The Texas Collection continues its support of historic initiatives in Independence, Texas with an exciting new project at the Old Independence Cemetery on Coles Road. With the help of Jonathan Cook of the Baylor Center for Spatial Research, and assistance from the Ray I. Riley Digitization Center, Texas Collection staff are creating a digital map of the cemetery. This map, the first location-specific inventory made of the cemetery, will help visitors locate specific grave sites and eventually create an online hub for digital materials about the people buried in this historic site.

To create the digital map, GPS equipment loaned to The Texas Collection by the

Science and History Meetin Independence

Baylor Center for Spatial Research is being used to document the longitude and latitude coordinates of each gravesite. These data points will be entered into a digital Geographic Information System (GIS) map of the cemetery to create an accurate representation of each plot in the Old Independence Cemetery. The location information will be made available for download to smartphone apps and GPS devices to direct visitors to the specific graves they are seeking. Once the project is completed, visitors will also be able to use this map to link to digital images and documents gathered in Independence and housed at The Texas Collection.

Amy Benson and Peggy Ward use geolocation equipment to map gravesites at the Old Independence Cemetery. Data collected by these geopositioning sensors will be used to construct a digital map of this historical landmark.

THE TEXAS COLLECTION

Mapping HistoryBaylor marks time in Independence

Capturing the Old West Recent exhibit features the good, bad & ugly

The Value of Recipes Gift aquisition expands cookbook collection

Pro TexanaSupport The Texas Collection

Keep up with The Texas Collectionon Facebook, Twitter & Flickr

www.facebook.com/texascollectiontwitter.com/texascollection

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Visit The Texas Collection onlinehttp://www.baylor.edu/lib/texas/

Upcoming Events& Exhibits

THE TEXAS COLLECTION

One Bear Place #97142Waco, Texas 76798-7142

The 2010-2011 academic year is coming to a close. It has been a year of excitement and change, excitement due to the inauguration of Judge Kenneth Winston Starr as the 14th President of Baylor University, and change because fresh ideas and innovative thinking are taking place on campus with the Strategic Planning initiative begun in the autumn of 2010.

The staff of The Texas Collection have been involved in the visioning process and enjoyed several opportunities to voice opinions and ideas, as well as engage in meaningful discussions. This exchange of ideas has helped forge a renewed commitment to provide outstanding user services and facilities in The

The Pro Texana SocietyAn Annual Fund to Support The Texas Collection

Texas Collection. I think you will see some of this renewed commitment the next time you visit us.

Throughout the past year, your gifts to the Pro Texana Society have helped us create a new

high-tech classroom in the basement and improve the aesthetics of the microfilm room. This coming year we will be working on a master plan to update the Guy B. Harrison, Jr. Reading Room. The goal of the plan is to stay true to the historic character of the reading room and provide comfortable, aesthetically pleasing, and practical user spaces for our researchers. Your gifts will be used to help update and revitalize this much loved and well-used room.

Contact John Wilson, Director of The Texas Collection, at 254.710.3457 or by email at John_Wilson@baylor.edu to join the Pro Texana Society.

Familiar Faces at The Texas Collection

Mark Firmin (B.A., ’06, M.A., ’09) has been a fixture this semester as he has

worked on compiling a history of The Texas Collection. Firmin also used our

resources while working on his book: Waco, Texas’ William Cameron Park: A Long Love Affair with Nature’s Splendor:

A Centennial History, 1910-2010.

Dr. Scott Lewis (B.A., ’83), Senior Research Fellow at De Montfort University in Leicester, England, has been researching in our collections for nearly 2 years as he has worked on a biography of Dr. A. J. Armstrong, founder of the Armstrong Browning Library.

Visit The Texas Collection onlinehttp://www.baylor.edu/lib/texas/

Come to Texas!An exhibit featuring early promotional tracts advertising Texas cities and regions will be unveiled in August both in The Texas Collection and online.

Lecture and Book Signing featuring author James BevillOn Thursday, October 20, 2011, The Texas Collection welcomes James P. Bevill, author of The Paper Republic: The Struggle for Money, Credit and Independence in the Republic of Texas. Bevill, a noted Texas historian in the areas of finance and numismatics, will offer a lecture on his 2010 publication and sign copies following his presentation.

Baylor Homecoming ExhibitIn honor of Baylor Homecoming, The Texas Collection will once again present an exhibit both in-house and online featuring items from Baylor Homecoming celebrations past and present. Opens October 31, 2011.

The Texas Collection is an exciting and vibrant work place. Every day I am amazed by the dedication of the staff and their love for all things Texas. The staff go out of their way to provide quality service to all who walk through our doors, send an email, or call. I am honored to work with such caring and talented professionals. In my first director’s column, I want share with you several exciting developments. The next time you are online, go to The Texas Collection homepage at www.baylor.edu/lib/texas and click on one or all of our social media websites. These interesting choices are Flickr, The Texas Collection Blog, and Facebook. Each one of these sites is frequently updated. Each site is administered by a different staff member and features different bits and pieces of Texana. I am amazed at the depth and breadth of our collections every time I click on a new entry. I am delighted to announce the addition of several new collections. These are but a few of the noteworthy collections we have received since the last issue of ¡Viva Texas!: The David P. and Mary Elisabeth Cagle Collection, the Nell Johnson Collection, The Murray and Greta Watson Collection, The Tracy Early Collection and the Pit Dodson Collection. These collections provide rich original resource materials for students and researchers. Special thanks to our donors for these gifts. Thank you for supporting The Texas Collection with your gifts but also with your time and attendance at our special events. It was gratifying to see so many people at the Poage Map Room dedication in the fall and at the We Were Not Orphans event this spring. I truly appreciate your support.

From the Director

Books, Biscuits and Gravy: Gifts from Elizabeth Borst White

Elizabeth Borst White knows cookbooks! Recognizing the value of cookbooks and the unique window into cultural history that they provide, White began a collection 25 years ago. Today, her love of Texas cooking and history has led to the creation of a nearly 1,600 volume cookbook collection. In 2005, White compiled a bibliography titled Sweets and Meats: Early Texas Cookbooks, 1855-1936. White is not alone in her interest in cookbooks. Scholars are now recognizing their importance as a primary source for research. Cookbooks give a snapshot in time of a particular group or event. They inform us of food traditions in diverse communities: cultural, professional, religious, urban and rural. Sponsored by churches, restaurants or other businesses, cookbooks can provide great histories of the organizations, including everything from photographs to lists of committee members. The recipes themselves help us know what ingredients were available and enjoyed by a community. White says that her favorite types of cookbooks are “community cookbooks with lots of advertisements for local businesses” because they “give the reader a good picture of the community at that time. We just do not see advertisements for rifles and ammunition, or corsets and ladies’ hats in cookbooks today.” White, who recently retired after nearly 40 years as a librarian for the Houston Academy of Medicine—Texas Medical Center Library in Houston, understands the value of her Texas cookbook collection as a historical resource and wants it to

reside with a university history collection. Consequently, she has pledged to donate her Texas cookbooks to The Texas Collection, significantly enriching our already wide assortment of materials in this area. In addition, White has generously established the Biscuits and Gravy Endowed Fund—a permanent endowment that provides funding for future purchases and preservation of the cookbook collection. You can be part of efforts to preserve the history and heritage found in Texas cookbooks. Join Elizabeth Borst White with a contribution to the Biscuits and Gravy Endowed Fund and help continue this important and fascinating work.

“Treasure Pots,” The Austin Woman’s Club, 1940 includes recipes for Salmagundi Dressing, Admiration Pie, and ‘Possum and Sweet Taters. From the Elizabeth Borst White Collection.

What’s Cooking in Our Swedish-American Kitchens, Central Methodist Church, Austin, c. 1951, with Wienerbrod (Coffee Bread), Kroppkakor (Potato Dumplings with Pork), and Brysseikax (Iced Box Cookies). Also Tuna Noodles and Tamale Pie. From the Elizabeth Borst White Collection.

Latest Exhibit Highlightsthe Adams-Blakley Collection

Our latest exhibit, “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly: Characters from the Adams-Blakley Collection” features one of the many unique treasures of The Texas Collection. In 1971, Baylor University received a generous gift from William Blakley, former U.S. Senator from Texas, that included a library of close to 3,000 works that capture the excitement and struggle of the Westward Expansion. The collection was assembled for Senator Blakley by Ramon F. Adams, a Western bibliographer, lexicographer and author. It contains a wide range of books including historical and biographical books, works of fiction, texts on ranching and branding, promotional literature, collections of poetry, books on art and song, and works on hunting, trapping and roping. Many of these works are rare titles and first editions, often beautifully bound and signed by their authors. The exhibit is on display in The Texas Collection through July 2011 and is also featured online. Plan to visit us soon to experience these tales from the Old West!

     

To  hear  a  field  recording  of  cowboy  songs  and  poetry  from  the  Adams-­‐Blakley  Collection,  scan  this  QR  Code  with  your  smart  phone.  

 If  you  don’t  already  have  a  QR  Code  scanner  for  your  phone,  you  can  download  one  of  many  apps  available.    Then  just  point  your  phone’s  camera  at  the  code.  

 

To hear a field recording of cowboy songs and poetry from the Adams-Blakley Collection, scan this QR Code with your smart phone. If you do not already have a QR Code scanner for your phone, you can download one of many apps available. Then,

simply point your phone’s camera at the code above!

The Texas Collection is home to myriad treasures from the cultural history of Texas. One of the gems of our extensive cookbook collection is The Lone Star Cook Book and Meat Special (From the Slaughter Pen to the Dining Room Table), which was written by A. Fillmore and published by the Lubbock Hotel where he served as chef in 1929. This cookbook, which was a gift from Elizabeth Borst White, has the distinction of being the first cookbook composed by an African-American chef. Fillmore published the book in order to “make cooking a larger success for the young colored man.” Fillmore was born in Cuero, Texas, on March 13, 1888, and grew up about 30 miles away in Victoria. He began cooking when he was still a boy, working alongside his father in the restaurant business. Fillmore worked in some of the finest hotels and cafes in Texas, and served as chef for two dining car service companies during his 30 year career. The Lone Star Cook Book and Meat Special contains a collection of recipes along with bills of fare from the Lubbock Hotel. Some of the selections include “Brown Butter Pie,” “Mrs. Fillmore’s Special Roquefort Cheese Dressing,” “Fricassee Mutton with Carrots and Peas” and instructions on “How to Bone and Stuff a Calf Head.” The cookbook is quite rare. In fact, a search of WorldCat lists only four copies including the copy at Baylor University. The Texas Collection’s acquisition of this volume enriches the cultural memory of Texas that remains the hallmark of our collection.

First Cookbook published by an

African-American highlights collection

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly:

Characters from the

Adams-Blakley Collection

A Few of Our Cast of Characters

“Buffalo Bill” Cody (1846-1917) was a U. S. soldier, skilled hunter and world-famous entertainer who gained his peculiar nickname because of his skill for hunting bison. Cody became a celebrity through his re-enactments of the Old West in his “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West” show.

Nat Love (1854-1921) was a famous African American cowboy who left Tennessee for Dodge City, Kansas, and

worked on ranches throughout Texas. Love was known for his abilities as a marksman, cattle roper and a fighter.

Belle Starr (1848-1889) was a notorious outlaw who was originally from Missouri but was active throughout Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. She associated with Jesse James, was married to Jim Reed and ran with other known outlaws of the Old West. Her reputation as an “outlaw queen” was popularized by Richard K. Fox in his novel, Bella Starr.