Caperton/Burnam Family Papers, 1843-1980 | Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

By Sharon Brown McConnell, Adam Hall, Neil Kasiak

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Collection Overview

Title: Caperton/Burnam Family Papers, 1843-1980

Extent: 26.6 Cubic Feet

Date Acquired: 10/02/1990. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: Kentucky--Social life and customs--20th century., Madison Female Institute, World War, 1914-1918.

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Mrs. Paul (Mary James "Jamie" Caperton) Burnam inherited the papers from her mother and father Col. James W. and Katherine Phelps Caperton. The majority of the papers cover the years 1880-1940 and were primarily assembled by Katherine Caperton and her daughter Jamie Caperton Burnam. The records reflect Mrs. Caperton's interest in family genealogy and history. Most of the materials in the collection concern family matters. However, some legal and financial records of Col. Caperton have survived and add to our knowledge of Madison County history through the perspective of one of its most able lawyers.

The Burnam side of the family is not as complete as the Caperton side. Unfortunately, the papers of Col. Caperton's law partner, Curtis Field Burnam, one of the most prominent persons to have come from Madison County, have not survived except for a collection of some two hundred letters the Eastern Kentucky University Archives had microfilmed from the Western Historical Collection at the University of Missouri at Columbus. Burnam corresponded with his brother-in-law Anthony Rollins, the first president of the University of Missouri, between the 1840s and the 1870s. The letters offer the researcher glimpses into antebellum Madison County politics, the question of slavery, the tumultuous Civil War years, and Curtis Field Burnam's major involvement in post-war state and national Republican party activities, along with much information on personal family and financial matters. The letters, along with the Curtis Field Burnam scrap books, are excellent supplements to the Caperton/Burnam Family papers.

The photograph series in the Caperton/Burnam Family Papers is particularly good in showing images of the various family members. Of note is a group of photographs taken October 7, 1907, at the dedication of the Daughters of the American Revolution marker at the original site of Fort Boonesborough. Unfortunately, few photographs of the family residences and property have survived.

During the initial processing of the collection, the papers of Katherine Caperton's brother-in-law John Hooe Russel, a successful businessman, were found mixed in with the Burnam and Caperton family papers. The Russel papers were removed to preserve the materials as a distinct collection in and of itself. See John Hooe Russel Papers.

For researchers interested in knowing more about nineteenth and early twentieth century Madison County history, the Burnam/Caperton/ Russel family papers should be used in conjunction with the papers of other prominent Madison County families (Clay, Hanger, Lilly, Wallace and Shackleford) housed in the Special Collections and Archives Department of the John Grant Crabbe Library.

Collection Historical Note

The Burnams, Capertons, and their ancestors had continued to have a profound impact on the history of Madison County and Kentucky. These prominent families had members who fought in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War.

The Caperton family has its roots in the British Isles. The first Caperton's in the United States is believed to be John Caperton who came from Scotland via Ireland to the United States and settled in Virginia. He and his wife Polly (nee Thompson) had several children among whom was Col. William Caperton.

William Caperton married Eliza Estill of the Estill family. Her relatives were French Protestant Huguenots who fled France for Ireland and then journeyed to the new world. Col. Caperton became a man of prominence in Madison County and the state of Kentucky. He was a brilliant lawyer who won the respect and admiration of his colleagues. Among their offspring was Col. James W. Caperton, with whom these papers begin.

Col. James William Caperton, like his father, rose to great prominence in the affairs of the county. He received his law degree from Transylvania University and joined his father's law practice. He was also quite adept at financial matters, amassing a large fortune. The Colonel did not marry until late in life, being nearly seventy before he united with Miss Katherine Cobb Phelps of Madison County.

Miss. Phelp's family, too, lent itself to the service of the county and the state. Coming to America from England, the Phelps line runs deep into history. The first relative to settle in this country was a George Phelps of Gloucestershire, England who settled in New England. From his line came "many statesman, diplomatists, professors, and men of letters" (Miller). Eventually a John Phelps settled in Virginia and came to hold sizable tracks of land. He sired Thomas Phelps, who moved to Boonesborough, Kentucky, in 1778. From his children eventually came another Thomas Phelps who married Sallie Cobb and gave birth to two daughters, Katherine Cobb Phelps and Minerva Cobb Phelps.

Minerva Phelps, Mrs. Caperton's sister, married General John Hooe Russel of the West Virginia. This was the general's second, marriage, with his first wife being Nettie Phelps, a cousin to Minerva. Russel was some thirty years older than his wife. Mrs. Russel gave birth to one son, Albert Russel. Mrs. Russel later married an attorney from Jacksonville, Florida, Frank Jennings. Their marriage also produced one child, a daughter named Catherine Jennings.

General Russel was prominent citizen of West Virginia, who amassed a large fortune as a capitalist. He was not only a successful shipper and merchant, but also served as a trusted adviser to state government officials. Judging from the telegrams the family received upon his death, he was a most loved individual and there was much sorrow upon his passing.

Col. Caperton died on 19 Apr 1909. Unlike her sister, however, Mrs. Caperton did not remarry. The Capertons had two daughters, Catherine, who died while still a small child, and Mary James, named for her father.

Jamie, as she was known, married Paul Burnam and linked yet another prominent Madison County family. Mr. Burnam was the son of Anthony Rollins, whose great-great- grandfather, John Burnam, served in the Continental line in the Revolutionary Army. John Burnam had another son, Thompson Burnam, who moved from North Carolina to Kentucky with his wife Lucida Field Burnam,. After moving to Kentucky, he was elected to the General Assembly.

His son, Maj. Curtis Field Burnam , also rose to prominence. The Major married the daughter of Dr. Anthony and Sarah Helen Rollins. Dr. Rollins was a well respected physician, who built the mansion on Lancaster Avenue known as "Irvinton". Maj. Burnam, a Yale graduate, was a well respected lawyer who was appointed assistant secretary of treasury during President Grant's administration. Upon the death of Col. William Caperton, Burnam formed a partnership with Col. James W. Caperton. His son, Judge A. R. Burnam, became a prominent jurist and served as the collector of the internal revenue under President Harrison.

Judge Burnam married Margaret Sommers and had a son, Paul Burnam. Paul Burnam became an officer of the Southern National Bank and eventually rose to the status of cashier. He and his wife, Jamie Caperton, had two sons, James Caperton Burnam, and Anthony Rollins Burnam III.

Anthony Rollins Burnam III became an attorney and James Caperton Burnam became a banker and realtor. Both are prominent Madison County citizens. Caperton Burnam married Sophy Carr Mason, and they had daughters, Katherine Burnam, who was married to the prominent late author and biographer Charles Bracelen Flood, and Sophy Randolph Burnam, who married Thomas Land.

As is quite clear, the Caperton/Burnam family line has been and remains a family of influence in Madison County. They have contributed greatly to the history of the community.

The genealogy series houses a myriad of records which Mrs. James Caperton and her sister Mrs. Jennings collected on their family history. This brief sketch is only a cursory introduction to aid the researcher in the understanding the depth and complexity of this prominent Kentucky family.

Subject/Index Terms

Kentucky--Social life and customs--20th century.
Madison Female Institute
World War, 1914-1918.

Administrative Information

Repository: Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

Accruals: Additional materials were donated by the family and accreted to the collection in 2014.

Acquisition Source: Burnam, Caperton & Rollins

Acquisition Method: gift

Finding Aid Revision History: Reprocessed in 2014-2015 by Neil Kasiak.

Other Note: Photographs were initially numbered with the accession number; however, a decision was made to change to collection number. The database was changed, but the numbers written on the images were not changed.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Amberley],
[Series 2: Birth],
[Series 3: Colonial Dames of America],
[Series 4: Correspondence],
[Series 5: Daughters of the American Revolution],
[Series 6: Documents],
[Series 7: Drawings],
[Series 8: Eulogies],
[Series 9: Fabrics, Flags and Ribbons],
[Series 10: Fort Boonesborough],
[Series 11: Funerals],
[Series 12: Financials],
[Series 13: Genealogy],
[Series 14: Greeting Cards],
[Series 15: Journals],
[Series 16: Land Documents],
[Series 17: Legal],
[Series 18: Newspaper Clippings],
[Series 19: Newsletters],
[Series 20: Oil Investments],
[Series 21: Organizations],
[Series 22: Personal Notes],
[Series 23: Personal Writings],
[Series 24: Photos],
[Series 25: Publications],
[Series 26: Speeches],
[Series 27: Weddings],
[Series 28: World War I],
[Series 29: World War II],
[Series 30: Miscellaneous Legal/Oversized],
[Series 31: Family Evidence],
[Series 32: Oversized],
[Series 33: Books],
[All]

Series 4: Correspondence

The bulk of the Caperton-Burnam Family Papers can be found in the following Correspondence Series. Mrs. Katherine Caperton was well organized individual who preserved an overwhelming volume of correspondence throughout her lifetime. The following folders reflect her practices, and may be considered perhaps her most lasting material legacy. It should be noted that Mrs. Caperton also preserved a clearly articulated and planned narrative for her close family and self in the bound letter volumes that can be found in Boxes 38-43. Many prominent Madison County and Kentucky citizens are present in the correspondence series. They include, but are not limited to, the Bennett, Clay, Green, Hanger, Lily and Watts families. The materials in the Correspondence Series are arranged alphabetically by person, or recipient, and then, when possible, by subject matter. All correspondence is arranged chronologically with all undated materials being found in their own particular folders. The majority of the correspondence consists of Katherine Caperton's personal and public correspondence, however, there is a large quantity from other family members as well.

Box 2

Barcode: 31234013797715

Folder 1: Announcements and Invitations, 1892-1944: Various anniversary, birth, wedding and invitations can be found in the following folder. The Announcements and Invitations materials underscore the Caperton family's community involvement, and the acquaintances, close friends and relatives that the Caperton family interacted with on a regular basis.
Folder 2: Burnam, Anthony Rollins, 1930-1942: There is a limited number of correspondence for Anthony Rollins Burnam.
Folder 3: Burnam, James Caperton, 1929-1945: Correspondence to James Caperton Burnam from numerous persons, including his grandmother and mother, Katherine Caperton and Jamie Caperton-Burnam respectively, as well as numerous other family and friends.
Folder 4: Burnam, Paul, 1911-1945: Correspondence to Paul Burnam from a variety of sources including Jamie Caperton-Burnam, his children and other Burnam family members. The folder also contains materials that address Burnam's public life.
Folder 5: Caperton, Col. J.W., Business, 1875-1909: All the materials relate to Col. James W. Caperton's legal and banking interests. Generally, the Colonel's public image and life is captured in the business correspondence subseries.
Folder 6: Caperton, Col. J.W., Family, 1887-1902: All the materials in the two following folders contain communications between Col. Caperton and his family or close family confidants. The items in these two folders highlight the Colonel's family oriented and compassionate natured mind and actions. The family correspondence underscores the positive influence that Col. Caperton offered his close, as well as distant relatives.
Folder 7: Caperton, Col. J.W., Family, 1902-1909

Box 3

Barcode: 31234013797723

Folder 1: Caperton, Col. J.W., Monument Subseries, 1909: The two items that are in this folder relate to a solicitation that Mrs. Caperton made after Col. Caperton's death in 1909. Mrs. Caperton was interested in erecting a monument on behalf of Col. Caperton.
Folder 2: Caperton, Col. J.W., Personal, 1893-1908: The limited number of items in the following folder all relate to cordial public friendships that the Colonel maintained until his death. The limited volume is a testament to the character and role he played in both his local community and Kentucky. Due to the fact that he was constantly involved (in a positive respect) in the personal business and political affairs of others there are few "personal" letters in the collection.
Folder 3: Caperton, Col. J.W., Phoenix Subseries, 1908: All the correspondence in this folder were written while Col. Caperton took an extended stay at the Phoenix Hotel, Lexington, KY. Although it is difficult to read Col. Caperton's script, it can be assumed by the numerous Doctor's appointments that are mentioned that Caperton was receiving treatment for a health issue. Most letters are addressed to "Darling", which refers to Jamie Caperton, however, the content varies from status reports on his health to general advice about a variety of family and personal matters.
Folder 4: Caperton, Col. J.W., Political, 1904-1908: All the items in this folder either ask for or thank the Colonel for political favors or inquiries.
Folder 5: Caperton, Katherine, Community, 1898-1925: Box 3, Folders 5 through 8 all contain correspondence to Katherine Caperton. The Katherine Caperton Community Subseries consists of correspondence from the various organizations and societies that Mrs. Caperton held membership, as well as any other correspondence that would not fit appropriately into the Family or Personal Subseries that follow. All materials are arranged chronologically.
Folder 6: Caperton, Katherine, Community, 1926-1931
Folder 7: Caperton, Katherine, Community, 1932-1941
Folder 8: Caperton, Katherine, Community, 1942-1945: Special note: Helen Keller letter, 10 Aug 1942 (original in Fireproof File)
Folder 9: Caperton, Katherine, Family, 1886-1909: Box 3 Folders 9 and 10, all of Box 4, and Box 5, Folders 1 and 2 contain correspondence that can be confirmed as either blood relatives or cousins and in-laws by marriage. Due to the interrelated nature of the marriage of Jamie Caperton and Paul Burnam the Katherine Caperton Family Subseries does contain some overlap with the Katherine Caperton Personal Subseries that begins in Box 5. It was deemed appropriate to exclude these from the Family Subseries until the actual marriage date that brought the two families closer together. The nature of the relationships and identity particulars, a s well as the value of these letters to Mrs. Caperton are reflected in the bound letter volumes that are found in Boxes 41-42 in this collection.
Folder 10: Caperton, Katherine, Family, 1910-1919

Box 4

Barcode: 31234013797731

Folder 1: Caperton, Katherine, Family, 1920-1925
Folder 2: Caperton, Katherine, Family, 1926-1928
Folder 3: Caperton, Katherine, Family, 1929-1931
Folder 4: Caperton, Katherine, Family, 1932-1936
Folder 5: Caperton, Katherine, Family, 1937-1939
Folder 6: Caperton, Katherine, Family, 1940-1941

Box 5

Barcode: 31234013797749

Folder 1: Caperton, Katherine, Family, 1942-1943
Folder 2: Caperton, Katherine, Family, 1944-1945
Folder 3: Caperton, Katherine, Legal, 1910-1929: The Katherine Caperton Legal Subseries contains correspondence from two unrelated legal cases and/or investigations. The first addresses Mrs. Caperton's dispute with the L & N Rail Road, and the trust fund for Miss Jennie Lackey, a Caperton cousin who suffered from a mental illness that stemmed from rural isolation and old age.
Folder 4: Caperton, Katherine, No Date, n.d.: Correspondence, from a variety of sources, that is undated.
Folder 5: Caperton, Katherine, Personal, 1889-1909: Box 5 Folders 5 through 8 and Box 6 Folders 1 through 5 capture Mrs. Caperton's personal life and relationships. The materials cover a variety of subject matters from local to national events. The letters in this subseries demonstrate the relationships that Mrs. Caperton fostered and maintained with other like minded national and local elites.
Folder 6: Caperton, Katherine, Personal, 1914-1920
Folder 7: Caperton, Katherine, Personal, 1921-1925
Folder 8: Caperton, Katherine, Personal, 1926-1929

Box 6

Barcode: 31234013797756

Folder 1: Caperton, Katherine, Personal, 1930-1933
Folder 2: Caperton, Katherine, Personal, 1934-1939
Folder 3: Caperton, Katherine, Personal, 1940-1941
Folder 4: Caperton, Katherine, Personal, 1942
Folder 5: Caperton, Katherine, Personal, 1943-1945
Folder 6: "To Hearty", 1921-1944: "Hearty" was the affectionate nickname that Albert Lacey Russel called Mrs. Caperton, his aunt. Albert Russel was the only child of Mrs. Caperton's sister Minerva Phelps and her first husband John Hooe Russel. Albert wrote extensively to his aunt and once he married his wife, Caroline also contributed to the correspondence.
Folder 7: Katherine Caperton, 1895-1898: The exciting and later somber correspondence in the following folder all relate to the birth and premature death of Col. and Mrs. Caperton's second daughter, Katherine Caperton. For additional details on Katherine's life and unfortunate passing see Box 40, An Accumulation of Evidence, Vol. I.

Box 7

Barcode: 31234013797764

Folder 1: Caperton Burnam, Jamie, 1893-1920: Mary James Caperton (Burnam) was the first born daughter of Col. and Mrs. Caperton. The six folders that follow all contain correspondence to Jamie both as a Caperton and, after she married, a Burnam. Consequently, the correspondence in these folders covers Jamie's life as a child up through her role as a daughter, wife and mother. The correspondence ranges from personal and family letters to organizational and societal correspondence that relates to Jamie's public life. Of special interest to the Caperton family history are the sweet father-daughter letters that Col. Caperton wrote to his daughter in during the early months of her life in 1893. All correspondence is arranged chronologically.
Folder 2: Caperton Burnam, Jamie, 1922-1932
Folder 3: Caperton Burnam, Jamie, 1933-1934
Folder 4: Caperton Burnam, Jamie, 1935-1939
Folder 5: Caperton Burnam, Jamie, 1940-1941
Folder 6: Caperton Burnam, Jamie, 1942-1945, 1973, n.d.

Box 8

Barcode: 31234013797772

Folder 1: Carr-Mason to Johnston, Sophy: Sophy Carr Mason married James Caperton Burnam in 1944. The items in the following folder are from Mrs. James Caperton Burnam to her mother Sophy Johnston. The letters were retained in their original arrangement upon donation and are consequently ordered chronologically.
Folder 2: Copy "Bound" Letters: The few letters that are found in the following folder all had the script of "Copy Bound Letters", which can be assumed was meant as a reference to their potential inclusion in the Bound Letters Volumes that are found in Boxes 43 through 45.
Folder 3: Dated Copies: Upon donation it was discovered that Mrs. Caperton, as was the practice of the time, hand copied numerous letters of importance for her personal records and reference. While processing the collection attention was paid to these as a separate subseries since there are also handwritten notes by Mrs. Caperton that help shed light on the value she placed in each particular item of correspondence. As a result, all the copied letters that did not have a logical counterpart upon processing the collection were separated and can be found in the following folder. In particular, all the letters have confirmed dates and are therefore arranged chronologically. See Box 8 Folder 10 for the undated hand copied letters that were processed.
Folder 4: FERA and CWA, 1934: Contains correspondence from the Historic American Buildings Survey, which was sponsored by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration and Civil Works Administration during the Great Depression. All the letters relate to those Depression Era efforts that were aimed at documenting historic buildings, putting drafters back to work, and, perhaps most important, ensuring that America's historic buildings "should not pass into unrecorded oblivion." The correspondence addresses Mrs. Caperton as a Historian which only goes to reflect the astute and respected character she maintained in both her community and at the national level.
Folder 5: French: The correspondence in this folder are all written in French with subject matters that are undetermined. Jamie and Katherine Caperton both spoke French so these letters are presumably related to these efforts and/or the relationships they built while traveling abroad in the 1920s.
Folder 6: Greeting Cards: Although there is a Greeting Cards Series that can be found in Box 26 of the collection, the cards that had personal handwritten messages were separated and retained in the Correspondence Series.
Folder 7: Jennings, Catherine: Catherine Jennings was the only daughter to come from Minerva Phelps's second marriage to Frank Jennings of Florida.
Folder 8: Miscellaneous: The Caperton-Burnam Family Papers contained materials from a variety of sources that were sometimes difficult to separate and categorize individually or relate to other series or subseries. All the miscellaneous correspondence that could not be related to other series are found in the following folder.
Folder 9: Miscellaneous Notes: The Miscellaneous Notes folder contains handwritten notes on the actual envelops that each particular note refers. Presumably, these notes served as reminders or reference sources for Mrs. Caperton's personal and public life and activities, or her research as a local and regional historian and genealogist.
Folder 10: n.d. Copies: See Box 8 Folder 3 description.
Folder 11: Phelps, May: May Phelps was Katherine Caperton's cousin and a childhood pen pal for Jamie Caperton. These letters reflect the admirable and loving relationship and correspondence that the young Jamie Caperton maintained with her dear Cousin May.
Folder 12: Phelps, Sallie: Sallie Phelps was Katherine Caperton's mother. The following folder contains letters that address private and public matters that relate to Mrs. Sallie Phelps
Folder 13: Phelps, Thomas: Thomas Phelps was Katherine Caperton's father. The following folder contains letters that address private and public matters that relate to Mr. Phelps.
Folder 14: Russel, Albert Lacy: Personal correspondence to Albert Lacy Russel, Minerva Phelps-Russel's only child from her first marriage. All the letters are from his Mother or Aunt Katherine Caperton
Folder 15: Russel (Jennings), Minerva, Oct 1893-Sep 1903: Correspondence to Minerva Phelps-Russell-Jennings that is arranged chronologically. Minerva married John Hooe Russell shortly after his first wife, Nettie, died on 26 Nov 1895. Minerva and Netties were cousins and Minerva was at the deathbed of both her cousin Nettie and John Hooe Russell Jr. She married Russell on 8 May 1901 and he later died within a year of the arrival of their first son, Albert Lacy Russell. After a mourning period Minerva then married Frank Jennings, a Floridian lawyer and politician.
Folder 16: Russel (Jennings), Minerva, Jan 1905- Apr 1941: Chronologically arranged Correspondence to Minerva Phelps-Russell-Jennings.