Orceneth Fisher was a Methodist circuit rider in Central Texas whose circuit included Goliad, Galveston, Indianola, San Marcos, and other locations. He eventually moved to Oregon, and some of his papers are at Oregon State, Corvalis, and the University of the Pacific. Other papers are at the American History Center at University of Texas. He was in Georgetown, Texas, in 1841, and probably had connections with the early institutions that preceded Southwestern University as well as Southwestern. Southwestern has the ceremonial sash he wore as chaplain of the Republic of Texas Senate, probably at the last session of the Republic. The Fisher family had connections to other prominent Texas Methodists, some of whom are represented in the university archives. For example, Thomas Fisher’s first cousin was married to John D. Wheeler. Wheeler’s son, Sterling, was a Methodist minister associated with SMU. [Some of the above information was provided by the donors.]

The papers include letters of courtship, letters to children with “good advice,” letters to and from his wife and family while traveling from parish to parish, sermons, tax receipts, and materials related to Methodist churches. Fisher’s son, O. A. Fisher was also a Texas Methodist minister, and a published copy his diary is in Special Collections, call number 287.633 F535d. See also Clark 917.64 T3124F: “Sketches of Texas in 1840” by O. A. Fisher.

Box and Folder
Box 1 (at back of box) Folio of letters, sermons, tax receipts, etc. 1856-1889 
Letters of courtship, letters to wife and family, correspondence re: Methodist churches in central Texas. Pastor’s Pocket Record contains handwritten notes re: finances, church affairs and members. Daily life. San Marcos,Goliad, Indianola. Index to papers and collection notes with collection. Southwestern University: Small Collections. 

1.1 Six letters (4 to Fisher’s son, 1 to “My dear Mollie,”1 to Fisher from a nephew T. S. Garrett), 1 speech, 1 “Oath of Amnesty”1858 
Letters discuss: Methodist growth in California and Oregon, camp meetings in the Austin and Chappell Hill districts of Texas, discuss the questions of unity in the Methodist Church during/after the Civil War, discusses publication of his book, medical recipe for sore throat “lozenge,” worries about his daughter living in Houston, having his son collect money due him so the younger son and daughter can pay for their clothes and education; speech concerns the “approaching” Civil War and the causes of dissention in America. Approx 1” of material, with CD backup of transcripts of materials located in folder. Southwestern University: Small Collections. 

Box 3 Ceremonial sash worn as Chaplain of the Republic of Texas Senate 1839 
Belonged to Rev. Orceneth Fisher - Chaplain of Republic of Texas Senate. See book: DIARY OF ORCENETH ASBURY FISHER; STORY OF A PIONEER METHODIST PREACHER, and Waldhaven, Margaret, “Orceneth Fisher, Methodist Pioneer of the West,” reprinted from THE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE. Gift of Hugh ? “in memory of my beloved Frances” niece of Rev. Fisher, April 1984. Southwestern University: Memorabilia.