Moses Kaufman papers
Abstract
The Moses Kaufman papers (dated 1874-1924; 2.5 cubic feet; 6 boxes) comprise correspondence, manuscripts, scrapbooks, portrait drawings, and newspaper clippings that document Moses Kaufman's life as a businessman and political figure in Lexington, Kentucky during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Moses Kaufman papers
- Date
- 1874-1924 (inclusive)
- Extent
- 2.5 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Antisemitism -- United States
- Business correspondence
- Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
- Democratic Party (U.S.) -- History -- 20th century
- Elections -- Kentucky.
- Family -- History
- Jewish businesspeople
- Jewish historians -- Kentucky.
- Jewish leadership -- Kentucky -- Lexington
- Jewish merchants -- Kentucky -- Lexington
- Lexington (Ky.) -- History
- Obituaries.
- Postmasters.
- Prohibition -- Kentucky.
- Roads -- Design and construction -- Kentucky -- 19th Century.
- Scrapbooks
- Water-supply -- Kentucky -- Lexington.
- James, Ollie Murray, 1871-1918
- Wendell H. Ford Public Policy Research Center
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by format.
- Preferred Citation
- 87m49: [identificiation of item], Moses Kaufman papers, 1874-1924, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Moses Kaufman was born on January 15, 1845, in Bavaria, Germany. His parents were Menke and Rela Strauss Kaufman, and he had a twin sister named Sarah. In 1858, Kaufman moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, and worked with his uncle, Meyer Strauss, in the clothing business. During 1867, Kaufman married Esther Levy, daughter of Rabbi Isaac Levy of Cincinnati. Together, they had five children though one died during childhood. Also in 1867, Kaufman moved to Lexington, Kentucky, where he established the Kaufman Clothing Company with his cousin, Phil Strauss. In 1879, Kaufman began a long career in local government when he was elected to the General City Council of Lexington. In 1895, Kaufman was elected to represent Lexington in the Kentucky State Legislature. Five years later, in 1900, he became city treasurer until in 1905 he was appointed as city auditor, a position which he held for eight years. On January 5, 1915, Kaufman was appointed postmaster by President Woodrow Wilson and served this post until 1924 when he retired.
- Kaufman wrote frequently in local newspapers, such as the Lexington Herald, on topics regarding Judaism. Oftentimes he wrote to explain the significance of Jewish people in global and American history to a predominately Christian audience within Lexington. He was invited to speak on Judaism with the Methodist Centenary Church, the Knights of Columbus, the University of Kentucky, Hamilton College, and the Young Men's Institute, a Catholic organization. Kaufman also published writings criticizing antisemitic articles printed by The Dearborn Independent, a newspaper owned by Henry Ford. He helped organize the Adath Israel congregation, the first Jewish congregation in Lexington. Esther Kaufman died in 1922, and Moses Kaufman died two years later, in 1924.
- Scope and Content
- The Moses Kaufman papers (dated 1874-1924; 2.5 cubic feet; 6 boxes) comprise correspondence, manuscripts, scrapbooks, portrait drawings, and newspaper clippings that document Moses Kaufman's life as a businessman and political figure in Lexington, Kentucky during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The collection contains documents concerning the Jewish community of Lexington, particularly describing Judeo-Christian relationships within Lexington and the work of the Spinoza Society, which organized burials for Jewish individuals in Lexington. Newspaper clippings detail the development of the Kaufman Clothing Company, Kaufman's role in city government, his efforts in explaining Judaism to a Christian audience, and his defense of Judaism from antisemitic views. Correspondence reveals Kaufman's relationships with prominent individuals such as Judge Charles Kerr, Senator J.C.W. Beckham, Cotton Noe, suffragist Josephine K. Henry, Irvin S. Cobb, Samuel M. Wilson, James C. Cantrill, Johnson Camden, May Collins, Helen R. Gutman, Ollie M. James, and State Senator Thomas A. Combs.
- Scrapbooks and newspaper clippings within this collection detail Kaufman's government career through his many years as a city councilman, state representative, city auditor, city treasurer, and as postmaster. Topics within these clippings discuss his role in securing Lexington's waterworks, modernization of infrastructure, and Kaufman's run for the office of mayor of Lexington. This collection also contains articles concerning Jewish history written by Moses Kaufman and published in local newspapers. Topics include Jewish history and oppression within Russia, the beliefs of Judaism, Jewish history from antiquity through U.S. history, and prohibition. Much correspondence within this collection discusses articles written by Moses Kaufman concerning his youth and the concept of the soul as friends and neighbors wrote to him to thank him for his work. The collection also contains obituaries concerning Esther Kaufman, Moses Kaufman, Charles Chilton Moore, May Collins, and several other friends of Kaufman. Additional clippings from this collection discuss the history of Jewish people in Lexington as well as the business sector of the city.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
Manuscripts, circa 1922
Correspondence, 1896-1924
Allen, Robert McDowell correspondence, 1917
Anderson, F. Paul correspondence, 1921-1923
Beckham, J.C.W. correspondence, 1900-1914
Beckner, Lucien correspondence, 1922
Bogatzky, Lilian correspondence, 1920
Bowmar, Dan M correspondence, 1922
Breckinridge, Desha correspondence, 1924
Byonz, W.V. correspondence, 1915
Cantrill, J. Campbell correspondence, 1916
Carroll, John D. correspondence, 1920
Cassidy, J. Ernest correspondence, 1911
Cassidy, M. A. correspondence, 1917-1922
Collins, May Louise correspondence and obituary, 1896
Combs, Thomas A. correspondence, 1918-1920
Conkwright, Bessie Taul correspondence, 1920-1922
DesCognets, Louis correspondence, 1920
Gutman, Helen correspondence, 1921
Hawkins, W. B. correspondence, 1921
Henry, Josephine K. correspondence, 1896-1923
Houchin, R. M. correspondence, undated
Kahn, Fannie correspondence, undated
Kaufman, Moses correspondence drafts, undated
Kerr, Charles correspondence, 1914-1924
Landman, Isaac, 1923
Lynch, Billy correspondence, 1915
Maret, James correspondence, 1922
Melcher, Columbus R. correspondence, 1923
Minor, John correspondence, 1920
Noe, James Thomas Cotton correspondence, 1914-1922
Patterson, James K. correspondence, 1917
Rauch, Joseph correspondence, 1923
Ross, James M. correspondence, 1919
Stackhouse, T. C. correspondence, 1921
Stanley, A. O. correspondence, 1922-1924
Stewart, J. G. correspondence, 1907
Straus, Isaac and Stanley correspondence, 1921
Strauss, Ben and Joseph correspondence, 1911-1921
Whitley, W. H. correspondence, 1920
Wilson, Samuel M correspondence, 1922-1923
Wise, Leo correspondence, 1923
Correspondence concerning the death of Esther Kaufman, 1922
Moses Kaufman birthday letters, 1919-1924
Postmaster correspondence, 1915-1922
Scrapbooks and clippings, 1874-1924
Charles C. Moore obituaries, 1906
Friends articles and clippings, 1901-1917
James Mulligan poems and obituary, 1915
Judaism articles and clippings, 1903-1924
Judaism articles and clippings, undated
Kaufman Clothing Company and retail, 1880-1918
Lexington city government, 1904-1916
Lexington city government and finances, 1904-1924
Lexington post office and postmaster appointment, 1914-1921
Lexington social life, 1893-1917
Moses Kaufman obituaries, 1924
Moses Kaufman poetry, 1890-1921
Political activities; clippings, 1893-1918
Moses Kaufman scrapbook no. 1, concerning Lexington city government, 1874-1883
Moses Kaufman scrapbook no. 2, 1877-1896
Moses Kaufman scrapbook no. 3 concerning market house and elections, 1879-1881
Moses Kaufman scrapbook no. 4, 1883-1892, 1901-1904
Moses Kaufman scrapbook no. 5, 1893, 1913-1914
Moses Kaufman scrapbook no. 6, 1901-1915
Moses Kaufman scrapbook no. 7, 1894-1923
Moses Kaufman scrapbook no. 8, 1895-1924
Portraits, 1908
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Table of Contents
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UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
