Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Collection
Title
W.B. Tuttle Papers
Date(s)
- 1894-1954 (Creation)
Extent
6 boxes (3 linear feet)
Name of creator
Biographical history
Colonel William Buckhout Tuttle was born in 1874 in Ohio. After attending the University of Virginia, he joined the First Virginia Cavalry. During World War I Tuttle was an officer in the Army's construction division, retiring as commander of the 315th Engineers. Tuttle came to San Antonio in 1906 to take a position as Vice-President and General Manager of the gas, electric, and traction utilities in the city. He is credited with bringing natural gas supplies to San Antonio, as well as supervising the shift from streetcars to bus transportation. During World War I he served as consultant to the War Production Board. Tuttle served as chairman of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee, playing an important role in the development of Randolph Field. In his retirement, Tuttle pursued his interests in flood-control and conservation, serving as chairman of the San Antonio River Authority. He is credited with obtaining the city's first federal grant for the much needed flood-control program. Tuttle supported the Boy Scouts, YMCA, and other civic enterprises. He passed away in September 1954 at the age of 80.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
The W.B. (William Buckhout) Tuttle Papers consists largely of blueprints, correspondence, land leases, maps, newspaper articles, and reports. A few photographs are also found in this collection. The material spans from 1894-1954, but the bulk of the material is from the twentieth century. The majority of the material relates to military history of San Antonio and the surrounding area; specifically, Tuttle's involvement through the Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee in the development of Kelly Air Force Base, Randolph Field, and other military installations in the area. This collection also includes records of Tuttle's work in the creation of Big Bend National Park, his work for the War Production Board, and his work for the Quartermaster Advisory Committee. There is significant correspondence with other San Antonio business leaders, as well as government officials including Maury Maverick, Sr. In addition to family records and records of his own military service, the collection also includes copies of speeches and articles written by Tuttle on a variety of military-related topics.
System of arrangement
Series 1: Personal (includes biographical records, records of military service, personal correspondence); Series 2: Writings on Military Subjects; Series 3: Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee (includes material on Kelly Air Force Base and Randolph Field); Series 4: Other Business and Government Records (includes records from the Quartermaster Advisory Committee, San Antonio Airport Company, the creation of Big Bend National Park, the War Production Board, and the U.S. Veterans Administration); Series 5: Photoprints removed from their original order during previous processing.
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
This collection is open and available to the public for research in the Special Collections & Archives reading room. The materials are non-circulating.
Physical access
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
The materials in this collection may be protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code). The materials are available for personal, educational, and scholarly use. It is the responsibility of the researcher to locate and obtain permission from the copyright owner or his or her heirs for any other use, such as reproduction and publication.
Languages of the material
- English
Scripts of the material
Language and script notes
Finding aids
Generated finding aid
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Custodial history
Acquisition history unknown.
Immediate source of acquisition
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Accruals
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related archival materials
Related descriptions
Notes element
Specialized notes
- Citation: W.B. Tuttle Papers, 1894-1954. Coates Library Special Collections & Archives, San Antonio, Texas.
Alternative identifier(s)
Description control element
Rules or conventions
DACS
Sources used
Archivist's note
Finding aid created by Colleen Hoelscher, November 8, 2018.
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Maverick, Maury, 1895-1954 (Subject)
- Tuttle, W.B. (William Buckhout), 1874-1954 (Subject)
- San Antonio Chamber of Commerce (Subject)