Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Harry Wilson letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Harry Wilson letters
- Date
- 1888-1923 (inclusive)
- 1890-1914 (bulk)
- Creator
- Wilson, Harry, 1869-1945
- Extent
- 0.17 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Farm life
- Immigrants
- Letters.
- Women's and gender history
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0014: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Harry Wilson letters, 1888-1923, bulk 1890-1914, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Harry Wilson (1869-1945) immigrated to America from Scotland in 1888.When Harry first came to America, he lived in Chicago, Illinois, and attempted to open his own butcher shop, but his business ultimately failed. In the early twentieth century, he began work as a farmer and named his enterprise Round Top Farm located in Woodstock, Illinois. Harry's sister, Bella Wilson, came to America shortly after he did, but moved back home once Harry married in 1896, as she was no longer needed to help with the housekeeping. His other sister, Nellie Wilson, also lived in America with Harry and Bella for a short amount of time.
- 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 Harry Wilson letters (dated 1888-1923, bulk 1890-1914; 0.17 cubic feet; 10 folders) comprise letters between Harry Wilson and his family concerning his immigration to America and changes in Scotland due to World War I. The letters highlight the attitudes of an immigrant's family concerning his move to America, farming practices in Scotland, and the changing landscape of Scotland as new technology and mining practices are introduced into the area due to World War I. Gender issues are also highlighted through his relationship with his sisters and their roles as housekeepers in America and his mother dealing with a property claim.
- The Harry Wilson papers 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
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.
