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By Trent Shotwell
Collection Overview
Title: E.L. Shettles Scrapbook Collection, 1886-1919
Predominant Dates:1910-1914
Extent: 6.0 Items
Arrangement: The E.L. Shettles Scrapbook Collection includes scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings, articles, correspondence, and documents concerning religion and politics. The scrapbooks are arranged according to subject.
Subjects: Gambling, Religion, Shettles, E. L. (Elijah LeRoy), 1852-1940, Texas - History
Languages: English
Scope and Contents of the Materials
The E.L. Shettles Scrapbook Collection contains six scrapbooks on political and religious topics in Texas and the United States. The majority of the newspaper clippings in the scrapbooks concern Methodism and other religious topics in the Southwest. Two of the scrapbooks contain political newspaper clippings from the early 1900s. There are several folders containing loose newspaper clippings, correspondence, and articles. One folder contains a bibliography on Methodist related materials that are believed to be part of the Shettles Scrapbook Collection. Also included are various state lottery tickets and advertisements from the late 1800s.
Collection Historical Note
Elijah LeRoy Shettles was born in 1852 in Mississippi. His occupations included teaching, gambling, freight agent work, ministry, and book selling. He was a professional gambler for twenty years then converted to Methodism in 1891. After a successful career as a Methodist preacher, Shettles became the editor for the Texas Methodist Historical Quarterly and married a widow, Elizabeth Letts, in 1894. The following year, he began traveling around Texas and collecting out-of-print books. Over the years, Elijah and his wife raised several foster children, then in 1921 they retired to live in Austin, Texas where he continued collecting books. In 1932, due to the efforts of Sam Houston State University’s Dr. Clark, the E.L. Shettles Collection was purchased and added to the library of Sam Houston State Teacher’s College.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
SHSU Special Collections & University Archives
Use Restrictions:
The materials represented in this finding aid have been made available for research, teaching and private use. For these purposes, you may reproduce (print, make photocopies, or download) these items without prior permission on the condition that you provide proper attribution of the source in all copies.
Please contact the Newton Gresham Library's Special Collections and University Archives department to request permissions to reproduce materials for any other purpose, or to obtain information regarding the copyright status of a particular digital image, text, audio or video recording.
Preferred Citation:
E.L. Shettles Scrapbook Collection. SHSU Special Collections, Newton Gresham Library, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1],
[All]
- Series 1

- Box 1

- Item 1: Religious Newspaper Clippings Scrapbook, 1906-1912

- Newspaper clippings on religious news.
- Box 2

- Item 1: Religious Newspaper Clippings Scrapbook, 1893-1919

- Newspaper clippings, pamphlets, and correspondence on religious news. The ideal scrap book by Ideal Specialty Company.
- Box 3

- Item 1: Religious Newspaper Clippings Scrapbook, 1886-1909

- Newspaper clippings on religious news in Texas.
- Box 4

- Item 1: Religious Newspaper Clippings Scrapbook, 1910

- Newspaper clippings on religious news and correspondence. Large scrapbook that includes additional folders containing loose newspaper articles, Methodist bibliography, correspondence, and state lottery documents.
- Box 5

- Item 1: Political Newspaper Clippings Scrapbook, 1914

- Newspaper clippings on political news. Small bound scrapbook.
- Box 6

- Item 1: Political Newspaper Clippings Scrapbook, 1914

- Newspaper clippings on political news in Texas. Large scrapbook and folder containing loose newspaper clippings that were originally kept in the scrapbook.
- Item 2: Souvenir of The World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition, 1884 - 1885

- Commemorative Ribbon. New Orleans.