Henri Castro papers, 1825-1934, bulk 1845-1847

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Henri Castro papers

Summary

Creators:
Castro, Henri, 1786-1865
Abstract:
A collection, mainly in French, of correspondence related to the work of Henri Castro to establish French colonies in Texas in the 19th century.
Extent:
1.25 Linear Feet (1 box)
Language:
Materials are in French, Spanish, and English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Henri Castro papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

A collection of 46 items from 1825 to 1866, which chiefly contains letters from Henri Castro to his directors in Texas, Dr. George Cupples and Louis Huth, concerning the problems and needs of the colony. Because of the questionable mail service of the time, duplicate copies of letters were often sent. These and the many English translations (which were made at a later time) are placed with the original letters but are not counted as separate items. The letters in this collection are primarily in French and Spanish.

Biographical / historical:

Henri Castro (1786-1865) was born in France of Jewish Portuguese ancestry; in 1813, he married Amelia Mathias and in 1827 they immigrated to the United States. He became an American citizen and a partner in Lafitte and Company. In 1842 he made a contract with the government in Texas to settle a colony in land on the frontier west of San Antonio. Between 1843 and 1847, Castro arranged for 27 ships and brought 485 families and 457 single men to Texas, mainly from the Alsace region in France and Germany. These immigrants helped to establish the earliest permanent European settlements between San Antonio and the Rio Grande. He stayed in Castroville, Texas, until the time of the American Civil War, then died in Monterrey, Mexico, as he was returning to France.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Emily W. Donnell, July 1978.
Processing information:

Processed by Huntington Library Staff, in April 1983. In 2020, Gayle Richardson created the finding aid derived from a legacy summary report.

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Henri Castro papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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