M823A Receipts, 1951-1968 4M823A Chaison family newspaper clippings, 1960, 1972, 1976, undated 4M823A Assorted material 4M823A Beaumont history newspaper clippings, 1961-1980, undated 4M823A Correspondence, 1926-1987 4M823A Ephemera, 1902-1968, undated 4M823A Material, 1938 4M823A Newspaper clippings, 1899-1999, undated 3S116 Photographic material 3S116 Unidentified photos, undated 3S116 Unidentified negatives, 1944, undated Family Business Interests 4M823B Texas Rice Land Company 4M823B Board of Director's meeting minutes, 1910, 1972-1976 4M823B Stockholders, 1967, undated 4M823B Proxy statement, undated 4M823B Annual reports, 1916-1917, 1930-1959 4M823C 1960-1972 4M823C Correspondence, 1937, 1949-1981, undated 4M823C Notes, 1955-1973, undated 4M823C Employee time book, 1968-1969 4M824A Holland's case file, 1972-1973, undated 4M824A Financial documentation 4M824A Estimated cost per acre of first crop rice, 1940-1952, 1975 4M824A Financial statements, 1957-1978 4M824A Invoices, 1951, 1955 4M824A Receipts, 1967-May 1968 4M824B June 1968-1982 4M824B Rice sales, 1967-1968 4M824B Sales tickets, 1951 4M824B Legal documentation 4M824B Legal correspondence, 1973-1974 4M824B Easement, 1975 4M824B Exxon royalties, 1975, 1981 4M824B Notice of producer rice acreage allotment, 1950-1981 4M824B Open space land application, 1980 4M824B Property descriptions of right of way deeds, 1967 4M824C Record of cooperator's decisions and progress in application, 1964 4M824C Record of premeasured acreage, 1960-1965 4M824C Report of acreage and certification of compliance, 1971-1973 4M824C Warehouse storage note and security agreements, 1970-1971 4M824C Water contract with Lower Neches Valley Authority, 1974 4M824C Cattle 4M824C Cattle account, 1955-1958, 1968 4M824C Cattle inventory, 1966-1973 4M824C Soil and water conservation plan, undated 4M824C Printed material 4M824C Maps, 1956-1963, undated OD1316 Oversize maps OD1316 East Lovell's Lake, Jefferson County, Texas, 1969 OD1316 Geological structure map, undated OD1316 Map indicating land divisions and ownership, undated OD1316 Plan of proposed fresh water reservoir located on the property of Texas Rice Land Company (blueprint), 1944 OD1316 Plat showing acreage of tracts in Texas Rice Land Company, 1949 OD1316 Sketch map of P. Lemane and J.J. Chaison surveys, 1951 OD1316 Soil and capability map, 1958 OD1316 Unidentified maps, undated OD1316 Oversize newspaper clippings 4M824C Measurement conversion tables, undated 4M824C Newspaper clippings, 1953, 1971-1973, undated 4M824C Postcards, undated 4M824C Organizations 4M824C Agricultural Stabliziation and Conservation Service 4M824C Committee minutes, 1959 4M824C Cotton and rice coverage plan, 1984 4M824C Newsletter, 1959 4M824C American Rice Incorporated 4M824C Stockholders meeting, 1979 4M824C American Rice Grower's Cooperative Association 4M824C Correspondence, 1953-1982 4M824C Report of examination, 1962-1972 4M825A Settlements, 1952, 1970-1973 4M825A Written notification of by-law consent, 1963 4M825A Farmers Storage Association 4M825A Balance sheet, 1970 4M825A Correspondence, 1982 4M825A Gulf Coast Storage Association 4M825A Balance sheet, 1970-1972 4M825A Correspondence, 1982 4M825A Mobil Chemical Company 4M825A Papers concerning waste water, 1965, undated 4M825A Rice Outlook 4M825A Conference articles, 1981-1982 4M825A Texas Agricultural Extension Service-Texas A&M University System 4M825A Publications, 1978-1984 4M825A United State Department of Agriculture 4M825A Jefferson County Soil Survey, 1965 4M825A United States Department of Commerce 4M825A Census of agriculture, 1968-1969 3S116 Photographs 3S116 Equipment, undated 4M825A Jefferson Chaison Townsite Company 4M825A Cattle branch record, 1971 4M825A Report on soil investigation, undated 4M825A Stockholders meeting minutes, undated 4M825A Chaison Construction Company 4M825A Calendar, 1965 Artifact Collection