Descriptive Summary
Franke Ranch (Tex.)
Franke Ranch records
1904-1977
Materials are written in English.
88-189
2 ft.
Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The
University of Texas at Austin
Comprised of financial and legal
records, the Franke Ranch Records, 1904-1977, document the administration of the
Franke Ranch in El Campo, Wharton County, Texas from 1904 to 1919 and in Maverick
County from 1919 to 1977.
Historical Note
In El Campo, Wharton County, Texas, in 1904, Herman A. H.
A. Franke (1872-1971) and his brother Henry (1855-1925) founded the
Franke Ranch, where they raised cattle, sheep, chicken, bees, and hogs as well as
farmed rice, cotton, corn, and other crops. In 1918, H. A. acquired 8,000 acres in
Maverick County, where the ranch relocated in 1919. After buying out his brother’s
estate’s share in the cattle, H. A. leased the adjoining 4,500-acre Schmidt Ranch in
1934. Four years later, he joined in a ranching partnership with his children:
Arthur P., Edwin H., Clarence B., Sidney S., and Gertrude C., who had worked as a
bookkeeper for the ranch since 1929. Following H. A. Franke’s death, the family
dissolved their partnership in 1973 and sold the ranch four years later.
Scope and Contents
Comprised of financial and legal records, the Franke Ranch Records, 1904-1977,
document the administration of the Franke Ranch in El Campo, Wharton County, Texas
from 1904 to 1919 and in Maverick County from 1919 to 1977. Ledgers illustrate
expenses and income, taxes and social security payments, employees and time records,
herd numbers, and personal expenses for the Franke family. Additionally, the
collection includes deeds and notes regarding property and livestock as well as the
1977 survey for H.A. Franke’s estate
Access Restrictions
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.
This collection is open for research use.
Index Terms
Subjects (Persons)
Franke, H. A.
Franke, Henry.
Franke family.
Subjects (Organizations)
Franke Ranche (Tex.) -- Archives.
Subjects
Agriculture -- Texas.
Fishing -- Texas.
Hunting -- Texas.
Ranching -- Texas.
Places
El Campo (Tex.)
Maverick County (Tex.)
Wharton County (Tex.)
Preferred Citation
Franke Ranch Records, 1904-1977, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The
University of Texas at Austin.
Processing Information
This collection contains unprocessed materials.
Detailed Description of the Papers
Inventory
2.325/U28
Papers, 1904-1977
2.325/U29a
Papers, 1904-1977
2.325/U29b
Papers, 1904-1977
[RESTRICTED]