Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Benjamin F. McCann papers
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Benjamin F. McCann papers
- Date
- 1884-1924, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- McCann, Benjamin F.
- Extent
- 0.14 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Legislators -- Ohio.
- Judges.
- Lawyers.
- Family.
- Horse breeders.
- Standardbred horse
- Horse industry
- Throughbred horse -- Pedigrees.
- Letters.
- French language.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by subject. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0907: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letter: Benjamin F. McCann papers, 1884-1924, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Benjamin Franklin McCann (1861-1924) was born to Thomas Addison McCann (1818-1883) and Jane McKee McCann (1826-1877) in Dresden, Ohio. Benjamin studied at Denison University and later on studied law in Dayton, Ohio under Gunckel and Rowe. He became the first police prosecutor in Dayton in 1891 and lead prosecutor on a local murder case of a young woman. He became a probate judge in 1899, and served two terms in court. Instead of running for a third term, McCann ran as a candidate for governor of Ohio in 1905. In 1917, he formed the McCann and Whalen law firm with Charles W. Whalen, and remained there till his death in 1924.
- Benjamin F. McCann married Laura Henderson Thresher (1867-1951) in 1900. Benjamin and Laura had four children together, Ruth McCann (1902-1902), Franklin Thresher McCann (1903-1969), Alice B. McCann James (1904-1997) and Eleanor Colby McCann (1907-2004).
- 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 Benjamin F. McCann papers (dated 1884-1924, undated; 0.14 cubic feet; 5 folders, 1 photograph) comprises personal and professional letters, horse breeding papers, a newspaper clipping, and a photograph belonging to Judge Benjamin F. McCann of Dayton, Ohio. Benjamin F. McCann received various letters from family and friends while he was living in Dayton, Ohio, with the majority of the letters coming from his younger siblings. They discuss their school life, classes they are taking, and updates on the rest of the family back home in Dresden, Ohio. The professional papers in this collection include letters discussing money transfers and banking, as well as one of Benjamin McCann's legal certificates granting him an attorney and judge. Benjamin not only had a passion for the legal system, but also a passion for horse breeding. Featured in this collection are breeding and pedigree documents of various Belgian Draft horses, Standardbred horses and Percheron horses. The documentations come from The American Association of Importers and Breeders of Belgian Draft Horses (now Belgian Draft Horse Corporation of America), The American Breeders and Importers Percheron Registry Company (now part of the Percheron Horse Association of America) and The Societe le Cheval de Trait Belge of France. The clipping included in this collection is of McCann with two of his favorite horses, Wilbur the Great and Linden Hall, taken in Dayton, Ohio. A portrait of Judge McCann is included in this collection as well.
- The Benjamin F. McCann 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.
- 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 Benjamin Franklin McCann, 1884-1890, undated
Benjamin F. McCann professional papers, 1899-1912
Horse breeding documents, 1903-1911, undated
Dayton Daily News clipping, 1912
Letter to Mrs. Benjamin F. McCann, 1924
Benjamin F. McCann photograph, 1890
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.
