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Collection Overview
Title: Judge James H. Mulligan Papers, 1896-1912
Extent: 1.0 Folders
Arrangement: Chronological
Date Acquired: 05/08/2002
Languages: English
Scope and Contents of the Materials
This collection consists of letters written to James H. Mulligan and his wife and son from a variety of people, including the Australian author, A.R. Rose Soley, whom they must have met in Samoa, and Basil W. Duke. It shows the variety of interests and friends of Mr. Mulligan and his family.
Collection Historical Note
Mulligan was born in Lexington, Kentucky, son of the locally prominent businessman Dennis Mulligan and Ellen Alice (McCoy) Mulligan. He graduated from St. Mary's College (College Sainte-Marie de Montreal) in 1864 and received his law degree from Kentucky University (now Transylvania University) in 1869. Judge Mulligan was an editor, attorney, judge, legislator (Kentucky House 1881-1889 and Senate 1889-1893), consul-general to Samoa (1894-1896), and orator. While in Samoa, he befriended English novelist Robert Louis Stevenson. Mulligan was himself an editor and poet. His poem "In Kentucky" is perhaps the best known poem about the state, which he delivered at the close of a speech at the Phoenix Hotel in Lexington in 1902. He married Mary Huston Jackson in 1869 and they had four children. Mary Mulligan died in 1876. Judge Mulligan married Genevieve Morgan Williams in 1881 and they had six children, one of whom was Denis M. Mulligan. His home, Maxwell Place, is now the official residence of the president of the University of Kentucky. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery in Lexington.
Administrative Information
Repository:
Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives
Acquisition Source:
Found in collections
Finding Aid Revision History:
3 letters found in the Townsend Room Collection added 7-22-2016.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Folder:
[Folder 1],
[
All]
- Folder 1
- Item 1: ALS A.R. Rose Soley to Mrs. J. H. Mulligan, 2 Oct 1896
- Ms. Soley, Australian author, is writing from Apia, Samoa and talks about the living conditions there, the native people and the family's travels.
- Item 2: ALS James P. Barry to Denis Mulligan, 9 Aug 1895
- Pastor of St. Paul's church in Lexington asking for pew rent.
- Item 3: ALS W.J.H. [Wm. Jackson Hendrick] to James H. Mulligan, 25 May 1908
- Much of the letter is about "Siderial Twilight Tommy" including a discussion about why he calls him that name. He also talks about staying in New York City until he earns enough money to retire and return home.
- Item 4: TLS Samuel Judson Roberts to James H. Mulligan, 5 Apr 1909
- Roberts, proprietor of the Lexington Leader, talks about a story that Mulligan and John W. Townsend gave him. He even ran an extra 100 copies of the issue for them to distribute.
- Item 5: ALS Z.F. Smith to James H. Mulligan, 10 Jul 1909
- Smith, author of The history of Kentucky. From its earliest discovery and settlement, to the present date..., provides Mulligan with resources about Kentucky education history.
- Item 6: ALS B. W. Duke to Hon. Jas. H. Mulligan, 12 Sep 1912
- Stating that he cannot recall the name of the person who wrote under the pseudonym "Queen-Quill."
