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Casad-Burt family papers

 Collection
Identifier: Ms-0525

Scope and Contents

The Casad-Burt family papers consist of materials such as papers (primarily correspondence) and photographs from the Casad-Burt families, descendants of Thomas Casad. The Casad-Burt family papers span the years 1850 to 1949. They include material related to Alice Casad and her husband Edwin Burt.

The collection is arranged into five series, which include family history, Alice Casad-Burt, Edwin Burt Sr., Casad-Burt children and photographs. The papers are arranged according to each family member and within the series are correspondence arranged chronologically.

Dates

  • 1850 - 1949

Conditions Governing Use

Open. All materials in this collection are available for research under supervised conditions in the Research Room. Researchers should contact the department in advance to make arrangements to view unprocessed materials, as these may need to be screened before use.

Biographical / Historical

Alice Casad-Burt was born on October 19, 1872 in Los Angeles, California to Thomas Casad and Sarah Wakefield Van Winkle Casad. The Casads moved to the Mesilla Valley in 1874 and became prominent land owners, involved in agricultural, mercantile and newspaper ventures during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Edwin Burt was born on March 1, 1868, in East Saginaw, Michigan to Dr. Edwin Burt and Harriet “Hattie” Melville Turner Burt. At age 15, Edwin travelled to the borderland with his father, settling in the Organ Mining District, just east of Las Cruces. Edwin assisted his father with mine inspections and other tasks in the mining field. Dr. Burt’s primary occupation was practicing medicine, but mining lured him to New Mexico, while his wife Hattie and the rest of the family remained in Brooklyn.

While living in the Organ area, Dr. Burt practiced medicine, treating patients with injuries or sicknesses and delivering babies. Along with his medical practice, Dr. Burt managed the Toughnut, Bell, Merrimac and Eldorado mines.

While Edwin was residing in both Las Cruces and Organ with his father, he completed his education as a mining engineer and began working as an assayer. Soon after completing his education, Edwin gained employment as an assayer for El Oro Mining and Milling Co., in San Luis Obispo.

Alice Casad and Edwin Burt married on May 5, 1897 in Mesilla. The couple had six children: Edwin Jr., Miriam, Eric, Sarah, Oliver and Richard. After their marriage, Alice and Edwin Sr. moved to Mexico where their children Sarah, Eric and Oliver were born. Miriam, Edwin Jr. and Richard were born in the U.S.

Edwin and Alice lived in El Oro, State of Mexico, for the early years of the 20th century, where he was the superintendent of the El Oro gold mines. and several years after he left to South America (Chile) from 1917-1924. While in Chile, Edwin Sr. invented the Burt copper nitrate filter used for mining which was revolutionizing invention for the profession, but was unable to obtain a world patent at the time.

After twelve years or so living in Mexico and in Chile, Edwin Sr. and Alice decided to make the move back to the United States from Mexico with their children. The Burt’s purchased a home in El Paso as well worked as a consulting mining engineer. After residing in El Paso for sometime, years later Edwin Sr. and Alice made their way back to the Mesilla Valley in the 1920s where he built a home on the 200 acres of land for his family.

In May 1934, Alice died due to throat cancer and a few years later, in 1937 Edwin Sr. died due to diabetes complications and both are buried in Las Cruces, New Mexico at the Masonic cemetery.

Extent

.75 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The collection contains the family papers of Edwin Burt Sr. and Alice Casad-Burt. Alice Casad, the daughter of Thomas Casad and Sarah Wakefield Van Winkle Casad, married Edwin Burt Sr. in 1897. These papers consist of family papers pertaining to the Casad and Burt families. The papers primarily cover the years 1850-1949 and document the period when Edwin Burt Sr. was in the countries of Chile and Mexico working in the mining industry.

Related Materials

Donald Casad Bennett family papers. Ms 0456. New Mexico State University Library, Archives and Special Collections Department.
Casad-Mandell family papers. Ms 0470. New Mexico State University Library, Archives and Special Collections Department.
Casad-Lane family papers, 1840- 1990. Ms 0440. New Mexico State University Library, Archives and Special Collections Department.
Casad-LaRock family papers. Ms 0522. Archives and Special Collections. New Mexico State University Library.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Jennifer Olguin. (March, 2019).
Title
Guide to the Casad-Burt family papers
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid by Jennifer Olguin
Date
2019-11-03
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the New Mexico State University Library Archives and Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Branson Hall
PO Box 30006
MSC 3475
Las Cruces New Mexico 88003 USA