Bennett Blake Papers

Collection

Identifier: A-0006

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of letters, financial papers, legal documents, and land deeds, mostly of Bennett Blake, his immediate family, and related families. A significant portion of the papers relate to William Bonaparte McKnight, who married Mary Louisa Addie Blake. McKnight's papers include oil leases and negotiations for timber rights. Several original land grants are included in the collection, two signed by Republic of Texas President Anson Jones.

Dates

Creation: 1826-1942
Event: Donated in 1963

Creator

Blake, Bennett (Person)

Language of Materials

The collection is in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Open for research.

Biographical or Historical Information

Bennett Blake was born on November 11, 1809 in Sutton, Vermont. He was the son of Samuel Dow Blake and Abigail Lee Blake. He arrived in Nacogdoches in 1835, ultimately acquired a large farm, and began a life as merchant and farmer. On November 24, 1853, he married Ellazina Harris, daughter of Elbridge G. and Mary Hamilton Harris, with whom he had three children.

Blake entered upon a distinguished career in public service shortly after his arrival in Texas. He was first elected justice of the peace in 1838 and reelected until, by 1850, he had served some ten years in that office. Thereafter, he became chief justice of Nacogdoches County, an office he held for twelve years.

Blake fought in the Texas Revolution. He also served under Gen. Thomas J. Rusk in an expedition against the Cherokee Indians in 1839 and engaged in a second Cherokee expedition in 1841. He was elected to the state legislature in 1862, and he became one of the Texas delegates to the Congress of the Confederate States of America, where he served during 1863-64. After the Reconstruction period, voters chose him to represent them at the Constitutional Convention of 1875, where at age sixty-six he was the second oldest delegate.

Judge Blake was a Democrat and Mason. He died in Nacogdoches County on March 1, 1896, and is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery.

("BLAKE, BENNETT." The Handbook of Texas Online. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online. Accessed Fri Nov 14 2003.)

Extent

4.00 Cubic Feet

Additional Description

Arrangement

The bulk of this colletion consists of 1,876 items that are described in 253 folders and were originally housed in 10 clamshell boxes. The contents of these boxes were consolidated into two banker's boxes. The original folder numbering for boxes 1-10 remains in place.

The remainder of the collections consists of 48 items that are described in 11 folders and housed in one oversize box and one oversize bundle.

The colletion is organized at the folder and item levels.

Separated Materials

There is one item of realia that is misplaced or lost. It is Bennett Blake's animal hide (leather or sheep skin) file of promissory notes (with pockets for filing small papers alphabetically, rolled and tied) -- KAA, 5/8/2020.