Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Lucy M. Thomas letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Lucy M. Thomas letters
- Date
- 1886-1900, 1927-1946, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- Thomas, Lucy M. (1870-1962)
- Extent
- 0.68 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Letters.
- Families.
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Small business -- Ownership.
- Health
- Children
- Friendship.
- Thomas, Lucy M. (1870-1962)
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by subject. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.1163: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Lucy M. Thomas letters, 1886-1900, 1927-1946, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Lucy May Thomas née Van Buskirk (1870-1962) was born in Champaign County, Ohio to Samuel W. Van Buskirk (1846-1875) and Mary C. Steinberger (1842-1927). In 1892, she married William H. Thomas (1869-1897) and together they had one child, Ruth (1893-1983). The couple lived in Indiana, however William passed away in 1897 due to diabetes. Lucy went on to work as a bookkeeper for a time before she opened a bookstore in Gary, Indiana - the Sedan Bookstore and Café. Lucy operated the bookstore between 1920 and 1940.
- 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 Lucy M. Thomas letters (dated 1886-1900, 1927-1946, undated; 0.68 cubic feet; 2 boxes) comprises letters sent to Lucy Thomas from friends and family that document life in Indiana and Illinois in the early twentieth century. The letters are primarily sent from Lucy's daughter, Ruth. She writes about the antics her children get up to, her husband's employment, the family's health, trips to visit Lucy, financial and property matters, big purchases her sons make, how the boys are doing in school, and daily life in Illinois. Other letters from friend discuss the opening of Lucy's book store, visiting with family and friends, travel, personal health, and sympathies for deaths in Lucy's family.
- The Lucy M. Thomas letters collection is 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
Bill Spurgin to Lucy M. Thomas, 1932-1946
Ruth Spurgin to Lucy M. Thomas, 1930-1932
Ruth Spurgin to Lucy M. Thomas, 1933-1934
Ruth Spurgin to Lucy M. Thomas, 1935-1938
Ruth Spurgin to Lucy M. Thomas, 1945
Ruth Spurgin to Lucy M. Thomas, 1946
Mother to Lucy M. Thomas, 1927
Letters to Lucy M. Thomas, 1889, 1972-1928
Letters to Lucy M. Thomas, 1930-1937
Letters to Lucy M. Thomas, 1941-1946, undated
Lucy M. Thomas papers, 1887, 1900, 1927-1935, undated
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.
Table of Contents
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.
Requests
No items have been requested.
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.
