urn:taro:utexas.cah.01854 A Guide to the Columbus Lafayette Thurmond Papers, 1829-1918 Original EAD encoding by Laurel Rozema according to TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing Instructions. July 2010 Finding aid written in English. Descriptive Summary Thurmond, Columbus Lafayette, b. 1833. Thurmond, Columbus Lafayette, Papers 1829-1918 Materials are written in English. 1940; 1952 3 ft., 4 in. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin Correspondence and letterpresses, legal papers, receipts and drafts, and printed material comprise the Columbus Lafayette Thurmond Papers, 1829-1918. The collection primarily concerns Thurmond’s land agent firm, Thurmond & Co., focusing on land recovery and location in Victoria, Dewitt, and Jackson counties. Furthermore, the correspondence and legal papers pertain to the sale of livestock, his general mercantile businesses, and Thurmond’s work as Victoria County tax collector and sheriff. Additional correspondence relate to other land agents and attorneys. Biographical Note

Born in Tennessee to John and Ann (Sturgis) Thurmond, Columbus Lafayette “Zip” Thurmond (b. 1833) joined his brother Alfred Sturgis Thurmond (1816-1873?) in Victoria, Texas, in the 1850s. In 1857, he married Maggie McGrew, with whom he had eleven children. Thurmond became a salesman for Jesse O. Wheeler and a businessman, operating a grocery store, general mercantile store, and ranch in Victoria, Goliad, and Brownsville. He also served as a U.S. marshal (1858-1861), Victoria County tax collector (1858-1865), and Victoria County sheriff (1874-1880; 1886-1892). With his son, C. L. Thurmond, Jr. in the 1850s, Thurmond established the land agent firm of Thurmond & Co., specializing in land location and recovery for out-of-state businessmen. The land agency became his primary focus after the Civil War, until his death, probably in the late 1890s or early 1900s.

Sources:

Columbus Lafayette Thurmond Papers, 1829-1918, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.

Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. Thurmond, Columbus Lafayette, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/TT/fth39.html (accessed August 3, 2010).

 Scope and Contents

Correspondence and letterpresses, legal papers, receipts and drafts, and printed material comprise the Columbus Lafayette Thurmond Papers, 1829-1918. The collection primarily concerns Thurmond’s land agent firm, Thurmond & Co., focusing on land recovery and location in Victoria, Dewitt, and Jackson counties. Furthermore, the correspondence and legal papers pertain to the sale of livestock, his general mercantile businesses, and Thurmond’s work as Victoria County tax collector and sheriff. Additional correspondence relate to other land agents and attorneys, including A. J. Cunningham, John McDougall of the Texas Land Agency of New Orleans, A. B. Peticolas, S. M. Scott, the Menefee family, A. P. Thurmond, and Alfred S. Thurmond. Materials consist of legal papers with deeds, agreements, field notes, powers of attorney; receipts and drafts with land transactions, tax documents, rent collections, and financial accounts; printed material with a wedding invitation, a brief, and blank forms; and business correspondence with correspondence, survey plats, promissory notes, a notebook, and genealogical material.

 Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

 Index Terms Subjects (Persons) Thurmond, Columbus Lafayette, b. 1833 -- Archives. Carleton, Frederick Collett, J. H. Cunningham, A. J. Darden, Stephen H. King, Horatio L. Kleberg, Rudolph, 1847-1924 Kowalski, Benjamin McDougall, John Menefee, John Sutherland, 1813-1884 Menefee, Thomas, 1779-1858 Milner, Furnell M. Peticolas, A. B. (Alfred Brown), 1838-1915 Rosenberg, W. v. (William von) Russell, F. B. Scott, S. M. Silliman, C. H. Sims, Henry A. Thurmond, A. P. Thurmond, Alfred Sturgis, 1816-1873? Thurmond, Columbus Lafayette, Jr. Webb, J. P. Wheeler, Jesse Obadiah, 1813-1867 Subjects (Organizations) Brawnson & Sibley Ellis & Mullally Thurmond & Co. Thurmond & Lowe Subjects Sheriffs -- Texas -- Victoria County. Real estate agents -- Texas. Tax collection -- Texas -- Victoria County. Grocery trade -- Texas. Mercantile system -- Texas. Places Little Rock (Ark.) -- History -- Sources. Austin (Tex.) -- History -- Sources. Dewitt County (Tex.) -- History -- Sources. Jackson County (Tex.) -- History -- Sources. Victoria (Tex.) -- History -- Sources. Preferred Citation

Columbus Lafayette Thurmond Papers, 1829-1918, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

 Separated Material

Some material has been separated to the Map Collection.

 Processing Information

Revisions were made by Larry Cook, July 1983.

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: 2H30 Business correspondence: 2H30 January 1849-June 1884 2H31 July 1884-December 1885 2H32 January 1886-May 1887 2H33 June 1887-May 1889, January 1893-July 1918, undated 2H33 Fragments 3H34 Legal papers, 1834-1898 3H34 Receipts and drafts, 1829-1897 3H34 Printed material, 1885-1911, undated 3H35 Letter presses: 3H35 August 1884 - September 1885 3H35 May 1884 - February 1885 3H35 February-November 1885 3H35 November 1885 - June 1886 3H35 November 1885 - August 1887 3H36 June 1886 - April 1887 3H36 April 1887 - November 1887 3H36 November 1887 - November 1888 3H36 December 1888 - December 1889 3H37 August 1883 - August 1889 3H37 December 1889 - February 1893 3H37 June 1918 - August 1918