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William Harrison Mays Papers
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Building Loan Payment Receipt

Item 28 - Receipt from Eli Peoples to James Mifflin Mays for payment towards a building loan. Written on The Palace Bar letterhead, with the inscription “Green River - The Whiskey Without a Headache” printed underneath. Dated June 9, 1911

Building Supply Receipts

This folder contains receipts from Eli Peoples to James Mifflin Mays for building supplies.

Item 21 - Receipt, dated December 23, 1910

Item 22 - Receipt, dated March 13, 1911

Item 23 - Receipt, dated August 19, 1911

Item 24 - Receipt, dated August 19, 1911

Item 25 - Receipt, dated October 13, 1911

Item 26 - Receipt, dated January 8, 1912

Item 27 - Receipt, dated January 8, 1912

Correspondence - County Clerk’s Office (Sinton, TX) to Charles M. Williams

This folder contains correspondence regarding the properties of Lots No. 7 and 8, Block No. 20.

Item 39 - Letter from the County Clerk’s Office in Sinton, TX to Charles M. Williams of Los Angeles, CA regarding the recipients’ claim to ownership of Lots No. 7 and 8, Block No. 20, the property’s current occupants, and the payment of back taxes on the property. Dated February 23, 1929

Item 40 - Letter from the County Clerk’s Office in Sinton, TX to Charles M. Williams of Los Angeles, CA acknowledging receipt of the recipient’s payment of back taxes on Lots No. 7 and 8, Block No. 20. Dated September 14, 1929

Deeds of Conveyance - Lot No. 8, Block No. 28, Corpus Christi, Texas

Item 1 - Deed of Conveyance, handwritten, from James Gallagher to Charles Avery for Lot. No. 8, Block No. 28, Corpus Christi, TX. Dated August 14, 1866. (2 pages, sleeved separately, writing on front and back)

Item 2 - Deed of Conveyance, handwritten, from Charles Avery to Clara St. Clair for Lot. No. 8, Block No. 28, Corpus Christi, TX. Dated August 18, 1866.

Item 3 - Deed of Conveyance, handwritten, from the Estate of Charles Avery Executors to Clara St. Clair, dated December 27, 1869 (2 pages connected along the top of both pages, writing on front and back)

Item 4 - Deed of Conveyance, handwritten, from J. Temple Droswell to Clara St. Clair for Lot No. 8, Block No. 28. Dated May 1, 1872

Documents and Correspondence - Rose Hill Park Cemetery and Alice Sinclair Mays

Item 36 - Promissory note from Rose Hill Park Cemetery to Mrs. W. H. Mays by Gertrude Mays, regarding the purchase of a cemetery plot, dated October 23, 1926

Item 37 - Deed from Rose Hill Park Cemetery to Mrs. W. H. Mays, dated October 23, 1926

Item 38 - Letter from Rose Hill Park Cemetery to Mrs. W. H. Mays, dated October 23, 1928

Newspaper Clippings and Newsletters

Item 50 - Editorial section from The Corpus Christi Caller-Times, dated March 2, 1958. The article is titled, “Spohn Hospital’s First 53 Years,” marked with a black pen. The article concerns the fifty-third anniversary of Spohn Hospital, founded by Arthur Edward Spohn, the son-in-law of Mifflin Kenedy (W. H. Mays’ employer).

Item 51 - Education Service Center (ESC) Newsletter, Region II News, dated May 1969. It contains a photograph of Alclair Mays Pleasant.

Item 52 - Newspaper clipping from Corpus Christi Community Life West, dated May 18, 1978. The article is titled, “Sacred Heart Pupils get learnin’ and lots of love,” and features Alclair Mays Pleasant.

Notarized Copy of Promissory Note - Roy Bohman and the Children of W. H. Mays

Item 31 - Copy of the March 9, 1921, Promissory Note from Roy Bohman to Ethel Sinclair Crawford, Thomas Sinclair, Maud Sinclair Davis, and Ollie Sinclair, notarized by the State of California, San Francisco County and the State of Texas, Bexar County. Dated March 15, 1921. (2 pages, connected to backing by two metal grommets)

Notarized Copy of Promissory Note - Roy Bohman and the children of W. H. Mays

Item 32 - Copy of the March 9, 1921, Promissory Note from Roy Bohman to Ethel Sinclair Crawford, Thomas Sinclair, Maud Sinclair Davis, and Ollie Sinclair, notarized by the State of California, Los Angeles County and the State of Texas, Bexar County. Dated April 1, 1921. (2 pages, connected to backing by two metal grommets)

Personal Family Letters

Item 41 - Letter from W. H. Mays to his wife, Alice Sinclair Mays, dated September 14, 1897

Item 42 - Envelope addressed to Mrs. Alclair Pleasant, dated September 18, 1982

Item 43 - Letter from Roby Williams to Alclair Pleasant, dated September 18, 1982. In this letter, Williams describes how W. H. Mays worked as a cowpuncher for the King and Kenedy families (2 pages, transcription included)

Item 44 - Letter from Belle Sinclair to her sister, Alice Sinclair Mays, dated November 16, [?]

Promissory Note - Roy Bohman and the Children of W. H. Mays

Item 29 - Promissory Note from Roy Bohman to Ethel Sinclair Crawford, Thomas Sinclair, Maud Sinclair Davis, and Alice Sinclair (with payment given as due March 9, 1922), dated March 9, 1921

Item 30 - Promissory Note from Roy Bohman to Ethel Sinclair Crawford, Thomas Sinclair, Maud Sinclair Davis, and Alice Sinclair (with payment given as due March 9, 1923), dated March 9, 1921

Property, Family, and Unknown

Item 53 - Photograph of house, handwritten inscription on the back reads - “The Bohman’s home, they had built on 911 N. Tan Cahua. 'Nita Mama' - my grandmother - can be seen walking in the rear of the drive-way, carrying Tommy (about the 30s).”

Item 54 - Photograph of house, handwritten inscription on the back reads - “The Old Mays home before remodeling. 1301 N. Mesquite St., Corpus Christi, Texas.”

Item 55 - Photograph of house, handwritten inscription on the back reads - “The Rent house at the old Mays home 1301 N. Mesquite St. Corpus Christi, Texas. Sharing vacant spot on the corner of the lot where the old original homestead before moving to Shamrock Corvy [?]. All old trees and shrubs cut down.”

Item 56 - Postcard photograph of an unidentified African American woman in a broad-rimed hat. The handwritten inscription reads - “What do you think of this? The Loving Kid.”

Item 57 - Postcard photograph of a group of unidentified African Americans (3 men standing, 2 women seated).

Item 58 - Photograph of 2 men (one identified as Annie Garcia Bohman’s brother, the other unidentified), a handwritten inscription on the back reads - “Left - Uncle Willie Cox on left. Just after a win in a cock’s fight. Bag contains $1,000 in gold. San Luis Portis, Mexico. Brother to Annie Garcia Bohman.”

Item 59 - Photograph of Alice Sinclair Mays and son, Walter Mays. The handwritten inscription reads - “Mrs. Alice Sinclair Mays and son Walter Mays (grandmother and uncle of Mrs. Alclair Pleasant. Mrs. Sinclair was brought to Corpus by a Ms. Cora Hennens. She married W. H. Mays and is the half-sister of Rev. Moses Sinclair.”

Item 60 - Photograph of Ms. Mildred Gertrude Mays and Mrs. Alclair Mays Pleasant. The handwritten inscription reads - “Ms. Mildred Gertrude Mays (R) with her half-sister, Mrs. Alclair M. Pleasant. Mildred was born to James M. Mayys and his second wife, Mrs. Millie West Blacksheare. Mrs. Blacksheare is from an early settler family, the Sam West family.”

Item 61 - Photograph of house, handwritten inscription on the back reads - “Home of Mr. & Mrs. Roy Bohman - 911 N. Tancahua. They had it built in 1924. It has since been sold and moved to 1906 Van Loan Avenue.”

Receipts - Lot No. 8, Block No. 28, Corpus Christi, Texas

Item 6 - Receipt for taxes paid by Clarissa Sinclair, dated October 15, 1872

Item 7 - Receipt for taxes paid by Moses Sinclair, dated October 19, 1872

Item 8 - Receipt for taxes paid by Clarissa Sinclair, dated March 6, 1874

Item 9 - Receipt for taxes paid by Clarissa Sinclair, dated [?], 1874

Item 10 - Receipt for taxes paid by Clarissa Sinclair, dated May 29, 1877

Item 11 - Receipt for taxes paid by Clarissa Sinclair, dated February 14, 1879

Item 12 - Receipt for taxes paid by Clarissa Sinclair, dated February 14, 1879

Item 13 - Receipt for taxes paid by Clarissa Sinclair, dated February 19, 1880

Item 14 - Receipt for taxes paid by Clarissa Sinclair, dated December 20, 1889

Item 15 - Receipt for taxes paid by Clarisa [name misspelled on document] Sinclair, dated February 21, 1895

Tax Receipts - Lot No. 1, Block No. 43, Corpus Christi, Texas

The folder contains tax receipts for Property Lot No. 1, Block No. 43, Corpus Christi, Texas owned by the Estate of W. H. Mays.

Item 33 - Corpus Christi Independent School District Tax Receipt, dated December 30, 1921

Item 34 - Tax receipt, dated December 30, 1921

Item 35 - Tax receipt, dated December 30, 1921

Telegram - Alclair Mays Pleasant Birth Announcement

Item 47 - Envelope with Western Union Telegraph Co. printed on the front. The addressee is listed as Mrs. Sallie Garcer, Kingsville. Dated May 1, 1906

Item 48 - Telegram to Mrs. Sallie May Garcer from James Mifflin Mays, dated May 1, 1906

Item 49 - Envelope with Gulf Oil Corporation letterhead. Handwritten note on the front of envelope reads - “Telegram to my grandmother Sallie Carcia, who was working as a cook in the Horan Hotel in Kingsville, from my father announcing my birth, May 1, 1906. Alclair.” (Undated)

William Harrison Mays Papers

  • US TxAM-C C000003
  • Collection
  • 1866-1982

This collection contains a variety of documents related to William Harrison Mays, an African American cowboy living in Corpus Christi, TX during the late 19th and early 20th century, and his family. The collection consists of tax receipts, promissory notes, land deeds, and receipts for lumber and building loan payments, photographs, and correspondences from which the researcher is able to track the development of a family over the course of three generations.

Of particular interest is a letter written by W. H. Mays' grandson, Roby Williams, dated September 12, 1982, in which he claims that his grandfather, "was a gun toten cow puncher with the Kings and Kennedys who used to ride over the border and steal Mexican's cattle and bring them back to Kings ranch and brand them KR. Grandpa knew he was living such a hard and risky life, he knew he was subject to being killed on some of these adventures and cattle drives up to Abilene, Kansas, so he didn't buy anything in his name. If he was arrested for cattle rustling, they couldn't take his property." One of the deeds dated 1872 may dispute this claim as it conveys to "Harrison Mays, Colored" a property in Corpus Christi for the sum of twenty-five gold dollars. However, all the tax receipts thereafter for the property are made out to a Clarissa Sinclair (also known as Alice Sinclair, William Harrison Mays' wife).

Other items of interest include a photograph, circa 1865, of two African-American men each standing with a leg up on a wooden box with a large bag marked "$1,000." The handwritten caption on the back reads: "Uncle Willie Cox on left. Just after a win in a cock's fight. Bag contains $1,000.00 in gold. San Luis Portisi, Mexico."

Mays, William Harrison