Cyrenius Wait Papers

Descriptive Summary

Title
Cyrenius Wait Papers
Date
1790-1950 (inclusive)
Bulk, 1830-1859 (bulk)
Creator
Wait, Cyrenius, 1794-1868
Extent
0.6 Cubic feet
Subjects
Agriculture--Kentucky--Pulaski County--History.
Business records--Kentucky.
Businessmen.
Coal--Kentucky--Pulaski County--History.
Farmers.
Land grants--Kentucky--Pulaski County.
Land grants.
Land titles--Kentucky--Pulaski County.
Salt industry and trade--Kentucky--Pulaski County.
School management and organization--Kentucky--Pulaski County.
Silk industry--Kentucky--Somerset.
Arrangement
Collection is arranged chronologically.
Finding Aid Author
Finding aid prepared by Megan Mummey
Preferred Citation
73M6: [identification of item], Cyrenius Wait papers, 1790-1950, bulk 1830-1859, University of Kentucky Special Collections.
Repository
University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History
Massachusetts born Cyrenius Wait (1794-1868) was a businessman, politician, and farmer, who came to Kentucky in 1818 and acquired extensive land holdings in Pulaski County. He became a successful businessman with interests in coal mining, farming, and mercantile ventures as well as unusual enterprises such as salt making and silk production. Wait served as state school commissioner for Pulaski and Casey Counties in 1843 and as a senator in the Kentucky legislature in 1850. Additionally, he was a president of the Somerset branch of Farmer's Bank and an agent for the Mutual Life Insurance Company.
Scope and Content
The Cyrenius Wait papers comprise correspondence, receipts, land grants, account books, and business records, illuminating Wait's career as a Kentucky entrepreneur. The account books document Wait's financial transactions, while the correspondence and business records chronicle his business dealings throughout Kentucky. Additionally, the papers contain school records, genealogical records, the correspondence of Wait's heirs in the 19th and 20th centuries, and a modern transcription of William Wait's diary. The diary describes the journey William Wait, Cyrenius Wait's brother, took from Massachusetts to Kentucky in 1818 and 1819.

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.

Contents of the Collection

Correspondence and business records, 1790-1833

  • Box 2, Folder 1
  • Box 1, Folder 8
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Account book, 1828-1842

  • Item 1
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Correspondence and business records, 1834-1839

  • Box 2, Folder 2
  • Box 1, Folder 9
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Correspondence and business records, 1840-1849

  • Box 2, Folder 3
  • Box 1, Folder 10
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School records, 1841-1854

  • Box 2, Folder 4
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Correspondence and business records, 1850-1859

  • Box 1, Folder 11
  • Box 2, Folder 5
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Correspondence and business records, 1860-1879

  • Box 1, Folder 12
  • Box 2, Folder 6
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Account books, 1867-1874

  • Box 2, Folder 7
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Correspondence and business records, 1881-1923, 1950

  • Box 2, Folder 8
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Correspondence and business records, undated

  • Box 2, Folder 9
  • Box 1, Folder 13
To top

Genealogy, undated

  • Box 2, Folder 10
To top

William Wait diary, 1818-1819, transcription, undated

  • Box 2, Folder 11
To top

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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.

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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.