Established by a $100,000 bequest of John Tarleton, an Erath County pioneer, John Tarleton College opened in 1899 as a private preparatory school and college for the youth of the surrounding rural region. Over the past century, Tarleton has grown from a small private college into a thriving state university with more than 7,400 students. Drawings and maps document the work of architecture students at John Tarleton Agricultural College during the approximate years of 1921-1941.