Description
Papers of the botanist, explorer and lecturer, the daughter of Enrique Guillermo
Antonio Mexia and granddaughter of Jose Antonio Mexia. Includes letters to and from Mexia about family,
personal matters, and plant collections; writings by Mexia and other pertaining to the Mexia botanical
collections from Mexico, South America, and Alaska. Includes correspondence by Nina Floy Bracelin,
acting as the representative of Mexia, pertaining to botanical collections
Background
Ynés Mexía was born May 24, 1870 in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., where her father,
General Enrique A. Mexía, was serving as a representative of the Mexican government under
President Porfirio Díaz. Her grandfather, José Antonio Mexía, was also
a Mexican general, serving under President Antonio López de Santa Anna. Her mother, Sarah R.
Wilmer of Maryland, was a descendent of Samuel Eccleston, Fifth Archbishop of Baltimore. Ynés
Mexía spent her early childhood in Texas on a land grant where the town of Mexía,
Limestone County, is now located. She attended private schools in Philadelphia and Ontario, Canada; St.
Joseph's College, Emmetsburg, Maryland; and the University of California, Berkeley. As a young woman she
lived in Tacubaya, Mexico, where she married Herman E. Laue in 1898. After his death, she married to
Agustín Reygadas. This marriage ended in a divorce.
Extent
Number of containers: 9 boxes, 4 cartons, 1 oversize folder
Linear feet: Approximately 8.5
Restrictions
Copyright has not been assigned to The Bancroft Library. All requests for permission to publish or
quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services. Permission for
publication is given on behalf of The Bancroft Library as the owner of the physical items and is not
intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the
reader.
Availability
Collection is open for research.