Summary
Back to Archive Search
In attempts to verify and prove land ownership and boundaries, Humble Oil acquired surveying records related to lands primarily in West Texas. The Twichell Survey Records Committee was created to manage the Twichell Records, and all surveying records held by Humble and the Committee became known as the Twichell Survey Records.
The Twichell Survey Records Committee was created in 1959 by a legal agreement between six oil companies for the purpose of managing the Twichell Survey Records. Surveying sketches, cadastral maps, town and neighborhood plats, field books, field notes, correspondence, and photographic materials comprise the Twichell Survey Records, 1832-1984.
Biographical Note
The Twichell Survey Records Committee was created in 1959 by a legal agreement between six oil companies for the purpose of managing the Twichell Survey Records. Surveying sketches, cadastral maps, town and neighborhood plats, field books, field notes, correspondence, and photographic materials comprise the Twichell Survey Records, 1832-1984.
Humble Oil & Refining Company was chartered in 1911 in Humble, Texas. In attempts to verify and prove land ownership and boundaries, Humble Oil acquired surveying records related to lands primarily in West Texas. The Twichell Survey Records Committee was created to manage the Twichell Records, and all surveying records held by Humble and the Committee became known as the Twichell Survey Records.
In attempts to verify and prove land ownership and boundaries, Humble Oil acquired surveying records related to lands primarily in West Texas. The Twichell Survey Records Committee was created to manage the Twichell Records, and all surveying records held by Humble and the Committee became known as the Twichell Survey Records.
The Twichell Survey Records Committee was created in 1959 by a legal agreement between six oil companies for the purpose of using and managing the Twichell Survey Records, jointly acquired by these companies.
The agreement determined joint ownership, stewardship, and access to the records. Humble Oil was designated custodian, and was responsible for storing and making the records available to the rest of the Committee. Records were declared confidential and access limited to those on the Committee or to those with stated permission from a Committee member. C. C. Cool, licensed land surveyor in Midland, Texas, was not a Committee member, but was given access to the records in return for his role in the acquisition of the records.
The six companies that made up the Committee were The Atlantic Refining Company; Continental Oil Company; Gulf Oil Corporation; Humble Oil & Refining Company; Mobil Oil Company; and Sinclair Oil & Gas Company.
Scope and Content
In attempts to verify and prove land ownership and boundaries, Humble Oil acquired surveying records related to lands primarily in West Texas. The Twichell Survey Records Committee was created to manage the Twichell Records, and all surveying records held by Humble and the Committee became known as the Twichell Survey Records.
The Twichell Survey Records Committee was created in 1959 by a legal agreement between six oil companies for the purpose of using and managing the Twichell Survey Records, jointly acquired by these companies.
The agreement determined joint ownership, stewardship, and access to the records. Humble Oil was designated custodian, and was responsible for storing and making the records available to the rest of the Committee. Records were declared confidential and access limited to those on the Committee or to those with stated permission from a Committee member. C. C. Cool, licensed land surveyor in Midland, Texas, was not a Committee member, but was given access to the records in return for his role in the acquisition of the records.
The six companies that made up the Committee were The Atlantic Refining Company; Continental Oil Company; Gulf Oil Corporation; Humble Oil & Refining Company; Mobil Oil Company; and Sinclair Oil & Gas Company.
Surveying sketches, cadastral maps, town and neighborhood plats, field books, field notes, correspondence, and photographic materials comprise the Twichell Survey Records. The Records document surveys of public and private land, land use and development, and the business of land surveying in West Texas from the frontier era through the settlement and oil period. Dates of recordkeeping activities are approximately 1900-1960, however, there are copies of maps, sketches, and field books from as early as 1832. Administrative records are dated as late as 1984.
Geographic coverage includes West Texas and the Texas High Plains, including 132 counties, and limited coverage of Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Significant documentation includes surveys of state-owned University Land and Public School Lands, Texas and Pacific Railway reservation lands, Texas and Pacific Railway lands, various town plats of Lubbock, and lands formerly part of the XIT Ranch. Records also include surveys of Littlefield lands, copies of Jacob Kuechler field books, correspondence between surveyors and clients, between surveyors and the Texas General Land Office, and photographic evidence of surveying monuments.
Maps vary widely in their coverage, style, purpose, and degree of completeness. Many maps may be more accurately called sketches or surveying sketches, as they appear to be made in the field or as short annotations used for reference when later creating maps to accompany official field notes.
Materials are not complete archives of individual surveyors, but rather business records created or compiled by the surveyors. Personal papers are not part of this collection.
Date
Geographic coverage includes West Texas and the Texas High Plains, including 132 counties, and limited coverage of Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Significant documentation includes surveys of state-owned University Land and Public School Lands, Texas and Pacific Railway reservation lands, Texas and Pacific Railway lands, various town plats of Lubbock, and lands formerly part of the XIT Ranch. Records also include surveys of Littlefield lands, copies of Jacob Kuechler field books, correspondence between surveyors and clients, between surveyors and the Texas General Land Office, and photographic evidence of surveying monuments.
Maps vary widely in their coverage, style, purpose, and degree of completeness. Many maps may be more accurately called sketches or surveying sketches, as they appear to be made in the field or as short annotations used for reference when later creating maps to accompany official field notes.
Materials are not complete archives of individual surveyors, but rather business records created or compiled by the surveyors. Personal papers are not part of this collection.
1832-1984
Extent
120.22 Linear feet (122 document boxes, 34 flat files, 4 photograph boxes, 24 slide boxes, 2 oversized boxes)
Language
English
Arrangement
Records are arranged in 7 series:
I: W.D. Twichell Records
II: Sylvan Sanders Records
III: Robert E. Estes Records
IV: Edgar C. Saunders Records
V: Robert A. Estes Humble Research Files
VI: Photographic Materials
VII: Administrative Records
Materials are arranged as they were received from the donors. This arrangement reflects the use by the donors, and ensures access via donor indexes.
Individual maps and folders within the sub-series Maps, Correspondence, and Field Books are either arranged by county and block or area, or are indexed by county and block or area. Photographic Materials are arranged by state, county, and block or area.
Preferred Citation
I: W.D. Twichell Records
II: Sylvan Sanders Records
III: Robert E. Estes Records
IV: Edgar C. Saunders Records
V: Robert A. Estes Humble Research Files
VI: Photographic Materials
VII: Administrative Records
Materials are arranged as they were received from the donors. This arrangement reflects the use by the donors, and ensures access via donor indexes.
Individual maps and folders within the sub-series Maps, Correspondence, and Field Books are either arranged by county and block or area, or are indexed by county and block or area. Photographic Materials are arranged by state, county, and block or area.
Twichell Survey Records (AR.16.TSR). Archives and Records Program, Texas General Land Office, Austin.
Access Restrictions
Unrestricted access
Use Restrictions
Materials may be under copyright protection. US copyright law does allow for reproduction of materials under copyright for uses such as critique, criticism, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research. The researcher has full responsibility for determining copyright status, locating copyright holders, and abiding by current copyright laws when publishing or displaying copies of Special Collections material in print or electronic form.