Wooten's Monumental History of Texas, First Edition

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AUTHOR: Dudley Wooten, editor.

TITLE: A Comprehensive History of Texas, 1685 to 1897.

PUBLICATION DATA: 1898. Scarff. First Edition.

In November 1897, Dudley Wooten, editor at William J. Scarff publishers of Dallas, announced the publication of a work that would be "the most satisfying, the most comprehensive, the most authentic chronicle of the greatest State in the American Union, that has ever been conceived or executed." The following year, half a decade of compiling and editing culminated in the publication of two hefty tomes worthy of Wooten's hype.

At the core of volume one was a reprint Henderson Yoakum's 1846 history. Yoakum was friendly with Sam Houston, so his history was viewed a bit too pro-Houston at the time of its publication. Wooten sought to level the Yoakum playing field with the addition of annotations by Moses Austin Bryan, Frank Johnson and Guy M. Bryan. The rest of the set is presented chronologically as a series of articles, essays and memoirs. Here's a sample of what Wooten assembled to tell the story of Texas:

• Austin's Colony/beginning of Revolution - 9 chapters by Guy M. Bryan
• Dr. Barnard's journal on the Goliad Massacre
• Annexation/Mexican War - Samuel Bell Maxey
• Texas Ranger history - Gen. W. H. King
• Texas geography and geology - E. T. Dumble
• Civil War - John Salmon Ford, K. M. Van Zandt, Charles I. Evans
• Hood's Texas Brigade - Mrs. S. V. Winkler
• Terry's Texas Rangers - Kate Scurry Terrell
• History of printing in Texas - A. C. Gray
• Texas from 1845-1895 - 325 pages by Gov. O. M. Roberts

The physical manifestation of all that history is two very heavy royal octavo volumes totalling nearly 1800 pages. When I was photographing Volume One, I set it on my heavy duty acrylic bookstand, then hopped on my step ladder to shoot it from above. I heard a creaking sound, then the whole bookstand collapsed under the weight of Wooten. The book wasn't harmed but I am now without a bookstand. 

Condition report:

This set was expertly re-bound in maroon leather. Hubbed spines with gilt titles. All edges gilt. The bookbinder took great care in back-cornering the bindings to relieve strain on the joints - very important in prolonging the life of high page count, heavy books. 890 pages and 851 pages, respectively. Bindings show little wear. A bit of wear to the gilt page edges from handling. Some minor shelf wear to spine ends. Bindings, of course, are sound.

Why It Matters:

It's scarce. Even the 1986 reprint is hard to locate now. And it has it all! John H. Jenkins, in Basic Texas Books, called it "one of the most all-inclusive compilations on Texas history..." The scope of this work is as impressive as its size.