Leathers Family Papers, 1864-1955

Collection held by the Filson Historical Society, Louisville, Kentucky

Creator: Leathers family

Title: Papers, 1864-1955. 1 cubic foot.

Rights: To the extent that they own copyright, the donor transferred their copyright in the collection to the Filson Historical Society. Copyright in other materials in the collection may be held by their creator, or the creator’s heirs or assigns. Contact the Collections Department at gro.l1763528665aciro1763528665tsihn1763528665oslif1763528665@hcra1763528665eser1763528665 for more information.

Size of Collection: 1 cubic foot

Location Number: Mss. A L438

Finding aid created by: Michael Veach and updated by Jennie Cole

Date finding aid last updated: October 2025

 

Scope and Content Note

Papers collected by Annie Leathers Duncan dealing with her father, John Leathers’, birthday party in 1914 and funeral in 1923. There is also a scrapbook of her social events from the 1890s and materials from Annie’s death in 1955.  These papers include correspondence, newspaper clippings, and scrapbooks.

 

Biographical Note

John Leathers was born in Martinsburg, Virginia (now West Virginia). By 1859, he moved to Louisville and worked for his uncle who was a retail druggist before becoming a bookkeeper in the wholesale clothing firm of William Terry & Co. in 1860. In 1861, Leathers returned to Virginia and joined the 2nd Virginia Infantry, Stonewall’s Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. He was wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg and returned to Louisville in 1865. Leathers married Katherine Armstrong (1847-1927) in 1868 and had at least four children, Charles Francis Leathers, Annie Leathers Duncan, John Allen Leathers, and Stuart Robinson Leathers. Leathers eventually worked for Jones & Tapp, becoming a partner in 1870 and renamed the company Tapp, Leathers & Co. Leathers also became president of the Louisville Banking Company. He was also president of the Confederate Association of Kentucky and instrumental in helping to establish a Confederate Veterans Home on 421 East Chestnut Street in Louisville, Ky. He died in Louisville in 1923.

Annie Leathers Duncan (1872-1955) was born to John and Katherine Armstrong Leathers in 1872; she married Stuart English Duncan in 1902, and they had one child, Anne Stuart Duncan. Ducan was a charter member of the Belgian Circle, a group that made clothing for war victims during World War I. She also belonged to the Woman’s Club of Louisville, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and the Second Presbyterian Church.

Information from Find-A-Grave entry for John Hess Leathers, accessed 7 October 2025 and obituary for Annie Leathers Duncan, Louisville Courier Journal October, 1955.

 

Folder List

Folder 1: Material from John Leathers birthday party, 1914

Folder 2: Newspaper clippings, mostly regarding Annie Leathers

Folder 3: Genealogical material.

Folder 4: Miscellaneous material.

Folder 5: Funeral correspondence, A, circa 1923.

Folder 6: Funeral correspondence, B, circa 1923.

Folder 7: Funeral correspondence, C, circa 1923.

Folder 8: Funeral correspondence, D, circa 1923.

Folder 9: Funeral correspondence, E, circa 1923.

Folder 10: Funeral correspondence, F, circa 1923.

Folder 11: Funeral correspondence, G, circa 1923.

Folder 12: Funeral correspondence, H, circa 1923.

Folder 13: Funeral correspondence, I-J, circa 1923.

Folder 14: Funeral correspondence, K, circa 1923.

Folder 15: Funeral correspondence, L, circa 1923.

Folder 16: Funeral correspondence, M, circa 1923.

Folder 17: Funeral correspondence, N, circa 1923.

Folder 18: Funeral correspondence, O, circa 1923.

Folder 19: Funeral correspondence, P, circa 1923.

Folder 20: Funeral correspondence, Q-R, circa 1923.

Folder 21: Funeral correspondence, S, circa 1923.

Folder 22: Funeral correspondence, T, circa 1923.

Folder 23: Funeral correspondence, U-Y, circa 1923.

Folder 24: Funeral cards and notes on flowers, circa 1923.

Folder 25: Clippings and other loose items from funeral scrapbook, circa 1923.

Folder 26: Gift register book, undated.

Folder 27: Scrapbook of social events, 1889-1892.

Folder 28: Loose items from social scrapbook.

Folder 29: Louisville Celebration for Sixty-third Birthday of Ulysses S. Grant, 1885 (1 vol).

Folder 30: Scrapbook from John Leathers birthday party, 1914.

Folder 31: Scrapbook from John Leathers funeral, 1923.

 

Subject Headings

For more details on how the below subjects appear in this collection, search the subject in the manuscript database at https://filsonhistorical.org/collections/manuscript-database/ .

 

Duncan, Annie Leathers, 1872-1955

Gettysburg, Battle of, Gettysburg, Pa., 1863

Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885

Groundhog Day

Kentucky Anti-Race Track Gambling Commission

Leathers, John Hess, 1841-1923

McCauley’s Theater (Louisville, Ky.)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919