George Teal family and business papers
Creation: 1898-1943 Creation: Majority of material found within 1916-1942Abstract
George T. Teal (1868-1941) was a Black business owner of a tinsmith shop in Crockett, Texas, from the 1890s to the 1940s. This small collection of Teal family materials consists mainly of George Teal's Texas tax payment receipts, dating from 1903 and 1941. There are some additional family receipts and a notebook documenting Teal's tinsmith work. The collection would be of potential interest to those researching structurally racist policies and deceptive practices related to property assessments and taxes.
Dates
- Creation: 1898-1943
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1916-1942
Creator
- Teal family (Family)
- Teal, George T., 1868-1941 (Person)
Extent
.25 Linear Feet
Biographical Note
George T. Teal (1868-1941) was a Black business owner of a tinsmith shop in Crockett, Texas, from the 1890s to the 1940s.
His father was Jake Teal (circa 1850-?), who died when he was very young. George Teal was raised by an uncle, George Johnson (dates unknown), a tinsmith. Teal learned the trade of being a tinner from his uncle and inherited six acres of land from him. In 1890, Teal married Mary Howard (1869-circa 1929) and opened up his own shop.
The shop was in front of the town's present-day Post Office. Teal served the county by galvanizing tin for buildings and bins; making tanks; hanging gutters for running water in homes; and making tin stoves, stove pipes, syrup vats, skimmers, headlights for coal miners, wash tubs, and any kind of tin container.
George and Mary Teal had seven children: three girls and four boys. All three daughters worked as school teachers: Pearl Teal Owens Williams (1895-1988), Artelia L. Teal Duncan Colquitt (1905-1991), and Espanola Agnes Teal Hubbard (1897-1986), who graduated from Mary Allen College in Crockett and Prairie View A&M College in Prairie View, Texas. Hubbard was also a home supervisor for the Farm Security Administration.
George and Mary Teal's son, Chester Arthur Teal (1892-1956) (who eventually went by Arthur Chester Teal) worked as a photographer and opened his own studio and school with his wife, Elnora Moore (1904-1962), whom he married in 1914. At one time, two of his brothers worked as photographers, likely at his studio. Edgar W. Teal (1891-1977) served in World War I from June 1918 to January 1919; he worked primarily in auto body repair. Layton Wassell Teal (1910-1991) served in the Army during World War II from February 1942 to November 1943 and primarily worked as a tinsmith and metalworker.
Johnson Lawrence Teal (1907-1989) was a graduate of Prairie View A&M College. He taught vocational agriculture in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and Teague, Texas.
Scope and Contents
This small collection of Teal family materials consists mainly of George Teal's Texas tax payment receipts, dating from 1903 and 1941. There are some additional family receipts and a notebook documenting Teal's tinsmith work. The collection would be of potential interest to those researching structurally racist policies and deceptive practices related to property assessments and taxes.
The tax receipts include state, county, city, school, and poll taxes. Poll taxes were an out-of-pocket fee charged in order to vote. Texas poll tax passed in 1902; in Houston it was $1.75 (approximately $62 in 2023). It was required for all eligible voters to pay and was a barrier to vote, disproportionately affecting the impoverished, Black people, Mexican Americans, and later women. The poll tax practice persisted in Texas until 1966.
Also included are Espanola Teal's Ford Tour's motor vehical tax receipts and delinquent tax payment receipts after George Teal's death.
There is one notebook that records Teal's tinsmith work throughout the year 1919. He records the date, individual or business, the work peformed, and the fee. A separate ledger written in a different hand records date, individual or business, items purchased, and amount paid.
There are numerous medical receipts, primarily for George Teal. In 1934, he had many stays at Memorial Hospital for an unknown medical reason. There are receipts from a series of payments to an eye, ear, nose, and throat doctor, Joe Dugeon Walker. Other receipts are for prescriptions at a pharmacy and Stokes & Wootters physicians over many years.
Additional materials include individual items from various family members such as receipts for memberships or Layton Teal's report card from the Prairie View State Normal and Idustrial College.
Access Restrictions
No restrictions on access; this collection is open for research.
Language of Materials
English
Subjects
Finding Aid & Administrative Information
- Title:
- George Teal family and business papers
- Author:
- Laurie Sather
- Date:
- 2024
- Description rules:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description:
- English
- Script of description:
- Latin
Repository Details
Repository Details
Part of the Manuscripts and Archives Repository
