10. Texas in the Twentieth Century: Part B (1931-1950)
Selected Texas History Primary Source Documents
(Back to Texas in the Twentieth Century Table of Contents)
H. P. N. Gammel. The Laws of Texas, 1822-1938. 31 vols. Austin: Gammel Printing Company, 1898-1939. One can browse and search. Volumes 28-31 have material pertaining to the time period covered by this list.
Link to Volume 28
Link to Volume 29
Link to Volume 30
Link to Volume 31
Texas. Adjutant General's Office. Warrant of authority and descriptive list for Texas Ranger Frank Hamer, February 2, 1931. Link to document
Clifford Mooers to Ross S. Sterling, June 5, 1931. Telegram. Longview oilman reports to Governor Sterling that "certain bootleg oil operators" are about to make a contract to sell crude oil from the East Texas Oil Field at a ruinously low price. States that Sterling erred in not calling a special session of the Legislature to deal with the oil price crisis. Link to document
Texas Railroad Commission. Special Order Relating to the East Texas Field, July 2, 1931. In it, the Commission alleges that there was ongoing great waste of oil and gas in the field. [The regulations and restrictions set forth in the document were meant to stop this waster.] Link to document
R. S. Sterling. Proclamation declaring martial law in the East Texas Oil Field, August 16, 1931. Orders the Texas National Guard to shut down all producing oil and gas wells in Gregg, Upshur, Rusk, and Smith counties. Link to document
Huey P. Long to Ross S. Sterling, August 16, 1931. Telegram. The Louisiana governor calls on Sterling and other governors of cotton-producing states to meet him in New Orleans on August 21 to consider his proposal for raising cotton prices from their disastrously low level. Link to document
R. M. Farrar to R. S. Sterling, August 19, 1931. The president of a Houston bank berates Governor Sterling for declaring martial law in the East Texas Oil Field. Calls it an "extreme usurpation of power," etc. Link to document
R. S. Sterling to Huey P. Long, August 21, 1931. Telegram. Regrets that he cannot attend meeting of governors of cotton-producing states at New Orleans that day. Is willing to do all that he can "toward helping the great cotton industry of the South." Wishes Long much success at the meeting. Link to document
Huey P. Long to R. S. Sterling, August 24, 1931. Telegram. Brief and cryptic report on the meeting of governors of cotton-producing states, August 21. Link to document
E. C. Pierce to R. S. Sterling, September 1, 1931. Telegram. Unemployed Corpus Christi man scores Governor Sterling for lack of leadership in the cotton price crisis. Link to document
K. G. Teaff to Ross Sterling, September 1, 1931. Telegram. Urges Governor Sterling to cooperate with Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long in dealing with the cotton price crisis. [Scroll down to the second telegram.] Link to document
Jacob F. Wolters to R. S. Sterling, October 14, 1931. Texas National Guard Major General Wolters, in charge of the martial law administration in the East Texas Oil Field, writes to Governor Sterling from Kilgore that community leaders in the area are doubtful that the state will be able to enforce its closing of the wells in the field. Link to document
Texas Railroad Commission. Special Order Establishing Field Rules for . . . the Van Field, Van Zandt County, Texas, October 15, 1931. Establishes field rules for conservation and the prevention of waste of crude petroleum and natural gas. Link to document
Jacob F. Wolters to R. S. Sterling, November 1, 1931. Texas National Guard Major General Wolters, in charge of the martial law administration in the East Texas Oil Field, writes to Governor Sterling from Kilgore of conflicts between him and employees of the Texas Railroad Commission with respect to dealing with the oil field. Asks that Sterling confer with the Commission in Austin to solve the problem. Makes it clear that the military administration must have the final authority in the field. Link to document
Anti-Sterling political cartoon, [1932]. Put out by the Miriam Ferguson campaign to poke fun at Governor Sterling's alleged attempts to help the oil producers, while ignoring the plight of the cotton growers. Link to document
Randolph Bryant, Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Temporary restraining order against Ross S. Sterling et al, May 14, 1932. The order forbids Governor Sterling and the other state officials named in a suit as defendants from interfering with the Atlas Pipe Line Company in transporting crude oil from the East Texas Oil Field. [Law suits and restraining orders like this hampered for a time the state's efforts to deal with overproduction in the field.] Link to document
Wilbert Lee O'Daniel. Sheet music: "Beautiful, Beautiful Texas," 1933. The future governor wrote the song to be sung by the Light Crust Doughboys. Link to document
C. V. Terrell to Leonard Levy, February 14, 1933. Railroad Commissioner Terrell is replying to a letter from Levy in which the Fort Worth oilman states that he has reliable information that the Texas Railroad Commission has hired a "notorious gunmen" to intimidate persons so that they would not testify before a committee of the Legislature investigating the Commission. Terrell states that this is not the case. Link to document
Joe Hart. Affidavit, February 15, 1933. Sworn statement that an official of the Texas Railroad Commission had failed to prevent overproduction at an oil well in the East Texas Oil Field. Hart had reported this failure to someone, resulting in the TRC official taking a pistol and making a threat against whoever had turned him in. Link to document
Police Department, Joplin, Missouri. Wanted poster for Clyde Champion Barrow and Melvin Ivan Barrow, [sometime after April 13, 1933]. The two were wanted for murder. Link to document
J. W. Freeland, sheriff, Hill County, Texas. Wanted poster for Frank Albert Clause and Clyde Champion Barrow, [May 31, 1933]. [Date written on the face of the poster.] The two were wanted for murder and robbery. Link to document
Texas Legislature. House of Representatives. Transcript of a debate on the "Cooper Resolution." [Document not dated; the Texas State Library has given it the date 1934.] [The resolution was to fund a continuing investigation of the "hot oil" situation in the East Texas Oil Field.] Link to document
John F. Shaw to the Texas Railroad Commission. April [9?]. 1934. Resident of Atascosa complains about the way that the Graybury Oil Company is handling the oil on his property. Link to document
Harry L. Hopkins to Miriam A. Ferguson, January 3, 1935. Director of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration reports to Governor Ferguson that he has approved a grant of $3,744,695 in relief funds for various specific purposes in Texas. Link to document
James V. Allred. Legislative messages, 1935-1939. Consists of photographic images of a printed publication. Although there is no list of individual messages (with links to each) one may use the Table of Contents page as a general guide to groups of messages (by legislative session) and then the "Sequence" feature to go to a page very near the beginning page for a given session. Also, there is a Search Inside feature on the right-hand side of this page that may prove helpful. The collection includes Allred's inaugural addresses (1935 and 1937) and proclamations. [Scroll down for the document.] Link to document
W. R. Hegler to James V. Allred, February 5, 1935. Notes that the governor has appointed a woman [Sarah T. Hughes] to a district judgeship in Dallas. Urges him "to not continue the practice of appointing women to high positions in the state." Explains why. Link to document
Business and Professional Women's Club of Brownwood. Resolution in support of the confirmation of Sarah T. Hughes as a state district judge, February 6, 1935. Link to document
W. P, Buckner to Franklin D. Roosevelt, September 27, 1935. Dallas Methodist minister expresses high praise for the president and his policies. Notes Garment Workers strike in Dallas and the alarming increase in deaths in Dallas caused by drunken drivers. Link to document
W. H. Wynne to Franklin D. Roosevelt, October 1, 1935. The pastor of the Forest Avenue Baptist Church, Dallas, lauds the president for his efforts to deal with the Great Depression. Mentions ongoing distresses of which he is aware. Criticizes FDR's critics. Link to document
Umphrey Lee to Franklin D. Roosevelt, October 16, 1935. Pastor of Highland Park Methodist Church, Dallas, replies to FDR's letter of September 24, asking for comments about the president's efforts to deal with the Great Depression. Lee states that he pastors a congregation of about 2,300 people, most of them business and professional people. Many remain skeptical of some of the New Deal programs. Even some of FDR's supporters deplore "the measure to which governmental agencies have been organized along strict political lines." Link to document
Goldman Drury to Franklin D. Roosevelt. [No date, but source has "c. October, 1935."] Pastor of the South Baptist Church, Fort Worth, is responding to FDR's letter of September 24, asking for comments about the president's efforts to deal with the Great Depression. States that "conditions in Texas and in particular North Texas are very good." Wants the government to help get people off the dole and relief as soon as possible. Endorses the Social Security program. Link to document
Lyndon B. Johnson to James V. Allred, November 21, 1935. The director of the National Youth Administration in Texas reports to Governor Allred that he has acted favorably on the governor's request that the NYA provide financial assistance for Edward A. Burns, a student at the University of Texas. Link to document
Texas Railroad Commission. Oil and Gas Division. Special Rules Governing the East Texas Field, December 6, 1935. The regulations had to do with the testing of wells to gauge production. Link to document
Blue Eagle News, June 10, 1937. This was an issue of the newspaper of Civilian Conservation Corps Camp 817, Mother Neff Park, McGregor, Texas. Articles reveal various aspects of camp life, including vocational, academic, and religious instruction, etc., and also provides information about the park, including comments of visitors. Link to document
State of Texas. Attorney General's Office. Attorney General's Opinions (Gerald Mann), 1939-1943. [Pdf files; require Adobe Acrobat Reader. For HTML files, click on "HTML format."] Link to document
P. W. Hamilton to W. Lee O'Daniel, [May 1940]. Slaton, Texas, supporter expresses his approval of the governor's "move for investigation" of un-American activities in Texas. Link to document
Maxwell D. Taylor to Frank D. Quinn, February 8, 1941. Commander of the Twelfth Field Artillery, Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, writes to the executive secretary of the Texas Parks Board regarding projected use of state parks for both training and recreation for his troops. Link to document
W. Lee O'Daniel. Radio address, August 3, 1941. The governor's farewell radio address, following his election to the U.S. Senate. Link to document
Ernest O. Thompson. Address: "The Oil Situation Today." [Not dated but printed in the December 1941 issue of Drilling Magazine.]. Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission, speaking to the annual meeting of the National Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors, urges more drilling to meet the nation's defense needs. Link to document
Educators' World War II memories. These oral histories are in an article from Texas Libraries. The statements begin with "Joan Linsley." Link to documents
C. W. Nimitz to Coke R. Stevenson, July 16, 1942. Thanks the governor for designating July 22 as "Admiral Nimitz Day." [The purpose was to recruit for the Navy and encourage the purchase of war bonds.] Link to document
Weaver H. Baker to Coke R. Stevenson, June 16, 1943. Telegram. Writer urges Stevenson to stop on his train trip through Beaumont to confer with local authorities about what to do about the race riot that had broken out the previous night. Link to document
State of Texas. Attorney General's Office. Attorney General Opinions (Grover Sellers), 1944-1946. [Pdf files; require Adobe Acrobat Reader. For HTML files, click on "HTML format."] Link to document
The University of Denver College of Law. Sweatt v. Painter archive, 1946-1950. This archive includes university records, court records, newspaper accounts, and oral histories relating to the effort of Heman Sweatt, an African American, to enroll in the Law School of the University of Texas, beginning in 1946. This site has links to all of the materials. Link to documents
C. F. Boulden to A. B. Kelly, April 27, 1946. Texas Railroad Commissioner chief engineer writes to the general manager of the Missouri Pacific Lines that railroads must enforce state statutes requiring segregated seating in dining cars on trains in Texas. Gives specific instructions about how to achieve this. Link to document
State of Texas. Attorney General's Office. Attorney General's Opinions (Price Daniel), 1947-1952. [Pdf files; require Adobe Acrobat Reader. For HTML files, click on "HTML format."], Link to document
Governor Beauford H. Jester. First Inaugural Address, January 21, 1947. Link to document
Texas Legislature. House of Representatives. House Concurrent Resolution No. 48, [August 1947]. Establishes the Gilmer-Aiken Committee to study and make recommendations to the Legislature about the public schools of Texas. [Scroll down to the document.] Link to document
Governor Beauford H. Jester. Second Inaugural Address, January 19, 1949. [Scroll down past the first inaugural address to this document.] Link to document
R. O'Hara Lanier to Beauford Jester, April 14, 1949. The president of the Texas State University for Negroes urges Governor Jester to use his influence to try to persuade the Legislature to appropriate sufficient funds to build needed dormitories at the university. [Scroll down to the document.] Link to document
Ernest O. Thompson to Lyndon B. Johnson, April 15, 1949. Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission writes to Senator Johnson, urging that the federal government increase its oil reserves set aside to insure the security of the nation in view of the world situation. To achieve this, the states must produce more oil than is now allowed. Link to document
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