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Castro (Henri) Papers
mssCastro
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Henri Castro papers
Creator:
Castro, Henri,
1786-1865
Identifier/Call Number: mssCastro
Physical Description:
1.25 Linear Feet
(1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1825-1934
Date (bulk): 1845-1847
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.
Language of Material: Materials are in French, Spanish,
and English.
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at
the Huntington Library for more information.
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.
[Identification of item]. Henri Castro papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino,
California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Emily W. Donnell, July 1978.
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.
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.
Processed by Huntington Library Staff, in April 1983. In 2020, Gayle Richardson created the
finding aid derived from a legacy summary report.
Existence and Location of Copies
This collection has been digitized in its entirety and the digital reproductions are
available in the
Huntington Digital Library.
Arranged alphabetically.
Individual call numbers included in the collection: mssHM 48816-48858.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
France -- Foreign relations -- Texas
Texas -- Colonization
Texas -- Emigration and immigration
Texas -- History -- 19th century
Texas -- History -- Republic,
1836-1846
Texas -- Foreign relations -- France
Letters (correspondence) -- Texas -- 19th century
Cupples, George,
1815-1895
Huth, Louis