LONE STAR FAIR OF 1852, CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS PRESENTATION COIN SILVER MUG, baluster-form well having all-over repousse, chased, and engraved decoration of flowers and scrolling leaves, one side with a reserve featuring presentation engraving that reads, "FROM / H L Kinney / and general committee / of Lone Star Fair / Corpus Christi May 1852", the opposite side with applied scrolled handle, raised on a round foot with beaded border. Underside impressed with "E&S" maker's mark for Eoff & Shepard, the partnership of Edgar M. Eoff and George L. Shepard, of New York City, NY (active 1852-1861). Total weight: 4.810 ozt. Circa 1852. 4 3/4" HOA, 4 1/8" H, 3" D rim.
Literature: See article by Anthony C. Hutchins - "The Lone Star Fair of 1852", East Texas History, for more information on the fair; and another by Amelia W. Williams - "Henry Lawrence Kinney: Life and Legacy of a Texas Land Speculator", for more information on Kinney.
Catalogue Note: Henry Lawrence Kinney (1814-1862) was born in Sheshequin, Pennsylvania to parents Simon Kinney (1784-1859) and Phebe Millicent Cash (1784-1835). After his mother's death, he moved with his father to Indiantown, Illinois, where he engaged in land speculation alongside his brother, Joseph Warren Kinney. This land venture was short-lived due to the financial panic of 1837-1838, causing them to leave the state. In 1838, Henry settled in an area close to present-day Brownville, TX and soon worked in ranching and trading near Corpus Christi, a city that he founded.
While in Texas, Henry served as a delegate in the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1845 as well as in the First Texas State Legislature. He was later elected to the Second, Third, and Fourth Legislature. During the Mexican-American War, he served on the staff of James Pinckney Henderson in the northern Mexico campaign. Afterwards, Kinney began trading with Central and South American countries and continued to be a land speculator. He bought large tracts of land and attempted to sell them new immigrants, though he was largely unsuccessful.
At the end of 1851, Kinney began planning the Lone Star Fair to take place in Corpus Christi as an attempt to boost the area's economy in addition to attracting businesses and people to move to the city and, ultimately, to buy land from him. Another reason for this fair was to recruit men for the army of Gen. Jose J.M. Carbajal, a revolutionary who wanted to liberate northern Mexico. In hopes to attract 30,000 people, Kinney advertised this fair nationally and internationally, and he went into debt building facilities for this event. The fair opened on May 1, 1852 and was supposed to last two weeks. The actual attendance was a major shortfall, only attracting 2,000 visitors. This failure was attributed to the city being in a remote location, poor transportation, and the revolutionary activity supported by the fair. Despite this, the fair was a success in the long term, helping in the growth and development of Corpus Christi in the following years.
Due to suffering major financial losses from the fair, Kinney tried to rebuild his fortune by various schemes. He ventured into establishing a colony in Nicaragua by buying millions of acres there, which was financed by speculators in New York. He had to abandon his plans when his largest financial backer died, returning to Texas and being elected again to the Eighth Legislature. In March of 1861, Kinney resigned his seat after he opposed the secession movement that resulted in the Civil War. His final move was to Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, where Kinney was apparently killed on March 3, 1862 in a gunfight between two local factions.
Condition
Very good to fine overall condition with minor wear, surface scratches, and nicks, some minute / small dents, rim slightly out of round.
