Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Mabel McEvoy letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Mabel McEvoy letters
- Date
- 1895-1917, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- Shearin, Mabel McEvoy, 1882-1971
- Extent
- 0.45 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Correspondence.
- Courtship -- 1890-1930
- Education, Higher.
- Employment -- Kentucky
- Family.
- Female friendship -- United States -- History
- Friendship.
- Health
- Letters.
- Long-distance relationships.
- Love-letters
- Man-woman relationships -- United States -- 20th century
- Marriage
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0382: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Mabel McEvoy letters, 1895-1917, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Mable McEvoy (1882-1971) was born in Wisconsin to John McEvoy (1845-1917) and Irene Adell Patch (1852-1932). By 1900, the family had moved to Wickliffe, Kentucky. In 1903, Mabel married John W. Shearin (1882-1953), and together the couple had two children: Ruby (1905-1980) and Mary Irene (1914-1976). John worked as a contractor in the real estate industry.
- 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 Mabel McEvoy letters (dated 1895-1917, undated; 0.45 cubic feet; 1 box) comprise letters sent to Mabel from her suitor and friends that document the life of young women and men in Kentucky and Wisconsin at the turn of the twentieth century. The majority of the letters were sent from John Shearin, her suitor and future husband, while attended the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky (now the University of Kentucky) and while he travelled for work. In his letters to Mabel while in college, he writes about studying for class, going out with friends, meeting other people, how much he misses her, his health, and trips he takes with friends to sightsee and follow the football team. Shearin writes about the different cities he stayed in, his work, the people he works with and encounters, and his desire to be home and near her again. Letters from friends to Mabel discuss attending social events, requests for Mabel to visit, gossip about friends and family, and personal health.
- The Mabel McEvoy 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
John W. Shearin to Mabel McEvoy, 1898
John W. Shearin to Mabel McEvoy, 1899
John W. Shearin to Mabel McEvoy, 1900
John W. Shearin to Mabel McEvoy, 1901
John W. Shearin to Mabel McEvoy, 1902
John W. Shearin to Mabel McEvoy, 1903-1906, undated
Letters to Mabel McEvoy, 1898-1902
General letters, 1895, 1917, 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.
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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.
