Orton Family Papers

Collection

Identifier: A-0023

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The letters and business papers included in the Orton Family Papers concern mostly the Sidney Maury Orton family. In addition, many letters concern the Mt. Enterprise Male and Female Academy, where Sidney and Louisa's children attended school. Many of the letters in the collection have typed transcripts.

Dates

Creation: 1833-1889

Creator

Orton, Sidney Maury, 1818-1859 (Person)
Orton, Louisa M. (Person)

Language of Materials

The collection is in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Open for research.

Biographical or Historical Information

Sidney Maury Orton (1808-1858) married Louisa M. Timberlake (1820-1901) from Lexington, Tennessee. They came to Nacogdoches in 1839, and S. M. Orton became Chief Justice of Nacogdoches County in the 1848. Originally a blacksmith by trade, he was also a farmer and owned mercantile establishments in Nacogdoches and in San Augustine. Orton was an active Mason, and was instrumental in the establishment of Nacogdoches University.

The Ortons had four children: Mary Louise Adeline, Richard David (who became sheriff of Nacogdoches County), Harriet Winfrey, and John Greer.

(Davis, Bryan H., Jr."Orton Family" Nacogdoches County Families. Dallas: Curtis Media Corporation, 1985. p.499).

Extent

1.30 Cubic Feet

Additional Description

Arrangement

This collection consists of 450 items, is described in 67 folders and was originally housed in five clamshell boxes. These were consolidated into a single banker's box. The original folder numbering for boxes 1-5 remains in place. The collection is organized at the item level.