Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: John M. Boring letters

Abstract

The John M. Boring letters (dated 1857-1893, 1923-1930, undated; 0.23 cubic feet; 9 folders) comprise letters and papers that document the life of John M. Boring and his family while living in Atlanta, Georgia in the late nineteenth century.

Descriptive Summary

Title
Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: John M. Boring letters
Date
1857-1893, 1923-1930, undated (inclusive)
Creator
Boring, John M.
Extent
0.23 Cubic Feet
Subjects
Letters.
Legal files.
Families.
Physicians
Real property
Parent and child.
Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877)
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
2009ms132.1131: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: John M. Boring letters, 1857-1893, 1923-1930, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Repository
University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History
John M. Boring (1815-1891) was born in Jefferson, Georgia. He worked as a businessman and farmer in the beginning of his life. In 1841, he married Permelia J. Fowler (1816-1847) and together they had four children, only one of whom survived, Lorena S. (1842-1887). In in 1850, he remarried to Irene P. Coghill (b. 1818) and together they had two children, Ella R. (1853-1923) and William R. (1857-1901). In 1856, Boring finished medical school at the Georgia Medical College and went on to be a prominent physician in obstetrics in Atlanta. He served as a surgeon during the Civil War and tended to soldiers in hospitals between Atlanta and Chattanooga, and on the battlefield at Chickamauga.
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 M. Boring letters (dated 1857-1893, 1923-1930, undated; 0.23 cubic feet; 9 folders) comprise letters and papers that document the life of John M. Boring and his family while living in Atlanta, Georgia in the late nineteenth century. John receives letters from his family, friends, and lawyers, discussing daily life, personal health, business ventures, inquiries about properties and contracts, attending social events, and the growth of the Boring family. John frequently writes to his daughter and son-on-law, discussing his personal health, visiting with patients, traveling for work, politics, death of friends and family, his worries for his younger children, and requesting his family to visit. Other letters from John include letters of recommendation and discussion about the effects of reconstruction. There are also letters from the Woodside family, descendants of the Borings, inquiring about properties held by the Boring family. The papers include legal agreements signed by John Boring, a broadside advertising the sale of property held by John Boring, and biographical information of John and an ancestor.
The John M. Boring 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 John M. Boring, 1867-1879, undated

  • Box WH-168, folder 1
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Letters from John M. Boring, 1867-1888

  • Box WH-168, folder 2
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John M. Boring to Lorena S. Boring-Dorsey, 1876-1890

  • Box WH-168, folder 3
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Letters to Lorena S. Boring, 1858-1893, undated

  • Box WH-168, folder 4
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Boring family letters, 1862, 1877, undated

  • Box WH-168, folder 5
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Letters to A.G. Dorsey, 1873-1889

  • Box WH-168, folder 6
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J.D. Woodside letters re: Boring family, 1923-1930

  • Box WH-168, folder 7
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John M. Boring papers, 1864-1867, 1887-1890, undated

  • Box WH-168, folder 8
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Boring family biographical information, 1857, 1891, undated

  • Box WH-168, folder 9
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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.

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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.