Rogers Clark Ballard Thruston and the Filson after Durrett
Rogers Clark Ballard Thruston, 1858-1946, “Rogers Clark Ballard Thruston, n.d.,” The Filson Historical Society
Upon Durrett’s death in 1913, arrangements were made for his collection to be sold to the University of Chicago, due to the lack of a fireproof vault for document storage in Louisville. Unfortunately, many of the Filson Club’s collections were incorporated into Durrett’s personal collection, meaning a portion of it left the state.
The Filson Club’s collections that remained after the sale were transferred to the library of Filson vice president, soon to be second president, Rogers Clark Ballard Thruston (1858-1946), located in the Columbia Building at Fourth and Main Streets in Louisville. Prior to his work with the Filson, Thruston was hired as a geological assistant under Albert Rogers Crandall (1840-1926) of the Kentucky Geological Survey. The Survey’s goal was to explore and record the natural resources in Appalachian counties. See the photographs here.
