Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Daniel family papers

Abstract

The Daniel family papers (dated 1870-1968, undated; 5.30 cubic feet; 12 boxes) comprise letters, photographs, a scrapbook, papers, and artwork that document the lives of the members of the Daniel family, an African-American family, of Kentucky, Washington, California, and New York in the late-nineteenth and twentieth century.

Descriptive Summary

Title
Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Daniel family papers
Date
1870-1968, undated (inclusive)
Extent
5.30 Cubic Feet
Subjects
Letters.
Art.
African Americans -- Kentucky
African Americans.
African Americans -- Employment -- Kentucky.
Man-woman relationships -- United States -- 20th century
Families.
Marriage
Parent and child.
Business enterprises
Military life.
World War, 1939-1945.
Travel.
Legal documents.
Arrangement
Collection is arranged into three series: Letters, Papers, and Artwork. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
Finding Aid Author
Sarah Coblentz
Preferred Citation
2009ms132.1090: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Daniel family papers, 1870-1968, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Repository
University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History
The Daniel family was a multi-generational African-American family living in Louisville, Kentucky. John Martin Daniel, Sr. (1844-1930) worked as a hotel porter and served in the 125th Infantry of the US Colored Troops as a sergeant during the Civil War. In 1864, he married Margaret Sarah Allen Cooper (1842-1889) and together they had eight children: Emma (1864-1879), James L. (1868-1897), Samuel Cooper (1871-1920), John Martin Jr (1872-1951), Hattie Margaret (1875-1966), Wm. Everett (1880-1965), Douglas Morton (b. 1882) and Carrie E. (1883-1947). After the passing of his first wife, John Sr. married Margaret Peak McClellan (1852-1910) in 1901.
Everett Daniel moved to Washington in the mid-1910s, where he met Ketura Bennett (1897-1940). The couple married in 1917, and together they had two children, John Everett (1918-1983) and Betty E. (1920-2000). Everett owned and operated his own billiards parlor in Seattle before returning to Louisville, Kentucky in the late-1920s alone. In 1927, Everett and Ketura divorced after separating for over a year. Everett then went on to work as an insurance agent in Kentucky. He married a second time in 1946 to Alma B. Dill (b. 1891).
John Everett and Betty spent their childhood between Kentucky with their father and California with their mother. In 1937, John Everett moved to Chicago, Illinois to study art at the Art Institute of Chicago. He then moved to New York, New York to work as an artist selling drawings to the government and publishers along with other odd jobs. In 1942, he married Clementine Allen (1920-1985) and they had one child, Everette Allen (1942-2001). In 1943, John Everett joined the US Army, and served until his discharge in 1945. He separated from Clementine in the late 1940s and returned to Louisville, Kentucky.
Betty married Joseph Avery Jr. about 1943 after falling pregnant, however they are quickly divorced by 1944. She married a second time in 1951 to Francis Hunter (1909-1993). Betty and Francis relocated from Louisville to New Haven, Connecticut.
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 Daniel family papers (dated 1870-1968, undated; 5.30 cubic feet; 12 boxes) comprise letters, photographs, a scrapbook, papers, and artwork that document the lives of the members of the Daniel family, an African-American family, of Kentucky, Washington, California, and New York in the late-nineteenth and twentieth century. The majority of the letters are sent to Everett Daniel from his siblings, multiple wives, friends, business partners, and children. Other letters are sent between the family members, spouses, extended relatives, and friends. Letters discuss daily life, marriage, divorce, raising children, education, travel, producing artwork, employment, finances, romance, legal cases, business ventures, housing needs, rental properties, visiting with family and friends, local gossip, the birth of children, deaths, social organizations, and religion. The photographs depict unknown family members and relatives. The scrapbook includes cutouts of clippings detailing life in Kentucky for African-Americans, social movements, community gossip, notable authors and activists, and works published by the Daniel family. The papers include patent documents, court summons and case dockets, insurance information, stock certificates, poetry, accounting slips, notebooks, receipts, pamphlets, and programs from events attended. The artwork is majority by John E. Daniel, in a variety of mediums including pencil, ink, charcoal, watercolor, and oil. He creates cartoons for publications, images for magazines, live-model drawings for classes, still-life drawings, portraits, landscapes, and tribute murals.
The Daniel family papers 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. The John E. Daniel charcoal drawings at Art Insitute of Chicago, 1937-1938, is restricted to preservation concerns. A reproduction will be provided upon request.
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, 1874-1962, undated

Everett Daniel letters, 1907-1962, undated

Kenneth Beckles to Everett Daniel, 1928-1942

  • Box 1, folder 1
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Sadie Campbell to Everett Daniel, 1928-1930

  • Box 1, folder 2
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Betty Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1928, 1934

  • Box 1, folder 3
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Betty Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1935

  • Box 1, folder 4-5
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Betty Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1936

  • Box 1, folder 6-7
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Betty Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1937

  • Box 1, folder 8
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Betty Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1938

  • Box 1, folder 9
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Betty Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1939

  • Box 2, folder 1-2
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Betty Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1940-1943

  • Box 2, folder 3
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Betty Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1944

  • Box 2, folder 4-5
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Betty Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1945

  • Box 2, folder 6
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Betty Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1946

  • Box 2, folder 7
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Betty Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1947-1948

  • Box 2, folder 8
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Betty Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1951-1962, undated

  • Box 2, folder 9
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Carrie Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1908-1916

  • Box 3, folder 1
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Carrie Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1926-1928

  • Box 3, folder 2
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Clementine Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1942-1947

  • Box 3, folder 3
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Douglas Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1910-1916

  • Box 3, folder 4
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Douglas Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1920-1929

  • Box 3, folder 5
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Douglas Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1930-1939

  • Box 3, folder 6
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Douglas Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1940-1942

  • Box 3, folder 7
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Hattie M. Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1908-1916

  • Box 3, folder 8
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Hattie M. Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1922-1928, 1937, 1944

  • Box 3, folder 9
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John E. Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1926, 1935

  • Box 3, folder 10
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John E. Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1936

  • Box 3, folder 11
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John E. Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1937

  • Box 4, folder 1-3
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John E. Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1938

  • Box 4, folder 4-5
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John E. Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1939

  • Box 4, folder 6
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John E. Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1940

  • Box 4, folder 7
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John E. Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1941

  • Box 5, folder 1
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John E. Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1942

  • Box 5, folder 2-3
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John E. Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1943

  • Box 5, folder 4
To top

John E. Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1944

  • Box 5, folder 5-6
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John E. Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1945

  • Box 5, folder 7-8
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John E. Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1946, 1956, undated

  • Box 5, folder 9
To top

John M. Daniel, Jr. to Everett Daniel, 1908-1919

  • Box 6, folder 1
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John M. Daniel, Jr. to Everett Daniel, 1920-1928, 1944

  • Box 6, folder 2
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Katura Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1938-1939

  • Box 6, folder 3
To top

Samuel Cooper Daniel to Everett Daniel, 1910-1920

  • Box 6, folder 4
To top

Alma B. Dill to Everett Daniel, 1916-1917, 1930-1936

  • Box 6, folder 5
To top

Alma B. Dill to Everett Daniel, 1940-1946

  • Box 6, folder 6
To top

Monroe family to Everett Daniel, 1916-1920, 1939-1943

  • Box 6, folder 7
To top

Virginia to Everett Daniel, 1908-1909, 1944-1945

  • Box 6, folder 8
To top

Letters to Everett Daniel, 1907-1912

  • Box 7, folder 1
To top

Letters to Everett Daniel, 1913-1919

  • Box 7, folder 2
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Letters to Everett Daniel, 1920-1929

  • Box 7, folder 3
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Letters to Everett Daniel, 1930-1936

  • Box 7, folder 4
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Letters to Everett Daniel, 1940-1952

  • Box 7, folder 5
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Letters to Everett Daniel, undated

  • Box 7, folder 6
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Joseph Avery Jr. to Betty Daniel, 1943

  • Box 7, folder 7
To top

Ketura Daniel to Betty Daniel, 1937-1938

  • Box 7, folder 8
To top

Letters to Betty Daniel, 1926, 1938-1944, undated

  • Box 7, folder 9
To top

John E. Daniel to Hattie M. Daniel, 1943-1953

  • Box 8, folder 1
To top

Samuel Cooper Daniel to Hattie M. Daniel, 1912-1920

  • Box 8, folder 2
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Letters to Hattie M. Daniel, 1904-1927, 1944, undated

  • Box 8, folder 3
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Letters to John E. Daniel, 1922-1945

  • Box 8, folder 4
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Letters to John E. Daniel, 1958-1962, undated

  • Box 8, folder 5
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Letters to John M. Daniel, Jr., 1927-1935

  • Box 8, folder 6
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Letters to John M. Daniel, Sr., 1886-1926

  • Box 8, folder 7
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Letters to Ketura Daniel, 1925-1931, undated

  • Box 8, folder 8
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Letters to Margaret Louise Hampton, 1936-1938, undated

  • Box 8, folder 9
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Daniel family letters, 1874-1896

  • Box 8, folder 10
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Daniel family letters, 1900-1910

  • Box 8, folder 11
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Daniel family letters, 1913-1919

  • Box 8, folder 12
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Daniel family letters, 1920-1943

  • Box 8, folder 13
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Daniel family letters, undated

  • Box 8, folder 14
To top

Papers, 1870-1968, undated

Everett Daniel court papers, 1914-1923

  • Box 9, folder 1
To top

Everett Daniel papers, 1910-1925, 1946, undated

  • Box 9, folder 2
To top

Hattie Daniel papers, 1906-1934

  • Box 9, folder 3
To top

John E. Daniel notebook, 1949-1951

  • Box 9, folder 4
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John M. Daniel papers, 1895-1925

  • Box 9, folder 5
To top

Samuel Cooper Daniel papers, 1902-1903, undated

  • Box 9, folder 6
To top

Daniel family papers, 1903-1911, 1929-1938, undated

  • Box 9, folder 7
To top

Business and calling cards, undated

  • Box 9, folder 8
To top

Clippings, 1903, 1914, 1949, undated

  • Box 9, folder 9
To top

Colored Civic League papers, 1927, undated

  • Box 9, folder 10
To top

Informational pamphlets, 1892, 1930, undated

  • Box 9, folder 11
To top

Newsletters, 1924, 1927

  • Box 9, folder 12
To top

Poetry, 1894-1902, 1912, undated

  • Box 9, folder 13
To top

Programs, 1908, 1926, 1936, 1960-1968, undated

  • Box 9, folder 14
To top

Receipts, 1870-1956, undated

  • Box 9, folder 15-16
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Daniel family scrapbook, 1913-1927, undated

  • Box 12
To top

Photographs, undated

  • Box WH-139, item 1-4
  • Box WH-140, item 5-7
To top

Artwork, 1936-1940, undated

John E. Daniel cartoons, undated

  • Box 10, folder 1
To top

John E. Daniel artworks, 1936-1940

  • Box 10, folder 2
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John E. Daniel artworks, undated

  • Box 10, folder 3
To top

Charles White painting, undated

  • Box 10, folder 4
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John E. Daniel cartoons, 1938, undated

  • Box 11, folder 1
To top

John E. Daniel still-life artwork, undated

  • Box 11, folder 2
To top

John E. Daniel landscape artwork, 1940, undated

  • Box 11, folder 3
To top

John E. Daniel Marian Anderson memorial tribute artwork, undated

  • Box 11, folder 4
To top

John E. Daniel artwork, undated

  • Box 11, folder 5
To top

John E. Daniel charcoal drawings at Art Institute of Chicago, 1937-1938

  • Box 11, folder 6
To top

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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.

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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.