Will Allen Dromgoole Papers
Series I: Poetry Manuscripts and Clippings consists primarily of typescript and published copies of poems written by Dromgoole and printed in the Nashville Banner. Dromgoole divided her work into nine categories: Dialect, Juvenile, General, Patriotic and War, Seasons, Special Occasions, Songs of Tennessee, Sonnets, and Tributes and Threnodies; these have been preserved. Poems not listed in any of these categories have been placed in a folder titled "Other Poems."
Series II: Prose Manuscripts and Clippings houses manuscript and published copies of Dromgoole's prose writings. Of particular interest are typescript copies of her books In Tin Cup Alley, The Best of Friends, and His Little Hour and of her play The Tennessean.
Series III: Legal, Personal, and Other Papers houses Dromgoole's early travel journals, poetry journals, personal correspondence, legal agreements, photographs, and other materials documenting Dromgoole's life.
Series IV: Dromgoole and Mooney Family Papers contains materials showing Dromgoole's ancestors (particularly Edward and John Easter Dromgoole) and the families and descendants of two of her sisters, Susan Frances (Dromgoole) Mooney and Maria Louise (Dromgoole) Beard.
Dates
- 1831 November 4-1992
- Majority of material found within 1866 October 15-1934
Conditions Governing Access
Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Conditions Governing Use
The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Extent
2.5 Linear Feet (7 boxes (3 half, 1 quarter, 3 flat))
Abstract
This collection houses manuscripts, newspaper clippings, correspondence, journals, photographs, legal agreements, and other materials documenting Will Allen Dromgoole's literary work and family.
Biographical/Historical Note
Author and journalist William Allen Dromgoole was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in 1860 to John Easter and Rebecca Mildred (Blanch) Dromgoole. Dromgoole graduated from the Clarkeville Female Academy in 1876 and went on to study at the New England School of Expression in Boston, Massachusetts. Her first published work, The Sunny Side of the Cumberland, appeared in 1886. In addition to her stories and novels, she also edited a journal, Will Allen's Journal: A Literary Society Weekly and wrote for several newspapers, including the Nashville Banner in which her column "Song and Story" appeared for 31 years. After serving in the U. S. Navy during World War I, she returned to Tennessee and in 1922 began as the literary editor of the Banner until her death in 1934.
Arrangement
This collection consists of seven boxes divided into five series:
- Series I: Poetry Manuscripts and Clippings, circa 1917-1918, undated
- Series II: Prose Manuscripts and Clippings, 1890-1929, undated
- Series III: Legal, Personal, and Other Papers, 1866 October 15-1992 (Bulk 1866 October 15-1935 May)
- Series IV: Dromgoole and Mooney Family Papers, 1831 November 4-1952 August 14
- Series V: Oversized Materials, 1831 November 4-1930s, undated
Acquisition Note
Marianne T. Burke donated the bulk of these materials to Special Collections in June of 1960. Burke, Lee Reynolds, and Marihall W. Frost donated the remainder of the collection between April of 1967 and December of 1986.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository