Denhardt, Henry H. (1876-1937) Papers, 1907-1931
Held by The Filson Historical Society
Creator: Denhardt, Henry H., 1876-1937
Title: Papers, 1907-1931 (bulk 1923-1930)
Rights: For information regarding literary and copyright interest for these papers, contact the Curator of Special Collections.
Size of Collection: 5 cubic feet
Location Number: Mss./A/D393
Scope and Content Note
The Denhardt Papers include correspondence and other material related to Denhardt’s political career in the 1920s and the issues important in those elections. Correspondence reveals how campaigns operated in that era and also includes information on organized labor, prohibition, gambling, and veterans’ affairs. The collection also contains correspondence, lawsuits, and other items related to Denhardt’s role in putting down a labor riot in Newport, Kentucky. Other topics include Floyd Collins and the 1926 lynching of Primus Kirby.
Certain newspapers were transferred from the Denhardt Papers to the Filson Library. These mostly included rare political and labor newspapers from Kentucky.
Biographical Note
Born in Bowling Green in 1876, Henry H. Denhardt was a lawyer, soldier, and politician. After earning a law degree from Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee, Denhardt returned to Bowling Green and served as a prosecuting attorney and later as judge. In 1916, Denhardt joined General John J. Pershing’s expedition into Mexico, and two years later, he fought on the western front in World War I, earning commendations for valor and a promotion to lieutenant colonel. Continuing his military career in the Kentucky National Guard, Denhardt attained the rank of brigadier general. In 1923, he entered politics and was elected as lieutenant governor, serving for four years under Governor William J. Fields. Denhardt unsuccessfully ran for governor in 1927 and returned to Bowling Green, while staying involved in local politics. On election day in 1930, a political rival shot Denhardt in the back at a polling place. After his recovery, Denhardt served a four-year term as Kentucky’s Adjutant General. When his term ended in 1935, Denhardt retired to his farm in Oldham County and began a romantic relationship with Verna Taylor, a La Grange widow. In November 1936, Taylor was found on a country road, dead from a gunshot wound. Denhardt was suspected of her murder, and a trial ended in a hung jury. In the spring of 1937, on the night before the second trial was to begin, Taylor’s three brothers killed Denhardt on the streets of Shelbyville. Their trial ended with an acquittal.
Folder List
Folder 1: Adair County, 1924-1926
Folder 2: Allen County, 1923-1931
Folder 3: Anderson County, 1923-1927
Folder 4: Ballard County, 1925-1926
Folder 5: Barren County, 1922-1930
Folder 6: Bath County, 1923-1931
Folder 7: Bell County, 1923-1927
Folder 8: Bourbon County, 1923-1927
Folder 9: Boyd County, 1923-1927
Folder 10: Boyle County, 1923-1927
Folder 11: Bracken County, 1923-1931
Folder 12: Breathitt County, 1923-1927
Folder 13: Breckinridge County, 1923-1926
Folder 14: Bullitt County, 1923
Folder 15: Butler County, 1923-1927
Folder 16: Caldwell County, 1923-1927
Folder 17: Calloway County, 1923-1927
Folder 18: Campbell County, 1922-1926
Folder 19: Campbell County, 1927-1929; Miscellaneous
Folder 20: Carlisle County, 1923-1925
Folder 21: Carroll County, 1923-1930
Folder 22: Carter County, 1923-1927
Folder 23: Casey County, 1923
Folder 24: Christian County, 1923-1927
Folder 25: Clark County, 1923-1927
Folder 26: Clay County, no date
Folder 27: Clinton County, 1923-1927
Folder 28: Crittenden County, 1923-1926
Folder 29: Cumberland County, 1923-1930
Folder 30: Daviess County, 1923-1931
Folder 31: Edmonson County, 1923-1931
Folder 32: Elliott County, 1923-1927
Folder 33: Estill County, 1923-1928
Folder 34: Fayette County, 1923-1925
Folder 35: Fayette County, 1926-1927
Folder 36: Fleming County, 1923-1926
Folder 37: Floyd County, 1923-1927
Folder 38: Franklin County, 1923-1931
Folder 39: Fulton County, 1923-1931
Folder 40: Gallatin County, 1924-1927
Folder 41: Garrard County, 1923-1930
Folder 42: Grant County, 1923-1927
Folder 43: Graves County, 1923-1927
Folder 44: Grayson County, 1923-1931
Folder 45: Green County, 1923-1924
Folder 46: Greenup County, 1923-1925
Folder 47: Hardin County, 1920-1927
Folder 48: Harlan County, 1923-1927
Folder 49: Harrison County, 1923-1926
Folder 50: Hart County, 1923-1927
Folder 51: Henderson County, 1923-1930
Folder 52: Henry County, 1923-1927
Folder 53: Hickman County, 1923-1931
Folder 54: Hopkins County, 1923-1927
Folder 55: Jefferson County, 1919-1923
Folder 56: Jefferson County, 1924-1925
Folder 57: Jefferson County, January-May 1926
Folder 58: Jefferson County, June-December 1926
Folder 59: Jefferson County, 1927-1931
Folder 60: Jessamine County, 1923-1929
Folder 61: Johnson County, 1923-1927
Folder 62: Kenton County, 1923-1929
Folder 63: Knott County, 1923-1931
Folder 64: Knox County, 1923-1926
Folder 65: Larue County, 1923-1926
Folder 66: Laurel County, 1923-1930
Folder 67: Laurence County, 1922-1927
Folder 68: Lee County, 1923-1929
Folder 69: Letcher County, 1923-1929
Folder 70: Lewis County, 1923-1927
Folder 71: Lincoln County, 1921-1927
Folder 72: Livingston County, 1923-1925
Folder 73: Logan County, 1923-1930
Folder 74: Lyon County, 1923-1926
Folder 75: Madison County, 1923-1927
Folder 76: Magoffin County, 1923-1926
Folder 77: Marion County, 1923-1927
Folder 78: Marshall County, 1923-1926
Folder 79: Martin County, 1923-1926
Folder 80: Mason County, 1923-1931
Folder 81: McCracken County, 1923-1927
Folder 82: McCreary County, 1923-1926
Folder 83: McLean County, 1923-1927
Folder 84: Meade County, 1923-1927
Folder 85: Menifee County, 1920-1927
Folder 86: Mercer County, 1923-1927
Folder 87: Metcalfe County, 1923-1927
Folder 88: Monroe County, 1923-1926
Folder 89: Montgomery County, 1923-1927
Folder 90: Morgan County, 1923-1926
Folder 91: Muhlenberg County, 1923-1931
Folder 92: Nelson County, 1923-1931
Folder 93: Nicholas County, 1923-1927
Folder 94: Ohio County, 1923-1927
Folder 95: Oldham County, 1923-1926
Folder 96: Owen County, 1923-1927
Folder 97: Pendleton County, 1923-1927
Folder 98: Perry County, 1923-1929
Folder 99: Pike County, 1923-1926
Folder 100: Pulaski County, 1923-1925
Folder 101: Robertson County, 1923-1927
Folder 102: Rockcastle County, 1923-1926
Folder 103: Rowan County, 1923-1926
Folder 104: Russell County, 1923
Folder 105: Scott County, 1923-1929
Folder 106: Shelby County, 1923-1927
Folder 107: Simpson County, 1923-1926
Folder 108: Spencer County, 1927
Folder 109: Taylor County, 1924-1926
Folder 110: Todd County, 1923-1931
Folder 111: Trigg County, 1923-1926
Folder 112: Trimble County
Folder 113: Union County, 1923-1925
Folder 114: Warren County, 1925-March 1926
Folder 115: Warren County, April-December 1926
Folder 116: Warren County, 1927-1928
Folder 117: Warren County, 1928-1931
Folder 118: Washington County, 1923-1927
Folder 119: Wayne County, 1923-1930
Folder 120: Webster County, 1923-1927
Folder 121: Whitley County, 1923-1929
Folder 122: Wolfe County, 1923-1927
Folder 123: Woodford County, 1923-1927
Folder 124: Accounts
Folder 125: American Legion – Correspondence, 1921-1931
Folder 126: American Legion – Miscellaneous
Folder 127: Anti-Saloon League
Folder 128: Automobile
Folder 129: Board of Health
Folder 130: Charities & Corrections
Folder 131: Coal
Folder 132: Floyd Collins
Folder 133: Colored
Folder 134: Commendations
Folder 135: Committee Requests
Folder 136: Confederate Memorial
Folder 137: Corporation Matters, Political
Folder 138: County Boards of Election
Folder 139: Crippled Children
Folder 140: Dark Tobacco Growers Co-Operative Association
Folder 141: Democratic Campaign
Folder 142: Democratic Committee – State, County & City
Folder 143: Democratic Convention
Folder 144: Education
Folder 145: Election material
Folder 146: Evolution
Folder 147: George G. Fetter Co.
Folder 148: Fine
Folder 149: Forms
Folder 150: General File
Folder 151: Governor
Folder 152: Highway Department
Folder 153: Home Building
Folder 154: Inauguration
Folder 155: Kentucky
Folder 156: Labor
Folder 157: Lawsuits – Denhardt v. Ferrill
Folder 158: Lawsuits – Doty v. Nunnelly
Folder 159: Lawsuits – Doty v. Nunnelly, notes
Folder 160: Lawsuits – Garrison & Garrison v. McFarland
Folder 161: Lawsuits – Glass v. Mackey
Folder 162: Lawsuits – Joe Goldberg
Folder 163: Lawsuits – Grider & Gardner v. Roberts
Folder 164: Lawsuits – Grimes & Johnson v. Sublett, et al
Folder 165: Lawsuits – Hatcher v. Hatcher & Hatcher
Folder 166: Lawsuits – Hodges v. Murray
Folder 167: Lawsuits – Hodges v. Murray, continued
Folder 168: Lawsuits – Hodges v. Murray, continued
Folder 169: Lawsuits – H. A. McElroy Co.
Folder 170: Lawsuits – Newport
Folder 171: Lawsuits – Park City Coal Co.
Folder 172: Lawsuits – Perkins v. Continental Supply Co.
Folder 173: Lawsuits – Asa Runner
Folder 174: Lawsuits – Sturgeon v. Hendrick, et al
Folder 175: Lawsuits – West v. West
Folder 176: Lawsuits – West v. West, Correspondence and Miscellaneous
Folder 177: Lawsuits – Miscellaneous
Folder 178: Legislature
Folder 179: Lieutenant Governor – Correspondence
Folder 180: Lieutenant Governor – Miscellaneous
Folder 181: M. M. Logan Campaign – Correspondence, 1928-September 1930
Folder 182: M. M. Logan Campaign – Correspondence, October 1930, undated
Folder 183: M. M. Logan Campaign Material
Folder 184: M. M. Logan Election Material
Folder 185: M. M. Logan – Miscellaneous
Folder 186: Mammoth Cave
Folder 187: Masons
Folder 188: Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1918-1924
Folder 189: Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1925-1927
Folder 190: Miscellaneous State Matters
Folder 191: Names
Folder 192: National Guard – Correspondence, 1919-1924
Folder 193: National Guard – Correspondence, January-June 1925
Folder 194: National Guard – Correspondence, July 1925-1929
Folder 195: National Guard – Orders, 1919-1927
Folder 196: National Guard – Miscellaneous
Folder 197: Newspaper List
Folder 198: Pardons
Folder 199: Political Matters
Folder 200: Presidential Campaign, 1924
Folder 201: Race Track Gambling
Folder 202: Senate – Correspondence
Folder 203: Senate – Miscellaneous
Folder 204: Senate Committees
Folder 205: Taxation
Folder 206: J. S. Taylor Co. – Insurance
Folder 207: Telephone – Correspondence
Folder 208: Telephone – Miscellaneous
Folder 209: Telephone Merger
Folder 210: Veterans’ Bureau – Correspondence, 1924-1925
Folder 211: Veterans’ Bureau – Correspondence, 1926-1927
Folder 212: Veterans’ Bureau – Miscellaneous
Folder 213: Votes
Folder 214: Warren County (25th Legislative District) Election, 1925
Folder 215: West Virginia
Folder 216: Western Kentucky State Normal & Teacher’s College – Correspondence
Folder 217: Western Kentucky State Normal & Teacher’s College – Reports
Folder 218: Western Kentucky State Normal & Teacher’s College – Lawsuit
Folder 219: Western Kentucky State Normal & Teacher’s College – Miscellaneous
Folder 220: World Court
Folder 221: Miscellaneous (Oversize)
Subject Headings
African Americans – Suffrage
Barkley, Alben William, 1877-1956
Collins, Floyd, 1890-1925
Denhardt, Henry H., 1876-1937
Depressions – 1929
Fields, William Jason, 1874-1954
Kentucky – Politics and government – 1865-1950
Kentucky. National Guard
Ku Klux Klan (1915-)
Labor unions – Kentucky
Lynching – Kentucky
Newport (Ky.)
Prohibition – Kentucky
Tobacco – Kentucky
United States – History – Civil War, 1861-1865 – Monuments
Western Kentucky State Teachers College
World War, 1914-1918 – Veterans
