John Wilson Townsend Papers, 1898-1965 | Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

By Jonathan Stokdyk

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Collection Overview

Title: John Wilson Townsend Papers, 1898-1965

Predominant Dates:1903-1940

Primary Creator: Townsend, John Wilson (1885-1968)

Extent: 6.47 Cubic Feet

Date Acquired: 04/09/2003

Subjects: African American poets., American literature--Kentucky., American poetry. - Kentucky, Authors, American--Kentucky., Horses--Breeding--Kentucky., Poets, American - Kentucky, Thoroughbred horse. - Kentucky, Women authors, American--Kentucky, Women poets, American--Kentucky

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The John Wilson Townsend Papers consist of letters received by Townsend which reflect literary, business, and personal concerns. The bulk of the materials consist of letters received by Townsend, as well as photographs, book reviews, manuscripts and various other items about Kentucky literary figures. These include, but are not limited to, James Lane Allen, Madison Cawein, Irvin S. Cobb, Willard R. Jillson, Harriette Simpson Arnow, Samuel M. Wilson, Paul Sawyier, Otto A. Rothert, and Jesse Stuart. The letters offer insights into authors that might not otherwise be found, as well as discussions of their works and biographical information. Many letters simply talk about sending or receiving autographed copies of books. Some letters were not written to Townsend, but seem to have been collected by him instead.

In addition there are also letters concerning horses, as Townsend raised Thoroughbreds for years while living at Graceland Farm.

The collection is generally arranged alphabetically by the author of the letter, but in cases where Townsend is not the recipient, the letter was alphabetized by the recipient's name, with a notation in this finding aid of who the letter was from. Letters about a single person are filed by that person's name rather than the author of the letter. All photographs, book reviews, news clippings and other items are filed with the subject making the arrangement a collection of subject files.

There are multiple subjects per folder and because of this the folders have been numbered with a dash to maintain the subject integrity of the arrangement.

Biographical Note

John Wilson Townsend, Kentucky author and historian was born November 2, 1885. His parents were Charles Wesley Townsend, Lexington journalist and lawyer, and Jeannie Dillon Townsend. Townsend had three sisters, two of whom died in infancy and the third, Elizabeth (Lizzie) Morrison who died in 1931 in West Virginia.

Townsend received his early education in the Johnson and Dudley Grammar Schools of Lexington. Following grammar school, he attended the Preparatory School of Kentucky University. After graduating from Kentucky University, now Transylvania College, in 1906, he enrolled in Harvard University where he continued his study of history and literature.

It was at Kentucky University where he first made the acquaintance of James Lane Allen, who later became his personal friend, and about whom he has written much. This friendship began when Allen made a large contribution to the Periclean Literary Society of which Townsend was the member in charge of fund-raising.

His first book, "The Life of Richard Hickman Menefee," was published when he was only 19 years old. Several others followed during his years as a student at Harvard. After leaving Harvard he taught at the Fishburne Military Academy in Virginia before returning to Kentucky as an assistant librarian at the Lexington Public Library in 1909. He subsequently worked at the Kentucky Historical Society, Lexington Herald (1910 to 1916), the Kentucky Geological Survey (1928-1932), WPA (1936-1942), and the Lexington Signal Depot in the 1940s. Throughout this period Townsend was actively engaged in literary and historical research and published numerous books and pamphlets on prominent Kentucky historical and literary figures.

Townsend's best known work is "Kentucky in American Letters," which was the first anthology of Kentucky literature ever published. This work probably produced most of the letters contained in this collection. In addition, he was good friends with many literary figures that he regularly corresponded with. These include Irvin S. Cobb, James Lane Allen, James H. Mulligan, John Fox Jr., and others.

In 1930, Townsend's finest collection of Kentuckiana, consisting of over 1500 books, numerous pamphlets, letters and pictures, was sold to Eastern State Teachers College Library (now Eastern Kentucky University) where it remains to this day. Townsend continued to collect books until his death in 1968.

Subject/Index Terms

African American poets.
American literature--Kentucky.
American poetry. - Kentucky
Authors, American--Kentucky.
Horses--Breeding--Kentucky.
Poets, American - Kentucky
Thoroughbred horse. - Kentucky
Women authors, American--Kentucky
Women poets, American--Kentucky

Administrative Information

Repository: Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

Acquisition Source: Townsend, Dorothy

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Box:

[Box 1],
[Box 2],
[Box 3],
[Box 4],
[Box 5],
[Box 6],
[Box 7],
[Box 8],
[Box 9],
[Box 10],
[Box 11],
[Box 12],
[Box 13],
[Box 14],
[Box 15],
[Box 16],
[Box 17: John W. Townsend Plaster Mask, 1937],
[Folder OS 1],
[Folder OS 2],
[Folder OS 3],
[Folder OS 4],
[All]

Box 6

Barcode: 31234013791106

Folder 1: Fuson, Henry Harvey, 1926 - 1943: 22 items. Letters to JWT. Biographical sketch. DeAryahs. Mutzenburg.
Folder 2-1: Gains, Miriam, 1914 - 1936: 8 items. 6 letters to JWT. 2 postcards, "A Glimpse of Machinery Palace", Waterworks Basin, Louisville, KY".
Folder 2-2: Gains, Noel, 1919 - 1941: 3 items. "Cross Ruled Paper" and copy, Roosevelt, Wilson, League of Nations, World Court. Newspaper article "An Army Officer's Warning", League of Nations Plan. Postcard to JWT.
Folder 2-3: Gaither, Marice, 04 January, 1965: 1 item. (Mrs. Thomas R.) Letter to JWT.
Folder 2-4: Gallaher, D. C., 25 January, 1922: 1 item. Letter to JWT. Shrewsbury family. Cobb.
Folder 2-5: Gallup, Charles, 28 April, 1919: 1 item. Letter to JWT. O'Hara.
Folder 2-6: Gardner, Willie Spiers, 1911 - 1923: 2 items. (Mrs. James H.) Letters to JWT. Piatt.
Folder 2-7: Garner, John E., n.d.: 1 item. Address or speech supporting a democratic candidate for the presidency. Al Smith. Hoover. From the Winchester Democrat.
Folder 2-8: Garret, Nell Lanier, 09 February, 1932: 2 items. Letter to JWT. Business card.
Folder 2-9: Gee, Ernest R., 01 June, 1945: 1 item. Letter to JWT. Books.
Folder 2-10: George, Leva Ware Hudson, 1922 - 1931: 7 items. (Mrs. Wade Hampton George) Letters to JWT. Morton family research.
Folder 2-11: Germann, Margaret, 08 September, 1930: 1 item. Letter to JWT. Books
Folder 2-12: Gibbons, Floyd, 22 December, 1930: 1 item. Letter to JWT. "Knight of the Air".
Folder 2-13: Gibbs, Henry L., n. d.: 1 item. Letter. President of the Mercer County Charity Organization.
Folder 2-14: Gibson, R. E. Lee, 1911 - 1915: 5 items. (Robert Edward Lee Gibson) 4 letters to JWT. Copy of "Chatterton" from "The Bristol", "Times and Mirror". Cawein letters. Cawein poems. St. Louis City Sanitarium.
Folder 3-1: Gilbert, Richard B., 19 December, 1932: 1 item. Letter to JWT. Biographical sketch. Ruth Wimp.
Folder 3-2: Gilder, J. B., 1928: 3 items. Letters to JWT. Copy of letter sent to the Critic after printing their first James Lane Allen article, ca. 1888.
Folder 3-3: Gill, George Creswell, 1916 - 1921: 2 items. Letters to JWT. "Beyond the Blue Grass".
Folder 3-4: Gill, Sally Mastin, 14 April, 1905: 3 items. (Mrs. Eugene R. Gill) Letter to JWT. Foster music.
Folder 3-5: Gilmore, Marion Foster, 1912 - 1913: 3 items. Letters to JWT. From Marion's mother. Biographical sketch of Marion.
Folder 3-6: Giltner, Leigh Gordon, 1907 - 1931: 47 items. 43 letters to JWT. Copy of "Reprisal". Copy of "The Poetry of Bliss Carman" article. Extracts from press notices of the "Path of Dreams". The Southern Home Journal on Giltner.
Folder 4-1: Girard, ?, n.d.: 1 item. News article. Hambletonian (harness horse, trotter).
Folder 4-2: Glaenzer, Richard Butler, 05 July, 1977: 1 item. Letter to JWT. "Literary Snapshots". Bryne's "With Mikko Through Finland".
Folder 4-3: Glenn, J. J., 1927 - 1928: 6 items. Letters to JWT. 1 postcard. "Morgan's Escape". Glenn's Graphic.
Folder 4-4: Goff, Sudduth, 1918 - 1938: 8 items. Letters to JWT. 1 postcard. Judge Bullock. 1 photograph of Speed Museum exhibit, 1937.
Folder 5-1: Goins, Lizzie, 5/27/1899: 1 item. Land deed. Groins? Gains?
Folder 5-2: Goode, Alvin C., 1915 - 1928: 5 items. 3 letters to JWT. Business card. News clipping, Mary Tureman obituary. James Garrad. Theophilus Garrad.
Folder 5-3: Goodloe, Carolyn, 10/09/??: 1 item. Letter to JWT.
Folder 5-4: Goodloe, F., n.d.: 1 item. Letter to Grace Cole. Bridge at Phoenix ballroom.
Folder 5-5: Goodloe, W. C., 1923 - 1928: 3 items. 2 receipts for horse related expenses. Agreement regarding Enameline.
Folder 5-6: Goodman, Geogre H., 1939 - 1941: 2 items. Letters to JWT.
Folder 5-7: Goodnight, Cloyd, 05 September, 1927: 1 item. Letter to JWT. Bethany College. James Lane Allen.
Folder 5-8: Goodson, Mary Allen, 24 May, 1930: 1 item. (Mrs. E. F. Goodson) Letter to JWT. Women's Missionary Society. Pictures for "Fifty Golden Years".
Folder 5-9: Gordon, Thomas F., 1927 - 1943: 10 items. (Sales Manager at Louisville Courier-Journal Job Printing Company) Letters to JWT. Books, bills, copyrights. 1 letter to Mrs. Woodford Spears.
Folder 5-10: Gorey, Joanne, 26 September, 1928: 3 items. Letter to Joanne Gorey from Nazareth Junior College. Transcript from Nazareth Junior College, Lexington, KY and Catherine's Academy, Lexington, KY.
Folder 5-11: Gorey, Mary, 10 May, 1929: 1 item. Letter to JWT. George Elliston. Christmas Card.
Folder 5-12: Gorin, Lewis J., 22 February, 1930: 1 item. Letter to JWT. "The Times of Long Ago".
Folder 5-13: Goss, Amie Y., 13 July, 1931: 1 item. Note to JWT.
Folder 5-14: Gould, Irene S., 15 March, 1937: 1 item. (Mrs. M. Gould) Letter to JWT. "Kiddie Korner"
Folder 5-15: Gowen, Emmet, 16 August, 1933: 1 item. Bobbs-Merrill Company. Gowen Information. "Mountain Born".
Folder 5-16: Grabhorn, E., 1932: 3 items. (The Grabhorn Press)
Folder 5-17: Graddy, Sara F., 03 May, 1932: 1 item. Autographs.
Folder 5-18: Graham, Elizabeth, 1929 - 1956: 3 items. Letters to JWT. Wedding announcement.
Folder 5-19: Grauman, Edna J., 1927 - 1928: 2 items. Ellwanger. Vandergraef. Van de Graff. Allen's "English Wood-notes".
Folder 5-20: Gray, Donald., 11 August, 1932: 1 item. Letter to JWT. "Lonesome Tunes".
Folder 6-1: Grayson, Gary T., 26 September, 1925: 1 item. Letter to JWT. Horses.
Folder 6-2: Green, Harold R., 19 July, 1939: 1 item. Letter to JWT.
Folder 6-3: Green, James A., 1932 - 1938: 5 items. Letters to JWT. Isaac Rand Jackson's biography of William Henry Harrison.
Folder 6-4: Greenaway, Robert E., n.d.: 1 item. Christmas greeting as a last will and testament.
Folder 7: Gregory, Elizabeth Hiatt, 1929 - 1945: 80 items. Letters to JWT. Aviation writer. "Pioneers in Aviation", "Aviators and Their Flights", "Stepping Stones in Aviation" lecture brochures. 4 lecture tickets. Signed photograph. News clipping photograph.
Folder 8: Gregory, Elizabeth Hiatt (continued), 1933 - 1945: Folder 2
Folder 9-1: Groner, Raymah, 18 November, 1965: 1 item. (Groner?) Letter to JWT. Autographed book. "Legend". Jesse Stuart. "Album". Ford Philpot.
Folder 9-2: Gross, A. Haller, 1912: 2 items. Letters to JWT. Clay. Samuel D. Gross.
Folder 9-3: Guaranty Bank and Trust, 1928 - 1930: 6 items. JWT bank statement. Receipts. Gusling. Ida Levin. Lucy Lee.