A Guide to the Aline B. Carter Family Papers, 1823-1970 (bulk 1885-1955)

Biographical Sketch

1st Generation (Alines's Great Grandparents): Elizabeth Mary Minefee and Wilson I. Riddle ([1811]-1847) married in 1841 in Tennessee. The couple moved to San Antonio where Wilson was a merchant and owned three lots of land in San Antonio's first settlement known as La Villita. In 1842 Wilson was captured by the Mexicans and imprisoned in Perote following the invasion of Rafael Vásquez. His wife Elizabeth escaped and fled to Gonzales with their baby, Sarah. Wilson was released from prison in 1843, but died a few years later in 1847. A widow with two children at age 27, Elizabeth later married Harvey Canterbury with whom she had four additional children.

2nd Generation (Aline's Grandparents): James Wilson Riddle, son of Elizabeth and Wilson I. Riddle, served in the Civil War and later became a wholesale and detail dealer in general merchandise, importing Mexican products and paying cash for pelts and wool.

Sarah Elizabeth Riddle (1842-1947), sister of James Wilson Riddle, was the first Anglo-American girl born in San Antonio. She married Robert Eager of Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1867 at the age of 25. Together they had three daughters: Florence, Blanche and Fannie. Sarah never remarried after Robert's death in 1893. She was a member of the Daughters of the Revolution and was employed by the state of Texas as the manager of the Alamo in the early 1900s. Sarah lived at 434 South Alamo Street until her death in 1947 at the age of 105.

3rd Generation (Aline's Mother and Aunts): Florence C. Eagar Roberts (1867-1969), daughter of Sarah Riddle Eagar, was one of the most popular society women in San Antonio of her time. At the age of 40, she married Major Harris Lee Roberts and moved to Manila, Philippines where Major Roberts was stationed in the Army. By 1913 they had returned to the United States and settled in Galveston. Florence was no stranger to traveling abroad. Prior to her marriage, she had taken several trips to California and New York, and had cruised on the Adriatic in 1895 and traveled to Canada in 1901. She was a member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and of the opposing faction, the DeZavala Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. An artist who had studied in New York, Florence illustrated her good friend Clara Driscoll's book titled In the Shadow of the Alamo. Florence was also appointed custodian of the historical exhibit in the Texas State Building at the World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1907.

Blanche Eagar Badger (1867-19??), twin sister of Florence, married Frank J. Badger. They had two children: Charlotte Blanche (1893-1906) who died of illness in her youth, and Aline [1892]-1972.

Fannie Henrietta Eagar McCullough (1869-19??), sister of Florence and Blanche, married Edward J. McCullough in 1890. Edward was part owner of Mensing & McCullough Wholesale Druggists in Galveston, TX. The couple had three children.

4th Generation (Aline Badger Carter): Aline B. Carter ([1892]-1972) is most widely known for her work as a poet, but she was also interested in music, art, philosophy and astronomy. Her aim in life was to work through the arts for world peace. Aline was privately tutored and then attended Wellsley in 1913. She also studied harp at the Boston Conservatory. In 1915 she married Henry Champe Carter (1861-1948), a well-known Texas attorney, Judge and former president of the State Bar Association of Texas. They raised three sons: Henry Champe, Frank and David.

Aline served as Poet Laureate of Texas from 1947-1949 and as vice-president of the Poetry Society of Texas. She was a charter member of Avalon and encouraged aspiring poets through the annual Aline B. Carter Peace Prize. She also frequently awarded prizes for poems by high school students and adults. Aline published and illustrated her first book of poetry, Halo of Love, donating all proceeds to charity. In 1968 she published a second book, Doubt Not the Dream. Her books were on exhibit at the Woman's Pavilion during HemisFair in 1968. Her work also appeared in numerous publications and anthologies. One of Aline's final works is a 1,000 page historical fiction manuscript entitled Light Beyond the Hills, based on the life of her grandmother Sarah Riddle Eagar, in Old San Antonio. The manuscript was never published, but is in this collection.

Known as the "White Angel" in her flowing white organdy dresses, Aline was widely admired for her charity. She visited jails to comfort and encourage prisoners to practice religion in daily life. The collection contains several letters from prisoners who wrote Aline asking for her influence upon the court and seeking inspiration to better their lives. She was also legendary for throwing an annual Christmas party for the children of a San Antonio orphanage. Deeply centered in her faith, Aline maintained a chapel in her home at 119 Taylor Street and at the family vacation beach property in Port Aransas. Both residences are still maintained by her sons.

5th Generation (Aline's Sons): Aline and her husband Henry Champe Carter raised three sons.

Henry Champe Carter, Jr. (1917-1960) had earned a pilot's license, but took up a life of crime and was killed at age 43.

Frank J. Carter (1919-) attended the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, in 1938 and entered the Navy in 1942. Frank wrote his mother about his training as a Range Finder, and his service experience during WWII.

David Paul Carter (1921-) also served in WWII. He was in the Army and stationed in New York City as a commanding officer at the 38th Station Hospital. Following his discharge in November 1945, David traveled to Alaska, which is documented in his letters home. He later attended the University of Houston and South Texas, and became a well-respected lawyer in San Antonio.

Sources:

San Antonio Light, May 5, 1947.

San Antonio Express News, Oct. 10, 1948.

South Texas: the newsletter, Summer, 1998. Vol. IV No. 3.

Handbook of Texas Online, "La Villita Earthworks", accessed June 14, 2001.

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Scope and Content Note

The Aline B. Carter Family Papers vividly document this prominent poet and five generations of her family in the form of correspondence, notebooks, diaries, newsclippings, a few photographs and a historical fiction manuscript. The bulk of the collection consists of a series of letters that document life in San Antonio as it was experienced and described by five generations of Carter family members and friends. The earliest letters are from Aline's great grandmother and continue through to her sons' generation. The collection is divided into two series: Correspondence (1823-1970) and Family Papers (1841-1969).

Correspondence (1823-1970) contains the bulk of the collection, and consists of personal letters written among family members and their friends over the course of more than a century. The correspondence is arranged by generation beginning with Aline Carter's great grandmother, Elizabeth Mary Minefee, and concluding with Aline's sons. Under each generation the letters are arranged according to who wrote them (beginning with the oldest generation and proceeding to the youngest). The majority of the letters date from 1885-1950 and because the letters were so frequently written from one generation to the next, they provide insight into daily life of an early San Antonio family, especially during the late 19th to mid 20th centuries. Correspondents describe social expectations, health, travel, local news and town gossip, family updates, and land prospects and disputes. In addition to understanding family roles and social customs, one is also able to gain a strong sense of the expectations and roles of women of their class as they describe their daily routines and concerns. Most of the correspondents were originally from San Antonio and wrote while away for extended periods in places such as New York or California, or after moving to towns in Texas such as Galveston.

The second series, Family Papers (1841-1969), contains a few legal and financial papers, however, the bulk of the series consists of personal items offering insight into the family's accomplishments, values, and traditions. Included are school notebooks and composition books containing essays and quotes, diaries, photographs, newsclippings, publications, recipes and an unpublished manuscript by Aline B. Carter. Two diaries exist in the collection. Florence Eagar Roberts (Aline's aunt) wrote her diary from 1879-1881 when she was 12-14 years old. Young Flo writes about the highlights of her day often including school, music lessons and time spent with her sisters. Also included is Aline's diary written in 1913 when she was 21 years old. That year Aline was seriously ill and residing in New York. Aline's deep faith and her close relationship with her family is evident in her entries. While the entries in either of the two diaries are not daily, they are frequent. Family Papers also includes a few photographs of Sarah Riddle Eagar and Aline in addition to some unidentified photographs. Newsclippings and publications highlight the accomplishments of Aline Carter and contain information on Sarah Riddle and her daughters. A post card collection of early San Antonio sites gathered by Sarah Riddle is located in this series. Also of note are several sex education pamphlets from the early 1900s. A highlight of this series is the 1,000 page historical fiction manuscript entitled "Light Beyond the Hills", written by Aline B. Carter based on her grandmother Sarah Riddle Eagar's life in Old San Antonio.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Researchers are required to wear gloves provided by the Archives when reviewing photographic materials.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish from the collection must be obtained from the Archives and Special Collections, University of Texas at San Antonio Library.

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Related Material

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Separated Material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Aline B. Carter Family Papers, 1823-1970, MS 94, Archives and Special Collections, University of Texas at San Antonio Library.

Acquisition Information

The papers were donated by David Carter in March 2000 (Acc. #2000-011).

Processing Information

Processed by Toni Jeske, Assistant Archivist, November 2001.

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Detailed Description of Collection

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