Manuscripts

XSX Ranch letter

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Description: An autograph letter signed by "Henry" and addressed to "Dear Mother." The letter describes the roundup of cattle on the XSX Ranch near Silver City, New Mexico; Henry also details the typical chores of a cowboy including rounding up strays, practicing his roping, burning brush, and unclogging a water pipe; he also describes visiting other ranches and sharing meals of stew, beans, coffee, and bread pudding. The letter is in good condition with faint fold lines.
Type: Manuscripts(Opens in new tab)
Production date: 1922 November 15.
Call number: mssHM 84059
Provenance: Purchased from Between the Covers Rare Books, Inc., April 2022.
Restrictions: Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

XSX Ranch letters

Manuscripts

Three letters signed "Henry," who was a cowboy working at the XSX Ranch in New Mexico, writing to his mother and describing his work and daily life on the ranch. The first two letters were written in 1917 and describe his arrival on horseback in Silver City, New Mexico, and subsequent journey north to the XSX Ranch. Henry writes in detail of the landscape, including the Gila River and the canyons and pine forests he passes through; various tasks such as loading and unloading pack mules, hunting, fence riding, rounding up and driving cattle and horses; and the people he meets, including fellow cowboys, the ranch cook, and the neighboring Mexican American Montoya family. In relating his conversations with others, Henry also provides commentary on unions, World War I, Black people working as servants, and other aspects of American politics and culture. The third letter is from 1922 and continues describing ranch life and work, and also mentions several photographs, which are unfortunately not included.

mssXSX

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XSX Ranch letters

Manuscripts

mssXSX

Biedebach Brothers Ranch, 3425 East Colorado, Pasadena. 1929

Visual Materials

View of the Biedebach Brothers Ranch at 3425 East Colorado with two men on horses, a dairy barn, and a truck announcing a "Roundup" for a YMCA membership drive. The San Bernardino Mountains are in the background.

photCL 402 (30847)

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Daniel Kellogg Southwick letter to Abijah Southwick

Manuscripts

This letter contains a detailed account of the Battle of Shiloh and its immediate aftermath. Southwick mentions Ulysses S. Grant who "outgeneraled" the Confederate commanders and describes the arrival of Henry W. Halleck.

mssHM 75843

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George Belshaw letter to Henry Belshaw

Manuscripts

In this letter to his brother Henry, George Belshaw describes his experiences in Iowa during his western journey. Included are the prices of goods, the state of his party's equipment, and a description of their meeting with Indians. Typescript, unsigned.

mssHM 4200

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Walter Scribner Schuyler letter to his mother

Manuscripts

This letter by Walter Scribner Schuyler, written from Omaha, Nebraska, describes a trip from there, to Franklin, Idaho. The author discusses Franklin's large Mormon community and the practice of polygamy. He also talks about Henry O. Harkness Ranch, the Rose Fork Indian Agency, and General George Crook.

mssHM 83427

XSX Ranch letter

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XSX Ranch letters

XSX Ranch letters

Biedebach Brothers Ranch, 3425 East Colorado, Pasadena. 1929

Daniel Kellogg Southwick letter to Abijah Southwick

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