Ada Larew Papers
This collection consists of the personal papers of Ada Campbell Larew and includes manuscripts, historical essays, poems, plays, and short stories authored by Larew. Also available are personal correspondence, press clippings, and memorabilia.
Larew authored a handwritten, one hundred and eighty-nine page manuscript entitled Heart of the Cumberland, the largest of the manuscripts included in the collection. The manuscript is a historical account of the East Tennessee region which Larew centered her interests and research around. In her essays, Larew gives accounts of the history of notable Knoxville buildings, the Cherokee Nation and its people, and Civil War battles such as the Battle of Fort Sanders. With subject matter ranging from Robert E. Lee and Tennessee statesmen to the Mayflower and Native Americans, Larew’s passion for poetry coincided with her historical interests as illustrated through her poems.
Dates
- 1912 April 2–1963 August 18, undated
Language
The material in this collection is in English.
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
0.75 Linear Feet (2 boxes (1 half, 1 quarter))
Abstract
This collection consists of the personal papers of Ada Campbell Larew and includes manuscripts, historical essays, poems, plays, and short stories authored by Larew. Also available are personal correspondence, press clippings, and memorabilia.
Biographical/Historical Note
Ada Campbell Larew was a writer and historian of East Tennessee. Born in 1866, she was the daughter of Andrew Jackson Campbell, a surgeon in the Confederate Army, and Mary Jane Lynch Campbell. In 1898, she married Charles Lynnval Larew, in Knoxville, Tennessee, where she would remain an active member of the community until her death. Larew pursued her interests in writing and history as a member of the National League of American Pen Women, the Knoxville Women’s Club, and the Daughters of the Confederacy. Her writings deal primarily with material of historical interest in Tennessee with special emphasis on the Cherokee Indians, the early pioneers, the Civil War, and early history of East Tennessee. She wrote for the Knoxville Journal among other newspapers and had much of her work published. Many of her poems also enjoyed a similar success. Larew died in 1963 at the age of 97.
Arrangement
This collection consists of a half and quarter box divided into two series:
- Series I. Literary Works, 1912 April 2-1959 February 20, undated
- Series II. Personal Papers, 1924-1963 August 18, undated
Acquisition Note
This collection was donated to Special Collections by Mrs. Ada C. Larew in 1960.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository