John H. Shary Collection | Personal Papers & Official Records | University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

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John H. Shary Collection

The John H. Shary Collection contains the papers from John H. Shary (1872-1945), the founder of Sharyland and Father of the Texas Citrus Industry. Shary was a prominent land developer and was president of the United Irrigation Company in the Mission / Sharyland area. The digital images from the Shary Collection include letters, speeches, and photographs. For more materials of the John H. Shary Collection, view the Finding Aid on ArchivesSpace.

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Grangeno site memo

John H. Shary and H. H. Ewing

Typed office memorandum concerning finding a site in Grangeno for the Mexican school.
Information about Harlingen and the Lower Rio Grande Valley

Harlingen Chamber of Commerce

Pamphlet highlighting the growth of the city of Harlingen and the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Different services and utilities there are also described.
In Rio Grande Valley Paradise : Sharyland : where nature produces the world's sweetest citrus fruits

Southwestern Land Company (Mission, Tex.)

Hand-colored promotional booklet highlighting the Southwestern Land Company in Mission, Texas.
Invitation to opening ceremony of the new Sharyland building and photographs of the first turn of the dirt at the site

Shary Organization

Invitation to opening ceremony of the new Sharyland building and photographs of the first turn of the dirt at the site. Companies housed in building are: Shary-Maddox Company, Texas Citrus Fruit Growers Exchange, Shary Products Company, The Brogdex Company of Texas, United Irrigation Company, Sharyland Orchards and Nurseries, Southtex Mortgage Loan Company, Granjeno Development Company.
John H. Shary Collection processing notes

William Flores

John H. Shary Collection processing notes

Naming conventions were minimally changed for increased discoverability.

The collection identifier from ArchiveSpace was used instead of the ContentDM identifier.

Metadata was updated to increase discoverability.

Dates were added.

Books and correspondence were exported to PDFs and OCR was applied.

For books with images, a compressed folder of all images was added as a supplemental file.

Converted Jp2 images to JPG.

Utilized names of books cataloged on Alma catalog.

Migrated from ContentDM to BePress on August 3, 2020.
Lloyd's magazine - The story of the Rio Grande Valley and other big features

Everett Lloyd

Black and white magazine. Story pertaining to the Rio Grande Valley: "The truth about the Rio Grande Valley and its builders".
Marriage certificate of John H. Shary and Mary E. O'Brien

Marriage certificate of John H. Shary and Mary E. O'Brien.
McAllen, Texas, the city of palms

McAllen Chamber of Commerce (Tex.) and Johnston Printing & Advertising Company

Hand-colored promotional booklet highlighting McAllen, Texas.
[Mercedes] Photograph of Concrete canal

Photograph of a large concrete canal with two men standing on the middle section. Appears to be canal in Mercedes, Texas. Part of Shary Collection.
[Mercedes] Photograph of German Lutheran Church, Mercedes, Texas

Wooden church with bell tower. Part of Shary Collection.
[Mission] Photograph of a Homestead

Possibly the old Shary house. Part of Shary Collection
[Mission] Photograph of St. Paul's Cathedral in Mission, Texas

St. Paul's Cathedral in Mission, Texas before its destruction in 1919 storm. Part of Shary Collection.
[Mission] Photograph of St. Peter's Novitiate, La Lomita, Mission, Texas

St. Peter's Novitiate was built on the ranchlands willed to the Oblate Order of Mary Immaculate in 1912 by architect Frederick B. Gaenslen. The ruins of the seminary which was nearly destroyed by fire in 2009 are located on the hilltop near La Lomita Chapel.

Part of Shary Collection.
Newspaper article describing dedication of new Sharyland school

Newspaper clipping describing the events of the dedication of the new Sharyland school located on the corner of Business 83 and Shary Road.
Newspaper article on Sharyland: the right place

The Mission Times

Full page advertisement for Sharyland by the Southwestern Land Company.
Newspaper article on Sharyland to build latest design school building

San Antonio Express

Newspaper clipping describing the new Sharyland school building designed by Harvey P. Smith.
Newspaper articles pertaining to John H. Shary from Pittsburgh Press and Progress Times

Newspaper clippings on John H. Shary and his work in the Rio Grande Valley.
O'Brien, M. (Torno - 5 acres tract No. 25, Section 58; Ware - Tract No. 25 in Section 58, 5 acres), 1944-1951

E H. Shary; J B. Torno; Allan Shivers; Blaine H. Holcomb; Southtex Land Sales, Inc.; and M O'Brien

2.4 Real estate, Box 119, Folder 58
Petition to the Board of Trustees, McAllen Independent School District

Petition from the residents of Sharyland requesting that a grade school building and a teacher be located in Sharyland
Photograph of a multitude of people entering the Shary Chapel

Black and white photograph. A multitude of people entering the Shary Chapel.
Photograph of Arnold Shary's homestead, panoramic view

Black and white photograph. Arnold Shary was one of John H. Shary's two nephews.
Photograph of arrival of the Standard Land Co. Party San Juan, Tex., panoramic view

Novelty Studio

Black and white photograph. 39 x 7 in. Excursion party and drivers posing in front of automobiles and railroad cars at San Juan, Texas. Shary would pay local drivers $35.00 per day to drive the excursionists around Sharyland.
Photograph of Bishop Mariano Garriaga greeting people at entrance of the Shary Chapel

Black and white photograph. Close-up of Bishop Mariano Garriaga greeting people at entrance to the chapel.
Photograph of dedication of the Sharyland ISD Administration Building - 01

Color photograph. Dedication of the Sharyland ISD Administration Building.
Photograph of dedication of the Sharyland ISD Administration Building - 02

Color Photograph. Mrs. Marialice Shary Shivers in front of cake.
Photograph of dedication of the Sharyland ISD Administration Building - 03

Color Photograph. Mrs. Marialice Shary Shivers and friends cutting the ribbon.
Photograph of excursion party of the Southwestern Land Co. in Sharyland

Ziebell Studio (McAllen, Tex.)

Black and white photograph. 34 x 6 in. Excursion party posing in front of the Charles Voltz's home.
Photograph of interior of Shary home - 01

Black and white photograph. Interior of Shary home. Intricate furniture is displayed.
Photograph of interior of Shary home - 02

Black and white photograph. Interior of Shary home livingroom. Intricate furniture is displayed.
Photograph of interior of Sharyland Packing Plant

Black and white photograph. Interior of Sharyland Packing Plant. John Shary is pictured on right. Five other men are also pictured. A crate of grapefruit is pictured in center.
Photograph of John H. Shary and grandson John S. Shivers

Black and white photograph. John H. Shary and grandson John S. Shivers
Photograph of John H. Shary and Mary O'Brien in living room

Colorized photograph. Mr. and Mrs. Shary in living room.
Photograph of John H. Shary and Mrs. A. Y. Baker (Emogene Baker) as King and Queen Citrus

Black and white photograph. John H. Shary and Mrs. A. Y. Baker as King and Queen Citrus.
Photograph of John H. Shary, Bill Potter and Ralph G. Bray standing next to strung tarpon

Black and white photograph. John H. Shary, Bill Potter and Ralph G. Bray standing next to strung tarpon at Port Isabel, Texas.
Photograph of John H. Shary excursion, panoramic

Black and white photograph with some colorization. 22 x 6 in. Excursion party posing on dirt road in front of palm and citrus trees. Second from left: John Shary
Photograph of John H. Shary in office

Black and white photograph. Young John H. Shary sitting at his office.
Photograph of John H. Shary in uniform with Mary O'Brien

Black and white photograph. John H. Shary in uniform and Mary O'brien beside him.
Photograph of John H. Shary on cart pulled by ostrich

Black and white photograph. John H. Shary on cart pulled by an ostrich.
Photograph of John H. Shary with large tarpon

Gardner

Black and white photograph. "He's a good sport, and a good scout with it. 6ft 3in - caught July 12th 1931. Photo by Gardner."
Photograph of Mary O'Brien and John H. Shary in Carthage, MO

Black and white photograph. Mary O'Brien and John H. Shary in Carthage, MO on November 14, 1922. Leaving via auto for Joplin, MO.
Photograph of Mary O'Brien handing out diplomas to two students

Black and white photograph. Photograph of Mary O'Brien handing out diplomas to two students. [may be recipients of scholarships]
Photograph of Mr. and Mrs. George Mattison

Black and white photograph of Mr. and Mrs. George Mattison.
Photograph of oldest 40 acre orchard in the Rio Grande Valley

J. W. Gardner

Black and white photograph. Closeup of citrus tree bearing fruit. "Oldest 40 acre orchard in the Valley. Owner John H. Shary, Crop-1930-1931, Photo by Gardner - Feb. 31."
Photograph of post convention tour N.A.D.C. 23rd annual convention, Dallas, Texas, panoramic view

J. W. Gardner

Black and white photograph. 46 x 11 in. Conventioners standing in front of Shary House and Clubhouse by Shary Lake. Cars lined up in the background. Shary Boulevard is paved.
Photograph of pure unadulterated juice from Lower Rio Grande Valley grapefruit

J. W. Gardner

Black and white photograph. "Pure unadulterated juice from Lower Rio Grande Valley grapefruit. Photo by Gardner"