John Winston Coleman, Jr. Stagecoach Days in the Bluegrass papers
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- John Winston Coleman, Jr. Stagecoach Days in the Bluegrass papers
- Date
- 1804-1935, undated (inclusive)
- Extent
- 0.45 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Bars (Drinking establishments) -- Kentucky.
- Coach drivers -- Kentucky.
- Coaching -- Kentucky.
- Historians.
- Kentucky -- History.
- Proofs (Printing)
- Roads -- Design and construction -- Kentucky -- 19th Century.
- Taverns (Inns) -- Kentucky.
- Kentucky Authors Collection
- Arrangement
- Collection is organized alphabetically by subject.
- Preferred Citation
- 51m12: [Identification of item], John Winston Coleman, Jr. Stagecoach Days in the Bluegrass papers, 1804-1935, undated, University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- John Winston Coleman, Jr. was a native of Lexington, Kentucky. He received degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Kentucky and was president of the general contracting firm of Coleman & Davis, Inc. In the 1930s his interest turned toward Kentucky history. His first book, Masonry in the Bluegrass, was published in 1933. In 1936 Coleman retired to Winburn, his Lexington farm, in order to devote time to historic research and writing. He wrote more than a dozen books and pamphlets, including Stagecoach days in the Bluegrass(1935), Slavery times in Kentucky(1940), A bibliography of Kentucky history(1940), Lexington during the Civil War(1968), and Historic Kentucky(1967).
- Scope and Content
- The John Winston Coleman, Jr. Stagecoach days in the Bluegrass papers (dated 1804-1935, undated; 0.45 cubic feet; 1 box) contain J. Winston Coleman's papers related to his book, Stagecoach days in the Bluegrass, published in 1935. Included is correspondence, a typed draft of the text, the first proof, photographs, and printed material. Correspondence from 1934 to 1935 consists of reminiscences by Fred K. Irvine (d. 1935), the editor of American Stone Trade. Irvine's father, a stagecoach driver, first came to Lexington, Kentucky in 1836. Irvine provides accounts of stage drivers in Kentucky, the fine carriage given to Henry Clay by the citizens of Trenton, New Jersey in 1833, road improvements and stagecoach inns and taverns. Original documents dating from 1804 to 1861 include certificates, lists of tavern keepers in Lexington and Fayette County (1830s), correspondence to Col. S. R. Mc Nair, a stagecoach proprietor in Louisville, business records and receipts, legal documents, bills and a printed copy of specifications for early turnpikes in Kentucky (1839).
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
Correspondence (78), 1804-1861
"Forest Retreat" photograph, undated
Irvine, Fred. K correspondence, 1934-1935
Modern ads and menus featuring stage coaches (8), undated
Stagecoach days in the Bluegrass first proof, undated
Stagecoach days in the Bluegrass manuscript, 1933-1935
Stagecoach days in the Bluegrass pages from proofs, undated
Stagecoach days in the Bluegrass photographs and broadsides (37), undated
Special Collections Research Center - Closed
The Breckinridge Research Room will be closed starting May 11, 2026, and anticipates re-opening Fall semester 2026 in an alternate location for the duration of the King Library renovation.
Reproduction requests will still be available during the closure.
Contact SCRC with questions.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
Special Collections Research Center - Closed
The Breckinridge Research Room will be closed starting May 11, 2026, and anticipates re-opening Fall semester 2026 in an alternate location for the duration of the King Library renovation.
Reproduction requests will still be available during the closure.
Contact SCRC with questions.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
