Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Opdyke family letters

Abstract

The Opdyke family letters (dated 1919-1920; 0.04 cubic feet; 2 folders) comprises letters sent to members of the Opdyke family of Tenafly, New Jersey during the early part of the twentieth century.

Descriptive Summary

Title: Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Opdyke family letters

Date: 1919-1920 (inclusive)

Extent: 0.04 Cubic Feet

Subjects: Letters.; Family.; Friendship.; Lawyers.

Arrangement: Collection is arranged by subject. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.

Finding Aid Author: Hanna Rumbarger

Preferred Citation: 2009ms132.0790: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Opdyke family letters, 1919-1920, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.

Repository: University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History: The Opdyke family of Tenafly, New Jersey included Alfred Charles Post Opdyke (1869-1927), his wife Hilde Beck Opdyke (1876-1959), and their two daughters, Jeanette Opdyke (b. 1905) and Alfreda Opdyke Hatau (1909-1981). Alfred Opdyke worked as a lawyer in Manhattan, New York and was the grandson of a New York Governor, George Opdyke. Alfreda worked as a bookkeeper and married Herbert C. Hautau in 1934.; 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 Opdyke family letters (dated 1919-1920; 0.04 cubic feet; 2 folders) comprises letters sent to members of the Opdyke family of Tenafly, New Jersey during the early part of the twentieth century. This collection includes letters sent to Hilde Beck Opdyke and her daughter, Alfreda Opdyke. Hilde receives letters from Alfreda discussing her housekeeping of a large estate where she is visiting with different friends and family members in Manhattan, New York. Hilde also receives letters from multiple friends. One sends her a short story from a missionary about a hen. Afreda receives one letter from a friend that discuss her plans to go visit her grandmother in Florida.; The Opdyke family letters 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

Letters to Hilde Opdyke, 1919-1920

Box WH-83, folder 13

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Letters to Alfreda Opdyke, 1919

Box WH-83, folder 14

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Abstract
Descriptive Summary
Collection Overview
Preferred Citation
Restrictions on Access and Use
Contents of the Collection

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