THE DAUGHTERS OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS LIBRARY
Col 6744
Ella Ketcham Daggett Stumpf Papers
1866, 1914-1992
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Collection information
Physical description: 16 document and photograph boxes, 1 artifacts box
Acquisition: Gift of Kris K. McCluskey, 1993
Processed by: Louisa A. Foster, Diana Guthrie, and John Powell, 1995;
additional processing by Warren Stricker, 1998
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Table of contents
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A fifth-generation Texan, Ella Ketcham Daggett was born on October 11, 1903 at her grandmother’s home in Palestine, Texas to Fred D. and Ella Ketcham Daggett. Growing up in San Antonio, she graduated from high school in 1920 and attended the University of Texas, before withdrawing due to illness. While undergoing medical treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, she met her future husband, Franz W. Stumpf (1889-1984), an oral surgeon then working at the clinic. After their marriage in 1923, the couple settled in San Antonio, where Dr. Stumpf opened a dental practice.
Long interested in the history and historic sites of Texas, Mrs. Stumpf was active in many historical and preservation organizations, notably, the San Antonio Conservation Society and the Historic Buildings Foundation, which she helped establish. She was a vigorous advocate for the cause of historic preservation, and was instrumental in rallying support for the Menger Hotel when the 1859 building was threatened with demolition in the 1940s. She was also active in the preservation of the José Antonio Navarro house, the Ursuline Academy, buildings in the La Villita area of San Antonio, and other sites. She and her husband also purchased and restored an 1880s-era residence in the 1940s, christening their Howard Street home “Sol y Sombra.”
Mrs. Stumpf began a writing career while a student at the University of Texas, on the staff of the Daily Texan student newspaper. She continued to research and write throughout her life, on history, historic buildings, cooking, gardening, and many other subjects. Her articles appeared in newspapers and periodicals throughout Texas and beyond. She was also the author of a pamphlet entitled San Antonio’s Menger, published by the hotel in 1953.
While less active as a writer in her later years, Mrs. Stumpf continued to research and gather source material, and she remained active in several organizations until her death on April 15, 1993.
References:
Ella Ketcham Daggett Stumpf Papers. Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas.
Ella K. Daggett Stumpf, vertical file. Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas.
Who’s Who of American Women. Chicago: A.N. Marquis Co., 1958.
Consisting primarily of short manuscripts and the source material gathered in their production, the Ella Ketcham Daggett Stumpf Papers include information on a range of topics associated with Texas history and culture.
The papers are organized into five series, the most significant of which is Writings and Research, which includes articles written by Mrs. Stumpf, in typescript and published forms, her research notes, and source material, particularly copies of published material and newspaper clippings. Files within the series are in alphabetical order by subject; some of these files were created by Mrs. Stumpf, but much of the arrangement was developed during processing. The most extensive files are associated with the Menger Hotel, and include information on the history of the hotel and events which took place there. Other historic sites and buildings which are documented in detail include the Driskill Hotel in Austin and the Ursuline Academy in San Antonio. Research on Texas historic sites in general is found in the Texas Houses and Historic Sites files, and in Travel and Texas Hotels files. Mrs. Stumpf’s interest in cooking and gardening, particularly in a historic sense, is also well represented. Additional information on cooking in Texas is found in files on Christmas as it was celebrated in Texas. Research material related to Mrs. Stumpf’s family history, particularly the Daggett and Worsham families, includes some family narratives and copies of source documents. Many of the other subjects included in the series are often documented by a single file of miscellaneous material. Photographs found with research material have been moved to the Photographs series.
The second series, Books, Pamphlets and Periodicals, contains a small number of general historical works.
Personal Material contains a miscellany of letters, biographical information, and printed material.
Another significant series is Photographs, which is generally divided between images of historic buildings and personal photographs. Larger photographic prints have been arranged by subject, and include a number of photographs of the Daggett and Stumpf family members, historic buildings, and photographs of the two Stumpf homes in San Antonio. Photographs of scenes at St. Mary’s Hall, a private girls’ school in San Antonio, may have come from Roe Daggett Johnson, a staff member at the school. Photographs which may be of Mrs. Johnson are also found in these subject files.
A small group of snapshots of East Texas sites, mounted on cardboard with accompanying captions, is attributed to Mary Daggett Lake. Oversize photos include professionally produced views of the Stumpf home, removed from an album. The album itself contained no captions nor additional information, and was not retained.
The bulk of the photographs consists of snapshots, presumably taken by Mrs. Stumpf and her husband, and dating from the 1930s through the 1970s. Some of these had been arranged by Mrs. Stumpf into two alphabetical files. The first of these, labeled “Family Photographs,” gathered photos of Mr. and Mrs. Stumpf, relatives, and family friends. The alphabetical arrangement has been retained, with some modifications, and the photographs have been rehoused. Some loose snapshots have also been incorporated into this arrangement.
The other existing file was labeled “Old Houses,” and consists of photos of historic buildings around Texas, arranged alphabetically by location. A large portion of these are of San Antonio buildings. Most of the photographs date from the 1930s through 1950s, and include images of buildings which have since been demolished.
The remainder of the photographs had been stored in the envelopes in which they were received from the photo-processor. These have simply been rehoused and arranged chronologically, based on the processing date or dates noted on the prints themselves.
All of the snapshots and negatives have been placed in envelopes, with some of the significant locations or subjects depicted noted on the envelope and in the finding aid.
Some snapshots had been housed in small photograph albums; these have been removed from the album and kept together. As no captions were included with these albums, they were discarded.
The final photographic format consists of color transparencies of houses in the King William neighborhood of San Antonio.
The fifth series includes artifacts found with the papers. Some items are associated with subjects covered in the research files, while others are miscellaneous personal items.
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Maps |
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Edwards, Emily. Historic guide map to San Antonio de Bexar and environs. San Antonio Conservation Society, 1926. |
Oversize Map 912.764351 E26h 1926 |
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Montgomery County. General Land Office, 1861. Negative photostat. |
County maps
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Montgomery County. General Land Office, 1943. |
Uncataloged maps
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Montgomery County. General Land Office, undated. Negative photostat. |
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Le Nouveau Mexique. Undated. |
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William H. Sandusky. Plan of the City of Galveston, Texas. 1845. Facsimile copy. |
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Books |
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Katherine Hart. Waterloo Scrapbook, 1970-1971. Austin, Texas: Friends of the Austin Public Library, 1971. |
976.431 H325w |
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Postcards |
Postcard Collection
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Austin, Texas |
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Wood Lawn, 1853 |
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Castroville, Texas |
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Landmark Inn, Castroville, Texas (2 copies) |
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The Courtyard of Landmark Inn, U.S. 90, Castroville, Texas (5 copies) |
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Con Can, Texas |
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Garner State Park, Con Can, Texas |
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Galveston, Texas |
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The famous seawall and beach playground of the Southwest, Galveston, Texas (2 copies) |
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Beach scene, Galveston, Texas (2 copies) |
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Oleanders, Galveston, Texas |
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Gulf Coast |
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Fishing Fleet on the Gulf Coast of Texas |
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San Antonio |
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The Alamo (2 copies) |
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The Alamo, San Antonio, Texas (2 copies) |
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Casa Rio Mexican Foods |
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Colonnade of Arches at [San José Mission] |
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La Fonda Mexican Restaurant |
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Governor’s Palace, San Antonio, Tex. (3 copies) |
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Mission Concepcion |
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Mission San Francisco de la Espada (2 copies) |
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Mission San Francisco de la Espada, San Antonio, Texas (5 copies) |
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Mission San Francisco de Espada, Built 1731 |
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Mission San Jose, San Antonio, Texas (2 copies) |
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Mission San Juan de Capistrano (2 copies) |
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O. Henry House, Santone |
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Old Spanish Governor’s Palace, San Antonio, Texas |
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River Scene, San Antonio, Tex. |
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San Antonio River |
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San Antonio River, San Antonio, Texas (3 copies) |
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San Antonio, Tex. Menger Hotel |
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[San José y San Miguel de Aguayo Mission] (2 copies) |
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Spanish Governor’s Palace, Fountain and Patio, San Antonio, Texas |
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Sunken Garden, San Antonio, Tex. |
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Weatherford, Texas |
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Parker County Courthouse and Public Square |
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Girlhood Home of Actress Mary Martin, Weatherford, Texas |
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“White Shadows,” The Douglas Chandor Studio and Gardens |
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“White Shadows,” Famous Gardens of Douglas Chandor |
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The Famous Gardens of Douglas Chandor |
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The Gardens of Douglas Chandor |
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The Gardens of Douglas Chandor (2 copies) |
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Miscellaneous |
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“Down in Texas” (2 copies) |
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