Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Paul Leland Ballard papers
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Paul Leland Ballard papers
- Date
- 1913-1933, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- Ballard, Paul Leland, 1895-1981
- Extent
- 0.11 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Alternative medicine.
- Medicine -- Formulae, receipts, prescriptions.
- Medicine, Rural
- Medicine shows
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by format. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0189: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Paul Leland Ballard papers, 1913-1933, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Paul Leland Ballard (1895-1981) was born in Indianapolis, Indiana to Henry Ballard (1848-1938) and Julia Barron (1856-1944). In 1920, he married Helen E. Keeling (1897-1963). He ran the Da-Ka-Ta Medicine Company, traveling across the country selling medicinal wares, such as corn medicine (with 100% cannabis), tonics, and nasal washes.
- 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 Paul Leland Ballard papers (dated 1913-1933, undated; 0.11 cubic feet; 7 folders) comprise licenses, receipts, medicine labels, drawings, documents, and photographs that document the Da-Ka-Ta Medicine Company and Paul Ballard in Ohio and Indiana during the early twentieth century. The licenses are from Ohio and give Ballard permission to peddle his wares in specific locations; the receipts include purchases made by Paul and his business partner Jack Standing Elk, along with promissory notes given to them for their goods. The medicine labels provide information on the contents of the medicine, instructions on how to take it, and the price of the item, while the coupons provide the customer with incentives for purchasing the medicine. The notes, drawings, and documents include a map of Indiana, empty envelopes, a letter from Representative Martin A. Morrison, a vocabulary list, and sketches and cartoons done by Paul. Finally, there are three photographs in the collection of Paul and his business partner Jack Standing Elk.
- The Paul Leland Ballard 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
Photographs, 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.
