Descriptive Summary
Anacacho
Ranche
Anacacho Ranche
Collection, 1875-1931
1875-1931Materials
primarily in English; some in
Spanish.
MS 131
0.6 linear feet (about
125 items)
Archives and Special
Collections Department, The University of Texas at San Antonio
Library.
The Anacacho
Ranche, located in Kinney and Maverick Counties, Texas, was a ranch run by a
firm comprised of brothers Samuel Jones Woodhull, Josiah Townsend Woodhull and
Oliver Jones Woodhull. The brothers were the sons of Josiah Woodhull,
birthplace unknown, and Hannah Jones Woodhull, born on Long Island, New York,
and settled in San Antonio. On the ranch, the brothers raised cattle, sheep and
goats.
The collection
spans the years 1875 through 1931 and reflects, chiefly through correspondence,
the business dealings of the Woodhull brothers, as well as some aspects of
their personal lives. The collection includes advertisements, bills-of-sale,
correspondence, contracts, inventories, newspaper clippings, permits, receipts,
and other administrative, legal and financial documents.
Historical Note
The Anacacho Ranche, located in Kinney and Maverick Counties, Texas,
was a ranch run by a firm comprised of brothers Samuel Jones Woodhull, Josiah
Townsend Woodhull and Oliver Jones Woodhull. The brothers were the sons of
Josiah Woodhull, birthplace unknown, and Hannah Jones Woodhull, born on Long
Island, New York, and settled in San Antonio. On the ranch, the brothers raised
cattle, sheep and goats. During the 1890s, Townsend Woodhull formed a banking
partnership with his father-in-law Thomas C. Frost of San Antonio, who would
later organize the Frost National Bank in San Antonio.
In addition to running the ranch, the Woodhull brothers, especially
Townsend, and their families were influential in civic and cultural affairs of
the area. Townsend served on several juries from 1883-1885 and, in 1885, he was
appointed County Commissioner in Kinney County by Judge I. L. Martin. A later
family member, Frost Woodhull, was district manager for an opponent of former
Texas Governor Pat Neff in his re-election bid of 1922.
Scope and Content Note
The Anacacho Ranche papers span the years 1875 through 1931 and
document the business dealings of the Woodhull brothers. The brothers formed a
firm, named the Woodhull Bros., and invested in land parcels as well as the
ranch. The documents offer a glimpse into daily life at the ranch and in a 19th
century family, as well as conveying information about land, prices and the
economy in San Antonio and South Texas, in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries. The papers predominately cover the years 1880-1888 and are arranged
into two series: Business and Personal.
The Business series includes bills-of-sale,
correspondence, contracts, inventories, permits, receipts and other
administrative, legal and financial documents. The series is divided into the
following subseries: General, Land, and Ranch. The General business papers
reflect the wide interests that the Woodhull brothers had in local Kinney
County and San Antonio business deals. Documents include letters of
introduction, letters asking for business opinions, promissory notes and other
inquiries about debts, and receipts for articles purchased. The papers in the
Land subseries generally reflect issues of buying and selling non Anacacho
Ranche land parcels. Of special note are the folder listing the land owned by
the Woodhull brothers and folder of maps showing that land. The Ranch subseries
deals with the Anacacho Ranche land and livestock. There are inventories of the
Anacacho Ranche and the San Vicente Ranche, sales agreements and receipts for
livestock, letters about personnel, and of particular note a series of letters
from George Hobbs, foreman in charge of taking a flock of sheep on a drive from
the Ranch into Mexico. The letters detail an Indian scare, dealing with weather
hazards, the need to pay the shepherds, and the other hardships that he
encountered.
The Personal papers include advertisements,
receipts, correspondence, and newspaper articles. This series includes
correspondence from family members, mostly cousins, as well as a small amount
of correspondence from non Woodhull relatives to the Woodhull brothers. There
is also some correspondence from friends. The rest of the materials include
receipts for household goods, a news clipping and a letter appointing J.T.
Woodhull to County Commissioner of Precinct 4 of Kinney Co., Texas, dated May
13, 1885.
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions on these materials.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish material from the Anacacho Ranche Collection
must be obtained from the UTSA Library, Archives or the appropriate copyright
holder.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Anacacho Ranche Collection, 1875-1931, MS
131, Archives and Special Collections, Library, University of Texas at San
Antonio.
Acquisition Information
Tom C. Frost, III, donated the papers to UTSA Library, Archives in
August 2004. Frost acquired the collection through a book dealer.
Processing Information
Processed by Gerrianne Schaad, Head, Archives and Special Collections,
and Mathew C. Martin, Collections Assistant, June 2006.
Processing of this collection was made possible through a donation
from Tom C. Frost, III.
Processing note: The papers were originally filed alphabetically in a
letter box. The filing was quirky and over the years, some materials had gotten
out of order. For the sake of improving access, the documents were arranged
into subjects and given a detailed description. In many cases, subjects overlap
within the correspondence. Sometimes personal messages and thoughts are
included within letters regarding business transactions, ranch business, land
deals, and so forth.
Related Materials
Additional material on the Woodhull family can be found in the
Laura Burleson
Negley Papers (MS 84) and the
Rupert N.
Gresham, Jr. Family Papers (MS 155).
Separated Materials
An image of a Brownback ten dollar
bill, issued by Frost National Bank in 1899 and signed by J.T Woodhull as
cashier, is contained within the control folder and is available on
request.
Index Terms
Personal Names
Woodhull, Josiah
Townsend.
Woodhull, Oliver
Jones.
Woodhull, Samuel
Jones.
Organizations
Anacacho
Ranche.
Subjects
Ranchers--Texas,
South.
Ranching--History--19th
century.
Ranching--Texas,
South--History.
Ranching--West
(U.S.)
Sheep ranches.
Locations
San Antonio
(Tex.)--History--19th century.
Texas,
South--History--19th century.
Genres/Formats
Correspondence.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Business
This series includes bills-of-sale, correspondence, contracts,
inventories, permits, receipts and other administrative, legal and financial
documents. The series is divided into the following subseries: General, Land,
and Ranch. The General business papers reflect the wide interests that the
Woodhull brothers had in local Kinney County and San Antonio business deals.
Documents include letters of introduction, letters asking for business
opinions, promissory notes and other inquiries about debts, and receipts for
articles purchased. The papers in the Land subseries generally reflect issues
of buying and selling non Anacacho Ranche land parcels. Of special note are the
folder listing the land owned by the Woodhull brothers and folder of maps
showing that land. The Ranch subseries deals with the Anacacho Ranche land and
livestock. There are inventories of the Anacacho Ranche and the San Vicente
Ranche, sales agreements and receipts for livestock, letters about personnel,
and of particular note a series of letters from George Hobbs, foreman in charge
of taking a flock of sheep on a drive from the Ranch into Mexico. The letters
detail an Indian scare, dealing with weather hazards, the need to pay the
shepherds, and the other hardships that he encountered.
1
General
1
1
Cancelled checks,
1886-1888
1
Correspondence
1
2
Letter and receipt for Milk and Meat Preserver,
June 8, 1878
1
3
Letter from W.S. Frazier & Co. to J.T. Woodhull
regarding the purchase of a vehicle & the advantages of pneumatic &
cushion tires,
February 25, 1907 & March 7,
1907
1
4
Letter from T.C. Frost to J.T. Woodhull regarding a
business deal,
July 11, 1887
1
5
Letter from Hipolito Garcia to Captain S.J. Woodhull
regarding payment of a note deposited at T.C. Frost (Spanish),
July 12, 1885
1
6
Letter from Joel C. Henly to the Woodhull Bros.
asking if a Mexican man hunting in Henly's pasture for mares still works for
the Woodhulls,
August 9, 1887
1
7
Letter from George Hobbs to Jim M. Murphy
accompanying a deer that Hobbs is asking Murphy to send to Billy Sims in San
Antonio,
December 22, 1885
1
8
Letter from George Ross inquiring about working on a
ranch in Texas,
September 20, 1877
1
9
Letter from C. Pool to J.T. Woodhull requesting that
certain articles be sent as soon as possible,
February 1, 1884
1
10
Letter from J.E. Severance to the Woodhull Bros.
regarding payment of a debt,
September 24, 1886
1
11
Letter from S.P. Simpson & Co. Bankers to
Woodhull Bros. concerning notes from Sam Jones that the Woodhulls endorsed,
September 9, 1886
1
12
Letter from John Thompson to the Woodhull Bros.
regarding the journey of Duncan McDonald to San Antonio from Liverpool,
England,
April 1, 1876
1
13
Letter from O.J. Woodhull to unnamed Woodhull
brother advising against purchasing horses for someone else,
November 2, 1883
1
14
Letter of introduction for Richard Pease from
Lawrence C. Fenno to the Woodhull Bros.,
September 3, 1881
1
15
Letter to Jas. C. Cade, Esq. from J.T. Woodhull
regarding the Thos. Watson Surveys and a business transaction,
May 1, 1883
1
16
Letter to Woodhull from a Mr. Knight updating
Woodhull on his location,
June 10, 1882
1
17
Letter to Samuel J. Woodhull asking him to fill out
paperwork for insurance on a lost ship,
May 16, 1877
1
18
Letters between J.W. Riddle and the Woodhull Bros.
regarding an ambulance permit,
1883
1
19
Letters between Henry Roach and J.T. Woodhull
regarding a debt to Roach,
November 1 & 6, 1883
1
20
Letters from W.O. Foote to J.T. Woodhull regarding
the sale, training and breeding of horses,
1907-1908
1
21
Letters from Winchester Kelso, Lawyer & Land
Agent regarding payment for services rendered & a lawsuit against the
Alegria Bros.,
1883, 1885
1
22
Deed of trust for the Woodhull Bros. Debt of $6000 to
Hannah J. Woodhull,
October 12, 1886
1
23
Handbill for Parvin's Patent Iron Wagon,
1884
1
24
Loan documents,
1883, 1887, 1931
1
25
Loan from Anderson-Chiles,
1886
1
26
Loan from L.J. Talbot,
November/December 1883
1
27
Payments made to Delores Escovedo,
August 11 & 12, 1884
1
28
Promissory notes,
1877-1878
1
29
Receipt for General G. Treviño from the Woodhull
Bros.,
January 17, 1884
1
30
Receipt for retainer paid to Solon Stewart,
May 5, 1880
1
31
Receipts for the San Antonio Jockey Club,
1883
1
32
Receipts from Charles Hummel & Son – Dealers in
Fire Arms & Ammunition,
February 1, 1883; December 6, 1883; January 1,
1907
1
Land
1
Correspondence
1
33
Copy of letter to W.G. Kingsbury from Woodhulls
regarding land assessment for back taxes and future tax owed,
October 25, 1877
1
34
Letter from Fly & Jones, lawyers & land
agents regarding land transactions with the Woodhulls,
April 22, 1884
1
35
Letter from H.C. Griner to the Woodhull Bros.
regarding disputed land,
April 25, 1877
1
36
Letter from the Houston Bros., lawyers, to the
Woodhull Bros. regarding a claim by George & Cornelio Van Ness to land
passed to their father,
September 3, 1885
1
37
Letter from Joseph Jones, land agent, to the
Woodhull Bros. requesting $200 in patent fees for land claims,
February 27, 1883
1
38
Letter from W.G. Kingsbury to the Woodhull Bros.
quoting prices and terms of payment for land the Woodhulls wished to buy,
November 17, 1885
1
39
Letter from Maddox Bros. & Anderson, land
dealers, to the Woodhull Bros. regarding land prices,
November 20, 1885
1
40
Letter from Amory R. Starr, Texas Real Estate
Agency, to J.T. Woodhull asking for a response to a previous letter,
April 24, 1883
1
41
Letter from O.J. Woodhull to J.T. Woodhull regarding
the Penrose property,
March 11, 1881
1
42
Letter to A.M. Olliphant, Esq. from the Woodhull
Bros. regarding a land transaction,
March 18, 1882
1
43
Letter to W.A. Reeves from J.T. Woodhull for land
and stock, with receipt,
November 26, 1887
1
44
Letters from Lion Gardiner selling Convention Hall
property with Woodhull Bros. acting as agents,
January-December 1907
1
45
Letters from J.H. James to Woodhull Bros. about the
availability of the Patrick Gorman Ranch,
1878
1
46
Letters from Elena Stribling regarding payment for
land,
April 17, 1884
1
47
Deeds for land transactions from the East Line &
Red River Railroad to the Woodhull Bros.,
May 6 & 13, 1881
1
48
List of land owned by Woodhull Bros. and original
grantees
1
49
Map by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of 424-S II &
IV Texas Blocker's Ranch Quadrangle Grid Zone D,
1924
1
50
Maps showing land leased and owned by the Woodhull
bros., undated
1
51
Redemptive receipt given to S.S. Winters for the
purchase of his property by the Woodhull Bros.,
October 28, 1880
1
52
Receipt for rent paid to W.H. Maverick from Woodhull
Bros.,
May 26, 1880
1
Ranch
1
53
Advertisement for Felt's Elastic Cast Steel Shepherds
Crook,
May 3, 1883
1
54
Agreement between the Woodhull Bros. and Gillingham
& Jones of Maverick Co., TX for the sale of some sheep and goats to
Gillingham & Jones,
June 3, 1884
1
55
Bill of sale for cattle from Woodhull Bros. to Hannah
J. Woodhull on
October 24, 1887 and back on
January 27, 1888
1
56
Bill of sale for cattle sold to Woodhull Bros. from
J.T. Lytle,
May 16, 1885
1
Correspondence
1
57
Letter from J.K. Berreta to Woodhull about a
possible buyer for bucks,
August 12, 1882
1
58
Letter from B.L Crouch to the Woodhull Bros.
regarding a stray bay horse,
March 4, 1883
1
59
Letter from J. Droham to S.J. Woodhull offering to
buy mares as Woodhull's agent,
March 13, 1882
1
60
Letter from Gottfried Fritz to Woodhull Bros.
requesting payment of a bar bill of a Mr. Nutt,
May 5, 1884
1
61
Letter from D.K. Furnish to Mr. Woodhull discussing
attempts to sell interest in the Ranche and requesting information on the
livestock,
January 16, 1884
1
62
Letter from George Hobbs to J.T. Woodhull about a
storm and its effect on a flock of sheep, undated
1
63
Letter from Francisco Dias Lozano to J.T. Woodhull
regarding livestock,
March 29, 1884
1
64
Letter from J.T. Lytle to J.T. Woodhull regarding a
cattle or land deal,
May 5, 1887
1
65
Letter from Patricio Milmo to Woodhull Bros.
requesting a receipt for a check,
January 13, 1883
1
66
Letter from Henry Pate to Capt. S.J. Woodhull
regarding mixing of cattle on ranges,
September 15, 1886
1
67
Letter from A.M. Reid to the Woodhull Bros.
regarding the return of mares Reid found and his difficult situation,
December 10, 1884
1
68
Letter from B.H. Wentworth, Jr. to Woodhull Bros.
requesting help in returning a horse,
December 26, 1883
1
69
Letter from Sam M. Woodhull to J.T. Woodhull
regarding marble posts for the corners of J.T.'s lot,
April 9, 1908
1
70
Letter to R.D. Hotterbeck from J.T. Woodhull
regarding a transaction and an invitation to Woodhull's wedding,
May 26, 1885
1
71
Letter to J.T. Woodhull from Sam J. Woodhull on the
road to Zacatecas,
March 3 & 7, [no year
available]
1
72
Letter to a Woodhull brother from O.J. Woodhull
regarding the rounding up of cattle,
November 27, 1908
1
73
Letter to Woodhull Bros. including a poem about Don
Melchor drowning a flock of sheep,
October 24, 1881
1
74
Letters about shepherds,
1881
1
75
Letters between Phillip Palmer and Woodhull Bros.
asking Woodhull's to remove sheep flock from Palmer's range,
March 1, 1877
1
76
Letters exchanged between Woodhull Bros. & James
McLymonts about a Woodhull ranch employee,
May 15 & 18, 1884
1
77
Letter fragment regarding sheep, undated
1
78
Letter from T.C.V.W. to J.T. Woodhull concerning a
visit to view Woodhull's stock of sheep, undated
1
79
Letters from George Hobbs to Capt. Woodhull and J.T.
Woodhull on the progress of a sheep drive to
Mexico,
June to November 1883
1
80
Letters from L.M. Johnson of Compaña del Ferrocarril
Internacional Mexicano to Woodhull Bros. concerning claims on livestock killed
by trains,
July 3, 1885 and September 21,
1885
1
81
Letters from Sam Jones to the Woodhull Bros.,
May 1884 to December 1885
1
82
Letters from C.P. to J.T. Woodhull,
March & April, 1881
1
83
Letters sent from Robert Brown to W.L. Lyall at the
British Consulate in Galveston and from W.L. Lyall to the Woodhull Bros.
requesting information about Thomas Brown, a former ranch employee,
April 13, 1885 and April 30,
1885
1
84
Inventory for Anacacho Ranche,
January 1, 1877; January 1, 1878; and November 4,
1886
1
85
Inventory for San Vicente Ranche,
August 27, 1883
1
86
Memo book with notes on sheep shearing,
1882
1
87
Newspaper ad regarding the purchase of bucks from
Vermont by the Woodhull Bros. with receipt and bill from the newspaper,
July 1, 1880
1
88
Permit for cattle (Spanish),
February 18, 1885
1
89
Photograph of Woodhull Bros. sheep camp near
Brackettsville, TX,
circa 1880s
1
90
Plans for horse corrals,
May 1880 and undated
1
91
Promissory note to George S. Priest for $1000 with
interest for sheep from Woodhull Bros.,
March 15, 1877
1
92
Receipts for repairs and goods,
1875-1880, 1903-1906, and
undated
1
93
Sale of sheep and goat flock by Woodhull Bros. to T.C.
Frost in repayment of loan,
October 6-7, 1887
Personal
This series include advertisements, receipts, correspondence, and
newspaper articles. This series includes correspondence from family members,
mostly cousins, as well as a small amount of correspondence from non Woodhull
relatives to the Woodhull brothers. There is also some correspondence from
friends. The rest of the materials include receipts for household goods, a news
clipping and a letter appointing J.T. Woodhull to County Commissioner of
Precinct 4 of Kinney Co., Texas, dated May 13, 1885.
2
Family
2
Correspondence
2
1
Letter from Allie Hobbs to George Hobbs,
undated
2
2
Letter from Oliver L Jones to J. T. Woodhull about
happenings in New York,
May 22, 1883
2
3
Letter from Samuel W. Jones to his nephew S.J.
Woodhull,
February 26, 1877
2
4
Letter from Susie M. Jones to J.T. Woodhull
arranging to meet before the Jones' take a trip,
May 1, 1885
2
5
Letter from Otto Zirkel to J.T. Woodhull regarding
the sale of a granite monument in honor of Hannah J. Woodhull. Invoice and
contract included,
July 13, 1906 and August 1,
1906
2
6
Letters from E. Coralie Gardiner to the Woodhull
Bros. regarding the canceling of a trip to California and accompanying two
checks for $4000 each to be invested,
January 19, 1892
2
7
Letters from Dr. John G.W. Knowlton, M.D. to Mr.
Woodhull regarding his son's football injury and an illness at Exeter,
November 9, 1906 & December 19,
1906
2
8
Postcard from V.S.? to Miss Josephine Woodhull,
January 31, 1907
2
Friends
2
Correspondence
2
9
Letter from W.W. Lambert to J.T. Woodhull regarding
an order of calendars for 1909,
December 4, 1908
2
10
Postcard from C.G.M to Mrs. J.T. Woodhull,
July 16, 1909
2
11
Receipt for silverware for wedding gift
2
General
2
Correspondence
2
12
Letter from Sarah C. Scofield, high school teacher,
to J.T. Woodhull regarding a statement she made in class about a run on the
banks,
November 11, 1907
2
13
Telegrams sent from Geo. W. Hobbs to J.T. Woodhull
regarding the deaths and burial preparations of Allie Hobbs and Willie,
January 28, 1910 and October 11,
1910
2
14
Facsimile of a Confederate $500 note from 1864,
undated
2
15
Lessons in Penmanship, undated
2
Household
2
16
Bill from L. Orynski, pharmacist,
June 11, 1881
2
Correspondence
2
17
Letter to R.H. Beasley from Woodhull Bros.
requesting two bottles of whiskey,
May 16, 1883
2
18
Receipts from O. & A. Oppenheimer, dry goods, etc.
dealers,
April 21, 1875 and June 4,
1880
2
19
Receipts from San Antonio Brewers Association,
June 7, 1910 and December 7,
1918
2
Political/Civic
2
20
Appointment of J.T. Woodhull to County Commissioner of
Precinct 4 of Kinney Co., TX,
May 13, 1885
2
Correspondence
2
21
Letter from Archibald Bogle to the Woodhull Bros.
regarding an upcoming election,
October 12, 1884
2
22
Handbill accusing Carlos Bee, candidate for Congress,
of passing bad checks,
1920
2
23
Invitation to the “Leap Year Hop”,
1884
2
24
Jury duty papers,
October 16, 1883; September 10, 1884; August 12,
1885
2
25
Newspaper Article, Woodhull
Replies to Pat Neff in San Antonio Evening
News,
[1920]