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By Manford Eugene Jones
A thesis submitted
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of
Arts in History.
University of New
Mexico, 1939
Texas
A&M University History Professor Dale Baum purchased a copy of this
thesis from the university's library and contributed it to this
site. It is used with permission of Manford
Allen Jones, son of the author Manford Eugene Jones. These
electronic pages may not be reproduced in any
format by other organizations or individuals. Persons or organizations
desiring to use this material must obtain
the written consent of Manford Allen Jones or contact
Jane
Keppler,
Robertson
County TXGenWeb coordinator.
PREFACE
The
purpose of this thesis is to give a comprehensive but not too detailed
account of the history of cotton production in the middle Brazos
valley, in Texas. Very little printed source material could be
found which dealt with this particular region. Most of the
material, therefore, came from interviews with members of pioneer
families whose ancestors were among the earliest settlers in this part
of Texas.
The
gathering of the material proved to be very interesting, as first hand
accounts of the earliest history of the state are fast
disappearing. It must be remembered that seventy-five years ago,
most of central Texas was still a wilderness.
Another
thing that added interest to the subject was the fact that the life of
the writer has been spent within twenty miles of the Brazos. It
is hoped that some of the flavor, atmosphere, and traditions of the
place will permeate the following pages.
The
author wishes to express his appreciation to several people who have
been of help to him in the preparation of this thesis. Dr. Marion
Dargan, Professor of History, University of New Mexico, was a source of
inspiration in connection with several courses of history. Dr.
Vernon G. Sorrell, Professor of Economics and head of the Department of
of Economics and Business Administration, University of New Mexico, and
Dr. Louis K. Koontz, Associate Professor of History, University of
California at Los Angeles were both very helpful with constructive
criticism. Mary Lee, English teacher in Rosebud High School,
Rosebud, Texas, rendered valuable assistance in the matter of
organization and correct form for the thesis. There are many
others who helped unselfishly, the most important ones being listed in
the bibliography.
Especially
does the author wish to acknowledge his gratitude to Lansing B. Bloom,
Associate Professor of History, University of New Mexico, for his wise
counsel and his patience in connection with the writing of this thesis.
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