Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Peter Muhs family papers
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Peter Muhs family papers
- Date
- 1845-1867, 1893-1914 (inclusive)
- Creator
- Muhs, Peter, 1842-1893
- Extent
- 0.08 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Consumption (Disease).
- Correspondence.
- Family.
- Friendship.
- Health
- Letters.
- Marriage licenses.
- Military records
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by subject. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0362: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Peter Muhs family papers, 1845-1867, 1893-1914, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Peter Muhs (1842-1893) was born in Germany to James Muhs (1814-1899) and Margaret Wiese (1819-1903). The Muhs family immigrated to the United States in 1852, Peter was naturalized as a US citizen in 1857. In 1861, Muhs enlisted in the 8th Iowa Infantry Regiment as a private, and mustered out as a full sergeant in 1866. In 1867, he married Dora Jane Telfair (1845-1934), and together the couple had four children: Margaret, Ferris (1868-1878), James (b. 1871), and Edith (1872-1931).
- 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 Peter Muhs family papers (dated 1845-1867, 1893-1914; 0.08 cubic feet; 4 folders) comprise letters, a marriage license, and certificate that document the life of Peter Muhs and his family in Iowa in the second half of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century in Iowa. The letters a primarily sent to Peter, from his friends Charley Ferris and John Anthony. Charley writes about dealing with consumption, moving to the south in hopes of better health, the marriages of mutual friends, the trouble with finding a good woman in the south, and keeping work due to his health. John writes mainly about finding a wife and updates about mutual friends. Peter receives one letter from his brother, Henry, that discusses their financial situations. Other letters include ones sent to James Telfair, Dora's father, which say how much his children miss him, and condolence letters to Dora after Peter's passing in 1893. Included in the collection is the marriage license of Peter and Dora's son, James to Mary Cook, and a certificate notifying Edith Muhs of her acceptance into the Daughters of the American Revolution.
- The Peter Muhs family papers 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
- 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.
