Subject: Texas -- History -- 19th century

A personal letter written by S. B. Shelton to Austin in San Luis, Texas, on August 19, 1843. The letter mentions a steamship bringing mail and Mr. W. Bryan's business trip to Washington. This correspondence dates to the period of the Texas Republic.

Legal opinion issued by the Texas Supreme Court at Galveston in January 1869 in the case of A. J. Bloomberg vs. Andre & Schultz. The case relates to the firm Alexander & Co., composed of J. Alexander, A. J. Bloomberg, and G. M. Raphael, all Jewish businessmen. A. J. Bloomberg and G. M. Raphael held substantial business interests as leading commercial houses in the Lower Rio Grande region. Bloomberg established the business in 1865; in 1868, it became Alexander & Co., operating under that name until 1872 when J. Alexander was murdered. Following Alexander's death, A. J. Bloomberg became a New York resident, purchasing goods for the firm, while G. M. Raphael and Louis Cowen managed operations in Brownsville and Matamoros, catering to the Mexican trade. Bloomberg & Raphael owned 80,000–90,000 acres of land in Hidalgo County, Texas, with several ranches.

Letter written by Abraham Charles Myers, Captain at San Antonio, Texas, to Captain George H. Crosman, Assistant Quartermaster at Corpus Christi, Texas, on February 7, 1846. The letter mentions Fort Myers, one of the first bases of operations during the Seminole Indian Wars, named in honor of Colonel Abraham C. Myers.

A one-page letter written by Michael Seeligson of Galveston, Texas to Isaac Leeser on September 1, 1852, describing the consecration of the Hebrew Cemetery in Galveston. Seeligson details the ceremony, the attendees, and the significance of this event for the small Jewish community. This letter is a rare example of early Texana related to Jewish history.

Commercial letter written by Samuel Zuckermann, a wholesale grocer and provision dealer in Mineola, Wood County, Texas, to W.S. Herndon in Tyler, Texas, on May 20, 1878. The letter contains commercial content and reflects Zuckermann's business activities.