Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Mary and George Fisher letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Mary and George Fisher letters
- Date
- 1878-1897, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- Fisher, George M., 1864-1932
- Extent
- 0.3 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Correspondence.
- Courtship
- Family.
- Illinois
- Labor disputes
- Long-distance relationships.
- Love-letters
- Man-woman relationships -- United States -- 19th century
- Marriage
- Young women -- United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0483: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Mary and George Fisher letters, 1878-1897, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Mary Ellen Thompson (1870-1937) was born in Illinois to John and Martha Thompson. In 1888, she married George M. Fisher (1864-1932), and together the couple had four children: Everett (1888-1932), Eugene (1897-1973), Florence (1902-1978), and Helen (1905-1995). George worked as a bookkeeper for an iron mill and for the city of East Chicago during his life. No other biographical information available.
- 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 Mary and George Fisher letters (dated 1878-1897, undated; 0.3 cubic feet; 7 folders) comprise letters to Mary and George Fisher that document their courtship, marriage, and professional lives in Illinois in the late nineteenth century. The letters are primarily written between Mary and George in the two years prior to their marriage. George wrote to Mary about his time in the militia, being sent to control a labor strike in East St. Louis (the Great Southwest railroad strike of 1886), daily life, visiting family, attending a business school, troubles with friends, his health, and his integration back into regular life. Mary wrote to George about her daily life, riding in her brother's buggy, local gossip, marriages, social events she attends, visits from friends and family, schooling, and her personal health. Mary and George both received letters from their siblings as well, discussing health, daily life, and business endeavors.
- The Mary and George 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
Siblings letters to George Fisher, 1878-1889, undated
Postcards to George Fisher, 1879-1889
Mary Thompson letters to George Fisher, 1886
George Fisher letters to Mary Thompson, 1886
Mary Thompson letters to George Fisher, 1887, undated
George Fisher letters to Mary Thompson, 1887, undated
Letters to Mary Fisher, 1897, undated
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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.
