Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Ashby family letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Ashby family letters
- Date
- 1890-1957, undated (inclusive)
- Extent
- 1.36 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
- Correspondence.
- Love-letters
- Employment -- Indiana.
- Employment -- Kentucky
- Families.
- Gossip.
- Marriage
- Motherhood.
- Photographs
- Travel.
- German language
- Ashby, Florence Kiefer, 1880-1971
- Ashby, George A., 1901-1983
- Ashby, George R., 1875-1926
- Oman, Lena Kiefer, 1870-1948
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged into three series: Florence Ashby letters, George A. Ashby letters, and Lena Oman letters; and by subject. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0474: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Ashby family letters, 1890-1957, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- The Ashby family of Henderson, Kentucky included George R. Ashby (1875-1926), his wife Florence Kiefer (1880-1971), and their two children: George Albert (1901-1983) and Ruth (1903-1917). George R. worked as a merchant, and George A. worked as a bookkeeper in an office. Lena Oman (1870-1948) was the sister of Florence. 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 Ashby family letters (dated 1890-1946, undated; 1.36 cubic feet; 3 boxes, 12 items) comprise letters to the members of the Ashby family in Henderson, Kentucky from relatives and friends in Kentucky, Washington, Indiana, Florida and Germany in the first half of the twentieth century. The majority of the letters were sent to George A. Ashby, from his long-term sweetheart Esther. In her letters, she wrote about her daily life, personal health, attending beauty school, moving from Henderson to Evansville, traveling to visit with friends, living with her mother and sister, disagreements with friends, and spats between her and George concerning other men. Florence received letters from friends and family, discussing George Albert's trip to Florida, daily life, personal health, wedding and birth announcements, thanks for gifts sent, and updates on relatives. The letters from German relatives are mainly written to George A. Ashby and are from multiple relatives. The letters are in German as well as English. They discuss the poverty and poor life conditions going on at the time. They include their many thanks for the packages that Ashby sends them from America. Included in the packages; sugar, lard, powdered milk, socks, stockings, coffee and fabric for clothing. Some of the relatives give great detail about their suffering and how Ashby's gifts have changed their lives. George R. received mainly business letters, discussing the purchase and selling of goods to companies and persons. Other items include drawings of maps by George R., a marriage certificate for Lena Kiefer, tributes to a deceased relative, newspaper clippings, and a photograph of George Albert.
- The Ashby family 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
Florence Ashby letters, 1913-1947, undated
Margaret Cutsinger to Florence Ashby, 1931-1938
Bertha Kendall to Florence Ashby, 1922-1932
Lee London to Florence Ashby, 1923-1936
Martha Mugge to Florence Ashby, 1923-1937, undated
Hermina Ohne to Florence Ashby, 1921-1937
Lena Oman to Florence Ashby, 1913-1938
Nellie Petri to Florence Ashby, 1921-1927
Louise Regener to Florence Ashby, 1921-1929, undated
Letters to Florence Ashby, 1917-1930
Letters to Florence Ashby, 1935-1947, undated
George A. Ashby letters, 1918-1957, undated
Florence Ashby to George A. Ashby, 1918-1919, undated
Raphael Blessinger to George A. Ashby, 1925-1927
Heinrich Friedmann to George A. Ashby, 1947-1950, undated
Charlotte Greulich to George A. Ashby, 1947-1948, undated
August Messing to George A. Ashby, 1948-1950, undated
Martha and Nellie Mugge to George A. Ashby, 1921-1922
Esther Wiesehan to George A. Ashby, 1927-1931
Esther Wiesehan to George A. Ashby, 1939
Esther Wiesehan to George A. Ashby, 1940, undated
Johanna Zeller to George A. Ashby, 1948-1957, undated
Letters to George A. Ashby, 1918-1957, undated
Lena Oman letters, 1907, 1932-1947, undated
Letters to George R. Ashby, 1892-1924, undated
Letters to George R. and Florence Ashby, 1918-1924
Ashby family letters, 1891-1895, 1913-1915, 1935, undated
Letters to Bertha K. Hartung, 1934-1935
Ashby family papers, 1890-1897, 1917, 1926, undated
Photographs, 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.
