Inventory of the Samuel Erson Asbury Papers Texas MSS 00044., 1872-1960
Title:
Inventory of the Samuel Erson Asbury Papers 1872-1960
Educated and professionally employed as an agricultural chemist and researcher in fertilizer and feeds, Samuel Erson Asbury's fame rests primarily with his extensive research into Texas history, particularly his discovery of little known primary resources regarding the Texas Revolution, including those concerning Jonas Harrison, John A. Williams, and the journal of Juan Nepomuceno Almonte. Samuel Erson Asbury was born in Charlotte, North Carolina on September 26, 1872, the son of Felicia Swan (Woodward) and Sidney Monroe Asbury. In 1889, Asbury enrolled in North Carolina Agricultural and Mechanical College in Raleigh, receiving his B.S. in chemistry in 1893. Employed as an instructor at the college, Asbury earned his M.S. by 1896. Between 1895 and 1904, Asbury worked alternately with the North Carolina Experiment Station, the State Chemist's office in Richmond, Virginia, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, and the State Chemist of Tennessee. On November 1, 1904 he accepted a position in College Station, Tex., as Assistant State Chemist with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station on the campus of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. From 1905 to 1915 his work required him to travel throughout East Texas as a fertilizer inspector for Dr. G. S. Frap, the State Chemist. During his business trips, Asbury spent his spare time getting acquainted with the local old-timers, many of them former participants in the Texas Revolution, Civil War, and/or the Reconstruction. Asbury's chief historical interest lay in the Texas Revolution, and he spent much of his time writing an opera, or musical-drama review to illustrate it. Asbury spent the remainder of his career with the experiment station employed in the analysis of fertilizer and feed until his retirement in 1945. Samuel Erson Asbury died in Bryan, Tex. on January 10, 1960 at the age of 89. The Samuel Erson Asbury Papers consist of research materials, correspondence, mainly original contemporary letters and copies of the older correspondence, Asbury's writings and copies of state and national documents, held in eight boxes and one map case drawer occupying approximately twelve linear feet of shelf space. Asbury's broad range of interests is reflected in the variety of topics contained in these papers. Foremost among them are the files of correspondence, the older materials chiefly copies, copies of historical documents, articles and research notes concerning various aspects of Texas history. Also included in the Asbury papers are: articles, short stories, essays, plays, poetry, and a Texas Revolution opera written by Asbury; research notes and correspondence on the cultivation of roses and the growing of plants without soil; articles written about Asbury; correspondence with family members; general correspondence; and photographs of Asbury, his family and friends, and North Carolina A&M College.
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