Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Obenchain, William Alexander, 1841-1916 (Sc 3664), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid, typescript and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3664. Letter, 2 February 1874, of William A. Obenchain, Dallas, Texas, to A. G. Hobson, Bowling Green, Kentucky. The “Civil Engineer and Real Estate Agent” reports on a purchase of land in Dallas, outlines a plan for developing “our grounds” as building lots, and discusses the economic outlook for Dallas. Includes a deed, 19 December 1873, to Hobson’s son Joseph V. Hobson of lands in Dallas County, Texas, reciting that payment was made through Obenchain as his agent.

Bryant-Thomson Family Papers (Sc 3636), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 3636. Miscellaneous papers of the Bryant and Thomson families of Fayette County, Kentucky: agreement for the sale of land; lease; power of attorney to act on the sale of lands in Texas; and prescription for medicinal liquor.

Ashby, Rickie Zayne, B. 1949 (Mss 699), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 699. Rickie Z. Ashby, a native of Ohio County, amassed this material as he worked on various historical and genealogical research projects. The chief focus of the collection is the vigilante group known as the Possum Hunters, which operated in the first quarter of the twentieth century in various western Kentucky counties, chiefly Butler, Muhlenberg, Ohio, and Daviess counties. Secondary emphasis is on other vigilante groups in southcentral Kentucky, including the Night Riders.

Bate Family Papers (Mss 673), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 673. Correspondence, business, and legal papers of various members of the Bate family of Sumner County, Tennessee. Some of the children are located in San Augustine, Texas. Most of the correspondence centers around the mother, Ann Franklin (Weatherred) Bate and her children, particularly Eugenia Patience (Bate) Bass Bertinatti and Humphrey Howell Bate, and to a lesser degree their siblings. Includes extensive documentation about the financial and legal condition of Bertinatti after the Civil War. The originals are in the Tennessee State Library & Archives, Nashville, Tennessee.

Ray, Joseph Malchus, 1907-1991 (Sc 3329), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid and full text scan of memoirs and photographs and digital files of interviews (Click on "Additional Files" below to access) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3329. Memoirs, sundry papers, and oral histories of Joseph Malchus Ray, a native of Warren County, Kentucky, who went on to teach at universities in Texas, Alabama and Maryland. He ended his career as president of the University of Texas at El Paso in 1968, but stayed on afterwards as the H.Y. Benedict Professor of Political Science at UTEP. The memoirs discuss in detail his professional and personal life and the values that shaped …

Helm Family Papers (Mss 633), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscript Collection 633. Correspondence, business papers, deeds, and miscellaneous records of the Helm family of Butler County, Kentucky, and related families.

Carley Family Papers (Sc 3223), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 3223. Letters and papers of George Carley of Georgetown, Kentucky and family (mainly daughters, a granddaughter, and nieces). Relatives in Ontario, Canada and in Pennsylvania report family news and mourn the soldiers of World War I; a daughter writes from Arkansas of taxes and the economy, her stepson writes of medical studies during the influenza pandemic, and her brother-in-law writes of oil and investments. George’s papers include solicitations from makers of fencing and farm supplies.

Also includes children’s letters and poems.

Scott, James Mcmillian, 1870-1907 (Mss 628), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid for Manuscripts Collection 628. Letters of James McMillian Scott, a native of Cumberland County, Kentucky, to Sarah Elizabeth “Ellie” Garnett of Adair County, Kentucky, written before and after their marriage. Frequently separated from his wife because of his work on his family’s Texas farm and his editorial positions on newspapers in Texas, Kentucky and Arkansas, Scott writes of his family, his social and religious activities, his Spanish-American War service, and his newspaper work. He is frequently resentful of local attacks on his reputation arising from unspecified indiscretions committed while living in Kentucky. Full-text scans of several Spanish-American War …

Faust, Burton Sherwood, 1898-1967 (Mss 620), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 620. Correspondence, research notes, drafts, photographs, reference works and bibliographic material of Burton S. Faust relating to his studies of the chemical, historical and cultural aspects of saltpetre and of spelean saltpetre mining in the United States.

Vance, Edward Richard, 1833-1902 (Mss 612), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

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Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 612. Correspondence, diaries, scrapbooks, photographs and family papers of Richard Vance, a Warren County, Kentucky native and U.S. Army officer. After his Civil War service, Vance spent his career at several posts in the South and on the frontier until his retirement in 1892.

Helm, Margie May, 1894-1991 (Mss 552), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 552. Personal and professional correspondence and papers of Margie Helm, Auburn, Kentucky native and longtime Western Kentucky University head librarian. Includes ancestral and family correspondence and papers, photographs, and genealogical research on the Helm, Carson, Porter, Blakey and related families.

Hines, Clara Ursula (Wright) Nahm, 1904-1983 (Mss 561), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

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Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 561. Personal diaries of Clara (Wright) Hines, Bowling Green, Kentucky, kept during her marriage to food critic Duncan Hines and after his death. Includes some correspondence, travel itineraries, and miscellaneous papers.

Humble, John S., 1886-1945 (Sc 2932), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding Aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 2932. Teacher’s certificates and diplomas of John S. Humble of Simpson County, Kentucky; yearbook excerpts relating to Humble’s teaching in Tennessee and Texas; and local color stories written by Humble.

Rasdall Family Papers (Mss 542), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

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Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 542. Correspondence and papers of the Rasdall and Smith families of Smiths Grove, Kentucky, principally the two generations following Urias Rasdall (1812-1892), credited with platting the town of Smiths Grove. Includes research collected into a family history by Barbara Schan.

Tolle Collection (Mss 524), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

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Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 524. Correspondence and papers of the Tolle family of Barren County, Kentucky. Includes data on the Tolle, Snoddy and Bransford families, William Daniel Tolle’s history of Barren County, and materials relating to his work as a veteran’s pension claims agent.

Clagett, Marjorie Elizabeth, 1900-2000 (Mss 513), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 513. Correspondence and papers of Marjorie E. Clagett, a WKU faculty member who taught French from 1928-1964. Includes field notes and slides relating to her studies of flora in south central Kentucky, Great Britain and other habitats in the United States, and research materials relating to the history of the French in Kentucky. Includes correspondence, photographs and genealogical data of the Clagett, Northcott, Strange and associated families. Also includes notes (Click on "Additional Files" below) of a Northcott ancestor's encounter with Lost River Cave in Warren County during the Civil War.

Martin Family Papers (Mss 511), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 511. Invitations sent to and correspondence of Emma Johnson (Irvan) Martin. Most of the social invitations pre-date her marriage to Joseph Marshall Martin in 1875. The correspondence deals chiefly with family matters. The collection also contains genealogical information about the Martin, Tibbs, Bard, and Willson families and photographs of the same.

Jones, Drucilla Montgomery (Stovall), 1907-2007 (Mss 493), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 493. Correspondence, chiefly from the Fort and Flowers families of Logan County, Kentucky, which includes prisoners of war correspondence from the Civil War. Also includes cemetery, church, and funeral home records, as well as news clippings about historic sites, people and events in Logan County.

Lanier Collection (Mss 488), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid and full text of post-World War II pen pal letters and selected images from ciphering book of Collins Lanier from Manuscripts Collection 488. Collection consists chiefly of letters written to Deanna June (Linville) Lanier by friends and her family, particularly her mother Lena (Harris) Linville. Includes some interesting pen pal letters with a German child, 1948 to 1950. Includes genealogical material about the Lanier and Linville families. Also includes early Warren County, Kentucky material from brothers, Byrd Lanier and Collins Lanier, including a little correspondence, bills and notes, receipts, and property records.

Parker Family Papers (Mss 118), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 118. A wide array of materials, chiefly correspondence, of the Liddell and Spencer families of Alabama and the Parker family of Bowling Green, Kentucky. Of particular interest are Civil War letters written to Mary E. “Mollie” Liddell, items related to Howard College and Judson Institute in Marion, Alabama, letters to Lorena Parker from a missionary in Ethiopia, and a letter mentioning Texas politics in 1860.

Lawrence, Ruth, 1892-1969 (Mss 476), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 476. Letters, written mostly to Ruth Lawrence in North Carolina and Louisville, Kentucky, genealogical notes, and Ruth’s domestic science notebook. Many of the letters are from or concern her relatives in the Goodnight, Moulder and Lawrence families of Kentucky, Texas and Tennessee.

Carmichael Family Papers (Mss 467), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid for Manuscripts Collection 467. Correspondence, legal papers, and miscellaneous material from several related families: Standrod, Campbell, and Carmichael. Includes a claim made after the Civil War for compensation for an enslaved man who joined the Union Army (Click on "Additional Files" below).

Wall Family Papers (Sc 1094), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "additional files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 1094. Documents mainly of Wall family members of Cynthiana (Harrison County), Kentucky, and Dallas, Texas. The family correspondence includes three Civil War era letters. The financial receipts include one for the cost of an 1841 servant’s coffin.

Coombs Family Collection (Mss 349), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid for Manuscripts Collection 349. Correspondence, photographs, business records and miscellaneous papers of the Coombs, Robertson and related families of Warren and Simpson counties in Kentucky and of Alabama, Texas and Tennessee. Includes correspondence, personal papers and research of Elizabeth Robertson Coombs, librarian at the Kentucky Library, Western Kentucky University. Several documents from this collection have been scanned are available for viewing by clicking on the "Additional Files" below.

Underwood, Warner Lewis, 1808-1872 (Sc 2678), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 2678. Letters of Warner Lewis Underwood of Bowling Green, Kentucky, written to his family from Texas, Washington, D. C., Scotland, and Frankfort, Kentucky. He writes to his wife of business and household matters,and of political affairs during his service in the Kentucky Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. A letter to his son-in-law from Scotland, where Underwood was serving as consul, praises his Civil War service. Correspondence with his son discusses the younger Underwood’s law studies in Albany, New York.

Clifton, John W. (Lg 12), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

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Finding aid and full scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Land Grant 12. Original land grant, 25 October 1844, by which Sam Houston, President of the Republic of Texas, granted John W. Clifton, 1/3 league (1476.1 acres) in Harris County, Texas.

Oliver, James Earl (Sc 874), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 874. Letters, 1967 (12), written chiefly by Private James Earl Oliver from Fort Polk, Louisiana, and Fort Sam Houston, Texas, to his wife Elizabeth, Bowling Green, Kentucky. He describes his day-to-day military life.

Martin, Charles Roy, 1892-1984 (Sc 770), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid and scans (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 770. World War I letters, 2 August 1918-9 June 1919 (31), written by Sergeant Charles Roy Martin, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri; Fort Houston, Texas; Camp Merritt, New Jersey, and France, to his hometown friends, Mr. and Mrs. Cliff Cossey, Duenweg, Missouri. Also included are a photo of Martin in uniform and biographical data.

Carnes, James E. (Sc 752), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid and scans (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 752. Letters, 1860 and undated, written by J. E. Carnes, a Methodist preacher of Galveston, Texas, to Josie Underwood, Bowling Green, Kentucky, concerning his ideas about Texas and recalling Bowling Green friends of former days; also included is Underwood family genealogical information.

Dunn, Thomas Pearce, B. 1861 (Sc 751), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid and scans (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 751. Letter, 1 May 1914, written by Thomas Pearce Dunn, South Houston, Texas, to his uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Leland Pearce, Auburn, Kentucky, relating much information about Texas, especially concerning the land, weather, and fruit growing.