Original copy of statement by Lawrence K. Smoot, as recorded by Ralph Bickler, a court reporter, and furnished to [Trueman] O‘Quinn, relating the events surrounding the marriage of William Sydney Porter and Athol Estes at the Smoot home one July evening in 1887, with Lawrence as an “unofficial” witness when he was about 12 years of age. The date of the wedding was actually July 1, 1887 as a notice of the marriage appeared the next day in the Austin Daily Statesman.

Photo essay containing images of photos, maps, and documents describing the General Land Office Archives holdings related to O. Henry. Includes a photo of Land Commissioner Bascom Giles standing next to O.Henry's drafting table in the Land Office.

Advertisement order form for “Rolling Stones,” Doubleday, Page & Co. editions (leather and limited manuscript)

Autograph album belonging to Athol Estes, includes 10-line two stanza poem. First letters of first five lines acrostically spell Athol (first letters of lines) and Estes (last letters of lines). Signed "W.S.P."

Autograph album belonging to Effie Roach Hofer. It includes page a 10-line verse poem entitled "Poetry," with drawing of fiddle and pointing finger and hand, signed "W.S. Porter/Secretary Jolly Brothers."

Letter detailing programme for a musical event to be held on October 1, 1886, in which Belle Palm is on the program and O. Henry is the Musical Director.

Cadastral map of Kent County, Texas in the Panhandle Plains region. Scale ca. 1:133,334 (4000 varas per inch). Shows boundaries and ownership of land, including that of several railroad companies. Compiled and drawn by William S. Porter, later known as the short story writer O. Henry. Map is notable for its landscape drawings near the top.

Cadastral map of Webb County, Texas in the South Texas Plains region. Some features are marked in color and some sketched illustrations around the title. Scale ca. 1:133,334 (4000 varas per inch). Authorship is attributed to W.S. Porter, later known as the short story writer O. Henry.

A short story set in Texas.

These two pages are exerpts from a 141-page Receivers Memorandum dated 1887-1888. Pages appear to show payroll advances to O. Henry, here identified by his given name William S. Porter or W.S. Porter, for the months of June 1887 through December 1887. These pages are written in O. Henry's hand, and show his signature several times.

Pamphlet printed by the Texas Capital Visitor's Center. Contains a foreward and two O. Henry short stories: "Bexar Scrip 2692" and "Georgia's Ruling." Both stories take place in the old land office building where O. Henry worked as a draftsman, and both are about Texas land grants.

Photo essay includes images of O.Henry's life in Austin, including the Hill City Quartette, houses O. Henry lived in, sketches by O. Henry and letters by his daughter Margaret Porter.

Multiple typescript copies of a short character sketch describing O. Henry as a young man in the late 1800s, before he was a published writer. O. Henry worked as a draftsman at the General Land Office and for Maddox Brothers and Anderson.

Back of photograph reads, "Lawrence K. Smoot Age 13 years Height 4 ft 4 in."

Regarding William S. Porter's note on some debt he owed Hatzfeld and Co.

Newspaper article includes sketches and photos of O. Henry and friends. Describes O.Henry's life and his time in Austin.

Negative image of affidavit concerning Jossiah [sic] Willbarger employment of O. Henry to illustrate "Indian Depredations in Texas," 10 November 1932, signed by N.A. Rector

Letter referencing photograph of Lawrence Smoot at age twelve (12) that he witnessed the marriage of William Sydney Porter and Athol Estes.

Copy of a land Grant file for land issued to the Houston & Texas Central Railway Company in the Bexar Land District. Includes a folder jacket with table of contents and notes about the land grant (filed July 12, 1928); field notes by M.J. Doyle, Deputy Surveyor, Bexar Land District for Section 21 Block 20 (January 13, 1873); the affidavit of ownership of S.N. Allen (July 12, 1928); and a note by Land Commissioner J.H. Walker indicating that the file has no relation to the O. Henry story of the same name (December 4, 1933). O. Henry’s story tells the tale of a Railroad baron taking a poor homesteader’s land by stealing this file. Walker notes that although the file was missing for a period, due to office procedures the land fraud could not have occurred.

This document was issued to the Houston & Texas Central Railroad Company as the final instrument in the land grant process, assigning ownership to the railroad company for 640 acres in Tom Green County, section 21, block 20, as described in the patent. O. Henry wrote a fictional account of illegal proceedings concerning a land certificate, Bexar Scrip 2692, in the short story "Bexar Scrip 2692.” This is the patent that ultimately gave land ownership to the railroad via that certificate.

Ledger contains lists of General Land Office employees, their job titles, and monthly earnings. Excerpted here are 98 pages covering January 1887-January 1891, which are the dates O. Henry was employed at the land office. W.S. Porter, later known as the writer O. Henry, is listed as draftsman, compiling draftsman and assistant draftsman, earning $100 per month. Porter's name appears on roughly half of the pages.

Cancelled checks written by Maddox Bros. & Anderson all made out to W. S. Porter. Some are endorsed on the back by Porter.

Drafting table with a single metal pedestal. This drafting table was used at the Texas General Land Office around 1915.

Drafting table with a single metal pedestal. This drafting table was used at the Texas General Land Office around 1915.