Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
Collection is arranged into four series: Tebbs family, Prewitt family, McCann family, and Assorted.
The Tebbs, Prewitt, and McCann families were prominent members of the Clark County, Fayette County, and Fleming County communities in Kentucky during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Stanley Place, the family estate in Clark County, Kentucky, is named after an earlier home in Virginia and dates from the mid-1800s. Daniel Tebbs, the father of Stanley F. Tebbs, fought in the battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. Stanley F. Tebbs, the father of Elizabeth Martin Tebbs, built Stanley Place on the land granted to his grandfather and was a prominent businessman. Elizabeth Martin Tebbs Prewitt, the mother of Stanley T. Prewitt, was widowed shortly after the Civil War and led an independent lifestyle. David Prewitt, father of Stanley T. Prewitt, fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War and died shortly after returning to his wife's home. Stanley T. Prewitt was a prominent Tobacco farmer and Cattle raiser in Clark County and fathered Gay, David, Winston, and Henrietta. Mamie McCann, the sister of David Prewitt, attended the University of Kentucky to gain a career in law and began a business school in Fleming County. William, Carolyn, and James McCann are the children of Henrietta Prewitt McCann and Marshal McCann.
1997ms118 : [identification of item], Tebbs/Prewitt Family Papers, 1816-1965, bulk 1840-1965, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
The Tebbs/Prewitt family papers (dated 1816-1985, bulk 1840-1965; cubic feet; 52 boxes, 6 wrapped items) comprise correspondence, legal documents, financial papers, journals, diaries, a ledger, schoolwork, notebooks, grades, photographs, daguerreotypes, prints, memo books, pocket books, certificates, a diploma, a hunting license, dental records, music books, scrapbooks, microfilm, recipes, genealogical information, maps, newspapers, newspaper clippings, books, booklets, calendars, drawings, lists, mailed advertisements, magazines, memorabilia, pamphlets, play bills, paper dolls, a poem, photocopies, and transcripts. These materials document the Tebbs, Prewitt, and McCann families' personal, legal, and business matters.
These papers reflect the conditions, opinions, and way of life along the span of time from the nineteenth century through the mid-twentieth century regarding social history, women's history, agricultural and business history, legal history, and the effects of technological advances in central Kentucky. Prominent correspondents to with the families' include architect John McMurtry and Major Benjamin F. Buckner. Significant contributors to the material include Stanley F. Tebbs, Elizabeth Tebbs Prewitt, George G. Tebbs, Stanley T. Prewitt, Henrietta Gay Prewitt, David Hickman Prewitt, David Prewitt, and Mamie McCann.
The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
The Tebbs family series includes correspondence, legal documents, account books, bank books, bills, bonds, checks, check accounts, financial notes, receipts, tax documents, microfilm, a music book, a recipe book, and a birth note. This series is subdivided first by person in order of level of contribution then by form of document in alphabetical order. People represented in this series include Stanley Fousche Tebbs, Elixabeth Martin Tebbs Prewitt, George Gibson Tebbs, Daniel Tebbs, James Tebbs, and Mary Katharine Tebbs.
A large portion of this series contains the correspondence of Stanley Fousche Tebbs, which includes correspondence with John McMurtry about the building of Stanley Place, the family estate, (Box 2, Folder 17) and Benjamine F. Buckner after the Civil War during his time as an attorney (Box 1, Folder 4). Other notable names found in Tebbs' correspondence include R. H. Courtney, William A. Dudley, James A. Farra, Thomas Mitchell, and J. Shelby, Sr. Notable items include the financial documents of Elizabeth Tebbs Prewitt as a young widow with children, her music book (Box 6, Folder 13), and George Gibson Tebbs' recipe book (Box 7, Folder 13)
Stanley Foushee Tebbs (1810-1882) was born in 1810 in Jefferson County, KY to Daniel Tebbs and Alice Taylor. Tebbs was a prominent businessman in Clark County as well as Lexington, where he served as a founding board member of the First National Bank in 1865. He married Sarah Ann Martin in 1840 and had six children named James Daniel, Elizabeth Martin, Samuel Gower, George Gibson, Mary Catherine, and Stanley Foushee Jr. He built the family estate called Stanley Place in Clark County around 1858. During the Civil War, he was known to be a slaveholding Unionist along with his friend and cousin, Benjamin F. Buckner. He died in 1882 in Clark County, KY.
Elizabeth Martin Tebbs Prewitt (1844-1907) was born in 1844 in Clark County, KY to Stanley Foushee Tebbs and Sarah Ann Martin. She married David Prewitt in 1864 and had three children named Stanley Tebbs, Richard Hickman, and Sarah (Lady) Tebbs. After her husband's untimely death in 1870, she returned to her father's home, but still kept her financial independence and control of her children. She died in 1907 in Clark County, KY.
George Gibson Tebbs (1849-1887) was born in 1849 in Clark County, KY to Stanley Foushee Tebbs and Sarah Ann Martin. He married Theodosia Graves in 1877 and had four children: Mary Catherine (Kate), Georgie Elizabeth, Stanley Foushee III, and George Owings. He was given the John Martin house and farm land in Clark County by his father as a wedding gift. He was a farmer and assisted his father in the family businesses. He died in 1887 in Clark County, KY.
Mary Catherine (Kate) Tebbs (1851-1894) was born in 1851 in Clark County, KY to Stanley Foushee Tebbs and Sarah Ann Martin. She married George Braxton Neslon, a prominent attorney, and had five children: Elizabeth Tebbs, Stanley Foushee, Theodosia, Katherine Braxton, and Helen Martin. She died in 1894 in Clark County, KY.
James John Tebbs (1814-1887) was born in 1814 in Mason County, KY to Daniel Tebbs and Alice Taylor. He married Rebecca Allen Ammerman in 1844 and had thirteen children: Tabitha Alice, Daniel Ammerman, Foushee James, Hubbard Henry, Phillip, Sarah Elizabeth, Enfield Rebecca, Eusebia Catherine, Lucy Crittenden, Mary Gower, Ida, Helen, and Joel Phillip. He was a farmer and a slaveholder. He died in 1887 in Harrison County, Ky.
Daniel Tebbs (1771-1846) was born in 1771 in Botetourt County, Virginia to Daniel Tebbs and Elizabeth Gower. He married Alice Taylor in 1808 in Clark County, KY and had six children: Hubbard Minor, Clarissa Eliza, James John, Stanley Foushee, Alice Madison, and Lucy Mildred. He fought in the War of 1812 in the 14th Regiment of the Kentucky Militia, known as Mitchisson's Militia, as a Lieutenant. He was a farmer and slaveholder. He died in Harrison County, KY in 1846.
Alice Taylor Tebbs (1790-1855) was born in 1790 in Virginia to Hubbard Taylor and Clarissa Minor. She married Daniel Tebbs in 1808 and had six children: Hubbard Minor, Stanley Foushee, Clarissa Eliza, James John, Alice Madison, and Lucy Mildred. She died in 1855 in Harrison County, KY.
Sarah Ann Martin Tebbs (1816-1884) was born in 1816 in Clark County, KY to Dr. Samuel Davis Martin and Elizabeth W. Taylor. She married Stanley Foushee Tebbs in 1840 and had six children James Daniel, Elizabeth Martin, Samuel Gower, George Gibson, Mary Catherine (Kate), and Stanley Foushee Jr. She died in 1884 in Clark County, KY.
Stanley Foushee Tebbs, Jr. (1854-1879) was born in 1854 in Clark County, KY to Stanley Foushee Tebbs and Sarah Ann Martin. He died as a young man in 1879 in Kentucky.
Theodosia Graves Tebbs (1855-1900) was born in 1855 in Montgomery County, KY to George Owings Graves and Olivia Kiziah Calloway Hood. She married George Gibson Tebbs in 1877 and had four children named Mary Catherine, Georgie Elizabeth, Stanley Foushee, and George Owings. She died in 1900 in Clark County, KY.
The Prewitt series comprises correspondence, legal documents, account books, bank books, bills, bonds, business cards, checks, check accounts, figure books, financial notes, receipts, tax documents, weekly reports, schoolwork, notebooks, grades, engagement books, recipes, newspaper clippings, mailed advertisements, journals, diaries, pocketbooks, memo books, hunting licenses, dental records, a certificate, a coal book, an autograph book, estate papers, and a time book. This series is subdivided first by person in order of level of contribution then by form of document in alphabetical order.
The bulk of this series consists of the correspondence between family members, especially between Stanley Tebbs and Nettie Prewitt and their children attending schools away from home. Additionally, there is correspondence between Stanley and Nettie when he is away on business. Winston and David Hickman Prewitt's letters concern their experiences at the Bingham School in North Carolina. Additionally, Stanley Tebbs Prewitt corresponded with many prominent members of Lexington society, including W.W. Estill and James A. Farra. Stanley T. Prewitt's legal papers include proceedings and land descriptions regarding the construction of the Lexington-Winchester Pike (Box 16, Folder 2-3). David Prewitt's correspondence includes General John Hunt Morgan during the Civil War (Box 28, Folders 9-10).
Stanley Tebbs Prewitt (1865-1945) was born in 1865 to Elizabeth Martin Tebbs and David Prewitt in Clark County, KY. He married Henrietta (Nettie) Gay in 1888 and had six children: Stanley Tebbs Jr., Gay James, David Hickman, William Winston, George Tebbs, and Henrietta Chandler. He lived on the family estate called Stanley Place and continued the tradition of farming and expanding family land holdings. Stanley Tebbs Prewitt was known as an influencing member in the state's agricultural interests and was one of the landholders that the cities of Lexington and Winchester approached during the planning of the Lexington-Winchester Pike. Additionally, he was a member of the Burley Tobaccos Society and the Security Trust Company. He died of a heart attack on his farm at Stanley Place on January 13, 1945.
Henrietta (Nettie) Gay Prewitt (1866-1930) was born in 1866 to James Dunlap Gay and Callie Prewitt Gay in Clark County, KY. She attended the Kentucky Classical and Business College in North Middletown, KY and the Daughter's College in Harrodsburg, KY. She married Stanley Tebbs Prewitt in 1888. She died a car accident on December 22, 1930.
David Hickman Prewitt (1893-1960) was born in 1893 to Stanley Tebbs Prewitt and Henrietta Gay Prewitt in Clark County, KY. He attended the Bingham School in Asheville, NC from 1912 to 1914. He returned home and spent his life assisting his father on the family estate as well as caring for him in his old age. In 1930, he was the driver of the car in the accident that killed his mother and was also injured in the incident. He died in 1960 in Clark County, KY.
William Winston Prewitt (1896-1969) was born in 1896 to Stanley Tebbs Prewitt and Henrietta Gay Prewitt in Clark County, KY. He attended the Bingham School in Asheville, NC from 1913 to 1915. He first returned home to assist his father with various farm holdings then later created his own lumber dealing business. He married Rosalie Day in 1917 and had no children. He died in 1969 in Clark County, KY.
Gay (James Dunlap) Prewitt (1888-1954) was born in 1888 to Stanley Tebbs Prewitt and Henrietta Gay Prewitt in Clark County, KY. He attended the Bingham School in Asheville, NC from 1906 to 1909. After school, he returned to Clark County to assist his father with his 474 acre tobacco farm at that time. He married Anna Coleman Van Meter in 1919 and had two children named Nelson P. R. and Stanley Tebbs III. He died in 1954 in Clark County, KY.
Henrietta Chandler Prewitt (1906-1960) was born in 1906 to Stanley Tebbs Prewitt and Henrietta Gay Prewitt in Clark County, KY. She attended Miss Bowden's Select School in Kentucky, the K. W. C. Academy in Kentucky, and then the Ward-Belmont School in Nashville, TN. She married James Marshall McCann in 1925 and had three children named James Marshall Jr., Carolyn, and William H. She died in 1960 in Clark County, KY.
David Prewitt (1839-1870) was born in 1839 to William Chandler Prewitt and Catherine Hickman Prewitt in Clark County, KY. He attended Bethany College prior to the Civil War. He served in the Confederate 8th Regiment of the KY Calvary in Company A, under the command of General John Hunt Morgan. He fought in Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky. He achieved the rank of Brevet Second Lieutenant. He married Elizabeth Martin Tebbs in 1864 and had three children: Stanley Tebbs, Richard Hickman, and Sarah (Lady) Tebbs. He was a farmer until his death in 1870 in Lexington, KY.
Sarah (Lady) Tebbs Prewitt (1870-1941) was born in 1870 to David Prewitt and Elizabeth Tebbs Prewitt in Lexington, KY. She married Dwight Pendleton, a prominent Clark County attorney, in 1864 and had five children: Elizabeth Tebbs, Katherine Huntington, Stanley Dudley, Dwight Lyman Jr., and William Kimbrough. She died January 14, 1941, in Clark County, KY.
Stanley Tebbs Prewitt III (1928-1959) was born in 1928 to Gay (James Dunlap) Prewitt and Anna Coleman Prewitt in Fayette County, KY and died in 1959 in Lexington, KY without a wife or children.
Rosalie (Rosa) Day Prewitt (1898-1983) was born in 1898 in Kentucky, married William Winston Prewitt, and died in 1983 in Breathitt County, KY.
Correspondence, check books, income taxes, bills, genealogical family files, journals, pamphlets, contracts, certificates, an enrollment book, a notebook, a diploma, and a card compose the McCann family series. The bulk of the series consists of Mamie McCann's genealogical research that was later continued by William McCann after her death. These files are organized by family name and include an introduction (Box 32, Folder 8) and inventory list (Box 28, Folder 25). The correspondence of Mamie and William McCann documents the methods and research both used to obtain genealogical information. Other items of note include Mamie's law certificate (Box 49, Folder 2), University of Kentucky diploma (Box 47, Folder 2), and her Daughters of the American Revolution certificate (Box 49, Folder 1).
Mamie McCann (1886- 1970) was born in Flemingsburg, KY in 1886 to John McCann II and Lenora Day. She attended Elizabeth College in North Carolina from 1904-1908. Intermittently, she took classes at the University of Kentucky beginning in 1912 while teaching in the Fayette county public schools until her graduation in 1919. After graduation, she taught in several schools before returning to Flemingsburg due to her mother's ill health and began working in a law office as a clerk while studying for law school. She studied law at the University of Kentucky from 1922 until she was admitted to the bar in 1925. She practiced law in both Lexington and Flemingsburg for the next fifteen years. From 1937 to 1944, while in Flemingsburg practicing law, she also ran the Fleming Business School which prepared women for war work. She then began her work in the federal government as a teacher, stenographer, clerk, and adjudicator until her retirement in 1951. Mamie McCann died in Lexington on May 5, 1970 with no spouse or children.
William McCann (1929- ) was born in 1929 to James Marshall McCann and Henrietta Chandler Prewitt McCann in Clark County, KY. William is the nephew of Mamie McCann.
The Assorted series comprises correspondence, bills, checks, envelopes, letter fragments, notes, produce sheets, ledgers, tax documents, legal documents, maps, newspapers, newspaper clippings, books, booklets, calendars, schoolwork, drawings, journals, lists, mailed advertisements, magazines, memorabilia, insurance documents, music books, pamphlets, play bills, pocket books, recipes, scrapbooks, transcriptions, photocopies, a poem, paper dolls, and a funeral register. This series is subdivided by form of document in alphabetical order.
This series includes all the miscellaneous unidentified material. Additionally, it contains all of the family photographs. Many of them are unidentified, though there is a series of identified photographs which include images of the Bingham school and the McCann family. Other notable items include the layout design for the Lexington-Winchester Pike, family scrapbooks, and 1905 soil maps.