Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Alfred Smith letters

Abstract

The Alfred Smith letters (dated 1918-1919, undated; 0.06 cubic feet; 2 folders) comprise letters to Alfred that document life in the military and at home in Illinois during the end of World War I.

Descriptive Summary

Title: Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Alfred Smith letters

Date: 1918-1919, undated (inclusive)

Creator: Smith, Alfred, 1897-1966

Extent: 0.06 Cubic Feet

Subjects: Cash crops.; Correspondence.; Farm life; Illinois; Military life.; Soldiers -- Correspondence; Tobacco farmers.; World War, 1914-1918.

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: 2009ms132.0514: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Alfred Smith letters, 1918-1919, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.

Repository: University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History: Alfred Smith (1897-1966) was born in Illinois to John Smith (b. 1864) and Louisa Ferving (b. 1863). About 1921, Smith married Elsie Robb (1899-1980) and together the couple had five children: John Charles (1922-2000), Alfred J. (1924-2005), Velma Jean (1930-2012), Mary Lou (1934-2015), and E. Cecil (1936-2013). Alfred Smith was a farmer and laborer.; 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 Alfred Smith letters (dated 1918-1919, undated; 0.06 cubic feet; 2 folders) comprise letters to Alfred that document life in the military and at home in Illinois during the end of World War I. A number of the letters came from a friend serving overseas in France, who wrote about running into local friends, measles outbreaks, getting run over by a horse, his time in France, the condition of the camp, and the quality of the women overseas. Friends and family also write to Alfred, discussing farming seasons, crop harvests, requests for him to visit, and sympathy over the death of his father.; The Alfred Smith 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

Frank Churchwell letters to Alfred Smith, 1918-1919, undated

Box WH-40, folder 1

To top

Letters to Alfred Smith, 1918-1919

Box WH-40, folder 2

To top

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.

Abstract
Descriptive Summary
Collection Overview
Preferred Citation
Restrictions on Access and Use
Contents of the Collection

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.