Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Lena Kiefer letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Lena Kiefer letters
- Date
- 1896-1906, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- Kiefer, Lena, 1870-1948
- Extent
- 0.18 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Dating services.
- Divorce -- Kentucky.
- Long-distance relationships.
- Love-letters
- Man-woman relationships -- United States -- 20th century
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by subject. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0306: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Lena Kiefer letters, 1896-1906, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Lena Kiefer (1870-1948) was born Henderson, Kentucky to Albert Kiefer (1843-1917) and Augusta Roemerman (1846-1895). She was married about 1890, but in 1896, she divorced her husband due to his alcoholism. Between 1906 and 1911, Kiefer remarried to Pete J. Oman (1863-1928), a Swedish immigrant living in Washington State.
- 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 Lena Kiefer letters (dated 1896-1906, undated; 0.18 cubic feet; 6 folders) comprise letters that document the search for a significant other by Lena in Kentucky at the turn of the twentieth century. The majority of the letters come from suitors that Lena reached out to via a matrimonial correspondence service. In the letters, the men describe their looks, work, residence, and desire for either a friendship or romantic relationship. The letters come from across the United States, including Colorado, Illinois, North Dakota, Kansas, and Arkansas. Additionally, there are a few letters from friends to Lena, discussing arguments they have, family, marriage, housework, and jokes, along with a letter from her lawyer concerning her divorce from her husband and a letter from Lena to her sister Florence saying that she will be late in moving in with her sister due to the divorce.
- The Lena Kiefer 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
Letters to Lena Kiefer, 1896-1906
Lyda Ford letters to Lena Kiefer, 1903-1904
Love letters to Lena Kiefer, 1906, undated
D.A. Frederick letters to Lena Kiefer, 1906
C.T. Thompson letters to Lena Kiefer, 1901-1903
Lena Kiefer letters to Florence Kiefer, 1896 June 6
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.
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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.
