Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: D.T. Smith family letters

Abstract

The D.T. Smith family letters (dated 1910-1932, undated; 0.04 cubic feet; 3 folders) comprise letters, report cards, and newspaper clippings that document the lives of the members of the Smith family in Kentucky and California in the early twentieth century.

Descriptive Summary

Title
Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: D.T. Smith family letters
Date
1910-1932, undated (inclusive)
Extent
0.04 Cubic Feet
Subjects
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
California.
Correspondence.
Death
Elizabethtown (Ky.)
Families.
Great Depression
Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.).
Kentucky.
Letters.
Report cards.
Women -- Employment
United States -- History -- 20th century
Adams, Mildred Smith, 1897-
Smith, Lorena Cox, 1862-1938
Arrangement
Collection is arranged by subject. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
Finding Aid Author
Sarah Coblentz
Preferred Citation
2009ms132.0415: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: D.T. Smith family letters, 1910-1932, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Repository
University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History
The Smith family of Elizabethtown, Kentucky included David T. Smith (1863-1931), Lorena Cox (1862-1938), and their four children: Guy (1889-1982), Roy (1891-1971), Albert (1894-1919), and Mildred (b. 1897). No other biographical information available.
American Letters collector Wade Hall (1934-2015) was a native of Union Springs, Alabama. Starting in 1962, he lived in Louisville, where he taught English and chaired the English and Humanities/Arts programs at Kentucky Southern College and Bellarmine University. He also taught at the University of Illinois and the University of Florida. He held degrees from Troy State University (B.S.), the University of Alabama (M.A.), and the University of Illinois (Ph.D.). He served for two years in the U.S. Army in the mid-fifties. Dr. Hall was the author of books, monographs, articles, plays, and reviews relating to Kentucky, Alabama, and Southern history and literature. His most recent books include A Visit with Harlan Hubbard; High Upon a Hill: A History of Bellarmine College; A Song in Native Pastures: Randy Atcher's Life in Country Music; and Waters of Life from Conecuh Ridge.
Scope and Content
The D.T. Smith family letters (dated 1910-1932, undated; 0.04 cubic feet; 3 folders) comprise letters, report cards, and newspaper clippings that document the lives of the members of the Smith family in Kentucky and California in the early twentieth century. The letters are primarily between Lorena and Mildred. In the letters, they discussed finding work at the beginning of the Great Depression, Mildred living in California to find work, updates on family members, and the death and funeral of Mildred's father. The newspaper clippings show an Easter mass attended by Mildred while she was living in Hollywood, California. The report cards are for Albert when he was in eighth grade.
The D.T. Smith family letters are part of the Wade Hall Collection of American letters, which includes correspondence and diaries from all over North America covering the time period of the Civil to Korean Wars. The materials were collected by Wade Hall and document everyday men and women.

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

Letters to Lorena Smith, 1913, 1930-1932, undated

  • Box WH-22, folder 14
To top

Mother [Lorena] to Mildred Adams, 1931

  • Box WH-22, folder 15
To top

Smith family papers, 1910, undated

  • Box WH-22, folder 16
To top

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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.

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.