Descriptive Summary
Terrell Hills (Texas)
City of Terrell Hills, Texas Records
1838-1956
1919-1941
Materials are in English.
MS 49
0.8 linear feet (about 600 items)
University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections
The City of Terrell Hills is a residential community between Alamo Heights and Fort Sam Houston. In 1919, Dr. Fredrick Terrell sold the property to a group of San Antonio businessmen, who formed the Terrell Hills Community. This group established basic services in the area such as electricity. Terrell hills was incorporated as a town and elected a mayor in 1939. The City was established in 1957.
The collection spans the years 1838 through 1956 and includes correspondence and other information about various projects and activities. Most of the material concerns the founding and early management, in the 1920s and 1930s, of the Community that would later become the City of Terrell Hills.
Historical Note
The City of Terrell Hills is a residential community located between Alamo Heights and Fort Sam Houston along Austin Highway inside Loop 410. It is named for Dr. Frederick Terrell, the President of City National Bank who served as San Antonio's Mayor in 1901. In 1919, Dr. Terrell sold approximately 22.5 acres of property to William Church, the trustee for a group that would become the Terrell Hills Community. The group included some of San Antonio's most prominent businessmen including Alfred G. Ranney, William K. Ewing and Albert Steves Jr. The Terrell Hills Community held meetings in order to discuss and manage community issues such as traffic and construction. This group arranged for services such as electric and water service and sewer lines to be established.
In 1939, Terrell Hills was incorporated as a town and W.L. Mathews was elected Mayor. In 1945, San Antonio attempted to annex the town without allowing an election in either Terrell Hills or San Antonio. Terrell Hills took San Antonio to district court and the annexation was ruled illegal. Terrell Hills became a City with a home rule charter in 1957, and retained a mayor and council system of government.
According to the 1990 census the population of Terrell Hills was 4,592; the 1995 population estimate was 4, 644.
Scope and Content Note
The Records of the City of Terrell Hills contain correspondence, deeds, abstracts of titles and information about various city projects and activities. Most of the material concerns the founding and early management of the community that would later be the City of Terrell Hills. The collection is a valuable resource for examining the problems and issues facing a small community in Bexar County in the 1920s and 1930s including the establishment of basic services and construction. The collection is divided into three series.
The Terrell Hills Community series is the heart of the collection. It contains information from the group of property owners that conducted the business of the residence addition prior to its incorporation as a town in 1939. An Abstract of Title for the land of Terrell Hills shows the ownership of the property from 1838 to 1922. Some information from after incorporation is also included. This includes the 1946 District Court ruling concerning the annexation of Terrell Hills. Public Utilities contains contracts, bills and correspondence between officials of Town of Terrell Hills, property owners and various providers of different public utilities. In the early 1940s, Terrell Hills did not have taxes. Money was raised through a voluntary property assessment. Information on some of these assessments is included. The Correspondence series largely contains correspondence between members of the Terrell Hills Community discussing community issues such as the way financial costs were to be distributed and community membership. There is some correspondence from the 1940s that is from residents to town officials.
Organization of Collection
- Series 1. Terrell Hills Community
- Series 2. Public Utilities
- Series 3. Correspondence
Access Restrictions
This collection is housed at UTSA's Main Campus and must be accessed via the John Peace Library Special Collections reading room. To request access, please use the Collections Request Form.
Usage Restrictions
Permission to publish materials from the City of Terrell Hills, Texas Records must be obtained from University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], City of Terrell Hills, Texas, Records, 1838-1956, MS 49, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.
Acquisition Information
Received as a gift to University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections in 1980 (Acc. 1980-002).
Processing Information
Processed by Eric Hartmann, July 1998.
Index Terms
Organizations
Terrell Hills (Texas)
Subjects
Municipal services--Texas--Terrell Hills.
Public utilities--Texas--Terrell Hills.
Locations
Terrell Hills (Tex.)--History.
Genres/Formats
Correspondence.
Minutes.
Local Subjects
Neighborhood Associations
San Antonio History
Urban Development and Growth
Detailed Description of the Collection
Terrell Hills CommunityThis series contains information from the group of property owners that conducted the business of the residence addition prior to its incorporation as a town in 1939. An Abstract of Title for the land of Terrell Hills shows the ownership of the property from 1838 to 1922. Some information from after incorporation is also included. This includes the 1946 District Court ruling concerning the annexation of Terrell Hills.
1Legal Documents and Ordinances11Abstract of Title, 1838-192212Deeds, liens, gas and water lines, 193813Partnership, 1920-193514Petition, 192615Zoning Ordinances, 193616Financial Information, 1925-193917Maps, 1908, November 191918Meeting Minutes, 1919-192319News and Clippings, 1946-1956110Real Estate Sale, 1919-1920111Sewer Company, 1920-1946Public UtilitiesThis series contains contracts, bills and correspondence between officials of Town of Terrell Hills, property owners and various providers of different public utilities. In the early 1940s, Terrell Hills did not have taxes. Money was raised through a voluntary property assessment. Information on some of these assessments is included.
112Utilities information,1939-1940113Utilities information, 1941-1942114Utilities information,January-June 1943115Utilities information,July-December 194321Utilities information,January-March 194422Utilities information,April-June 194423Utilities information,July-September 194424Utilities information,October-December 1944CorrespondenceThis series largely contains correspondence between members of the Terrell Hills Community discussing community issues such as the way financial costs were to be distributed and community membership. There is some correspondence from the 1940s that is from residents to town officials.
25General correspondence, 1920-192126General correspondence, 192227General correspondence, 192328General correspondence, 192429General correspondence, 1925210General correspondence, 1926211General correspondence, 1927212General correspondence, 1939213General correspondence, 1941214General correspondence, 1944215Alley Way, 1931-1933216General correspondence, undated