urn:taro:utexas.cah.02146 A Guide to the W. L. Geer Papers, 1904-1941 Original EAD encoding by Lauren Algee according to TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing Instructions. December 2010 Finding aid written in English. Descriptive Summary Geer, Alma Louise, 1910-1985 Geer, William L. Geer, William L., Papers 1904-1941 Materials are written in English. 73-81 2 in. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin Comprised of correspondence, financial papers, and ephemera, the W. L. Geer Papers, 1904-1941, document the personal and business affairs of railroad agent William L. Geer and his daughter Alma Louise Geer. Biographical Note

William L. Geer was a commercial railroad agent in Texas. After serving as traveling freight agent for the St. Louis Southwestern at Dallas, he was appointed commercial agent with the St. Louis Southwestern at Waco in 1904. In 1912, the Stephenville, North & South Texas also appointed Geer a commercial agent at Waco. Geer’s daughter, Alma Louise Geer (1910-1985), attended Waco’s Baylor University in 1929 and later married Andrew Grant Ilseng (1907-1987).

Sources:

“Personal Mention.” The Railway Age, Vol. 38 (December 9, 1904): 838.

“Railway Officers.” Railway Age Gazette, Vol. 53 (September 20, 1912): 555.

Scope and Contents

Comprised of correspondence, financial papers, and ephemera, the W. L. Geer Papers, 1904-1941, document the personal and business affairs of railroad agent William L. Geer and his daughter Alma Louise Geer. The correspondence includes letters from Geer’s friends and railroad associates as well as Alma’s friends and romantic interests. The financial material consists of bankbooks and receipts, while ephemera includes Geer’s railway passes, menus from his trips, and printed cards and gift tags.

 Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

 Index Terms Subjects (Persons) Geer, Alma Louise, 1910-1985 -- Archives Geer, William L. -- Archives Subjects (Organizations) St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company Subjects Railroads -- Texas -- Employees. Places Waco (Tex.) -- Social life and customs -- 20th century. Preferred Citation

W. L. Geer Papers, 1904-1941, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

 Processing Information

This collection processed by M. J. Ellison, Sr., 1976. Subsequent revision made by Lawrence A. Landis, 1990.

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: 2D209 Ephemera 2D209 Financial papers 2D209 Correspondence