Title:
Letterpress books
Description:
The Secretary of State is a constitutional officer of the executive branch of state government, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate for a term concurrent with the governor's. These records consist of 186 letterpress books containing copies of outgoing correspondence sent by the Secretary of State or the Chief Clerk of the Department of State, dating 1860-1861, 1865-1866, and 1870-1905. Correspondents include private citizens and private corporations, state and county officials, officials of other states, etc. This correspondence covers the wide variety of duties of the Secretary of State, including the following: franchise tax receipts, corporate charters, election returns, certificates of qualification, commissions of elected officials, oaths, bonds, requisitions for extradition of fugitives from justice, pardons, governor's proclamations, state printing jobs, requests for and transmittals of copies of state publications (e.g., laws, house journals, etc.), requests for the attorney general to review charters for violations of the constitution or statutes, etc. The earlier volumes, especially during the 1870s and 1880s, seem to be more substantive in content. The letterpress books complement the incoming correspondence of the same period (described in this inventory). Each volume contains an alphabetical index.
Description:
A handful of letterpress books are specialized, covering the shipping of publications, 1889-1890; notaries public, 1891; antitrust letters, 1900-1902; and personal correspondence for Secretaries of State John G. Tod, 1901-1903, and J.R. Curl, 1903-1905.
Collection:
Texas Secretary of State general correspondence
Creator:
Texas. Secretary of State
Date range of creation:
1860 to 1861
Date range of creation:
1865 to 1866
Date range of creation:
1870 to 1905
Citation information:
(Identify the item), Letterpress books, Texas Secretary of State general correspondence. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Arrangement:
These records are arranged roughly chronologically, with specialized letterpress books at the end.
Copyright information:
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).
Size or duration:
25.63 cubic ft.
TARO URL:
http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/taro/tslac/30193/tsl-30193.html
Technical requirements:
Letterpress books are extremely fragile; pages are tissue-thin and bindings are either broken or ready to break. Therefore they may not be photocopied and must be treated with great care.