Morgan M. McGregor Collection

Summary: Morgan M. McGregor of Scotland donated photographs of Fort Worth in the 1880s and early 1890s. Her grandfather, William Fife Sommerville (1848-1890), moved from Scotland to Fort Worth in 1882 as Assistant Manager of the Scotts-owned Matador Land and Cattle Company. He helped form the first mortgage company in Fort Worth, served on the Board of Directors of the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway as well as President of the Fort Worth Musical Union and 1890 Governor General of the Texas Spring Palace in Fort Worth. He resided on Penn Street where it intersects Texas just off Summit. Here, he died untimely in an accident involving a fall from a windmill platform onto the picket fence while his wife, Mary, and children were visiting in England. To honor him, the Chamber of Commerce building was cloaked in mourning for thirty days.

View the Morgan M. McGregor image gallery.

• Invitation to the Texas Spring Palace from May 29th to June 20th, 1889
• Balcony seats in the Texas Spring Palace, 1890
• Crowd of people inside the Texas Spring Palace, 1890
• Stage at the Texas Spring Palace, 1890
• Orchestra at the Texas Spring Palace, 1890
• Market or gift shop at the Texas Spring Palace, 1890
• Crowd gathering on the balcony at the Texas Spring Palace, 1890
• Band with conductor, Mr. Hecker, at the Texas Spring Palace,1890
• Balcony seats overlooking stage, at the Texas Spring Palace, 1890
• Longhorn Chair from Texas Spring Palace, given to W. F. Sommerville
• View from James McGregor's grandparents' house in Fort Worth. Tarrant County Courthouse in central background. Believed to have been taken near today's Summit Avenue by W.F. Sommerville using a Shew camera.
• William Fife Sommerville in costume as Frederick for the performance of the "Pirates of Penzance," 1888
• Crowd on a train at The Fort Worth and Denver Railway, contains Alfred Sommerville, eldest son of William F. Sommerville, 1889
• Portrait of W. F. Sommerville
• Actors in a Fort Worth play named "Patience," 1890
• Fort Worth skyline showing Texas Spring Palace, 1890 (image shown)  
• Crowd on a train at the Fort Worth and Denver railway, containing Alfred Sommerville, 1889 
  
• James McGregor's grandparents house in Fort Worth. Tarrant County Courthouse in central background. Believed to have been taken by W. F. Sommerville near today's Summit Avenue
  
• Lead Crystal glasses with etchings of Texas Spring Palace, one etched with name of Sommerville’s son “Alfred”; one etched with name of Sommerville’s nephew, “Harold”
• Portrait of William F. Sommerville