Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Leon M. Fisher letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Leon M. Fisher letters
- Date
- 1888-1968, undated (inclusive)
- 1902-1917 (bulk)
- Creator
- Fisher, Leon M., 1880-1958
- Extent
- 0.68 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Child rearing
- Correspondence.
- Death
- Farm life
- Marriage
- Typhoid fever.
- Women in church work.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically and by format. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0282: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Leon M. Fisher letters, 1888-1948, 1968, undated, bulk 1902-1917, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Leon Martin Fisher (1880-1958) was born in Grafton, Vermont to Martin T. Fisher (b. 1854) and Lillie B. Fairbank (b. 1857). He had two younger brothers, Clyde (b. 1886) and Cecil (b. 1890). Fisher grew up working on his family's farm, and worked as a farmer up into the 1930s when he changed professions and became a plumber. In 1907, he married Emeroy Candace Huntley (1881-1934), and together they had three children: Annis (1910-1968), Martin (1913-1958), and Ruth (1916-2011).
- 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 Leon M. Fisher letters (dated 1888-1968, undated, bulk 1902-1917; 0.68 cubic feet, 2 boxes) comprise letters and papers that document the experiences of Leon Fisher and his family and friends in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts in the early twentieth century. The letters are primarily sent to Leon from his mother, Lillie Fisher, and in them, she discusses activities on the farm, the health of Leon's father and siblings, death, marriage, and birth announcements; a typhoid fever breakout, and gives advice to Leon on how to help his wife after the birth of their first child. Lillie also writes many letters that are addressed to Leon and Emeroy, which discuss their marriage, news on Emeroy's family, and her excitement over their child. Leon also receives letters from his brother Clyde, Aunt Sara, cousins, and friends, which discuss visiting relatives, chores completed on the farm, social dances in town, gossip on neighbors, and the weather. In the letters between Leon and Emeroy, they discuss attending church and bible study classes, farm chores, hauling logs, painting, and babies. The papers include receipts for pew rental payments, programs from church services, a book on making a rational fight for character, and newspaper clippings.
- The Leon M. Fisher 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
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.
