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October 22, 2004, Laura K. Saegert, Appraisal Archivist
Financial records, 1909-1944, 1967 (bulk 1911-1927), about
0.71 cubic ft.
We received a small box of financial records from the Texas Youth
Commission in late 2003. The box was discovered when cleaning
out a storage area in their building. These records are mostly
tri-folded and most concern financial issues, with a few miscellaneous
records present. Records are dated 1909-1944, 1967 (bulk 1911-1927).
Topics include financial status of the overall State Juvenile
Training Facility and of the school at the facility, routine financial
transactions, land leased or purchased for the facility, construction
at the facility, and livestock management. Documents found include:
- correspondence with governors' office re: purchase of land
for the training school, 1911-1912
- letter from Board of Control re: lease of land, 1920
- letter from Comptroller re: appropriations, 1928
- court commitment papers for a juvenile, 1926 [Restricted]
- court papers for settlement of estate of minors of the deceased,
1925 [Restricted]
- original drawings for dormitory and correspondence, 1911
- contracts for construction of buildings, 1915; and utility
services, 1929
- statements of accounts, 1927-1928 and 1931-1932; lists of
accounts, 1920s (includes name of boy discharge money was paid
to); list of unpaid labor accounts, 1928 [Restricted - list
of accounts]
- annual statements of school funds, most with receipts of payments,
1921, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1927; correspondence and receipts for
payments out of the school fund, 1923, 1939
- list of deceased boys with markings on their headstones with
letter, 1967 - death dates of boys are 1908-1920 (bulk 1917-1918)
[Restricted]
- pedigree charts of bulls/cattle and other livestock owned
by the State Juvenile Training Facility in Gatesville, registration
papers for livestock, certificates for transfer of ownership,
1910-1923
- inventory of goods on hand, 1928
- receipts for a youth of money on his possession at the time
of his arrest, 1940s [Restricted]
- receipts for insurance premiums, 1917; receipts for vehicle
registrations, 1921-1927; receipts for tax exemptions, 1920s
- letter re: employee's disability claims, 1942
- bank statements of funds, most with attached receipts, 1920s·
Most of these documents are routine financial records we would
not keep for today's agencies. However, given the age of the items
and lack of records of the State Juvenile Training Facility for
this time period, I feel many of the materials should be retained.
I have checked the very early biennial reports of the State Juvenile
Training School and the Board of Control and neither provide a
comprehensive summary of early financial matters. The annual/biennial
reports of the Juvenile Training Facility do provide detailed
lists of inventories and by the late teens, are providing more
information about expenditures. The Board of Control reports provide
more of a summary of each facility it operated and do not provide
as much detail as the other reports.
Following are a few records in the Archives related to these
financial files. There are no records this early in the Youth
Commission records.
Related records in the Board of Control records:
Correspondence, 1917-1940s (in the correspondence files of
Commissioners)
Statements of accounts, 1924-1927 (in the correspondence files
of Commissioners)
Related records - other:
Blueprints and drawings of some buildings in the Blueprints
and Drawings Collection
State Juvenile Training Facility annual/biennial reports (inventories,
expenses, narrative description of school functions and events,
needs of the school (more land and buildings, better teachers,
etc.) photographs of livestock, buildings, and groups of kids))
Correspondence with State Juvenile Training Facility/Training
School in various governors' records.
Appraisal Recommendations
I recommend we keep the statements of accounts for 1927-1928
and 1931-1932 (we have these statements for 1924-1927 in the Board
of Control records); inventory of goods on hand, 1928; and the
annual statements of school funds (without the receipts, those
are covered in the statements), 1921, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1927.
As we do not have correspondence of the training school from the
early 1900s, I recommend we keep the correspondence with the governor's
office, the Board of Control and the Comptroller (we do have correspondence
of the State Juvenile Training Facility with the Board of Control
and the Governor, in these respective record groups). And, I recommend
we keep the original drawings of the dormitory and the accompanying
letter, 1911, and the construction contract for 1915.
Other items of possible interest are the list of deceased boys
in the cemetery at the State Juvenile School, possibly the pedigree
charts, and the receipts of a youth for money he had when arrested.
I mentioned these items at our staff meeting and the other archivists
thought these materials were unique enough to maintain, even though
the boys names, for now, are restricted. I guess the pedigree
charts could be interesting as an artifact of the early livestock
management of the youth facility, perhaps for an exhibit someday.
I did notice in the State Juvenile Training Facility reports for
the 1910-1920 era that several photographs of their prize bulls
and dairy herd are present, some giving the pedigree number and
summary of the bull's lineage.
I do not see a need to keep the miscellaneous receipts and bank
statements, court records, or the employee's disability claim
letter.
Appraisal Decision
The Archives has determined to keep all of the records except
the following: receipts (for insurance premiums, vehicle registrations,
tax exemptions, and salaries), bank statements, the employee's
disability claim letter, and the court records.
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