This collection contains the papers of the Fible and Martin families of Kentucky and Virginia. The collection is centered around two individuals: Betty Fible Martin (b. 1907) and her uncle, Micajah Fible (1862-1890). The manuscripts for a dozen of Martin's NEW YORK TIMES pieces are included in this collection, as well as a 1944 issue of READ which contains one of her articles. Also included are Martin's correspondence with her editor at the NEW YORK TIMES and the rejection notices from publications which could not use her short stories. The manuscripts for three of her stories - A GOLDEN DREAM WORLD, THE GAY YOUNG CALL OF SPRING, and REMEDY - are found in this collection. The collection contains numerous diaries: Micajah Fible's diary begun while he was a student at Harvard; two diaries entitled "Dorritt's Run" and dated 1884 and 1885; and Betty Fible Martin's diaries and notebooks about mid-twentieth century rural life. The collection also contains two letters written by Kentucky author John Fox, Jr., to Micajah Fible. Fox was best known for his works set in the Kentucky mountains at the turn of the twentieth century, including his famous THE LITTLE SHEPHERD OF KINGDOM COME. Fox asked Fible in one letter to help a friend get a piece of work published. The other letter by Fox is a note informing Fible that Fox had waited for him on a recent occasion, not knowing Fible was away on business. Betty Fible Martin's application to join the Daughters of the American Revolution and supporting documents (an 1819 indenture, copies of wills, genealogical information) are contained in this collection. Also included are cookbooks circa the 1930s; an 1896 issue of THE DELINEATOR, a woman's fashion magazine; three scrapbooks circa the 1880s containing newspaper clippings of political events, family-related news, and whimsical feature articles; and genealogies of the Fible, Martin, Catlett, and Stone families of Virginia and Kentucky. Many of Martin's farm ledgers, daybooks, and receipts along with two calling cards and a Boston Art Museum admission card signed by Louis D. Brandeis are also part of, or associated with, the collection. Fifteen carte-de-visites and one cabinet photo are in the KHS Photographic Archives. The Fible family Bible has been removed to the KHS Bible Collection.
