Madge E. Smith collection of Mary Ledford letters

Abstract

The Madge E. Smith collection of Mary Ledford letters (dated 1942-1973; 3.5 cubic feet; 10 boxes) consists of 18 bound volumes of letters from Mary Ledford to her son, Lee B. Ledford, Jr. discussing her daily life in Harlan County, Kentucky.

Descriptive Summary

Title
Madge E. Smith collection of Mary Ledford letters
Date
1942-1973 (inclusive)
Extent
3.5 Cubic Feet
Subjects
Correspondence.
Farm life -- Appalachian Region
Arrangement
Collection is arranged chronologically.
Finding Aid Author
Sophia Whitman Sandmeyer and Megan Mummey
Preferred Citation
2015ms048 : [identification of item], Madge E. Smith collection of Mary Ledford letters, 1942-1973, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Repository
University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History
Mary Smith Ledford (1896-1988) was born in Harlan County, Kentucky, where she spent most of her life. She met her husband Leander (Lee) Ledford, Sr. while attending Berea College. During their marriage they owned a farm in Harlan County and raised two sons; Lee Ledford, Jr. and Virgil Mac Ledford. After the death of her husband in 1973, Mary moved to New York with her son Lee Ledford, Jr. where she lived until her death in 1988. She was a devout member of the Presbyterian Church, attending the Smith Presbyterian Church in Harlan County and the Central Presbyterian Church in New York. She was buried next to her husband in the Smith Presbyterian Church cemetery.
Leander (Lee) Ledford, Sr. (1882-1973), a native of Harlan County, fought in World War I and served as chairman of the Harlan County Agricultural and Soil Conservation Commission for twenty years.
Lee Bradley Ledford, Jr. (1918-1999) was president of his high school class in Harlan County, Kentucky. He was appointed to West Point Academy by Senator John M. Robinson in 1936. He served a tour in Europe with the 2nd Armored Division during World War II before earning a law degree from Harvard in 1950. He worked as an assistant Staff Judge Advocate in Korea from 1953-1955 and retired from the military in 1961. He then moved to New York City where he worked as Legal Counsel or General Counsel for several companies.
Virgil Mac Ledford (1927-1989) was World War II veteran and the foster child of Lee and Mary Ledford.
Scope and Content
The Madge E. Smith collection of Mary Ledford letters (dated 1942-1973; 3.5 cubic feet; 10 boxes) consists of 18 bound volumes of letters from Mary Ledford to her son, Lee B. Ledford, Jr. discussing her daily life in Harlan County, Kentucky. The handwritten and typed letters were sent almost every day that Lee, Jr. was away from their family home in Harlan, Kentucky. The letters stop with the death of his father, Lee B. Ledford, Sr., after which Lee and his mother lived together in Kentucky and New York City until her death in 1988.
The volumes of letters are mostly penned by Mary Ledford, though Lee Ledford Sr. occasionally sent letters. Her letters consisted of day-to-day accounts of her life as a housewife. She discusses chores, the weather, the state of the family farm, the meals they ate that day, people she has visited or who visited her, and their health. Because her letters focus on day-to-day life, she rarely focuses on big news from outside the household. The Lee, Sr.'s letters addresses local news concerning business, politics, deaths, and, births. In the eighth volume of letters (1951-1953), Mary begins addressing her letters to "My sons". On and off until the letters stop, she writes to both her sons, Lee and Virgil "Mac" Ledford, in one letter.
Letters in volumes 1-4 are out of order, usually going back in time. After Volume 4, the letters (dated at the top) are in chronological order. The occasional letter from another family member or business is interspersed among Mary or Lee's letters in most of the volumes. Enclosed in Volume 5 is an envelope of letters regarding Lee, Jr.'s appointment at West Point dated 1936.

Restrictions on Access and Use

Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
Use Restrictions
The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.

Contents of the Collection

1942 May 2-1941 January 7

  • Box 1, volume 1
To top

1944 June 30-1942 May 8

  • Box 1, volume 2
To top

1945 October 13-1944 July 1

  • Box 2, volume 3
To top

1946 April 25-1946 December 21, 1947 January 1-1947 April 18

  • Box 2, volume 4
To top

1947 September 16-1949 June 6

  • Box 3, volume 5
To top

1949 June 8-1950 June 3

  • Box 3, volume 6
To top

1950 July 20-1951 August 10

  • Box 4, volume 7
To top

1951 August 13-1953 September 23

  • Box 4, volume 8
To top

1953 September 24-1955 April 26

  • Box 5, volume 9
To top

1955 August 9-1957 December 3

  • Box 5, volume 10
To top

1956 January 2-1956 November 24

  • Box 6, volume 11
To top

1957 November 5-1959 November 7

  • Box 6, volume 12
To top

1959 November 2-1962 December 5

  • Box 7, volume 13
To top

1963 January 5-1965 October 4

  • Box 8, volume 14
To top

1965 October 26-1967 May 24

  • Box 9, volume 15
To top

1967 May 31-1969 December 8

  • Box 9, volume 16
To top

1970 January 4-1971 November 20

  • Box 10, volume 17
To top

1970 January 2-1973 June 5

  • Box 10, volume 18
To top

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UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.

Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.

Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.

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You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.

If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.