McElroy, William Thomas (1829-1910) Papers, 1850-1869

Held by The Filson Historical Society 

Creator:  McElroy, William Thomas, 1829-1910 

Title:  Papers, 1850-1869 

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

Size of Collection:  0.33 cubic feet 

Location Number:  Mss. A M141 

Scope and Content Note 

Papers include letters discussing McElroy’s education and personal life; a statement about his false arrest and controversy surrounding the Walnut Street Presbyterian Church in Louisville; and McElroy’s journals, 1852-1868, 1889, and 1901-1905, chronicling his studies at Union Theological Seminary, N.Y., 1852-1854, his pastorates at Presbyterian churches in Mercer County, Paris, Maysville, and Louisville, Ky., and Mobile, Ala. and discussing events surrounding his family, spiritual matters and meditations, McElroy’s day-to-day thoughts, slavery, free African Americans, the Civil War, and the conflict between Old School and New School Presbyterians. An additional volume contains records for various years and churches of baptisms, marriages, new members, expenses, and sermons preached. 

Also included are papers of geologist Samuel Addison Casseday, including his 1853-1854 travel journal in which he recounts his experiences and observations while in Europe. His papers include a note written in French from Prussian scientist Alexander Von Humboldt, who granted a visit to the young Casseday. He describes his interview with Humboldt in his travel journal. 

Biographical Note 

1829 Born near Lebanon, Ky. 

1850 Graduated from Centre College. 

1854 Graduated from Union Seminary in New York. 

1854 Ordained by the Providence Presbytery in Kentucky. 

1854-1857 Served at New Providence and Salvisa. 

1857-1860 Served in Paris, Ky. 

1859 Married Eliza Casseday of Louisville. 

1860-1862 Served in Maysville. 

1862-1868 Served at the Walnut Street Church, Louisville, Ky. 

1868-1870 Served at the Westminster Church, Louisville. 

1870-1872 Served as an evangelist in Louisville. 

1872-1880 Served in Perryville. 

1880-1882 Served at Pisgah Church in Transylvania Presbytery. 

1893-1895 Served at Lees Summit, Mo. 

1895-1897 Served at Woodlawn Church in Birmingham, Ala. 

1898 Served at Ford, Ky. 

1899-1901 Served at Winchester, Ky. 

1904-1910 Served at the Broad Street Church in Mobile, Ala. 

1910 Died in Mobile, Ala. 

Folder List 

Box 1 

1 Letters and papers, 1850-1869.

2 Samuel Casseday letter, 1838. 

3 Samuel Casseday correspondence, 1853-1859. 

4 Samuel Casseday journal, 1853-1854. 

5 Letter from Alice Hegan Rice to Fannie Duncan Casseday, 1903 Jan. 30. 

6 Correspondence to Mary Ann McNutt, 1838-1851. 

7 William Thomas McElroy notebook, 1850-1863.

8 William Thomas McElroy notebook, 1853-1854.

9 William Thomas McElroy notebook, 1856.

10 William Thomas McElroy journal, 1852-1905