Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Ada Jane Lunden letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Ada Jane Lunden letters
- Date
- 1870-1888 (inclusive)
- Extent
- 0.22 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Boarding schools.
- Correspondence.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0172: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Ada Jane Lunden letters, 1870-1888, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Ada Jane Lunden (b. 1860), of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, was the daughter of Sarah Lunden and older sister of James and George Lunden. Around 1870, Ada and James attended school at the National Soldier's Orphan Homestead in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In 1874, George joined his siblings at the school. Upon the school's closure in 1876, the children returned to Hollidaysburg and their mother. No additional 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 Ada Jane Lunden letters (dated 1870-1888; 0.22 cubic feet; 14 folders) comprise letters that document the lives of Ada and her brothers, James ("Jimmy") and George ("Georgie"), while attending school at the National Soldier's Orphan Homestead in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in the 1870s and 1880s. Between 1870 and 1876, the letters are between the three children, Ada, James, and George, and their mother, Sarah. These letters are primarily from their mother, and discuss events at home in Hollidaysburg, descriptions of George before he joined them at school, the health of family members, and plans to visit them when she can. A few letters from the children to their mother describe friends they played with, how their schooling is going, and visiting their mother. Letters from 1879 to 1888 are sent to Ada from family and schoolmates from the Homestead. Many of the letters discuss recent events in the authors' personal lives, requests for Ada to come visit, and updates on other family members or Homestead classmates.
- Of interest in this collection is the Lunden children's connection to the Orphan's Homestead in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The Homestead was in operation from 1866 to 1876; its close revealed stories of poor conditions and child abuse from the headmistress, Mrs. Rosa Carmichael. One letter from 1874 in the collection mentions the death of a child at the home on the envelope.
- The Ada Jane Lunden 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
- The 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
Letters to Ada Jane Lunden, 1879
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.
