Wallace, Paul Maclellan (1900-1972) Papers, 1914-1934 (bulk: 1924-1926)

Held by The Filson Historical Society 

Creator:  Wallace, Paul Maclellan, 1900-1972 

Title:  Papers, 1914-1934 (bulk: 1924-1926) 

Rights: For information regarding literary and copyright interest for these papers, contact the Collections Department. 

Size of Collection:  0.33 cubic feet 

Location Number:  Mss. A W193 

Scope and Content Note 

Letters of Canadian Paul “Mac” Maclellan Wallace to his mother discuss his daily life in Louisville, including his banking and sales jobs; members of the Ballard family, including Samuel Thruston Ballard, Sunshine Harris Ballard, and Mary and David Morton; the Ballards’ Lansdowne estate; and Louisville social life. The Wallaces were cousins of the Ballards, and Wallace moved from Canada to Louisville to work for the Ballard & Ballard flour mill. Wallace often stayed at Lansdowne, and through the Ballards he met and socialized with many of Louisville’s elite. 

Biographical Note 

Paul “Mac” Maclellan Wallace was born 17 September 1900 in Canaan, Nova Scotia. He was the only child of Burpee Witter Wallace (1868-1946) and Mary Harding Fitch Wallace (1871-1957) of Wolfville, Nova Scotia. 

Wallace was a third cousin of Sunshine Harris Ballard, who wrote to Wallace’s mother in the early 1920s suggesting that Wallace move to Louisville to work for the Ballard & Ballard flour mill. Wallace moved to Louisville in summer 1924 and found work at the newly founded Banker’s Trust Company. He began working for Ballard & Ballard in the sales department in spring 1925. He was a frequent guest at Lansdowne, the Ballard estate in Glenview. 

Wallace married Virginia Vera Wilson (1905-1996) in July 1930. Their daughter Mary was born in June 1935. Wallace continued to work for Ballard & Ballard and stayed on after the company was sold to Pillsbury. He retired in 1965. He died of cancer on 6 September 1972 and is buried in Cave Hill Cemetery. 

For more information, see enclosed biographical statement prepared by Wallace’s daughter Mary Wallace Davidson. 

Folder List 

1. Correspondence, July-September 1924
2. Correspondence, October-December 1924
3. Correspondence, January-July 1925
4. Correspondence, August-December 1925
5. Correspondence, January-February 1926
6. Correspondence, March-May 1926, October 1929
7. Miscellaneous items, 1914, 1926, 1929, 1934

Subject List 

Ballard, Charles Thruston, 1850-1918 

Ballard, Samuel Thruston, 1855-1926 

Ballard, Sunshine Harris, 1861-1938 

Ballard & Ballard Co. (Louisville, Ky.) 

Ballard family 

BancoKentucky (Louisville, Ky.) 

Banks and banking – Kentucky – Louisville 

Birmingham (Ala.) – Description and travel 

Breaux, C. Ballard, 1901- 

Electric railroad accidents 

Fashion 

Florida – Description and travel 

Homestead (Hot Springs, Va.) 

Hotels – Southern States 

Lansdowne (Louisville, Ky.) 

Letterheads 

Louisville (Ky.) – Politics and government 

Louisville (Ky.) – Social life and customs – 20th century 

Lynchburg (Va.) – Description and travel 

Mammoth Cave (Ky.) 

Marie, Queen, consort of Ferdinand I, King of Romania, 1875-1938 

Morton, David 

Morton, Mary Ballard 

Morton, Thruston B. (Thruston Ballard), 1907-1982 

Norfolk (Va.) – Description and travel 

Tornadoes – Kentucky 

Visiting cards 

Winston-Salem (N.C.) – Description and travel