Collection: C. W. Duke letter | Special Collections & Archives

Scope and Contents

The collection contains a typescript copy of an informal letter written by C.W. Duke in Smith County, Texas, to Mr. D.W. Walkley, describing life in Texas. In the letter he tells how easy the land is to plow and hoe and that he averages about a bale of cotton for every two acres of land.

Dates

1870 April 20

Creator

Duke, C. W. (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Due to the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access to certain materials may require additional advance notice.

Biographical / Historical

Smith County, Texas, is located to the northwest of the Big Thicket, and includes the cities of Tyler, Lindale, Whitehouse, and Flint.

The first known inhabitants of the area now known as Smith County were the Caddo Indians. In July of 1846 Smith County separated from the Nacogdoches District and was named for James Smith, a General of the Texas Revolution. It was at this time that Tyler was designated as the county seat.