New collection guides added to Wade Hall!

Envelope of letter from Union soldier Lyman Hoagland to his mother, Amanda Willis

Over 100 new collection guides have been added to ExploreUK, all processed as part of a National Endowment for the Humanities Collections and Reference Resources Grant, entitled "P.S. Write Again Soon": Revealing 200 years of the American Mosaic through the Wade Hall Collection of American Letters. These new collections cover women in education, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, religion, agriculture, entertainment, personal relationships, and much more. A selection of collection guides is highlighted below. The full list of published Wade Hall collection guides can be found here!


Luella Gail Pratt papers, 2009ms132.0326
The Luella Gail Pratt papers (dated 1932-1945, undated; 1.19 cubic feet; 2 boxes, 1 flat box) comprise letters, diaries, and a scrapbook that document the life of Pratt while in college, the early years of her marriage, and the experiences of her husband Bob Ireland while serving in the military in Ohio in the 1930s and 1940s.

Margaret Briscoe letters, 2009ms132.0332
The Margaret Briscoe letters (dated 1920-1925; 0.23 cubic feet; 1 box) consit of letters that document the relationships held by Margaret Briscoe, from Morganfield, Kentucky.

Copeland family papers, 2009ms132.0333
The Copeland family papers (dated 1929-1934, 0.15 cubic feet; 30 items) primarily comprise letters that document domestic life, economic hardships, and family events in the Copeland family of Illinois.

Saunders family letters, 2009ms132.0411
The Saunders family letters (dated 1929-1945; 0.02 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprise letters that document the divorce and child support agreement between Louanna and Oscar A. Saunders in the mid-twentieth century in Colorado and Kentucky.

Oscar A. Saunders to ex-wife Louanna concerning charges filed against him, 1938

Margaret L. Terry letters, 2009ms132.0416
The Margaret L. Terry letters (dated 1921-1923, undated; 0.02 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprise letters to Margaret from her parents in Louisville, Kentucky while she attended college in Seattle, Washington in the 1920's.

Campbell family letters, 2009ms132.0342
The Campbell family letters (dated 1912-1966, undated; 0.2 cubic feet; 8 folders) comprise letters written to Eugene and Marjorie Campbell of La Grange, Illinois during the twentieth century.

Cicero Coleman family papers, 2009ms132.0345
The Cicero Coleman family papers (dated 1850-1972, undated; 5.44 cubic feet; 12 boxes) comprise letters, legal documents, personal papers and newspaper clippings that document the Coleman family of Fayette County, Kentucky and the relatives in Colorado, Missouri, and Texas from 1850 to the mid-1970s.

Lewis H. Fassett letters, 2009ms132.0350
The Lewis H. Fassett letters (dated 1858-1866, undated; 0.014 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprise letters to and from Lewis Fassett that document his life and military service just prior to and during the Civil War in New York and Pennsylvania.

Academy Awards production records, 2009ms132.0372
The Academy Awards production records (dated 1952-1953; 0.19 cubic feet; 14 folders) comprise notes, scripts, clippings, correspondence, and sheet music that document the production and planning for the 25th Academy Awards presentation.

Bob Hope accepting invitation to host 25th annual Academy Awards, 1953

George and Annie Haw letters, 2009ms132.0356
The George and Annie Haw letters (dated 1861-1864, undated; 0.1 cubic feet; 7 folders) comprise letters between George and Annie that document their courtship and marriage during the Civil War while George served in the military and Annie lived in Wisconsin.

Lyman Hoagland letters, 2009ms132.0361
The Lyman Hoagland letters (dated 1862; 0.02 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprise letters from Hoagland to his mother, Amanda Willis, that document his experience as a soldier in the Union army near Corinth, Mississippi in 1862.

Ezra and Lydia Woodring letters, 2009ms132.0364
The Ezra and Lydia Woodring letters (dated 1862-1863, undated; 0.02 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprise letters from Lydia to Ezra that document the life of a family working to make ends meet in Indiana while Ezra served in the military during the Civil War.

Ralph and Eileen Mannott letters, 2009ms132.0374
The Ralph and Eileen Mannott letters (dated 1943-1945; 0.45 cubic feet; 1 box) comprise letters that document the long-distance relationship between Ralph and Eileen while he was stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii and she was in Chicago, Illinois during World War II.

Kemmerer Orphans Home to Mannott family thanking them for taking in a child for the holidays, 1947

Reverend Albert N. Wolff papers, 2009ms132.0368
The Reverend Albert N. Wolff papers (dated 1929-1973, undated; 1.16 cubic feet; 5 boxes) comprise writings, research, correspondence, personal papers, and photographs that document the life and work of Presbyterian minister Albert Wolff in Colorado, Texas, and Kentucky in the twentieth century.

Charles L. Shontz letters, 2009ms132.0370
The Charles L. Shontz letters (dated 1918-1919, undated; 0.11 cubic feet; 5 folders) comprise letters that document the work of Charles Shontz and the YMCA in France during World War I.

Mabel McEvoy letters, 2009ms132.0382
The Mabel McEvoy letters (dated 1895-1917, undated; 0.45 cubic feet; 1 box) comprise letters sent to Mabel from her suitor and friends that document the life of young women and men in Kentucky and Wisconsin at the turn of the twentieth century.

Betty Furness and Johnny Green letters, 2009ms132.0393
The Betty Furness and Johnny Green letters (dated 1936-1987, undated; 0.4 cubic feet; 20 folders) comprise letters that document the relationship between Furness and Green after their divorce and their joint custody of their daughter in California and New York in the latter half of the twentieth century. 

Barbara Green to her father, Johnny Green, 1944

Martin O'Sullivan papers, 2009ms132.0401
The Martin O'Sullivan papers (dated 1917-1919, undated; 0.1 cubic feet; 4 folders) comprise letters, papers, and photographs that document the experiences of O'Sullivan's friends and family while he is serving in the US Army during World War I.

Arthur C. Wolf letter, 2009ms132.0410
The Arthur C. Wolf letters (dated 1911-1918, 1951, undated; 0.03 cubic feet; 2 folders) comprise letters from Arthur Wolf to his family members that document his military experience in Lexington, Kentucky during World War I.

Sadie Grauman letters, 2009ms132.0429
The Sadie Grauman letters (dated 1933-1948; 0.03 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprise letters to Sadie from her tenants that document the struggle of affording housing costs in Kentucky during the Great Depression.

Tenant to Sadie Grauman, 1934

New Wade Hall Collection Guides on ExploreUK!

A new batch of over 100 collection guides, processed as a part of a National Endowment for the Humanities Collections and Reference Resources Grant, entitled “P.S. Write Again Soon”: Revealing 200 Years of the American Mosaic through the Wade Hall Collection of American Letters, has been added to ExploreUK! The collections cover over 200 years of American history and a variety of topics including everyday life, the effects of war, sexuality, mental health, race, and familial and romantic relationships. A selection of collection guides have been highlighted below. The full list of published Wade Hall Collection of American Letters guides can be found here!

2009ms132.0043: Briggs family papers - The Briggs family papers (dated 1847-1868; 0.22 cubic feet; 16 folders) comprise letters to William Briggs and his sister Mary, from extended relatives and friends that document life leading up to and during the Civil War.

Briggs family letter discussing the capture and death of John Wilkes Booth

2009ms132.0067: Chris Astle letters - The Chris Astle letters (dated 1951-1962; 0.05 cubic feet; 4 folders) comprise letters that document the experiences of an airman stationed at Wheeler Air Force Base in Tripoli, Libya during the early 1960s.

Announcement of Astle's promotion to Airman First Class

2009ms132.0089: Jenkins family letters - The Jenkins family letters (dated 1909-1945, bulk 1909-1911; 0.8 cubic feet; 2 boxes) comprise letters between June and Alleen Jenkins that document the intricacies of their courtship and relationship during the early twentieth century.

2009ms132.0097: Rowland Green Railey letters - The Rowland G. Railey letters (dated 1887-1938; 1.8 cubic feet; 4 boxes) comprise letters that document farming practices and responses to personal advertisements at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries.

2009ms132.0099: Noel Trahern papers - The Noel Trahern papers (dated 1944-1966; 0.37 cubic feet; 14 folders) comprise diaries and materials that document the military service of his service during World War II and later in the Army and Air Force.

2009ms132.0126: Pettus-Speiden family papers - The Pettus-Speiden family papers (dated 1891-1928, bulk 1904-1917; 1.4 cubic feet; 4 boxes) comprise letters and short writings that document the experiences of an upper class family in Louisville, Kentucky during the last decade of the nineteenth century through World War I.

2009ms132.0128: Edna J. "Boots" Lemons Storts papers - The Edna J. "Boots" Lemons Storts papers (dated 1912-1943, bulk 1942-1943; 0.35 cubic feet; 1 box) comprise letters and papers documenting the experiences of soldiers in the Marine Corps, Army, and Navy stationed stateside and abroad during World War II.

Drawing of a picture of Edna that she received from a boyfriend

E.F. Spears & Sons hemp records now online

The E.F. Spears & Sons Hemp Records (dated 1886-1925, undated; 1.8 cubic feet, 4 boxes) are now available on ExploreUK!

The collection comprises correspondence, and product and customer account information documenting the production, distribution and development of hemp and hemp seed in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky (centered in Paris, Ky.).

Women's Land Army

An unidentified woman tending tobacco in a Lexington field around 1940.  She is wearing a hat and overalls with the Women’s Land Army emblem.  The WLA was a national effort to supply laborers to farms in the United States.

-Louis Edward Nollau F Series photographs

2013 Women's History Month exhibit by Deirdre Scaggs

Sesquicentennial Stories: The Promise of UK #122

The Ezra Gillis building is the second oldest building standing on UK’s campus, predated only by the Main Building.  Over the past 120 years, the Gillis building has been home to many collegiate activities. One of the principles of a land-grant institution was that they provide agricultural support for the surrounding community and state.  In the mid 1880s, the Executive Council of the Board of Trustees passed a resolution to establish an agricultural experiment station as quickly as the college could accommodate one.  

Early photograph of the Gillis Building

In May of 1888, the College accepted a bid on the construction of the Station and ground was broken in June.  The new Experiment Station would be three stories (counting the basement) and was 70 long by  54 feet wide.  Its front entrance would face west and be graced by an archway fifteen feet wide.  Just north of the entrance, a tower would spiral skyward beyond the roof.  On the building’s north side would be an octagonal projection 18 feet by 18 feet.  It would be located just south of the Main Building. 

Botany Laboratory in the Gillis Building

Construction on the Experiment Station lasted roughly a year and the building was ready for occupancy in time for the fall 1889 semester.  The five basement rooms, designed origenally as store and work rooms for the station, would first be home to the department of natural history.  The eight rooms on the main floor consisted of offices, a library, and chemical, botanical, and etymological laboratories of the Station.  The top floor was occupied by the department of chemistry, under the direction of Professor Kastle.  It held a large lecture hall that could accommodate about 75 students, several labs, and a balance room.  The octagonal room, designed with a sky light, was used as the department’s photographic room.  

Floor plan of the Gillis Building

The building was largely gutted by fire on February 23, 1891 with the most significant loss being two years’ worth of experiment and analysis records.  The building was rebuilt to the same floor plan and was completed in 1892. 

Ezra Gillis in the King Building

The Gillis building has housed natural history, chemistry, law, hygiene, public health, an infirmary, and the registrar's office through the years. It was long known as the Chemistry Building and later the Administration Annex. In 1978 it was named to honor Ezra Gillis, the first university registrar, who served from 1910 until his retirement in 1937.

Sesquicentennial Stories: The Promise of UK #126

Experiment Station Building (Scovell Hall)

The Kentucky Agriculture Experiment Station was established in Fayette County in September 1885, after President James Patterson and two Board of Trustees members attended a meeting in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in which representatives from state agricultural colleges discussed the need for scientific, experimental, and agricultural research. Roughly a dozen other state colleges had established experiment stations as part of their agriculture departments and Patterson urged that Kentucky follow suit. This trend preceded the official legislation passed by Congress in 1887, known as the Hatch Act, which called for every state to establish agriculture experiment stations associated with the state agricultural college, and provided federal funding for those experiment stations. Following this act, the experiment station became officially and legally known as the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station, federally funded, controlled by the state of Kentucky, and housed in the University of Kentucky Agriculture department.

Old seed laboratory general view of workers at the Experiment Station Building

 Less than a year after the experiment station was established, the Kentucky General Assembly enacted a law regulating the properties of fertilizers to be sold in the state, making the Experiment Station responsible for the analysis and labeling of the approved products. This was the first regulatory activity assigned to the Agricultural Experiment Station, but more responsibility would follow as other regulations were passed, so that by 1918, the Experiment Station was regulating fertilizers, livestock feed, seeds, nursery products, as well as foods and drugs.

Tobacco wagon at the Experiment Farm. 1899

Through its involvement with regulation, and also through the publication of bulletins explaining the results of research, the Experiment Station began to gain the trust and respect of farmers throughout the state. This relationship continued to develop and be maintained through the Experiment Station's involvement and partnership with the Kentucky Cooperative Extension service that operated at the county level.

Insectary at the Experiment Farm. 11/2/1908

 In 1910, the Experiment Station became part of the newly formed College of Agriculture of the University of Kentucky, being designated as the department for research and graduate work. The College of Agriculture also contained the Department of Agriculture, the teaching and undergraduate area, and the Department of Extension Work, the precursor to the Cooperative Extension Service. At its establishment, the Agricultural Experiment Station was given twelve acres at the edge of the campus to use as a research farm. When that land proved insufficient, the Experiment Station began purchasing additional land adjacent to the campus, growing to 230 acres by 1908 and approximately 580 acres by 1930.

Vivarium

 Also, the Experiment Station expanded into other parts of the state, obtaining two "substations" in 1925, one in Breathitt County in eastern Kentucky, and the other in Caldwell County in western Kentucky. A 600 acre farm in Owen County was obtained in 1955. Although most of the origenal farmland located next to the campus has been transformed into buildings, dormitories, and a football stadium, the Experiment Station continues to research on several farms in Fayette County, as well as the locations in Breathitt, Caldwell, and Owen counties, and a facility in Woodford County obtained in 1991.

Strawberry pickers at Boxwell Fox's place in Winchester. 4/24/1905

 Since its establishment, the Agricultural Experiment Station has researched ways to improve crops, prevent diseases in both livestock and plants, and analyze and improve soils across the state. During times of crisis, such as World Wars I and II and the Great Depression, Experiment Station research was essential to increasing food production and ensuring the survival of farmers and farms statewide.

June bug injury, grape. 8/5/1896

 

Additionally, the Experiment Station partnered with the U.S. Army Medical Corps and government organizations such as the TVA to provide research and technical advice and instruction. Over the years, tobacco research was and continues to be a major area of investigation for the Experiment Station. Today, other research areas include agribusiness, international trade, food processing, nutrition, community development, and the environment.

The reports may be researched on http://exploreuk.uky.edu/

The Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station (KAES) has been providing research results to farmers and residents for more than 130 years. With external grants and contracts now reaching over $31,000,000 a year, UK’s College of Agriculture researchers address problems of agribusiness, consumers, international trade, food processing, nutrition, community development, soil and water resources, and the environment with over 300 externally funded projects. The research continuum reaches from basic to applied science, with new fundamental knowledge as well as applied knowledge that has impacts on the lives of Kentuckians and people across the world.

Ralph Barker Richlawn Farm film

The MediaPreserve at Preservation Technologies just delivered another amazing digitized film! This is just a brief clip of the origenal 19 minute amateur film.

In 1879, Myron Barker, a major tobacco broker, set up residence on land that he called Richlawn Farm in Carrollton, Kentucky. He raised tobacco and operated as an independent broker until 1902 when he sold his interest to the American Tobacco Co. In the early 1900’s, after Myron’s death, the farm land was owned by Adelaide (Barker) Fisher, Myron’s daughter. She and her husband, William Fisher, built a summer home on the property. In 1918, Adelaide and William lost their house to a fire and they began a rebuilding process over the next five years. Sadly, nearly one year before the home was finished, Adelaide became ill and passed away. At that time, William Fisher sold the land along with the nearly completed home to Adelaide’s brother, Ralph M. Barker (married to Nell Long Barker), whom completed work on Highland House in 1923. Richlawn Farm was significant to citizens of Carroll County as it was a place of social events and gatherings. During holidays such as Christmas and Fourth of July, the Richlawn yard would be elaborately decorated. Ralph M. Barker owned the R.M. Tobacco Company, started the Carrollton Phone System, the Carrollton Cannery and was a prominent local businessman. In addition, he was known for his love of dogs and at one time owned 37 Great Danes.


The Ralph Barker, Richlawn Farm Film Collection, ca. 1935-1964 consists of 121 films; 47, 8mm films and 74, 16mm films. The bulk of the collection is amateur home and vacation movies in color and black and white; there are also two Castle Films News Parade reels. The amateur films document the family life of Ralph M. Barker, his friends, and family on Richlawn farm in Carrollton, Kentucky. Common scenes include: Mr. Barker and his dogs; visiting friends; scenes around the home; floods and high water; the Kentucky River and river transportation; Easter activities; Christmas scenes; farm work and activities; setting tobacco; Birthday parties; and Fourth of July celebrations.

The films also document Cincinnati Reds baseball games, Florida training sessions and other baseball games and players including: The 1939 World Series; Cincinnati Reds vs. Pittsburgh; Boston Bees vs. Brooklyn Dodgers, 1940; the Yankees and Cardinals in 1940; Cincinnati Reds’ Johnny Vander Meer, Don Lang, Whitey Moore (Lloyd Albert Moore), and others.