Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Flinn family letters

Abstract

The Flinn family letters (dated 1845-1911, undated; 0.17 cubic feet; 14 folders) comprise letters that document the Flinn family members and their day-to-day lives in the second half of the nineteenth-century while residing in Lake City, Iowa.

Descriptive Summary

Title
Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Flinn family letters
Date
1845-1911, undated (inclusive)
Extent
0.17 Cubic Feet
Subjects
Correspondence.
Love-letters
Family.
Marriage
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
Hanna Rumbarger
Preferred Citation
2009ms132.0445: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Flinn family letters, 1845-1911, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Repository
University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History
The Flinn family of Lake City, Iowa consisted of grandparents George Flinn (b. 1779) and Olive Flinn (b. 1805), children Emily Flinn (b. 1838), Mary F. Flinn (1842-1922), Fanny C. Flinn (b. 1845), Dudley E. Flinn (b. 1851), and Olive Callista Flinn Earle (1831-1906), Elliot Flinn (b. 1856) and Carrie Flinn (b. 1858). Olive Callista Flinn Earle married Salias Newtown Earle (1832-1907) in 1855 in DeKalb, Illinois. The couple had five children, including Clara L. Earle (1858-1875) and Olive Rhoda Earle Bell (1873-1943). Olive Rhoda Earle Bell married William Charles Bell (1873-1956).
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 Flinn family letters (dated 1845-1911, undated; 0.17 cubic feet; 14 folders) comprise letters that document the Flinn family members and their day-to-day lives in the second half of the nineteenth-century while residing in Lake City, Iowa. The bulk of this collection consists of letters sent to Oliva Callista Flinn from her friends and her sisters. These letters from Mary Flinn and Emily Flinn describe to details about their marriages, children, and their day-to-day lives. Callista's sisters also wrote to her husband and daughter. The collection also includes letters from Clara Earle to her grandfather George Flinn and to her aunts. Fanny Flinn also received many letters from a man named William. These letters discuss his visits to her and his feelings for her.
The Flinn family letters are part of the Wade Hall Collection of American Letter, 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 Callista Earle, 1850-1863, 1904, undated

  • Box WH-26, folder 1
To top

Harriet Flinn to Callista Earle, 1848-1859, 1861, undated

  • Box WH-26, folder 2
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George Flinn to Callista Earle, 1853-1860, 1895

  • Box WH-26, folder 3
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Sarah Flinn to Callista Earle, 1845, 1858

  • Box WH-26, folder 4
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Callista Earle to S. Newtown Earle, 1859-1860

  • Box WH-26, folder 5
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Emily and Mary Flinn to Newtown Earle, 1859-1860, undated

  • Box WH-26, folder 6
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Letters to Emily Flinn, 1859, 1871-1873, 1883

  • Box WH-26, folder 7
To top

George Flinn letters, 1858, 1860

  • Box WH-26, folder 8
To top

Letters to Fannie C. Flinn, 1883-1885

  • Box WH-26, folder 9
To top

Clara Earle to Mary Flinn, 1885-1886, undated

  • Box WH-26, folder 10
To top

Letters from Adeline, 1855-1857, 1881, undated

  • Box WH-26, folder 11
To top

Mary Flinn letters, 1870, 1882-1888, 1911

  • Box WH-26, folder 12
To top

Flinn family letters, 1860, 1904, undated

  • Box WH-26, folder 13
To top

Letter to Mrs. C. W. Bell, 1904

  • Box WH-26, folder 14
To top

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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.