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W. T. Wilson Grain Company Papers

 Collection
Identifier: B-0149

Scope and Contents

This collection includes business and personal correspondence, advertising mailers, legal documents, deposit slips, bank statements, invoices, patents and case files dating from 1907-1916. The W. T. Wilson Grain Company conducted business across the southwest and the collection includes documentation from more than 175 different companies. Most materials relate to transactions with Texas-based companies, but there are substantial records for dealingss with businesses in Kansas City, New Mexico and Oklahoma.

Researchers interested in the early 20th century history of Nacogdoches might be interested to examine the invoices from 40 different Nacogdoches businesses (1911-1916) that this collection contains.

Wilson was an inventor and there are several folders that reflect his interest in tinkering. For instance, The collection has correspondence, blue prints and a patent for an ice cream cone filler.

Companies with which W. T. Wilson had Business Dealings:

Arkansas (all Little Rock) - A. K. Collins and Co.; Cunningham Commission Co.; S. P. Davis, Manufacturer’s Agent; The German National Bank; W. C. Northern; Southern Trust Co..

Georgia - B. W. Stone and Co., Thomasville.

Illinois - Halliday Elevator Co., Cairo; Barrel and Box Magazine, Chicago; The DeLaval Separator Co., Chicago; The National Hay and Grain Report, Decatur.

Indiana - The National Hay Association, Winchester.

Kansas - The Corn Belt Grain Co., Atchison; The Cherokee Mill and Elevator Co., Cherokee; Gorvin Flour and Grain Co., Wichita; The Western Grain Co., Wichita.

Louisiana - Alexandria Mill and Elevator Co., Alexandria; Nutriline Milling Co., Crowley; Myles Salt Co., New Orleans; Hamiter-Busbey Mill and Elevator Co., Ltd., Shreveport; The First National Bank of Shreveport, Shreveport; Louisiana Cotton Oil Co., Shreveport; Joseph H. Tucker, Merchandise Broker, Shreveport; The Tucker-Curtis Co., Shreveport.

Minnesota - Maire Paint Co., Minneapolis; North-West Mills Co., Winona.

Missouri - Benton Grain Co., Kansas City; Brodnax and McLiney Grain Commission, Kansas City; J. A. Brubaker and Co. Hay, Kansas City; R. J. House and Co., Kansas City; First National Bank, Kansas City; C. V. Fisher Grain Co., Kansas City; John J. Glover Grain, Kansas City; Hall-Baker Grain Co., Kansas City; Kamper Mill and Elevator Co., Kansas City; McEwen Grain Co., Kansas City; Midland Elevator Co. and Moore Grain Co., Kansas City; Moore Grain Co., Kansas City; The National Reserve Bank, Kansas City; Nelson Grain Co., Kansas City; Peirson-Lathrop Grain Co., Kansas City; Western Exchange Bank, Kansas City; Bank of Neosho, Neosho; Missouri and Kansas Grain Co., Neosho; Burke Grain Co., St. Joseph; The Davis Milling Co., St. Joseph [Aunt Jemima]; Merchants Bank of Saint Joseph, St. Joseph; Climax Novelty Co., St. Louis; Richardson Grain Co., St. Louis;

Nebraska (all Omaha) - J. A. Bushfield and Co. Grain Brokers; W. H. Chambers Grain; J. H. Conrad; Holmquistel Elevator Co.; Hynes Grain Co.; Union Grain and Elevator Co.

New Mexico - South New Mexico Farmer Associations, Anthony; The Dexter State Bank, Dexter; Dexter Hay Co., Dexter; Greenfield Scales, Greenfield; The Felix Alfalfa Ranch, Hagerman; The First National Bank, Hagerman.

New York - International help-a-phone Co., New York

Ohio - Bell Paint Co., Cleveland; W. C. Heller and Co. Steel Shelf Boxes, Montpelier

Oklahoma - Altus Alfalfa Milling Co., Altus; Amos K. Bass Hay and Grain, Caddo; The Caddo National Bank, Caddo; Commonwealth Cotton Oil Co., Cushing; William Bondies and Co., Durant; The First National Bank of Durant, Durant; Canadian Mill and Elevator Co., El Reno; Vinita National Bank, Vinita; Washita County Scales, Cordell; Yukon Mill and Grain Co., Yukon.

Railroads - Burr’s Ferry, Browndel and Chester Railway Co.; Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway Co.; Houston East and West Texas Railway Co.; Houston and Texas Central Railroad Co.; Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway Co.; St. Louis Southwestern Railway Co. of Texas; Texas and New Orleans Railroad Co.; Texas and Pacific Railway; Texas Midland Railroad.

Tennessee - Chattanooga Label House, Chattanooga

Texas - Alice Cotton Oil Co., Alice; The Rex-Perkins Co., Amarillo; The Austin Presbyterian Sanitarium, Austin; C. L. Condit and Co., Austin; Griffith Drug Store, Austin; E. M. Scarbrough and Sons, Austin; Dr. Robert W. Shipp, Austin; Atlantic Rice Mills, Beaumont; The Lon A. Bernard Co., Beaumont; Gulf National Bank, Beaumont; Bryan Cotton Oil and Fertilizer Co., Bryan; Burlington State Bank, Burlington; Texas Cooking Oil Co., Burlington; The Clarksville Cotton Oil Co., Clarksville; Barry Land and Tie Co., Clarksville; The Red River National Bank, Clarksville; B. W. Carrington and Co., Dallas; The City National Bank, Dallas; Jno. H. Moore and Co., Dallas; The New Century Milling Co., Dallas; Trinity Cotton Oil Co., Dallas; Denison Mill and Grain Co., Denison; W. H. Crawford, Forney; George Ritter, Forney; Bewley Mills, Fort Worth; Dazey-Moore Grain Co., Fort Worth; The Hefley-Coleman Co., Fort Worth; Jeffrey Sales Co. of Texas, Fort Worth; E. R. and D. C. Kolp Flour, Grain and Seeds, Fort Worth; Presley-Foster Brokerage Co., Fort Worth; E. G. Rall Grain Co., Fort Worth; J. Rosenbaum Grain Co., Fort Worth; Texas Salvage, Storage Co., Fort Worth; St. Mary’s Infirmary, Galveston; Texas Star Flour Mills, Galveston; Wisrodt Grain Co., Galveston; The First State Bank, Happy; Plains Lumber and Grain Co., Happy; Western Cotton Oil and Gin Co., Haskell; Bayou Grain Co., Houston; W. L. Edmundson, Houston; Jno. C. Green, Broker, Cotton Seed Products, Houston; Industrial Cotton Oil Co., Houston; J. C. Leavell Co., Houston; Pritchard Rice Milling Co., Houston; Standard Milling Co., Houston; The Howe Grain and Mercantile Co., Howe; Jacksonville Cotton Oil Co., Jacksonville; The First National Bank, Kemp; Livingston Manufacturing Co., Livingston; Frank Kothmann Grain and Feed Stuff, Llano; Collin County Grain Co., McKinney; Hill and King Grain, Hay, Mill Stuffs, and Corn Millers, McKinney; McKinney Elevator Co., McKinney; Nacogdoches Oil Mill, Nacogdoches; T. L. McNair Grain and Hay, Navasota; H. M. Davidson Staple and Fancy Groceries, New Boston; J. H. Ferguson, Palestine; The Lamar Cotton Oil Co., Paris; Farmers and Merchants Bank, Pilot Point; Pilot Point Cotton Oil Mill Co., Pilot Point; Pilot Point National Bank, Pilot Point; Hughston Grain Co., Plano; Plano Cotton Oil Co., Plano; The Plano Milling Co., Plano; The Plano National Bank, Plano; First Bank of Rhone, Rhone; John I. Glover Wholesale Grain, Sherman; Madill Oil and Cotton Co., Sherman; Merchants and Planters National Bank, Sherman; Sherman Mills and Grain Co., Sherman; The City National Bank, Temple; The Terrell Cotton Oil Co., Terrell; The Terrell Grain and Mercantile Co., Terrell; Farmers Oil and Fertilizer Co., Texarkana; Laws and Downey Wholesale Grain and Feed, Texarkana; The Texarkana Cotton Oil and Fertilizer Co., Texarkana; Texarkana National Bank, Texarkana; Turner Grain Co., Texarkana; Blackburn-Hollingsworth Grain Co., Whitewright; Whitewright Cotton Oil Co., Whitewright; White Wolf Mills, Wolfe City; Wolfe City Milling Co., Wolfe City.

East Texas - McKnight and Owens Wholesale Flour, Grain and Packing House Products, Center; Houston County Oil Mill and Manufacturing Co., Crockett; Garrison Mercantile Co., Garrison; Howell and Son General Merchandise, Jasper; Angelina Co. Abstract Co., Lufkin; Hotel Bonner, Lufkin.

Nacogdoches - Barham and Barham; M. G. Brock’s Ice Cream Co.; Cason, Monk and Co.; The City Bakery; The City Tailors; J. J. Coker Livery, Feed and Sale Stable; Commercial National Bank; Cox and Murphey; Zeno Cox Jr. Clothing and Tailoring; Crain Furniture Co.; Julius Eichel Dry Goods Co.; Haltom and Haltom (Daily Sentinel); Dr. Rufus R. Henderson, Dentist; Miss Lena Justice, Millinery; Kennedy’s Drug Store; T. J. Kinsey, Tailor; T. J. Lloyd Ice Cream; Arch Locke Tailoring, Cleaning and Pressing; Mayer and Schmidt; A. A. Nelson, MD; Perry Electric Co.; A. L. Ramsey; The Redland Herald; The Redland Hotel; The Sanitary Market; Allan Seale and Co.; J. C. Smith and Co. Plumbing; J. M. Spradley Feed Stuff; Stripling, Haselwood and Co.; M. L. Stroud Saddles, Harness and Horse Furnishings; J. F. Summers and Sons Furniture; Arthur E. Sweatland, MD; Swift Brothers and Smith, Inc.; Thomas and Richardson; F. R. Tucker, MD; Tucker, Hayter and Co.; Tucker-Sitton Hardware Co.; W. E. Weaver Carbonated Drinks; Weeks’ Tailoring Shop.

Wisconsin - Jeffrey Motor Cars, Kenosha; University Research Extension Co., Milwaukee.

Dates

  • Event: Donated 2/3/2013

Language of Materials

The collection is in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Open for research.

Biographical / Historical

William T. Wilson was born July 24, 1846 in Georgia. He moved with his family--wife Kate Florence Montgomery Wilson and son Ben T. Wilson--to Nacogdoches shortly after 1900. Wilson started the W. T. Wilson Grain Company in 1907. The company was a regional middleman in the distribution of corn, hay and grain by railcar. Wilson passed away September 20, 1916, and is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, Nacogdoches, Texas.

Extent

2.00 Cubic Feet

Arrangement

There are 51 folders distributed across a banker's box and a clamshell box in this collection. There are not series or sub-series but generally the folders are arranged with business materials first, inventions and other subjects second, and personal materials last.

Title
Guide to the W. T. Wilson Grain Company Papers
Status
Completed
Author
Kurt Terry and Kyle Ainsworth
Date
08/02/2016
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the East Texas Research Center Repository

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