Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Jacob Fritz family letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Jacob Fritz family letters
- Date
- 1851-1922, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- Fritz, Jacob, 1824-1909
- Extent
- 0.4 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Correspondence.
- Immigrants -- Illinois.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by subject. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0562: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Jacob Fritz family letters, 1851-1922, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Jacob Fritz (1824-1919) was born in Bayern, Germany to Peter and Katharina Fritz. Between 1840 and 1850, Jacob immigrated to the United States and settled in Mendota, Illinois. In 1858, he married Sophia Louise Jacobs (1826-1910) and together they had four children: John (b. 1862), Gustav (1863-1942), Frank (1866-1939), and Louisa (b. 1872). Jacob worked as a shoemaker his whole life.
- 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 Jacob Fritz family letters (dated 1851-1922, undated; 0.40 cubic feet; 9 folders) comprise letters and papers that document the life of the Fritz family in Illinois and relatives in Germany and Michigan in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. The letters were sent to Jacob Fritz, his wife Louise, and two of his children from friends and family. The majority of the letters are written in German; however, those written in English discuss personal health, travel, business dealings, and the death of relatives. The collection also contains a loan promissory note and poetry.
- The Jacob Fritz family 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
Jacob Fritz letters, 1856-1909, undated
Louise Jacobs Fritz letters, 1855-1857, 1887
Gustav Fritz letters, 1909-1910
Louisa Fritz letters, 1909-1911
John Diem letters, 1856-1879
Fritz family letters, 1851-1922, undated
Fritz family papers, 1852, undated
Empty envelopes, 1880-1902, 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.
