Descriptive Summary
Fanthorp Inn
Fanthorp Inn Records
1832-1888
Materials are written in English.
79-66
1 ft., 8 in.
Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The
University of Texas at Austin
Henry Fanthorp built the Fanthorp Inn
in 1834 near the intersection of stage roads from Houston to Springfield and
Nacogdoches to San Felipe de Austin in what is now Anderson in Grimes County, Texas.
The records consist of Henry Fanthorp's twenty-seven ledgers, dating from 1832-1888,
which document the operation of the Fanthorp Inn and an associated mercantile
business.
Historical Note
Henry Fanthorp built the Fanthorp Inn in 1834 near the intersection of stage roads
from Houston to Springfield and Nacogdoches to San Felipe de Austin in what is now
Anderson in Grimes County, Texas. The inn became the first post office in the area
when Fanthorp was appointed postmaster of Grimes County in 1835. In 1837 he opened a
general store at the inn with his brother-in-law, Mike Kennard and Abraham Womack.
The inn served many important historical figures, including Sam Houston, Anson
Jones, and Robert E. Lee.
Scope and Contents
The Fanthorp Inn Records consist of Henry Fanthorp's twenty-seven ledgers, dating
from 1832 to 1888, which document the operation of the Fanthorp Inn and an associated
mercantile business. The records include ledgers of credit accounts, daily records
of transactions, guest registers, bound invoices from suppliers, and stage line
records. Furthermore, they document the many important personages who visited the
inn and their various travel plans.
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research use.
Index Terms
Subjects (Persons)
Fanthorp, Henry.
Houston, Sam, 1793-1863.
Lee, Robert E. (Robert Edward), 1807-1870.
Jones, Anson, 1798-1858
Subjects (Organizations)
Fanthorp Inn.
Subjects
Hotels--Texas--History.
Places
Anderson (Tex.)
Grimes County (Tex.)
Nacogdoches (Tex.)
Houston (Tex.)
San Felipe de Austin (Tex.)
Preferred Citation
Fanthorp Inn Records, 1832-1888, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The
University of Texas at Austin.
Processing Information
Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the
National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe
Center’s “History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light project,” 2009-2011.
Detailed Description of the Papers
Inventory
4Zb16
Credit ledgers
1832-1838
1839
1847-1849
1866-1869
1866-1871
4Zb17
1867-1869
1868
1869-1870
1870-1875
1880-1885
4Zb18
1887-1888
4Zb15
Daybooks (daily records of transactions)
1832-1837
1839-1840
1847-1851
1847-1852
1854
1859-1861
1860-1866
4Zb16
1866-1867
1866-1871
4Zb17
Guest registers (includes transcript of registers)
1852-1854
1854-1855
1858-1860
4Zb18
1860-1861
Invoices
1863-1867
1869-1876
Stage line records, 1852-1859