Texas Centennial Edition, The Yellow Rose of Texas Song & Chorus, Composed and Arranged Expressly for Charles H. Brown, by J.K., New York: Firth, Pond & Co., 547 Broadway, 1858

Fort Worth, Texas: Mary Daggett Lake and Wm. J. Marsh, 1936. Limited Edition. Sheet Music. Near fine. [SHEET MUSIC] [BLACK AMERICANA] [SIGNED LIMITED EDITION]. Limited edition: No. 91/300. SIGNED and numbered by the publishers on the rear wrapper. 4to; 5pp; cream colored stiff stock; original title and credits set within a decorative border with ornamentation; light age-toning to edges, a few finger smudges; near fine. Scarce in the marketplace. A folksong whose origins pre-date its publication date of 1936. There is no discoverable information about the writer known as "J.K." The song lyrics tell of a Black American, presumably a soldier, who left his sweetheart, a "yellow rose" and longs to return to her. "Yellow" would have referred to a person of mixed race, and "Rose" a young woman. [Turner]. The song is also associated with the story of how a young Black Slave woman, Emily Morgan, helped to win the battle of San Jacinto. This edition was published for the Centennial Exposition in Dallas, and the fair is credited with helping to buffer the city from the Great Depression. Of the publishers, Mary Daggett Lake was a member of both the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) and Daughters of the Republic of Texas. A botanist and historian, she was interested in the preservation of Texas history. William J. Marsh was an Englishman, who after immigrating, worked for the Texas and Pacific Railroad. He was also a composer and educator, most known for composing, Texas, Our Texas, the state anthem.