Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Vera Liston letters

Abstract

The Vera Liston letters (dated 1917-1928, undated; 0.12 cubic feet; 2 folders) comprise letters sent to Vera Liston that document the relationships held by her among friends and family in Iowa in the early twentieth century.

Descriptive Summary

Title: Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Vera Liston letters

Date: 1917-1928, undated (inclusive)

Creator: Liston, Vera

Extent: 0.12 Cubic Feet

Subjects: Letters.; Families.; Friendship.; Education -- Women.; Farm life; Religion

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: Sarah Coblentz

Preferred Citation: 2009ms132.1104: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Vera Liston letters, 1917-1928, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.

Repository: University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History: Vera Liston (1907-1983) was born in Oklahoma to Phillip H. Liston (1883-1955) and Minerva Scott (1880-1907). Later that year, her family moved to Liston, New Mexico where her father and grandfather operated a general store and post office. About 1912, Vera, her father, stepmother, and half-brother relocated to a farm just outside Gravity, Iowa. In 1923, she married James Wilburn Reed (1901-1960), a building plasterer, and together they had three children: Eugene Fay (1924-1945), Wilburn Wayne (1928-1969), and Robert D. (1942-1985).; 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 Vera Liston letters (dated 1917-1928, undated; 0.12 cubic feet; 2 folders) comprise letters sent to Vera Liston that document the relationships held by her among friends and family in Iowa in the early twentieth century. Letters are sent from relatives and classmates, discussing school, performance in various subjects, working on a farm, raising livestock, harvesting crops, personal health, attending religious services, spending time with family and friends, travel, and the birth of new siblings. There are also a few letters from friends to Vera's stepmother, discussing personal health, temperaments, and religion.; The Vera Liston 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 Vera Liston, 1917-1921, undated

Box WH-157, folder 4

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Letters to Lillian Liston, 1928

Box WH-157, folder 5

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

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