Cogar family papers
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Cogar family papers
- Date
- 1850s-1970s (inclusive)
- Extent
- 10.9 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Baptists -- Kentucky.
- Diaries -- United States -- Kentucky.
- Family archives -- Kentucky.
- Great Depression
- Letters.
- Midway (Ky.)
- Philippines.
- United States -- History -- World War, 1939-1945
- West (U.S.) -- Description and travel.
- Woodford County (Ky.)
- Cogar family (Woodford County, Ky.)
- Cogar, William Bennett, 1873-1937
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically.
- Preferred Citation
- 2019ms031: [Identification of item], Cogar family papers, 1850s-1970s, University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- William Bennet Cogar, was born to Jamess Lowry and Susan (Susie) Carella Branham Cogar, on May 6, 1873 in Woodford County, Kentucky. He attended Midway Public Schools as a child and then studied at Kentucky University (now Transylvania). For a decade, William Bennet, worked as a salesman of grain, seed, farm implements and in the coal industry. On November 27, 1895, he organized the "Jolly Bachelors Club", a group focused on promoting matrimony. In 1896, William Bennet succeeded his father as the Sunday School Superintendent at Midway Baptist Church, a position he held for the rest of his life. Then in 1897, he gained employment for the Internal Revenue Service, as a stamp Deputy for Woodford County - 7th District. On June 22, 1904 he married Dora Deane Davis, at the home of the bride's mother in Midway, Kentucky. By 1909, his primary occupation was farming and breeding thoroughbred horses on his farm, Farm Leap, thirty-one miles south of Midway. In 1918 he served as Deputy Sheriff for the county. On November 28, 1929, he was elected Sheriff of Woodford County, a position he held until 1934. After his service as Sheriff, he was an organizer and first President of the Woodford County Farm Bureau. He died at Fawn Leap Farm on December 28, 1937 and was buried two days later at Midway Cemetery.
- Eudora Deane Davis Cogar was born to Thompson Parrish and Lucy Ellen Trumbo Davis, on March 7, 1884 in Midway. At the turn of the twentieth century she attended Beaumont College, Harrodsburg, Kentucky and Hollins College, Roanoke, Virginia. On February 2, 1906, she gave birth to her first son, James Lowry Cogar in Midway. Her second son with William Bennet, Joseph Matthews Cogar, was born January 1, 1918. Throughout her life, she attended two churches - Midway Presbyterian and Midway Christian Church. Eudora Deane Davis Cogar died on July 3, 1962 in her hometown, Midway.
- On February 25, 1875, Edna Owens Cogar Roddy, was born to Jamess Lowry and Susan (Susie) Carella Branham Cogar in Woodford County, Kentucky. She is the younger sister of William Bennet Cogar. From about 1881-1891, Edna attended Midway Public Schools. At age twenty-two, she married James Marion Roddy, a Baptist preacher. The couple gave birth to one son, James Marion Roddy in 1904. She and her husband lived in many places, including Midway when he was the minister at Midway Baptist Church. Edna Owens Cogar Roddy died in Midway on February 10, 1964.
- Notes for these biographies were given by the collection donor, William B. Cogar, in 2015.
- Scope and Content
- The Cogar family papers (dated 1850s-1970s; 10.9 cubic feet, 25 boxes) primarily comprise the family correspondence, diaries, personal papers, and newspaper clippings, gathered and created by members of the Cogar family of Woodford County, Kentucky. The correspondence is mainly between William Cogar, Dora Davis Cogar, her sons Joseph and James Cogar, and Joseph's wife, Happy Cogar, documenting family life, travel, education, births and deaths, social events, and Dora's declining health. The bulk of the letters were written during the Great Depression and World War II. The personal papers include Dora Cogar's will, resumes, and diplomas. Highlights in the papers include correspondence from James L. Cogar documenting his time teaching at the Brent School in the Philippines.
- The Cogar family papers also contain the personal diaries of several members of the Cogar family including Woodford County Sheriff William B. Cogar, Edna Cogar, and an unknown person. Eighteen of the diaries belonged to Sheriff William B. Cogar (1873-1937) from 1916-1937, three diaries belonging to someone unknown, and one diary belonged to Miss Edna Cogar in 1894. Also, included is a journal written by Mayme Cogar and a journal by William Cogar documenting their trip to the American West in 1924. Of significance, Sheriff Cogar's diary from 1921 documents the lynching of Richard James, a Black distillery worker from Midway, Versailles, Kentucky, by a mob. Cogar's writings about the lynching are short, yet give a factual chronology of events transpired.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
Papers, 1850s-1970s
Scope and Contents
The Papers series (1850s-1970s) primarily consists of letters among Cogar family members about day to day life. The majority of the letters were written during the Great Depression and the Second World War. The series also includes diplomas, estate records, and newspaper clippings.
1850s-1877
1875-1890s
1900
1900-1901
1902
1903 January-June
1903 July-September
1903 October-1904 January
1904 January-April
1904 May
1904 June-December
1905-1906
1907-1908
1911-1918
1923-1927
1928-1929
1930
1931
1932
1933 February-August
1933 September
1933 October
1933 November
1933 December
1934 January
1934 February
1934 March-April
1934 May
1934 June-July
1934 September
1934 October
1934 November
1934 December
1935 January
1935 February
1935 March
1935 April
1935 May
1935 June-August
1935 September
1935 October
1935 November
1935 December
1936 January
1936 February
1936 March
1936 April
1936 May
1936 June
1936 July-August
1936 September
1936 October
1936 November
1936 December
1937 January
1937 February
1937 March-April
1937 May-June
1937 July-August
1937 September
1937 October
1937 November
1937 December
1938 January
1938 February
1938 March
1938 April
1938 May-June
1938 July-August
1938 September-December
1939 January-February
1939 March-May
1939 June-July
1939 August-September
1939 October
1939 November-December
1940 January-February
1940 March-May
1940 June-July
1940 August
1940 September-October
1940 November
1940 December
1941 January
1941 February
1941 March-April
1941 May-June
1941 July-August
1941 September-October
1941 November-December
1942 January-February
1942 March-April
1942 May-June
1942 July
1942 August
1942 September
1942 October
1942 November-December
1943 January-February
1943 March-April
1943 May-June
1943 July-September
1943 October-December
1944 January-February
1944 March-April
1944 May-July
1944 August-December
1945 January-May
1945 June-October
1945 November-December
1946 January-May
1946 June-July
1946 August-December
1947 January-April
1947 May-August
1947 August-December
1948 January-May
1948 June-December
1949 January-April
1949 May-August
1949 September-December
1950 January-March
1950 April-May
1950 June-July
1950 July-October
1950 October-1951 May
1951 May-July
1951 July-October
1951 December-1952 March
1952 April-May
1952 May-July
1952 July-December
1953 January-May
1953 June-July
1953 August-December
1954 January-August
1954 September-December
1955 January-May
1955 May-August
1955 September-December
1956 January-May
1956 June-August
1956 September-December
1957 January-June
1957 July-December
1958 January-May
1958 June-December
1959 January-April
1959 May-July
1959 July-December, 1960-1961
1962
1963-1969
1970s
Diaries, 1894-1943
Scope and Contents
The Diaries series (1894-1943) contains diaries or journals kept by Mayme, William, and Edna Cogar. Most of the diaries were written by William Cogar and record his daily tasks as a sheriff and tobacco farmer in Versailles, Kentucky. Three of the diaries are by an unknown author.
Mayme Cogar travel journal, 1924 February-May
Diary of Edna Cogar, 1894
Diary of William B. Cogar, 1916
Diary of William B. Cogar, 1917
Diary of William B. Cogar, 1920
Diary of William B. Cogar, 1921
Diary of William B. Cogar, 1922
Journal of Will Cogar, Trip West, 1924
Diary of William B. Cogar, 1928
Diary of William B. Cogar, 1929
Diary of William B. Cogar, 1930
Diary of William B. Cogar, 1931
Diary of William B. Cogar, 1932
Diary of William B. Cogar, 1933
William B. Cogar record book, 1934
Diary of William B. Cogar, 1934
Diary of William B. Cogar, 1935
Diary of William B. Cogar, 1936
Diary of William B. Cogar, 1937
Diary, author unknown, 1938
Diary, author unknown, 1941
Diary, author unknown, 1942
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.
