Patent for a new and improved automatic cork extractor. This design "consists, principally, of a vertically-moving and partially-rotating blade having a harpoon-shaped or shouldered head for piercing and drawing the corks; in laterally opening and closing jaws for holding the necks of the bottles; in pivoted and laterally-moving pointed levers for throwing the parts of the corks away from the blade when withdrawn, and in the construction and combination of the parts of the device" (lines 14-23).

Patent for a new and improved brace for bed frames. This design "consists in providing a transverse slat at each of its ends with a pair of diverging hooks, the same to be connected to the rail on each side by means of screw-eyes, and thereby preventing the bedstead from spreading, bracing it transversely and obliquely" (lines 19-25).

Patent for a new and improved bedstead-fastener. This design "relates to the construction of a fastener for bedsteads, the object of the invention being to provide a fastener by which the parts are firmly held together and prevented from springing; and to these ends the invention consists of certain details of construction and combination of parts" (lines 8-14).

Patent for a new and improved brace for bed frames. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the bedstead having bolts at the corners, the hooks at the centers of the end rails, and the hooks at the centers of the side rails, of the two wires on each side having their ends secured to the bolts, engaging the hooks and passing to the side of the bed and engaging the hooks, the rings strung on and embracing the adjoining wires between the hooks . . . so as to cause the wires to be brought together, and the cord or strap connecting the said rings so as to slide the rings upon the wires" (lines 20-31).

Map shows late nineteenth century Brown County, Texas land parcels with tract numbers, landowners names, and patents; towns and portions of adjacent counties where property boundaries extend beyond county limits. Scale [ca. 1:66,667].

Map shows late nineteenth century Brown County, Texas land parcels with tract numbers, landowners names, and patents; towns and portions of adjacent counties where property boundaries extend beyond county limits. Scale [ca. 1:66,667].

Map shows late nineteenth century Brown County, Texas land parcels with tract numbers, landowners names, and patents; towns and portions of adjacent counties where property boundaries extend beyond county limits. Scale [ca. 1:66,667].

Sanborn map sheet showing an area of Brownwood in Brown County, Texas, including geographic features, buildings, and details related to risk assessment for fire insurance.

Sanborn map sheet showing an area of Brownwood in Brown County, Texas, including geographic features, buildings, and details related to risk assessment for fire insurance.

Sanborn map sheet showing an area of Brownwood in Brown County, Texas, including geographic features, buildings, and details related to risk assessment for fire insurance.

Sanborn map sheet showing an area of Brownwood in Brown County, Texas, including geographic features, buildings, and details related to risk assessment for fire insurance.

Sanborn map sheet showing an area of Brownwood in Brown County, Texas, including geographic features, buildings, and details related to risk assessment for fire insurance.

Topographic map of a portion of Texas from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) project. The map includes towns, historic or notable sites, bodies of water, and other geologic features. Scale 1:125000

Patent for a new and improved burglar alarm. This design consists in "[t]he combination of the casing, the shaft having the winding-drum, the rope connected to the latter passing over a pulley and having a weight attached thereto, a ratchet-wheel at one end of the shaft, a pitman connecting said ratchet-wheel with the alarm-sounding mechanism, a spring-latch engaging the ratchet-wheel and having a cam-lever pivoted in a notch at its front end, the lamp having a scratch-plate attached to its burner, and the lamp-chimney having a vertical slot in its lower end" (lines 39-50).

Patent for a new and improved churn. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the base having uprights forming guides for the vertically-movable rod, of the rod movable in said guides and adapted to be connected with a rod or dasher, the treadle, a link connecting the treadle with said rod, the shaft having a platform adapted to support the churn-body and provided with a crank, and a pitman connecting said crank with the treadle" (lines 72-80).

Topographic map of a portion of Texas from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) project. The map includes towns, historic or notable sites, bodies of water, and other geologic features. Scale 1:125000

Patent for a new cotton-packer design involving a drum, pulleys, rope, and springs, with illustrations.

Patent for a new and improved feed-cutter. This design consists in "a body having bottom and sides provided at their forward ends with a metallic plate and supporting-leg, and frame having sill, uprights, and panels, in combination with frame sliding in grooves in the uprights and provided with knife, lever, swinging link having offset, and inclined trough having sides provided with detents" (lines 92-100).

Patent for a new and improved folding cradle. This design "consists of a cradle formed of two triangular folding end frames provided with folding braces and connected by longitudinal rods, from which the canvas bottom is supported, which frames are pivoted at their apex on the top of two connected triangular folding standards, and are provided with a crank for swinging the cradle. . . . [The cradle] is simple in construction and may be provided with a fan attachment" (lines 10-19).

Letter from B.A.C. to Milton Parks. The letter is dated June 29, 1883.

This is a letter from the Charles B. Moore Collection. It is written by Henry S. Moore to his brother Charles B. Moore. In the letter, Henry informs Charles of news from Collin Co. and it includes: the letter sent to Sam with a turnip seed in it, a family friend's haul of corn, the construction of the reaper shelter per Charles' advice, Betty Thornhill and Neal Moore's visit, the unexpected visit of Jim Nelms, Solomon's trip to Hunt Co. and details that he has not returned yet, the plowing of Osbourne's millet patch, the condition of his turnip plants due to the dry weather, Neal's reading ability and how he has been passing the time, Henry's discovery of a new star and details on how he has passed on that information to verify the discovery, Nelm's religious affiliation, the killing of a wild cat, political commentary on the prohibition party, and updates on weather, friends, and community. The envelope is included with the letter. It was sent to Charles when he was in Gallatin, Tennessee visiting kin.

These letters are from the Charles B. Moore Collection. They are written by J. Sabina Rucker to her brother, Charles B. Moore. In this letter, Sabina updates Charles on the Rucker family and details the country around her. She notes that while in the country she saw cowboys herding fifteen hundred cattle to New Mexico. The topic of this first letter moves to correspondences she had begun writing to Henry or Solomon. She discusses their travel and lodging plans and then closes the letter. Her brief, second letter was written on June 16, 1888. She discusses a house the family is looking at and notes that they saw a pack of dogs as they were coming into town. She details some news about a family friends and closes the letter because of the misting rain. The envelope is included with the letters.

Patent for a new and improved engine. This design "is to convert a given rotary into a vertical reciprocating motion, and to provide means whereby the stroke of the reciprocating motion may be increased or diminished, according to the use or work to which the machine may be applied; and to these ends the novelty consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the same" (lines 10-18).

Patent for a machine that "has relation to mechanical powers designed for stump-pulling, hoisting heavy weights, &c.; and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement of parts" (lines 21-24).