A Guide to the John V. Clay Collection, ca. 1768, undated.

Biographical Note

In 1965, John V. Clay (1912-1986), an amateur historian discovered El Orcoquisac, a Spanish presidio located in Chambers County, Texas. He was also fascinated with old houses in Chambers and Liberty counties, managing to photograph almost all of them. Before turning his attention to history, Clay worked for Shell Oil Company, except for a stint as a Seabee in the Pacific Theater during World War II.

Source:

Ladd, Kevin. "John V. Clay (1912-1986)." Accessed March 23, 2011.

Scope and Contents

Eighteenth century maps of Spanish presidios and undated photographs of Liberty County houses comprise the John V. Clay Collection. Created by Spanish cartographer Joseph Urrutia in the mid-eighteenth century, the maps document the presidios of San Saba, San Luis del las Amarillas, Nuestra Senora del Pilar del paso Vejar, San Juan del Rio Grande del Norte, and Bahia del Epiritu Santo.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

John V. Clay Collection, ca. 1768, undated, 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