Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: John Wesley Raitt diary

Abstract

The John Wesley Raitt diary (dated 1850-1897; 0.13 cubic feet; 1 item, 1 folder) comprises a personal diary and account book from the nineteenth century that belonged to John Wesley Raitt from Cloverport, Kentucky.

Descriptive Summary

Title: Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: John Wesley Raitt diary

Date: 1850-1897 (inclusive)

Creator: Raitt, John Wesley, 1816-1864

Extent: 0.13 Cubic Feet

Subjects: Cloverport (Ky.); Lawyers -- Kentucky.

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: 2009ms132.0549: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: John Wesley Raitt diary, 1850-1897, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.

Repository: University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History: John W. Raitt (1816-1884) was born in Maryland to Nathan Raitt (1784-1843) and Margaret Roop (1784-1850). In 1824, the family moved from Maryland to Kentucky. In 1841, he married Mary Sebastian (1822-1910) and together the couple had six children, Charles Henry Raitt (1842-1917), Nathan Edward Raitt (1846-1938), Margaret Raitt (1852-1929), Elizabeth Raitt (1854-1878) Josephine Raitt Murray (1858-1941), and Eliza Jane (1862-1878). John Raitt worked as a lawyer and judge in the Cloverport and Hardinsburg Turnpike area of Kentucky.; 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 John Wesley Raitt diary (dated 1850-1897; 0.13 cubic feet; 1 item, 1 folder) comprises a personal diary and account book from the nineteenth century that belonged to John Wesley Raitt from Cloverport, Kentucky. John Raitt's diary can be broken into four parts. The first, is a short autobiography of his family and himself that provides details such as birthdays and genealogical information. The second is a detailed log of the weather from 1877 to 1883, where Raitt would log the daily weather. Third, Raitt wrote a handful of diary entries, but they were later pasted over with newspaper clippings. The final part of the diary is an account log of his services as a lawyer and judge. Included inside the front cover of the diary are loose items such as newspaper clippingss, a single letter addressed to Josephine Raitt, and a subpoena.; The John Wesley Raitt diary 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

John Wesley Raitt diary, 1850-1897

Item 1

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John Wesley Raitt diary loose pages, 1858-1879

Box WH-87, folder 1

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

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