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Letters of Orlando L. Poole and His Mother, 1839 and 1854

 Collection
Identifier: MS 591
Finding aid note: Stored onsite at the Woodson Research Center.

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of a letter written by the mother of Orlando L. Poole on August 2, 1839, to her son and a letter written by Poole to his sister-in-law Mrs. Nancy Parting on September 25, 1854. There is a typed transcript of each letter.

Dates

  • 1839 and 1854

Creator

Access Restrictions

This material is open for research.

Conditions Governing Access

Stored onsite at the Woodson Research Center.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from the Orlando L. Poole collection must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library.

Biographical Sketch

Orlando L. Poole’s mother was living in Richland Hill, Louisiana, in 1839 when she wrote to her son, who had traveled to an area about 19 miles west of Texarcana, Texas, where he had a land grant. Orlando became substantially involved in settling the town of Boston, Texas, which became the county seat of Bowie County when the county was organized in 1841. Government records show him as being appointed postmaster of Boston May 13, 1852. In his letter of 1854 to a sister-in-law, Mrs. Nancy Parting in Holly Retreat, Mississippi, Poole reports that he was then clerk of the district court of the county and a member of the Missionary Baptist Church. He added that the next year he expected to go into the merchandise business “with many friends at my side” with “fair prospects for bettering my condition, which by the by is not a very despicable one.” Poole’s letter shows that his father had written a will establishing quite specifically how his assets were to be distributed, and Orlando was well acquainted with the law as to how the share of an estate coming to a minor needed to be handled. Both Poole’s letter and that of his mother reflect the difficulty of maintaining good health in the living situations of these people. They also reflect the support provided to their lives by religious faith.

Extent

0.1 Linear Feet (1 folder)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The collection consists of two handwritten letters.

Acquisition Information

This collection was a gift of Mary C. Farach-Carson September 21, 2011.

Subjects

Record Groups

Related Names

Creator

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the Orlando Poole letters, 1839 and 1854
Status
Completed
Author
Mary Tobin
Date
2011
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Woodson Research Center, Rice University, Houston, Texas Repository

https://library.rice.edu/woodson
Contact:
Fondren Library MS-44, Rice University
6100 Main St.
Houston Texas 77005 USA

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Harmful Content Statement
© 2023 Woodson Research Center
Fondren Library, Rice University
Physical Address: 6100 Main, Houston, Texas 77005-1827
Mailing Address: MS-44, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, Texas 77251-1892