Cedarvale Quadrangle

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 1:24,000
Date: 1981
Creator: Geological Survey (U.S.)
Object Type: Map
System: The Portal to Texas History

Wills Point Quadrangle

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 1:24,000
Date: 1981
Creator: Geological Survey (U.S.)
Object Type: Map
System: The Portal to Texas History

Ables Springs Quadrangle

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 1:24,000
Date: 1979
Creator: Geological Survey (U.S.)
Object Type: Map
System: The Portal to Texas History
Soil Survey of Van Zandt County, Texas (open access)

Soil Survey of Van Zandt County, Texas

Text describes the area, climate, agricultural history and statistics, soil-survey methods and definitions, soils and crops, land uses and agricultural methods, irrigation, and morphology and genesis of soils of Van Zandt County, Texas.
Date: 1998
Creator: United States. Soil Conservation Service.
Object Type: Book
System: The Portal to Texas History

General Soil Map, Van Zandt County, Texas

Map displays soil types along with creeks, towns, schools, churches, power transmission lines, oil and gas pipelines, roads, and railroads. Includes legend and symbols. Scale 1:253,440
Date: 1998
Creator: United States. Soil Conservation Service.
Object Type: Map
System: The Portal to Texas History
80th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, House Bill 4139, Chapter 969 (open access)

80th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, House Bill 4139, Chapter 969

Bill introduced by the Texas House of Representatives relating to the creation of a county court at law in Van Zandt County.
Date: June 15, 2007
Creator: Texas. Legislature. House of Representatives.
Object Type: Legislative Document
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bee-Hive. (open access)

Bee-Hive.

Patent for a "new and useful improvement in bee-hives" (lines 5-6), with instructions and illustrations.
Date: June 15, 1886
Creator: McCullar, John Jackson
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Churn Motor. (open access)

Churn Motor.

Patent for a new and improved churn motor. This design "consists in [a] novel construction and arrangement of parts . . . The machine . . . is so constructed that it gives to the dasher a perpendicular long or short stroke, and that it may be sunk deep or shallow in the milk; and the machine may be run at the greatest speed with but little friction, and without the danger of its parts becoming loosened, and by means of its apron and attachment . . . it holds the churn in place" (lines 16-26).
Date: February 26, 1884
Creator: Nevel, William A. & Fisher, George W.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Clod Crusher and Sod and Stalk Cutter. (open access)

Combined Clod Crusher and Sod and Stalk Cutter.

Patent for a new and improved combined crusher of clods and cutter of sod and stalks. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the slotted beam, of the stalk-gathering device consisting of the bent wires or rods forming eyes, and diverging at their lower ends, and held in place by the plate or washers below the beam, and wedge above the beam . . . [and] of the frame, the slotted cross-bar, and the rollers having cutting-blades" (lines 74-83).
Date: February 27, 1883
Creator: Miller, John
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Corn Planter and Dropper. (open access)

Corn Planter and Dropper.

Patent for a new and improved seed planter or dropper. This design utilizes a hopper, a shaft provided with cups, a bevel having a countersunk opening provided with a recess, a gate hinged in said recess and held in contact with the cups on the shaft by a spring, and a concave partition fitting the periphery of the shaft, all constructed and arranged in a novel way (lines 68-75). Additionally, this design utilizes a wheel, the motion of which dispenses the seed.
Date: June 28, 1881
Creator: Dawson, John Henry
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Fire Screen and Fender. (open access)

Combined Fire Screen and Fender.

Patent for a combined fire screen and fender. This design "works in the mantle-piece by means of weights, and is secured in position by by means of a spring-latch that catches in notches in the jamb. This screen thus arranged can be made to answer for three purposes: By letting it down nearly to the hearth it acts as a blower; by letting it entirely down accidents from fire are prevented, and when let down in the summer time it makes a handsome summer screen" (lines 21-30).
Date: July 19, 1881
Creator: Matthews, James Charles
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Composition for Concrete Tombstones. (open access)

Composition for Concrete Tombstones.

Patent for "a new and useful composition of matter for concrete tombstones and a process for manufacturing the same whereby a perfectly white substantial rock will be produced that will be very durable, will not be liable to peeling, cracking, or turning dark, but will bleach out in the weather and become very solid, so as to form a permanent and substantial tombstone." (Lines 10-19) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: September 8, 1896
Creator: Belcher, Jeff D. & Hendley, Marion J.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wire Stretcher and Splicer. (open access)

Wire Stretcher and Splicer.

Patent for a wire stretcher and splicer device, for "stretching of the wire when a fence is being constructed, the tightening of the wire after the fence is constructed, and the splicing of broken wire" (lines 10-13), with illustrations.
Date: January 17, 1893
Creator: Dowell, Lawson Henrey
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wagon-Body Lifter (open access)

Wagon-Body Lifter

New and useful improvements in Wagon-Body lifters. Furnish a wagon-body lifter simple in structure, efficient in its operation and durable.
Date: August 24, 1880
Creator: Morris, John P.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lap Ring. (open access)

Lap Ring.

Patent for a new and improved carabiner ("lap ring"). This design calls for the hinged bar to interlock more with the body of the ring. This design prevents the stretching of the ring when bearing a heavy load, representing an improvement over previous designs.
Date: February 22, 1881
Creator: Morris, John P.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lap Ring. (open access)

Lap Ring.

Patent for a new and improved lap ring (or link). This design utilizes a hinge to allow for half of the ring to part from the other half, which creates a larger opening and allows for connection with a wider range of things (e.g., larger clevises).
Date: October 25, 1881
Creator: Matthews, James Levi
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Vehicle-Axle. (open access)

Vehicle-Axle.

Patent for "axles for carriages, wagons, &c., and has for its object the construction of an axle in such a manner as to enable the spindle and stock to be removed and replaced by a new one when worn out without going to the expense and trouble of going to a blacksmith." (Lines 6-12) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: December 15, 1896
Creator: Morris, John Poke
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stalk Knocker. (open access)

Stalk Knocker.

Patent for a new and improved stalk knocker. This design consists in "the combination, with the running-gear of a wagon, of a frame-work mounted thereon and provided with vertically-adjustable hangers at its rear end carrying stalk-knockers and their shaft, a diagonal adjustable brace connecting the hanger and the frame-work, and a driving-pulley formed in sections, having spoke-embracing lugs, and connected to the knocker-shaft by means of a belt" (lines 10-18).
Date: November 8, 1887
Creator: Allen, William A.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Portable Saw Mill. (open access)

Portable Saw Mill.

Patent for a new and improved portable saw mill. This design "is to produce a portable saw-mill of such cheap and economical plan as can be built and repaired in almost any locality. The invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the parts" (lines 12-17).
Date: April 1, 1884
Creator: Rodgers, William Crittington
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Tool for Building Wire Fences. (open access)

Tool for Building Wire Fences.

Patent for a simple and effective tool used for building wire fences that is "a nail holding and driving device, a measuring attachment, and a wire cutter" (lines 12-14).
Date: May 15, 1894
Creator: Highsmith, Lewis C.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hopper for Leaching Ashes. (open access)

Hopper for Leaching Ashes.

Patent for improved ash-hopper that is composed of suitable frame, two side boards, two triangle end boards that can be used to improve leaching ashes.
Date: June 7, 1881
Creator: Alexander, Abbington B.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Grain Adjuster. (open access)

Grain Adjuster.

Patent for a new and improved grain adjuster. This design "consists in the combination, with the platform-frame, of a wire or rod, which is preferably corrugated or bent, and which is fastened to the outer end of the frame and extends inward over the carrier in the rear of the cutter . . . The object of [the] invention is to apply to the frame of binding-machines a corrugated rod or wire, upon which the heads of the grain will catch, and thus prevent the heads of the cut grain from being moved toward the elevator faster than their butts, whereby the grain is presented evenly and regularly" (lines 14-27).
Date: March 27, 1888
Creator: French, Horatio Benjamin
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Grave Cover. (open access)

Grave Cover.

Patent for a new and improved grave covering. This design calls for a concrete slab, slightly larger than its lidless wooden box, to rest on the upper edges of the latter. A slat in the slab will receive a headstone, which will rest on the slab via flanges.
Date: September 21, 1880
Creator: Thomas, James R.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Gate. (open access)

Gate.

Patent for a new and improved gate. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the gate and the horizontally-swinging arm arranged above the gate and provided in its free end with a longitudinal slot and a series of transverse perforations and engaging the lever, the vertical latch, also pivoted on the gate, and the horizontally-sliding connecting bar between the lower ends of the latch and the lever" (lines 90-101).
Date: September 10, 1889
Creator: Lively, Robert M. & Lively, Louis P.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History