Jefferson, John F. (1833-1910) Scrapbooks, 1849-1887

Held by The Filson Historical Society 

Creator:  Jefferson, John F., 1833-1910 

Title:  Scrapbooks, 1849-1887 

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

Size of Collection:  19 volumes, 1 wrapped folder 

Location Number:  Mss. SB J45 

Scope and Content Note 

John F. Jefferson, a prominent Louisville merchant, compiled at least 15 of the 19 surviving scrapbooks in Louisville and during visits to New Orleans and Pass Christian, Mississippi, between 1881 and 1887. He organized each of his scrapbooks by themes such as “Events and Occurrences,” “Biographical,” “Personal,” “Jeffersonian,” “Curious and Wonderful,” “Recipes and Good Advice,” “Sermons, Letters, Speeches,” and “Miscellaneous.” Within his categories, the clippings are organized loosely chronologically. Several scrapbooks cover the same time period. Some themes and events appear in different categories and different scrapbooks. Please note that the numbering system for this collection does not match Jefferson’s original system which indicates that Volumes 5-7 and 11 and 12 are missing. 

The themes of the collection reflect Jefferson’s interests in religion, politics, business, fraternal organizations, poetry, literature, the theater, Louisville residents and events, his family, self help and sensational news. A staunch Democrat, he collected numerous articles on the political issues of the times at all levels of government as well as historical events from the late ante-bellum era to the presidency of Grover Cleveland (1884-1888). Many clippings refer to figures and events of the Civil War and Reconstruction era. 

Religious topics largely represent his denomination, the Methodist Episcopal Church South, as well as local Louisville churches. Jefferson also collected sermons of evangelists, most prominently Thomas DeWitt Talmage, and his own writings for the Nashville Christian Advocate. As a businessman, he collected materials related to the national economy, national business news, and local businesses, including fraud and scandal. Business clippings also include lists of wealthy Louisville taxpayers, business transactions, and advertisements for his firm T.L. Jefferson & Bros. 

Jefferson was an avid collector of theater-related articles as well as poems and essays on a variety of subjects which include the works of major and minor literary figures of the era. The categories “Anecdotes” and “Humorous and Wonderful” contain articles about the supernatural and human oddities as well as the writings of noted humorists of the times, including “Bill Arp,” “Professor Julius Caesar Hannibal,” and “Josh Billings.” His interest in sensational news (“Events and Occurrences”) is reflected in clippings regarding murder trials and catastrophes such as railroad and steam boat accidents, epidemics, fires, and natural disasters. 

The collection also contains miscellaneous news about Louisville, including events, prominent citizens, and sights as well as numerous obituaries and marriage notices. Those topics appear in the categories “Events and Occurrences” and “Personal.” He collected numerous articles on the personal, political and business activities of himself and his family under the heading “Jeffersonian.” Clippings collected under the “Good Advice” heading relate to health, first aid, grooming, etiquette, courtship and marriage, personal finance, food, drink, tobacco usage, travel, gardening, farming, pest control and other topics. 

Biographical Note 

John F. Jefferson (1833-1910) was one of three brothers who operated the wholesale and retail grocery T. L. Jefferson & Bros. Originally on the southeast corner of Brook and Market Streets, it later moved to the northwest corner of First and Main Streets in Louisville. Their parents, Thomas and Elizabeth Jefferson, came to Louisville from Baltimore in 1831. In Louisville, Elizabeth Jefferson started a store that prospered into a family business. The eldest son, Thomas L. Jefferson (1826-1884), left the family business in 1852 and started his own company that grew into T. L. Jefferson & Bros. 

The Jefferson brothers and their families were prominent businessmen and respected members of Louisville society. Thomas L. Jefferson was a member of the Common Council, the Board of Aldermen, and the Legislature. In 1873 he was elected state senator. Thomas L. Jefferson also served as a director of the Bank of Louisville in 1859 as well as of the Louisville & Frankfort and the Lexington & Frankfort railroad companies from 1872-74. From 1880 until his death, he was the president of the Kentucky and Louisville Mutual Insurance Company. 

Henry T. Jefferson (1840-1928) was also an elected member of the City Council and nominated as candidate for mayor in 1876. Both Henry T. and Thomas L. Jefferson were Masons, the latter was the president of the Masonic Orphans’ and Widows’ Home in Louisville. 

John F. Jefferson remained a bachelor and often lived with the family of his younger brother and business partner Henry and his wife Julia. He was a staunch Democrat, and Unionist during the Civil War, who made an unsuccessful bid for the State Legislature in 1863. A member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, he attended the Broadway Methodist Church for over sixty years. He was also a Mason and a member of the Excelsior Lodge. An experienced fisherman, he traveled extensively and several of his letters from abroad were published in the Courier-Journal in 1879. 

Volume List 

Vol. 1, 1854 (?)-1864 

• Sketches and short stories 
• Poetry – humorous 
• Personal 
• Speeches and letters 
• Poetry national 
• Historical 
• Poetry miscellaneous – part 1st 
• Events and occurrences – part 1st 
• Anecdotes 
• Biographical – part 1st 

Vol. 2, 1849-1866 

• Events and occurrences – part 2nd 
• Poetry – Civil War 
• Humorous – Part 1st 
• The Civil War 
• Poetry – Miscellaneous – Part 2nd 
• Humorous – Part 2nd 
• Biographical – Part 2nd 
• Poetry – Miscellaneous – Part 3rd 
• Appendix – Prose – Miscellaneous 

Vol. 3, 1853-1869 

• Valuable Receipts 
• Hymnal 
• Mortuary 
• Good Advice and Valuable Instructions 
• Published Writings of John F. Jefferson 
• Jeffersonian 
• Sample of Advertisements – Jeffersonian 
• Valuable Recipes, No. 2 
• Poetry Miscellaneous, No. 7 
• Jeffersonian, No. 2 
• Good Advice and Valuable Instructions, No. 2 

Vol. 4, 1869-1877 

• Jeffersonian and Personal 
• Curious and Wonderful 
• Marriages and deaths 
• Advice, Recipes 
• Historical and Statistical 
• Poetry 
• Anecdotes and Humorous 
• Miscellaneous 
• Biographical 

Vol. 5, 1874-1882 

• Biographical 
• Events and Occurrences 
• Personal 
• Miscellaneous 
• Curious and Strange and Wonderful 
• Hymnal 
• Sermons, Speeches, Letters 

Vol. 6, 1869-1881 

• Events and Occurrences 
• Sermons, Speeches, Letters 
• Good Advice and Recipes 
• Anecdotes and Humor 
• Personal, including Jeffersonian 
• Biographical 
• Historical and Statistics 
• Poetical 

Vol. 7, 1869-1877 

• Occurrences 
• Letters and Speeches 

Vol. 8, 1869-1878 

• Events and Occurrences 
• Biographical 
• Sermons, Speeches, Letters 
• Jeffersonian 
• Recipes, good advice 
• Poetry 
• Miscellaneous 
• Anecdotes and humorous 
• Historical, statistical 
• Hymnal 
• Curious and wonderful 
• Events and occurrences 

Vol. 9, 1867-1883 

• Events and Occurrences 
• Personal, Jeffersonian 
• Miscellaneous 
• Biographical 
• Events and Occurrences 
• Sermons and speeches 
• Historical 

Vol. 10, 1872-1885 

• Events and Occurrences 
• Curious and Wonderful 
• Personal 
• Personal and Jeffersonian 
• Personal 
• Poetical 
• Biographical 
• Sermons, letters, speeches 
• Miscellaneous 
• Vol. 11, 1872-1878 
• Events and Occurrences 
• Jeffersonian and Personal 
• Biographical 
• Historical and Statistical 
• Anecdotes and Humorous 
• Hymnal 
• Miscellaneous 
• Ohio River Flood of 1884 
• Letters and Speeches 

Vol. 12, 1883 

• Events and occurrences 
• Miscellaneous 
• Personal 

Vol. 13, 1881-1884 

• Events and Occurrences 
• Curious and Wonderful 
• Biographical 
• Miscellaneous 
• Personal 
• Jeffersonian/Personal 
• Personal 
• Recipes, good advice 
• Anecdotes and Humorous 
• Historical, Statistical 
• Letters, Sermons, Speeches 
• Events and Occurrences 

Vol. 14, 1881-1885 

• Events and Occurrences 
• Necrological and Biographical 
• Miscellany 
• Personal and Jeffersonian 
• Anecdotes and Humorous 
• Historical and Statistical 
• Recipes and Good Advice 
• Curious, Unique, and wonderful 
• Sermons and letters 
• Necrological and Biographical 

Vol. 15, 1880-1884 

• Events and Occurrences 
• Necrological and Biographical 
• Personal and Jeffersonian 
• Poetical 
• Historical, Statistical 
• Miscellany 
• Information 
• Curious, unique, and wonderful 
• Sermons, Letters, Speeches 

Vol. 16, 1882-1886 

• Events and Occurrences 
• Mortuary and Biographical 
• Sermons, Speeches, Letters 
• Jeffersonian 
• Personal 
• Jeffersonian 
• Personal 
• Miscellaneous 
• Recipes and Good Advice 
• Matrimonial 
• Wonderful and Curious 

Vol. 17, 1874-1887 

• Events and Occurrences 
• Mortuary and Biographical 
• Sermons, Speeches, Letters 
• Personal 
• Jeffersonian 
• Personal 
• Miscellaneous 
• Curious and Wonderful 
• Matrimonial 
• Historical, Statistical 
• Poetical 
• Anecdotes and humorous 

Vol. 18, 1886-1887 

• Events and Occurrences 
• Sermons, Speeches, Letters 
• Mortuary, Biographical/Jeffersonian 
• Personal 
• Jeffersonian 
• Miscellaneous 
• Events and Occurrences 
• Sermons 

Vol. 19, 1887 

• Events and Occurrences 
• Mortuary and Biographical 
• Sermons, Speeches, Letters 
• Historical and Statistical 
• Good Advice, Recipes 
• Miscellaneous 
• Personalities 
• Jeffersonian 
• Curious and Wonderful 
• Matrimonial 
• T.L. Jefferson addenda 
• Jeffersonian 

Subject Headings 

African Americans – Kentucky – Louisville. 

Blackburn, Luke Pryor, 1816-1887. 

Boyer, Mary, 1797-1869. 

Breckinridge, John C. (John Cabell), 1821-1875 – Death and burial. 

Broadsides – Kentucky – Louisville. 

Business enterprises – Kentucky – Louisville. 

Capital punishment – United States – History. 

Cave Hill Cemetery (Louisville, Ky.) 

City councils – Kentucky – Louisville. 

Cleveland, Grover, 1837-1908. 

Courthouse Riot, Cincinnati, Oh., 1884. 

Death – 19th century. 

Disasters – 19th century. 

Evangelicalism – 19th century. 

Fires – United States. 

Floods – Kentucky – Louisville. 

Freemasons. 

Garfield, James A. (James Abram), 1831-1881 – Assassination. 

Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885 – Death and burial. 

Haymarket Square Riot, Chicago, Ill., 1886. 

Health – Social aspects. 

Hendricks, Thomas A. (Thomas Andrews), 1819-1885 – Death and burial. 

James, Jesse, 1847-1882. 

Jefferson family. 

Jefferson, Henry T. (Henry Theodore), 1840-1928. 

Jefferson, Thomas L. (Thomas Lewis), 1826-1884. 

Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875. 

Jones, Leonard, 1797-1868. 

Kentucky – History – Civil War, 1861-1865. 

Kentucky. Militia. Louisville Legion. 

Louisville (Ky.) – Description and travel. 

Louisville (Ky.) – History – 19th century. 

Louisville (Ky.) – Race relations. 

Louisville (Ky.) – Religion. 

Louisville (Ky.) – Social life and customs. 

Methodist Episcopal Church, South – 19th century. 

Poetry – Collections. 

Political parties – United States – History – 19th century. 

Prentice, George D. (George Denison), 1802-1870. 

Presidents – United States. 

Prostitution – Press coverage. 

Railroad Strike, U.S., 1877. 

Railroads – Kentucky 

Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877). 

Rousseau, Lovell Harrison, 1818-1869. 

Scrapbooks – Kentucky – Louisville. 

Self help techniques. 

Sensationalism in journalism – 19th century. 

Slavery – United States – Public opinion. 

Steamboat disasters. 

Southern Exposition (Louisville, Ky.) 

Spradling, Washington, 1802-1868. 

Theater – United States – History – 19th century. 

Tilden, Samuel J. (Samuel Jones), 1814-1886 – Death and burial 

Trials (Murder) – Kentucky – Louisville. 

United States – History – 1815-1861. 

United States – History – Civil War, 1861-1865. 

United States – History – Civil War, 1861-1865 – Poetry. 

United States – History – Civil War, 1861-1865 – Songs and music. 

Vanderbilt, William H. (William Henry), 1821-1885. 

Ward, Matt F. (Matthew Flourney), 1826-1862. 

Wit and humor.