THE DIVISION OF LARGE AREA RANCHES IN THE EARLY 1900s RESULTED IN THE NEED FOR CLEAR TITLES OF LAND, MUCH OF WHICH DATED FROM SPANISH GRANTS. ONE OF THE FIRST INDIVIDUALS TO START AN ABSTRACT FIRM IN SOUTHWEST TEXAS WAS HENRY B. BALDWIN, WHO FOUNDED THE TEXAS LAND AND CATTLE CO. IN 1904. TEN YEARS LATER HE EXPANDED INTO THE RELATIVELY NEW FIELD OF TITLE INSURANCE AND CHANGED THE COMPANY'S NAME TO GUARANTY TITLE.

IN 1926 BALDWIN'S COMPANY BUILT THIS TWO-STORY BRICK COMMERCIAL STRUCTURE TO HOUSE THEIR OFFICES. BY THE END OF THE DECADE, THE FIRM INCLUDED ABSTRACT OFFICES IN SEVERAL SURROUNDING COUNTIES AND WAS OFFERING SERVICES IN TRUSTS, MORTGAGE LOANS, AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT UNDER THE NAME GUARANTY TITLE AND TRUST CO. AFTER BALDWIN DIED IN 1938, THE FIRM WAS RUN FOR 43 YEARS BY L. H. "POTSY" GROSS, WHO HAD JOINED THE COMPANY IN 1925.

BALDWIN AND GROSS WERE BOTH ACTIVE CIVIC LEADERS WHO MADE LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN CORPUS CHRISTI. THEIR PRIDE IN THE CITY WAS REFLECTED IN THEIR COMPANY, WHICH, UNDER THEIR DYNAMIC BUSINESS LEADERSHIP, PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF SOUTHWEST TEXAS.
(1983)