Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Archibald W.O. Totten letter book
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Archibald W.O. Totten letter book
- Date
- 1844-1860, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- Totten, Archibald W. O.
- Extent
- 0.07 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Letters.
- Correspondence.
- Lawyers.
- Judges.
- Legal documents.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0961: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Archibald W.O. Totten letter book, 1844-1860, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Archibald W. O. Totten (1809-1867) was born in Huntingdon, Tennessee to Benjamin Totten (1778-1847) and Polly McDonald (1779-1842). In 1843, he married Harriet C. Hurt (1823-1863) and together they had three children, Eugene (b. 1844), Alice (1846-1873), and Carolyn E. (1850-1871). Totten worked as an attorney and state judge in Jackson, Tennessee.
- 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 Archibald W.O. Totten letter book (dated 1844-1860, undated; 0.07 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprises one letter book that documents the correspondence from Archibald Totten concerning legal business in Tennessee in the mid-nineteenth century. The letter book consists primarily of copies of letters Totten sent to colleagues, clients, and politicians; along with copies of documents that were enclosed in letters or added to the book to provide detail to the letters. The letters discuss legal cases, advice on whether to go through with proceedings or not, explanations of case details, legal documents, how his practice is faring, costs of legal representation, property ownership, position resignations, taxes, financial matters, and goods shipped. Throughout the book are newspaper clippings pasted on to pages, and in the back of the book are pages full of math equations and one photograph of an unidentified child.
- The Archibald W.O. Totten letter book collection is 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
Archibald W.O. Totten letter book, 1844-1860, 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.
