Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Emma W. Peters letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Emma W. Peters letters
- Date
- 1870-1914, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- Peters, Emma Wickham, 1854-1950
- Extent
- 0.23 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Correspondence.
- Divorced mothers
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0504: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Emma W. Peters letters, 1870-1914, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Emma (Wickham) Peters (1854-1950) was born in Ohio to Frederick Wickham (1812-1901) and Lucy Preston (1814-1897). In 1877, Emma married Willis H. Peters (1853-1932), and together the couple had two children, Allen Barrett (1878-1956) and Corinne (1880-1942). Emma and Willis divorced sometime between 1880 and 1892, when Willis remarried. Emma worked as a linotype operator until her retirement about 1910.
- 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 Emma W. Peters family letter (dated 1870-1914, undated; 0.23 cubic feet; 5 folders) comprise letters and photographs that document the lives of Emma and her two children in Ohio in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The majority of the letters were either written by Emma or sent to her and discuss visiting friends and family, her impending marriage, how her children are faring, and personal health. Corinne received letters from her brother, father, and friends, which discuss her high school graduation, birth announcements, desires for her to visit, and updates on personal health. The photographs show extended relatives of Emma's and her only grandchild.
- The Emma W. Peters 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
Letters from Emma W. Peters, 1870-1879
Letters to Emma W. Peters, 1877-1896, undated
Calling cards to Allen and Corinne Peters, 1883-1885, undated
Letters to Corinne Peters, 1883-1907
Peters family photographs, 1914, 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.
