Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Sylvester A. Russell letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Sylvester A. Russell letters
- Date
- 1870-1871, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- Russell, Sylvester A., 1856-1923
- Extent
- 0.1 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Family.
- Education, Higher.
- Education, Higher -- Kentucky
- Letters.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0149: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Sylvester A. Russell letters, 1870-1871, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Sylvester A. Russell (1856-1923) was born in Lebanon, Kentucky to Judge William E. Russell (1830-1900) and Susan Agnes Elder (1833-1913). He attended Cecilian College and then St. Mary's College in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, graduating in 1876 after studying law, and began practicing in 1877. He represented Marion County in the Legislature of 1883-84 and was a prolific lawyer in Marion and neighboring counties, even being involved in litigation outside of Kentucky. On July 17, 1878, he married Lula (Lucinda) Caldwell (1853-1895), and they have four children together: W. Edwin Russell (1882-1932), Sylvester A. Russell, Jr. (1884-1961), Elizabeth S. Russell (1888-1976), and Gabriel C. Russell (1890-1962). After the death of Lula, Sylvester married Alice Worswick (1883-1925) in 1896.
- 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 Sylvester A. Russell letters (dated 1870-1871, undated; 0.1 cubic feet; 2 folders) comprise letters that document the relationship between Sylvester Russell and his family and friends while attending Cecilian College in Hardin County, Kentucky in 1871. The letters primarily focus on Sylvester's studies, financial and material needs, and family affairs. There are additional letters from friends and cousins that highlight the activities and opinions of middle-class young adults post-Civil War; they discuss education, their social lives, and fights had with other people.
- The Sylvester A. Russell 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
- The 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.
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.
