Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Hanson family diaries
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Hanson family diaries
- Date
- 1866-1867 (inclusive)
- Extent
- 0.04 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Family farms
- Farm life -- Kentucky.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by format. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0221: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Hanson family diaries, 166-1867, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Samuel Griffith Hanson (1835-1915) was born in Bracken County, Kentucky to Greensbury G. Hanson (1806-1894) and Rebecca Gregg (1809-1881). Hanson was one of six children, one of whom is John Gregg Hanson (1834-1885), a founder of Berea College. In 1857, Samuel Hanson married his first wife, Elizabeth J. Humlong (b. 1839). Together the couple had one child – Albert D. Hanson (1859-1951). It is unclear how this marriage ended – death or separation – however, in 1866; Hanson marries a second time to Catherine J. Nickerson (b. 1841). Together they have five children: William Nickerson (1868-1946), Mary (b. 1872), Charles (b. 1875), Jennie (b. 1877), and Annie (b. 1880). Samuel worked as a farmer and nurseryman and served as a trustee and landscape gardener for Berea College.
- 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 Hanson family diaries (dated 1866-1867; 0.04 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprise two diaries that document the daily lives and work of Samuel Hanson and his wife Kate Hanson in Berea, Kentucky after the Civil War. The entries in the diary authored by Samuel cover the year 1866, and include mention of working on the farm and at the lumber mill, meeting with friends and family, and personal health. He also writes about trips taken to other cities, such as Blue Lick, Richmond, Lexington, and Berea; discussions with his brother John about the building of Berea College, and in the back Hanson lists money spent on travels, food, and sundries. Kate Hanson's diary covers the year 1867, and discusses trips taken with her husband and other family members, chores completed around the house such as sewing, laundry, mopping, and food prep; social visits from friends, the health of her children, and in the back of the book lists a detailed cash account indicating the cost of many items in 1867.
- The Hanson family diaries 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
Hanson family diaries, 1866-1867
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.
