Wesley, Taylor (1881-1960) Papers, 1944-1958

Held by The Filson Historical Society, Louisville, Kentucky.

Creator: Taylor Wesley, 1881-1960

Title: Papers, 1944-1958

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

Size of Collection: 0.33 cubic feet

Locator Number: Mss./A/W513

Scope and Content Note

The Taylor Wesley Papers consist chiefly of business papers documenting his activity as president of the Lincoln Club, a statewide Republican Party organization. In the collection there is also family and personal correspondence, business correspondence, news clippings, and campaign memorabilia.

A small amount of family and personal correspondence is in the collection. These items include notes of congratulation from Wesley’s children on his election as president of the Lincoln Club and the visit by Vice President Nixon. A single piece of outgoing correspondence to an unknown recipient discusses his duties as president, his family members, acquaintances, and Wesley’s appraisal of the current political situation in Kentucky.

The business correspondence is comprised of letters from organizations outside the Lincoln Club. Correspondents include the Freemasons, Citizens for Eisenhower-Nixon, Congressman Charles G. Oakman of Michigan, Congressman John M. Robinson, Jr. of Kentucky, the Jefferson County Republican Campaign Headquarters, the Kentucky Federation of Republican Women’s Clubs, Republican Organization Headquarters of Louisville and Jefferson County, and a copy of an outgoing letter from Wesley to the president-elect of the National Association of Postal Supervisors.

The business papers form the bulk of the collection and concern Wesley’s activities as President of the Lincoln Club. There are several items related to a 1957 visit by Vice President Richard Nixon, as well as correspondence with club members, speeches, and newsletters.

The news clippings chiefly concern the visit by Vice President Nixon, but also contain letters to the editor (some by Wesley and some by other authors) and clippings about Wesley and the Lincoln Club.

This collection also includes two small items of Republican Party campaign paraphernalia. The first is a small card with a red and blue background and “IKE” written in large block white letters, created in support of Dwight D. Eisenhower’s presidential campaign. The second is a “Donkey Dollar” which is a scaled down paper bill that criticizes Democratic administrations for cost of living increases, and urges voters to elect Republican candidates.

Biographical Note

Taylor Wesley, born in 1881, became a special clerk to aid his father, a postal worker, in 1895 and this began 56 years of postal service. In 1905, Taylor became assistant postmaster in Waynesburg, Kentucky. He was named postmaster there in 1907 and became a clerk in Louisville, Kentucky in 1909. When the parcel post system was started, Taylor was assigned to it. He was appointed a foreman in 1922 and became assistant superintendant at the Main Street station in 1923. When that station was abandoned after construction of the Post Office at Sixth & Broadway, he went there as a clerk. He retired in 1951.

He was a president of the Lincoln Club, a statewide Republican organization. He attended almost every Lincoln Day dinner beginning in 1915. He was also a president of the Kentucky Association of Postal Supervisors of Louisville and a secretary of Shawnee Masonic Lodge. He was a member of the Hi-12 Club, The Filson Club, and the National Association for Retired Civil Employees. He was also a member of the West Broadway Methodist Church.

He married Stella Maud Phelps, daughter of Demp and Polly (Trowbridge) Phelps, on March 19, 1902 at Eubank, Kentucky. Wesley died in 1960.

Folder List

Folder 1: Family and Personal Correspondence, 1957-1958

Folder 2: Business Correspondence, 1945-1958

Folder 3: Business Papers, 1944-1958

Folder 4: News Clippings, circa 1955-1957

Folder 5: Campaign Memorabilia, 1950s

 

Subject Headings

Campaign paraphernalia – United States

Clubs – Kentucky

Cooper, John Sherman, 1901-1991

Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David), 1890-1969

Lincoln Club (Louisville, Ky.)

Newsletters – Kentucky

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

Nixon, Richard M. (Richard Milhous), 1913-1994

Politics and government – Kentucky

Political clubs – Kentucky

Republican Party (Ky.)

Robsion, John M., Jr., 1904-1990

Siler, Eugene, 1900-1987