The Johnson Family Collection was donated to Southwestern University by John E. Shelton, grandson of Emma Johnson, sister of Lizzie Johnson. It consists of letters, personal notes, announcements, newspaper clippings, magazines, books, and personal objects from the entire Johnson family. The majority of the collection dates from the years 1859-1887. Overall, the collection gives us a clear picture of the family’s experience living in Texas from the mid 19th to early 20th century. Topics included among the collection range from descriptions of daily life in Texas to letters from Civil War soldiers (Lizzie’s brother John Hyde Johnson served in the Confederate Army) to information relevant to general cultural history and race relations.

Box One (ten folders) is comprised entirely of material directly related to the Johnson family, with most items dated from 1860 to 1886. It is almost exclusively composed of correspondence to different members of the family, and is organized according to the receiver, and further according to provenance (friends or other family). Most correspondence in this box was received by either Lizzie Johnson or Emma Johnson, though there are folders for their parents, for their husbands, and for their brother John Hyde Johnson. Topics of interest include the courtship of the two sisters, descriptions of Civil War battles or conditions, specific documents of importance to Lizzie Johnson, and descriptions of racist crimes against African Americans.

Box Two (sixteen folders) consists of miscellaneous material from both the Johnson family in the late 19th century and a small amount of material belonging to the donor, John E. Shelton. Shelton materials are either personal writing or refer to the Johnson Family Collection itself. The Johnson family material is much more diverse and can help demonstrate the social or cultural histories of late 19th century Texas. It includes newspaper clippings, magazines, booklets, random announcements or flyers, poems, stories, and sheet music. Of particular interest is the material on gender (relationships and reproductive anatomy), the sheet music, and material relating to Soule and Rutersville Colleges.

Boxes Three, Four, Five, and Six all hold artifacts. Box Three includes a handkerchief box, a paper fan, a pocketbook belonging to Thomas Jefferson Johnson (Lizzie’s father), and ribbons/pins commemorating various events like Confederate veteran reunions and stockyard conventions. Box four includes a metal lunch pail. Box five includes a petticoat worn by Lizzie Johnson, and a quilting guide. Box six includes an umbrella.

The collection also includes many books, which have been integrated into the Special Collections library. In addition to the Johnson Family collection, the library also owns a small piece of lace and the receipts of Lizzie Johnson’s wedding dress and a few other items related to her wedding. These were donated by C.C. Cody III, who was related to Lizzie Johnson through his wife, Gladys Locket, a niece of Lizzie Johnson.