A Guide to the Gresham and Negley Families Papers, 1845-2003 (bulk 1885-1917)

Biographical Note

William B. Negley (1854-1912) was born in 1854 in Hagerstown, Maryland. He came to Texas around 1880 to buy bones for his father's fertilizer business. His family eventually purchased a ranch in Maverick County and named it Las Farias. Horses and sheep were raised on the ranch. While visiting at the neighboring Woodhull family ranch, William met Susan Maria Jones. William and Susan married in Huntington, Long Island in 1885.

Susan Maria Jones Negley (1863-1927) was born to Samuel Williams Jones (1818-1878) and Susan Maria Hewlett Jones (1827-1900) in 1863 in New York. She was an active member of the National Society of Colonial Dames of America before and after she married. Susan, or Susie as she was known, and William had five children. William Robert was the first child born in 1886, but he died as a small child. Richard Van Wyck was born at Las Farias in 1887, attended Phillips Exeter Academy and Yale University, and eventually married Laura Burleson Negley. Lewis Jones was the third child and also died in infancy. William Walter, born in 1895, and Rose Gertrude, born December 8, 1896, were both born after the Negley's had moved from the ranch, to Eagle Pass, and then to San Antonio, Texas.

After moving to San Antonio, William B. Negley became an investor with George C. Vaughn in the lumber business. He and his wife built a home at 421 Howard Street, which eventually was the home of the Gresham's. William became the first president of the San Antonio Club. Susan Negley helped to establish the Texas chapter of the National Society of the Colonial Dames in America, and was a member of other charitable groups. She carried on extensive correspondence with her children and other family members. William B. died in 1912 and Susan in 1927.

Richard Van Wyck Negley, Sr. (1887-1976) married Laura Burleson (see Laura Burleson Negley Papers) in 1912 and had three children, Albert in 1913, William (Bill) in 1914 and Richard, Jr. (Dickie) in 1915. Richard attended Phillips Exeter Academy (class of 1905) and graduated from Yale in 1909. He served in World War I and returned to San Antonio to found and operate the Negley Paint Company. Richard and Laura's sons were also schooled at Phillips Exeter Academy. The oldest son Albert, attended Yale Law School and the youngest son Richard, graduated from West Point Military Academy in 1939. Albert and Richard lost their lives while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II. The surviving son, William, graduated from law school at the University of Texas and spent the war years in Caracas, Venezuela working in an essential industry for Standard Oil Company. He married Carolyn Brown in 1942.

William Walter Negley, (1895–1932) also attended Phillips Exeter Academy (class of 1912) like his brother Richard, and graduated from Yale in 1916. He joined the army in 1917 and enrolled in the first officers training camp at Camp Bullis, San Antonio. He spent time in France as a captain and staff munitions officer. Walter, as he was known, married Roxana Gage in 1924 and lived on a ranch in Fort Davis, Texas. He died in 1932.

Rose Gertrude Negley Gresham, (1896-1993) or Gertrude, as she was known, attended Mulholland Girls School and graduated from Miss Shipley School for Girls in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania in 1916. During World War I, she volunteered as a nurse in the surgical ward at Fort Sam Houston. In 1920 she had a formal coming out. She met and married Rupert Neely Gresham, Sr. on June 8, 1921. They had two children, Rupert Neely, Jr. and Susan Maria Jones. Like her mother Susan, Gertrude was active in the National Society of Colonial Dames of America, and at one point served as treasurer of the organization in Texas. During World War II, she served as a Grey Lady in the hospitals and was a member of the Ground Observer Corps. Avid golfers, Gertrude and Rupert played in San Antonio and in California.

Rupert Neely Gresham, Sr., was born on April 7, 1892 in Texas. He graduated from Main Avenue High School in San Antonio, Texas and attended The University of Texas Law School. He was admitted to the bar in 1916. Rupert married Rose Gertrude Negley in 1921. He served as president of the state bar in 1954-1955, and was president of the board of trustees of St. Mary's University School of Law from 1953 to 1972. Rupert, Sr. also served as a member of the advisory group on taxation of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee. Rupert, Sr. died on January 8, 1973.

Rupert Neely Gresham, Jr., was born around 1923 in San Antonio, Texas. He graduated from Texas Military Institute in 1940. He attended Exeter like his uncles and cousins, received his undergraduate degree from Yale, and received his MBA from Harvard Business School. He worked as a banker, retiring as Senior Vice-President of Commercial Lending with Frost National Bank. He volunteers with The San Antonio, Texas Alamo Chapter of SCORE, acting as an advisor and mentor to small business owners and entrepreneurs.

Susan Maria Jones Gresham Crudgington Davidge was born circa 1925 in San Antonio, Texas. She attended Saint Mary's Hall and Vassar College. She was Queen of the Court of Holidays of Fiesta San Jacinto in 1947. She moved to the Washington, DC area in 1953. Susan married James Crudgington and they had three daughters Susan, Libby, and Keith. James Crudgington died July 15, 1973. Susan married again on June 9, 1976 to John Washington Davidge, Jr., who died on December 8, 1986. Susan was a member of the Ladies of Mount Vernon and the National Society of Colonial Dames of America. She was also a member of the board of the National Cathedral School for Girls and the Maryland chapter of the Nature Conservancy. Susan died on August 28, 1989.

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Scope and Content Note

The collection spans the years 1845 through 2003 (with the bulk of materials dating 1885-1917) and includes correspondence between four generations of family members, photographs, business papers, household receipts, postcard albums, and scrapbooks. Collectively these papers show the family ties that the family maintained over more than 100 years, as well as social and business relationships that the family maintained in San Antonio. The collection is arranged by generation beginning with Susan Jones and her sister Mary. The second generation leads off with Susan Maria Negley and her husband William, and consists of letters to and from Susan and William as well as letters to their children, her siblings, several aunts and uncles, and William's siblings and cousins. The third generation consists of Richard Negley, Walter Negley, and Gertrude Negley and Rupert Gresham Sr., with the fourth generation consisting of Rupert Gresham, Jr. and his sister Susan Crudgington Davidge. Within the latter's papers are photographs of her daughters, Susan, Libby, and Keith.

Within each generation, documents are filed by format, the bulk of which are letters to and from mostly family members. Letters are filed with the person to whom the letter is written. What few outgoing letters that exist would be filed under the receiver's name. There are also a number of photographs in this collection. In the nineteenth century, the images consist of a few studio portraits, then with the early twentieth century, both studio portraits and snapshots, with the final photographs of the Crudgington girls in the 1980's consisting of only snapshots. The collection includes three panoramic photographs – one from Bryn Mawr, Gertrude's alma mater; one from Exeter; and one of a Yale Harvard game on November 25, 1916. Of especial note is the beautiful late nineteenth century photograph album which includes well preserved, but unidentified, cabinet cards. Photographers from Maryland, New York and San Antonio are represented.

The bulk of the correspondence dates roughly from 1885 through 1916. The majority of the letters are written between Susan (Susie) M. Jones Negley and her husband William B. Negley, as well as letters to and from their children: Richard Van Wyck, William Walter (Walter) and Rose Gertrude Negley (Gertrude). The letters between Susie and William begin when they are courting and cover such topics as domestic life, shopping, and wedding planning. Once these two were married their letters discussed family, domestic, and household issues. William traveled to the ranch in Eagle Pass every summer for three to four months and during these times the letters between them are almost daily. They discuss missing each other, household and ranch activities, the birth of their children, the children's behavior and health, as well as extended family activities. Susie at times went to New York to be with her family during her husband's absences and sometimes her Aunt Nettie came to San Antonio to help with the younger children.

The letters from Susie, to and from Richard and Walter date from the time they are at school at Exeter and then Yale (and Richard spent a short time at Dartmouth.) The letters discuss the boy's studies, their activities, and primarily financial issues concerning school. The boys ask for money to pay for room and board, books and supplies, clothes and a typewriter. Of interest is the different ways the boys ask their parents for money. Richard always stated he could make do with what he had if the asking was a hardship, while Walter always spent his allowance very quickly and then asked for more money. Richard's school letters also talk about joining fraternities.

There are also letters from Susie's extended family members including her sisters and cousins, and these cover topics of family activities including weddings and deaths, travel, household and daily activities. Walter, Richard and Gertrude occasionally wrote to each other, though there is little correspondence between Susie and Gertrude. Other generations write mostly about domestic issues, and include wedding invitations, funeral notices, and announcements about new births. In the correspondence of Gertrude, there are ten inches of materials related to Rupert Gresham, Sr.'s death, especially letters of condolence and memorial cards.

Of less bulk is the variety of other materials in the Family Papers. The earliest generations have mainly letters and photographs, but within Susie Negley's materials are household receipts, scrapbooks, programs, and a recipe book. The receipts document the expenses needed to run the household, from food, to repairs, to purchasing clothing, school supplies, and car parts. Susie's scrapbooks include photographs, newspaper clippings, and poetry. There is also a pressed-flower book of bouquets received by Susie from William during a month of their courtship in Texas from April 5 to May 13, 1885. William and Susie were the recipients of many postcards, and they created an album. Their daughter Gertrude compiled two scrapbooks, one with photographs of a golfing trip to California and a trip she and Rupert took to Yosemite. She also created a postcard album and some of the postcards were sent through the mail. Finally, Susan Crudgington created four books that document her high school and college years, and her time as a queen of Fiesta.

William Negley's papers include several files about his interests in mining companies and ranching. Richard's papers include some business things, but mostly documents relating to his father's (William) estate. Rupert Sr. has the most items referring to his career as a lawyer, mainly photographs, but also his diploma, awards he received during his life, newsclippings, and a speech.

Gertrude and Rupert's wedding, 25th and 50th anniversaries are documented in the collection. Also, there is extensive documentation from her time as a school girl, with short reports written on a variety of topics. Susan and Rupert as children are highly photographed, and there are snapshots of Susan's three girls, but other than a few other documents, little is existent.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

This collection is housed at UTSA's Main Campus and must be accessed via the John Peace Library Special Collections reading room. To request access, please use theCollections Request Form.

Use Restrictions

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

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Related Material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Gresham and Negley Families Papers, MS 155, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.

Acquisition Information

Received as a gift from Rupert Neely Gresham, Jr., September 2005.

Processing Information

Processed by Gerrianne Schaad, Head of University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections; Mathew C. Martin, Collections Assistant; and Eva Sankey, Collections Assistant, 2007.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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