New digitized Wade Hall collections

A number of new collections from the Wade Hall Collection of American Letters project have been digitized and made available online! New collections include topics such as prison, athletic training, romance, war, family, travel, and healthcare! These collections, along with many others, were digitized 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. All digitized and published Wade Hall collections can be found on ExploreUK!

David Bolotin to Jayne Bolotin, 1942

David Bolotin letters, 2009ms132.0063 - The David Bolotin letters (dated 1917-1946, undated, bulk 1944-1945; 1.80 cubic feet; 4 boxes) comprise letters, sketches, and newspaper clippings that document the relationship between David Bolotin and Jayne Weil before and after their marriage as well as David's service overseas in Calcutta, India in the years leading up to World War II and during the war.

Helen Hungerford papers, 2009ms132.0102 - The Helen Hungerford papers (dated 1905-1992, bulk 1912-1920; 1.05 cubic feet; 3 boxes ) comprise letters and other papers from former male and female classmates, boyfriends, and relatives that document daily life in Washington and Rochelle, Illinois during the period just prior to, during, and after World War I.

Thomas L. Smith letters, 2009ms132.0113 - The Thomas L. Smith letters (dated 1891-1910; 1.05 cubic feet; 3 boxes) comprise letters that document Thomas Smith and wife during his military service stateside and abroad at the turn of the twentieth century.

Cole family letters, 2009ms132.0124 - The Cole family letters (dated 1881-1908, bulk 1903-1906; 1.4 cubic feet; 4 boxes) comprises letters that document the relationships of multiple generations of the Cole family in Pennsylvania.

William W. Masterson to Lizzie, 1881

William W. Masterson letters, 2009ms132.0153 - The William W. Masterson letters(dated 1877-1885, undated; 0.13 cubic feet; 5 folders) comprise letters that document the efforts of young William Masterson to become sober and turn his life around in the late nineteenth century.

John and Vera Helfrich papers, 2009ms132.0187 - The John and Vera Helfrich papers (dated 1946-1949; 0.11 cubic feet; 3 folders) comprise letters to John and Vera Helfrich that document everyday life in Ohio immediately post-World War II.

Clipping on arrest of Jesse James Price 

Jesse James Price papers, 2009ms132.0197 - The Jesse James Price papers (dated 1950-1963; 0.14 cubic feet; 8 folders) comprise letters, applications, and certificates that document the military service and prison sentence of Jesse Price in Kentucky in the 1950s and early 1960s.

Staunton, Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals clerk papers, 2009ms132.0206 - The Staunton, Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals clerk papers (dated 1870-1890; 0.35 cubic feet; 12 folders) comprises correspondence, recipts, and legal papers that document the activities of the Staunton, Virginia session of hearings for the Supreme Court of Appeals in the late nineteenth century.

Gordon family letters, 2009ms132.0207 - The Gordon family letters (dated 1889-1904; 0.7 cubic feet; 2 boxes) comprise letters that document the movement and growth of the Gordon family in Pennsylvania and Kentucky at the turn of the twentieth century. 

Epworth League secretary's book, 2009ms132.0216 - The Epworth League secretary's book (dated 1910-1911; 0.04 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprises one secretary's book that documents the religious activities and work of a local chapter of the Epworth League in the 1910s.

Page from photograph album of Pauline Bourne-Duryea as a young girl

Pauline Bourne-Duryea papers, 2009ms132.0250 - The Pauline Bourne-Duryea papers (dated 1899-1966, undated; 0.82 cubic feet; 2 document boxes, 1 flat box) comprise letters and photographs that document the social activities, trips taken, costs incurred, and daily life of Pauline Bourne-Duryea in the first half of the twentieth century.

Broadcast message from Voyles to mother after captured by German military

Vilmer Voyles World War II prisoner of war diary, 2009ms132.0267 - The Vilmer Voyles World War II prisoner of war diary (dated 1942-1988, bulk 1942-1945; 0.23 cubic feet; 5 folders) comprises loose papers that make up a diary documenting the experiences of Voyles as a prisoner of war by the German military during World War II in Northern Africa, Italy, and Germany.

Norman Kohlhepp World War I diary and photograph albums, 2009ms132.0270 - The Norman Kohlhepp WWI diary and photograph albums comprise a diary and three photograph albums that document Norman Kohlhepp's service in World War I in Europe.

Kentucky Democratic Party letters, 2009ms132.0277 - The Kentucky Democratic Party letters (dated 1939-1946, undated; 0.25 cubic feet; 10 folders) comprise letters that document the efforts of the Democratic Party to have their representatives elected in Kentucky in the early 1940s.

Leon M. Fisher letters, 2009ms132.0282 - The Leon M. Fisher letters (dated 1888-1968, undated, bulk 1902-1917; 0.68 cubic feet; 2 boxes) comprise letters and papers that document the experiences of Leon Fisher and his family and friends in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts in the early twentieth century.

Lady E. Clarkson letters, 2009ms132.0309 - The Lady E. Clarkson letters (dated 1867-1890, undated; 0.45 cubic feet; 1 box) comprises letters that document the life of Lady Clarkson while attending Stuart's Female College in Shelbyville, Kentucky and later life in Louisville in the last two decades of the nineteenth century.

Hiawatha Gray working on Al Johnson, from Gray's scrapbook

Hiawatha Gray scrapbook, 2009ms132.0328 - The Hiawatha Gray scrapbook (dated 1930-1970; 0.34 cubic feet; 1 box and 1 folder) comprises a scrapbook of newspaper clippings, phtographs, and ephemera that documents Hiawatha Gray's career as a boxing coach throughout the 20th century in Indianapolis.

Jefferson County Jail, Kentucky prisoner record book, 2009ms132.0340 - The Jefferson County Jail, Kentucky prisoner record book (dated 1922-1925; 0.3 cubic feet; 1 box) comprises one record book that documents the inmates of Jefferson County Jail in Kentucky in the mid-1920s.

St. Luke's Hospital patient case history, 1866

St. Luke's Hospital case history records, 2009ms132.0384 - The St. Luke's Hospital case history records (dated 1866-1868; 0.07 cubic feet; 1 item) comprises one record book that documents the patients seen over a six month span in 1866 and reports sent to board members on the activities of St. Luke's Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Lionel Grimes letters, 2009ms132.0402 - The Lionel Grimes letters (dated 1918-1919, undated; 0.02 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprise letters, a newspaper clipping, and two photographs that document the military training and overseas experience of Lionel Grimes during World War I.

Page from the Blackwell's travel diary

Burt and Mildred Blackwell travel diary, 2009ms132.0465 - The Burt and Mildred Blackwell travel diary (dated 1934-1967; 0.15 cubic feet; 1 box) comprises one diary that documents the trips and vacations taken by the Blackwell couple across North and South America, and Europe in the early-to-mid twentieth century.

Victor W. Winton letters, 2009ms132.0520 - The Victor W. Winton letters (dated 1911-1912; 0.03 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprises three letters to Victor and his wife from their son, Victor, while he is studying music in Leipzig, Germany in the early twentieth century.

Hollingsworth family letters, 2009ms132.0537 - The Hollingsworth family letters (dated 1887-1893, undated; 0.035 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprises letters from the Hollingsworth family to their eldest daughter, Laura Vinzant, that document pioneer settler life in Colorado and Kansas during the late nineteenth century.

Mulberry harbor photographs, 2009ms132.0617 - The Mulberry harbor photographs (dated 1944; 0.02 cubic feet; 16 photographs) comprise images that depict the construction and use of Mulberry harbors in World War II.

Paper from Philip Schneider's service in the Middle East during World War II

Philip Schneider papers, 2009ms132.0619 - The Philip Schneider papers (dated 1942-1945, undated; 0.08 cubic feet; 6 folders, 23 photographs) comprises booklets, pamphlets, letters, ration cards, and photographs that document the military service of Schneider in Iran during World War II.

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

Newly Digitized Wade Hall Collections on ExploreUK!

Interested in the experiences of soldiers in the military during World War I or long-distance relationships and women taking charge in personal relationships? Maybe you would rather read letters between a Scottish immigrant and his family or letters about life in a border city during the Mexican Revolution. These collections, and more, were digitized 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. All digitized Wade Hall collections can be found on ExploreUK!

2009ms132.0011: Nellie Suydam Cowley papers - The Nellie Suydam Cowley papers (dated 1916; 0.17 cubic feeet; 5 folders) primarily comprise letters between Nellie and her mother, Lucretta Suydam, discussing national politics, the Mexican Revolution, and everyday life in Douglas, Arizona in 1916.

2009ms132.0014: Harry Wilson letters - The Harry Wilson letters (dated 1888-1923, bulk 1890-1914; 0.17 cubic feet; 10 folders) comprise letters between Harry Wilson and his family concerning his immigration to America and changes in Scotland due to World War I.

2009ms132.0021: James F. Frenzel Aviation diary - The James F. Frenzel Aviation diary (dated 1917-1919; 0.05 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprises a diary of Frenzel's enlistment and participation in the Aviation Branch of the United States Army while deployed overseas in France during World War I.

Interior cover page of Frenzel's aviation diary

2009ms132.0029: Rhoda Evans letters - The Rhoda Evans letters (dated 1900-1925, bulk 1900-1916; 0.3 cubic feet; 10 folders) comprise 68 letters to Rhoda from various boyfriends and love interests.

Letter to Rhoda from boyfriend stating his feelings and asking about hers

2009ms132.0038: Sylvester Zellers letters - The Sylvester Zellers letters (dated 1910-1919, bulk 1918-1919; 0.21 cubic feet; 10 folders) comprise letters that primarily documents life in military training camps during World War I.

2009ms132.0078: Emily McDowell papers - The Emily McDowell papers (dated 1838-1873; 0.32 cubic feet; 1 box) comprise receipts, depositions, and legal papers that document the proceedings that found her insane and the costs and legal requirements associated with caring for a person decreed insane.

Court document decreeing Emily to be "of unsound mind"

2009ms132.0085: Emma C. Kenzer letters - The Emma C. Kenzer letters (dated 1908-1910; 0.1 cubic feet; 3 folders) comprise twenty-one love letters that document the long-distance relationship between Emma and her fiancee where she lived and worked in Evansville, Indiana and where he lived and worked in Louisville, Kentucky.

2009ms132.0098: Humphrey and Ida Tremelling letters - The Humphrey and Ida Tremelling letters (dated 1892-1941, bulk 1893; 0.06 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprise nine letters that document familial relationships, marriage, and employment in the late nineteenth century.