Guide to the

Franklin Madis Collection
1588-1910

1.7 linear ft.

Collection Number: AR339

Prepared by
Maritza Arrigunaga

CITATION: Franklin Madis Collection, AR339, box number, Folder number, Special Collections Division, The University of Texas at Arlington Libraries.

Table of Contents

Biographical Sketch
Scope and Contents
Provenance
Literary Rights
Container List

Franklin Madis is a Duncanville, Texas, businessman and an active collector of books and manuscripts pertaining to Mexico and Texas, stamps, Amerindian artifacts, and other collectibles. Since 1952, Mr. Madis has been collecting materials relating to extraordinarily rich and diverse collection.

Franklin Madis was born in 1934 in Madison, Wisconsin. He spent most of his youth in the state, graduating from Madison East High School in 1952. Franklin acquired an abiding interest n Mexico when he accompanied his family to Monterrey shortly after he graduated. The Madises were contemplating purchasing a ranch there and, as a result, lived in the country for a year. Though Franklin wanted to stay, the family decided not to take up ranching there and moved to St. Paul, Minnesota. Despite the family’s decision, Franklin began traveling n Mexico regularly, buying antiques to sell in the United States. On one of his trips to Monterrey, he met Estela Lozano, the woman he would eventually marry in 1965.

During the 1950s and first half of the 1960s, Madis held a number of different jobs, including serving a stint in the Army, selling antiques, publishing a magazine for antique arms enthusiasts entitled Collector-Dealer, and selling seed to farmers in Wisconsin. After he married, he and his wife lived in Dallas, where he operated the Great Southwest Coin Exchange. In 1966, he started Eagle Fabric, a wholesale fabric house in Duncanville, a Dallas suburb. Madis continues to operate his fabric business today. The Madises have one daughter, who is married and lives in Arlington, Texas.

Madis began collecting Mexican documents and manuscripts in 1952 and to date has not stopped. Mrs. Madis’ background, coupled with his interest in Mexico and its history, has afforded he and his wife the opportunity to travel extensively and collect aggressively. Many of the items in the Madis Collection have come from individuals and families in Mexico and the United States, as well as from book and manuscript dealers in both countries.

Though Mr. Madis has never had a clearly articulated collecting plan, he has acquired manuscript items which reflect the government, politics, legal aspects, religious affairs, and social life of Northern Mexico and Southern Texas. Not only a collector, Mr. Madis has spent long hours studying the history of Mexico and reading (and even translating) the manuscript materials in his collection.

The collection dates from 1588-1910 and includes 170 file folders stored in four manuscript boxes. It is arranged in chronological order and divided in the following way: Box 1 includes material dating from 1588-March 14, 1789; Box 2 dates form 1793-June 20, 1823; Box 3 from January 22, 1825-May 12, 1849; and Box 4 dates from September 24, 1849-June 8, 1910.

The collection is an artificial one in the sense that most of the items in it have no direct relation to the other items. The only common characteristics is that all items pertain to Mexico and all were collected by Mr. Madis. Because of these characteristics, the collection is difficult to generalize. It is comprised of a number of different types of documents, including sales titles for land and houses, wills, estate settlements, powers of attorney, legal papers, religious imprints, gubernatorial orders, royal orders and decrees, letters, laws, circulars, canceled loans, petitions, receipts, and official gazettes, Many of the items originated in New Spain, Monterrey, Durango, Nuevo Leon, Puebla, Zacatecas, Mexico City, and Coahuila. There are some materials relating to the Mexican American War, 1846-1848, in the collection.

This is one of several collections that Special Collections has received from Mr. Madis.

The Franklin Madis Collection was acquired in December, 1986, through a gift/purchase arrangement with Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Madis of Duncanville, Texas. The Madises transferred to The University of Texas at Arlington all legal title, copyright, and literary property rights to the materials in the collection. The collection was received on December 18, 1986, by Dr. Gerald Saxon and Ms. Maritza Arrigunaga, both on the staff of the Libraries’ Special Collections Division.

Permission to publish any material from the Franklin Madis Collection must be obtained from the Special Collections Division.

Box 1
Folder Title, Dates, and Description

1. 1588-1640: Tlalpan. Land and house sale's title. (The first documents are written in Nahuatl with original plates and glyphs. The first Viceroy of Mexico, Antonio de Mendoza, 1535-1550 is the signee of the original grants.)
2. May 24, 1679: Diego Galindo claims testamentary disposition.
3. April 1, 1683: Settlement of land dispute in Llanos de Santiago, Durango.
4. 1683-1794: Branding license for livestock in Valle de Pilón.
5. June 19, 1691: Sale of the Hacienda San Diego de los Corrales and one third of Los Llanos de Santiago in Durango.
6. January 20, 1693: Sale of Hacienda El Popo in Monterrey.
7. March 3, 1705: Hacienda de los Corrales' Sales title. Villa del nombre de Dios.
8. Oct. 10, 1722: Innocent XII Bull calling for a meeting of all Minor Orders.
9. August 12-14, 1726: San Nicolás, Atongo. Jose Cantú's estate appraisal and appointment of Lucas Leal de León as his children' curator.
10. 1735-1740: Baños del Peñol's ownership dispute
11. Feb. 23, 1737: Power of attorney to José García Guerra from Isidro de la Garza.
12. 1743: Sale of Santa Rosa del Salto at the Poana Valley by María Francisca García de Rojas and husband.
13. 1747: St. Nicolás Co-fraternities inheritance in Tacuba.
14. 1749: Nuevo León's Santa Ana Mission water rights granted by the Governor Vicente Bueno de la Barbolla.
15. 1752: Assault on Santiago Leal de León by Francisco Javier Chapa.
16. Cadereyta 1755-56: Estate of Juan José Salazar 1755-1757 (Including 1747-1748).
17. Cadereyta 1756: José Garcia Guerra's last will.
18. Cadereyta 1758: Joseph de León's estate settlement and division, 1758.
19. Monterrey 1762: Power of attorney in favor of Alonso de Leon.
20. 1765: Three religious imprints. Feb 10; Dec 4, 12, 1765.
21. 1766: Royal decree announcing Prince Charles' marriage to Princess Luisa de Parma.
22. 1766: Joaquín Monserrat orders militia reorganization. May 3, 1766.
23. 1766: Governor Ussel's prohibition orders regarding tobacco sales.
24. Mota. March 24, 1767: Warrant against the Indian José Cayetano.
25. December 3, 1767: José de Galvez decree regarding religious donations and indulgence fees used in war against infidels.
26. 1769: Viceroy Croix transcribes a royal order regarding a dispute with the Roman Clergy.
27. October 31, 1769: Juan Ignacio Espinosa de los Monteros. Appraisal and repairs estimate for dwellings at Istacala, Tacuba.
28. Cadereyta: María de la Garza Falcón's request for habilitation of her children to legal age.
29. December 10, 1771: Viceroy Bucareli transcribes the royal decree which establishes the first postal laws.
30. January 2, 1772: Viceroy Buccareli transcribes the royal decree of March 18, 1771 with minting regulations.
31. November 22, 1773: Governor of Nuevo León, Vidal de Lorca's arrest order against Tomás Rodríguez Campomanes.
32. December 15, 1773: Nuevo León's governor transmits a Viceroyal order regarding laws to protect wives and children abroad.
33. 1774 (uncertain): Legal opinion on the custody of an illegitimate child.
34. February 19, 1774: Lottery ticket.
35. Capadero, Cadereyta, 1774-1775: Land title given to Luis de la Garza by Antonio Ramos.
36. January 13, 1778: Tax collection in the Province (Guazuco, Pilón, Linares, Labradores, Cadereita, Monterrey)
37. June 17, 1778: Valle de la Mota. Natives' Christian indoctrination.
38. 1779. Mota, (Terán): Nuevo León. Elopment of mulato with Spanish girl.
39. February 2, 1779: Hacienda Villa Vieja. Lease of land to Juan José de León by José Francisco de la Garza.(receipt-agreement).
40. Jan. 11, 1789: Viceroy Flores Maldonado relays order changing the sales of administrative posts.
41. March 14, 1789: Santa Higinia's grant land.

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Box 2
Folder Title, Dates, and Description

42. 1793-1795, Santa Efigenia, Cadereyta: Diego Gonzales' will and estate probate.
43. 1794, 1780-1795, Pilón: Inventory of criminal and civil proceedings before Lucas antonio Cantú y Martin.
44. Cadereyta, April 22-July 30, 1799: José María de la Garza Falcón requests settlement of his mother-in-law testament María Antonia Martínez. 69 folios
45. Aug. 26, 1799: Villa Vieja, Cadereyta. Sale of land and water rights by María Gertrudis de León to her brother Alonso de León.
46. 1740-1800: Cadereyta. Lawsuit against Cayetano Gonzales by Juan José de la Garza.
47. Cadereyta, 1799: Criminal action brought for speaking with too little respect.
48. February. 16, 1799 - April 1, 1801: Miguel Gómez de Castro's Will and Estate Probate.
49. Julio 7-8, 1801: Litigation for debt by Pedro Manuel del Llano against José Ignacio de la Garza.
50. June 1800-June 1802: Criminal suit against José Manuel de León for the homicide of Pedro Villareal. 232 pp.
51. 1805-1808: Mexico City Royal Customs' record book.
52. Oct. 17, Dec. 19, 1811: Two official letters from Venegas to the City Hall of Veracruz.
53. Oct. 16, 1815: Governor Mier orders all foreigners to present passports and have luggage checked.
54. June 13, 1817:José Luis de la Garza forwards the Governor's instruction to Vicente López for the transportation of arms from Pilón to Linares.
55. Dec. 11, 1819: Viceroy Juan Apodaca informs of the royal wedding of the Spanish King's niece, Princess María Josefa Amelia.
56. 1820?: Ferdinand VII exhorts Mexicans to abandon the revolution.
57. August 4, 1821: Manuscript copy of Iturbide's decree of April 23, 1821, with instructions for the army. 2 pp.
58. May 22, 1822: Circular from the Secretariat of State with two Imperial proclamations. There is a manuscript note explaining the proclamations are not attached.
59. April 16, 1823: Chintla, Puebla.Miguel Saldivar's Will.
60. June 20, 1823: Printed letter from Felipe de la Garza to Santa-Anna informing that the Provincias Internas under his command pronounced themselves in favor of a federal Republic.

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Box 3
Folder Title, Dates, and Description

61. January 22, 1825: Guadalupe Victoria's presidential decree with regulations on revenue stamped paper.
62. March 10, 1825: Gaceta Extraordinaria
63. Nov. 23, 1825: Guadalupe Victoria'a literary speech on the expulsion of Spaniards from San Juan de Ulúa.
64. Dec. 3, 1826: Xilochotlán, Puebla. Ignacio Mariano de la Vega's settlement of his estate debts.
65. Feb. 19, 1826: Consumer protection laws.
66. November, 1826: Suit against Ignacio Zarate, administrator of the Hacienda San Antonio de la Sauceda.
67. Feb. 21, 1827: Administrative report 1826, by the first Governor of Nuevo León, José María Paras.
68. Feb. 20, 1827: Memory presented to the Nuevo León's legislature in accordance to the article 96 of the State Constitution.
69. Sept. 17, 1828: Santa Anna declared outside the law by President Victoria.
70. May 16, 1828: Liturgy for a mass commemorating Saint Juan Nepomuceno.
71. March 23, 1830: The civil militia offers its full cooperation to the governorship.
72. June 21, 1830: Reappointment of José María Otero's position from janitor to bellhop.
73. May 5, 1831: Testimony of possession to Rafael Vargas to a mine in Mezquite. (1826-1831)
74. May 24, 1831: Bexar. Receipt for money sent to Bexar by Jesús de la Garza.
75. May 27, 1831: Notice to submit applications for the State Treasurer position.
76. August 15, 1831: Monthly help given to the enlisted men at Monclova fromJanuary to August of 1831.
77. May 5, 1832: Nacogdoches presido.
78. July 21, 1832: Circular from José Barreiro (Puebla).
79. January 26, 1833: Agualeguas. Announcement of election results.
80. March 4, 1833: Address by the Congress of Monterrey.
81. January 13, 1834: Addition to cavalry of Leona Vicario.
82. February 24, 1836: Certification of mule delivery.
83. June 4, 1836: Nuevo León's Governor informs of Santa Anna's capture.
84. December 9, 1836: Good character certification for Santiago Arenas.
85. February 20, 1836: Reinstating Spaniards to former governmental positions.
86. March 29, 1836: Monterrey. Governor Garza Gómez resigns and informs that Domingo Martínez will take over his position.
87. September 24, 1836: Circular regarding tax exemptions for patents under $150.00.
88. January 9, 1837: Monterrey. Order banning corn exportation until government contract is filled.
89. 1837: Nuevo León. Instructions for taking census.
90. November 19, 1837: Lázaro de la Garza's personal letter to his brother.
91. April 28, 1838: Agualeguas. Pablo José de Chapa requests to be exempted from military due to old age.
92. August 6, 1838: Valle de la Mota. Circular regarding re-election officials.
93. November 9, 1838: Hacienda Vaquerias. José Antonio Oyervides reports to the military Commander of Montemorelos.
94. January 26, 1830: Decree containing 74 articles on armed services.
95. 1839-44: Manuscript file of the case for draft evasion of María Segunda's relatives and her servants.
96. June 10, 1839: Three printed decrees relating the transfer of the governorship in San Luis Potosí.
97. September 30, 1840: Marin. Chart of Primary School students.
98. March 4, 1840: Publication of laws of 1771 regarding games of chance.
99. August 31, 1840: Marín. Monies collected by three departments during the Fiscal year.
100. August 31, 1840: Fiscal year income and expenses.
101. August 31, 1840: Higueras. Chart corresponding to students of primary school class.
102. August 31, 1840: Form regarding sales of Tobacco, stamped paper and playing cards.
103. August 31, 1840: Marín. Monthly production and taxes
104. September 11, 1840: Marín. List of men exempted from civil militia.
105. March 17, 1841: Cross of honor granted to Felipe Codallos, for action at Azcapotzalco.
106. Feb.-Aug. 1843: Receipt and medical prescriptions.
107. April 30, 1843:Cancelled document regarding loan from City Fund.
108. November 9, 1844: Letter from the Consul General of Spain regarding freight rates.
109. October 28, 1844: Accomplice to crime wanted.
110. June 6, 1845: Cadereyta. Cancelled loan from a City Fund.
111. March 12, 1844: Cadereyta. Cancelled loan from City Fund (crossed out).
112. August 31, 1846: Monterrey. Instructions for free elections.
113. April 6, 1846: Letter discussing experiences in Matamoros with the Americans.
114. April, 1846: Jalapa, Veracruz. Printed letters reporting the Mexican army's triumphs.
115. March 1, 1846: Culiacán. Appointment of Agustín Martínez as temporary Governor of Sinaloa.
116. September 9, 1846: Monterrey's official gazette issue #4, with the latest news on the Mexican war events.
117. March 9, 1847: Jalapa, Veracruz. Mexican citizens are called upon to forget internal disputes.
118. 1847: Atongo. Water rights litigation between Antonio de Arizpe and Rafael Cantú.
119. November 17, 22, 26, 1847: Correspondence from Lucas de la Tijera to Manuel Madrid regarding their mining administration of Varal in Guanajuato.
120. May 17, 1847: Chihuahua's State Legislature opens session.
121. March 28, 1847: The French and Spaniard businessmen console the defeated heroes of Veracruz.
122. December 27, 1847: Sworn statement regarding sale of suspected stolen horses.
123. January 19, 1847: Linares. Statement on pawned items before the City Major Francisco Cantú.
124. October 26, 1847: Linares. List of newly elected officials during the U.S. occupation.
125. March 24, 1848: Cadereita, Jimenez. Convicted man's petition to have leg irons removed.
126. March 24 - April 1, 1848: Cordova. Letter informing of the improprieties of Sergeant Stockton and deploring Commander Bunker's lack of interest.
127. November 22, 1848: Mexico City. Letter to Carlos García regarding commercial matters and customs.
128. January 22, 1849: Criminal cases' list handled by the criminal courts in December 1848 and pending cases.
129. May 12, 1849: Guadalajara. Agreement settlement among the heirs of Rafael Vargas and Mercedes Ramos.

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Box 4
Folder Title, Dates, and Description

130. September 24, 1849: Joaquina and Verónica Ramos ratify the co-heirs agreement on Rafael Vargas testamentary.
131. March 1, 1850: Monterrey. Fernando Garcia Davila resigns his appointment as government official due to his change of residence to Linares.
132. July 7, 1850: Letter from Manuel Riva Palacio while governor of the State of regarding engineers' reports.
133. July 9, 1850: San Nicolás de la Garza. José María Ramones regrets the return of his calf.
134. October 12, 1850: The Nuevo León's vicegovernor García transcribes State congressional decree no. 89 regarding reorganization of the Treasury.
135. January 15, 1851: Marcelino Castañeda informs Bernardo de la Torres he is having the Ministry of Justice take his senatorial seat.
136. February 9-26, 1853: Proceedings for the sale of the property Santa Barbara, back from the Hospital San Juan.
137. July 8, 1853: Monterrey. Circular no. 5 regarding army draft in the State.
138. July 17, 1853: Mapimí, Durango. Missionary Fray Bernardino Alonso warns travelers of "Indian savages" in the area.
139. August 15, 1853: Monterrey. Governor Ampudia transcribes Santa Anna's decree regarding judiciary reorganization.
140. September 1, 1853: Monterrey. Governor Ampudia outlines the celebration for the 1829 Battle of Tampico anniversary.
141. September 7, 1853: Monterrey. Governor Ampudia transcribes Santa Anna's vagrancy law.
142. January 20, 1854: Monterrey. Governor Ampudia transcribes Santa Anna's decree of reform laws for judges’ judiciary system.
143. March 26, 1854: Monterrey. Governor Ampudia's circular no. 39 whereby sets up the procedures for the census and lottery draft.
144. May 23, 1855: Morelia. Letter to Manuel A. Mercado in Mexico City from "trovador Cafe de Rosa" with witty literary-political content.
145. July 8, 1856: Cerro Gordo, Chihuahua. Letter to José Cordero, former governor of Chihuahua, with harsh commentary on current politics.
146. February 10, 1857: Monterrey. Instructions for smallpox vaccination.
147. February 13, 1857: Guadalajara. Letter to José Gonzalez of Fresnillo from Francisco María Ortiz informing on business and politics.
148. February - July 1861: Ten letters to Mr. Bustamante at Hacienda del Salado regarding news on revolution,politics, troop movements.
149. April-July 1861: Two letters regarding current events of the war to Pilar Bustamante from J. Durán.
150. August 28, 1861: Political letter urging support to elect Antonio Dávila as governor of San Luis.
151. August 24, 1862: Letter to Felix Cuevas from Modesto Caballero with political commentary and current war news.
152. February 5, 1864: Monterrey. G.S. Chabot informs Graham Geaves on Patrick Milmo's cotton embargo.
153. July 16, 1864: Maximillian. Provisional Imperial decree regarding tax collection instructions.
154. September 30, 1864: Maximillian creates a section in the Treasury Department to pay the internal debt.
155. December 22, 1864: Monterrey. Transcription of Maximillian's order regarding statistics on crime, educations, roads, etc.
156. December 28, 1864: Maximilian's organizational decree for property tax and census for drafting police units.
157. April 6, 1865: Maximillian's decree regarding domestic tobacco tax rate.
158. April 6, 1865: Maximillian's decree regarding foreign tobacco tax rate.
159. November 30, 1865: Pachuca. Letter from José María Hernández to Miguel Cervantes regarding land ownership.
160. January 10, 1866: Zacatecas. Jesús María Jimenez is appointed as imperial official includes his official signature.
161. July 1, 1867: San Luis Potosí. Letter to Agustín Fuentes with current political news and developments by F.Cabrera.
162. July 1, 1869:Mexico City. Guillermo Buchard's list prices, exchange rates and freight rates.
163. June 14, 1871: Monterrey. Governor Treviño publishes Benito Juarez's election laws.
164. March 25, 1872: Monterrey. Boletín Official No. 6 Telegram informing of General Donato Guerra's victory and mocking the Juaristas.
165. March 31, 1873: Veracruz. Railroad proposal to Congress.
166. August 1, 1874:Veracruz. Clothing Company Zaldo Hermanos y C's price listing.
167. August 1, 1877:Romero M. Questionnaires to the industries to asset Mexico's financial state.
168. September 23, 1877: The minister of Colonization Industry,and Commerce, Riva Palacio, provides public safety regulations.
169. December 17, 1877: Monterrey. Wanted notice for escaped criminal, Ruperto Tamez.
170. Circa, 1880: Monterrey. Printed questionnaire regarding yellow fever, mumps, measles, etc.
171. April 27, 1887: Saltillo, Coahuila. Governor José María Garza Galán transfers temporary governorship to Dionisio García Carrillo.
172. October 19, 1888: Monterrey. Genaro Garza García publishes the State Legislature election laws.
173. May 5, 1895. Oversize (98/19 Map Room): Saltillo. Sierra Mojada’s statiscs, geographic,and historical Chart created by C. Amado Prado
174. June 8, 1910: Cuernavaca, Morelos. Agustín Hurtado de Mendoza extends congressional session.

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