John Craig Shelby papers
Abstract
The John Craig Shelby papers (dated 1838-1968; 127 cubic feet; 277 boxes, 2 rolled items) contains correspondence, letterbooks, receipts, checks, daybooks, certificates and diplomas, and law case files, which document the law careers and family life of both John Craig Shelby and his father, John Todd Shelby.
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- John Craig Shelby papers
- Date
- 1838-1968
- Creator
- Shelby, John Craig
- Extent
- 127 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Letter books.
- Families -- Kentucky -- History -- 20th century
- Families -- Kentucky -- History -- 19th century.
- Railroads -- Kentucky.
- Railroad companies -- United States -- History.
- Law firms -- Kentucky -- Lexington.
- Law firms -- Kentucky -- Lexington -- 19th century.
- Lawyers -- Kentucky -- Lexington.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by format into six series: Biographical/family, Correspondence, Financial material, Law cases, Miscellaneous, and Packages.
- Preferred Citation
- 72m23: [identification of item], John Craig Shelby papers, 1838-1968, University of Kentucky Special Collections.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- John Todd Shelby, a great grandson of Kentucky's first governor, Isaac Shelby, was born January 25, 1851, in Springfield, Illinois. After attending Centre College (1866-1867) and Transylvania University (1867-1868), Shelby entered Princeton University where he earned his undergraduate degree in 1870 and his master of arts degree in 1873. John Todd Shelby was admitted to the Fayette county bar on March 2, 1872, and began his legal career with the Breckinridge & Buckner, the law firm of W.C.P. Breckinridge. He was the law partner of Kentucky Congressman Breckinridge from September 1875 until the latter's death in November 1904. Shelby continued his legal practice alone until 1907 when his son, John Craig Shelby, joined him in the firm of Shelby & Shelby. Three years later, Robert L. Northcutt became associated with the business and in 1913 the name of the firm was changed to Shelby, Northcutt, & Shelby. For the majority of his career, John Todd Shelby was the legal representative for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Company, the Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company, and the Southern Railway Company. He died March 2, 1920.
- John Craig Shelby was born on November 22, 1883, in Lexington, Kentucky. In 1904, he graduated from the University of Kentucky where he had been a charter member of the Epsilon Chapter of Phi Delta Theta history fraternity. In 1907, he received his law degree from Harvard Law School and entered into partnership with his father. Soon after the death of John Todd Shelby in 1920, he withdrew from the legal profession. He died December 20, 1969.
- Scope and Content
- The John Craig Shelby papers (dated 1838-1968; 127 cubic feet; 277 boxes, 2 rolled items) contains correspondence, letterbooks, receipts, checks, daybooks, certificates and diplomas, and law case files, which document the law careers and family life of both John Craig Shelby and his father, John Todd Shelby. The bulk of the collection consists of case files, which include an extensive group of railroad related cases concerning the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Company, the Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company, and the Southern Railway Company. Additionally, much of the business correspondence concerns railroad activities within Kentucky. Additionally, within the Biographical/family series the collection hold materials for family members of John Todd Shelby including his father, Thomas Hart Shelby; his wife, Lizzie M. Craig Shelby; his father, Thomas Hart Shelby; his uncle, F. Walter Todd; and his children Thomas Hunt Shelby and Christine Shelby. Additional notable names include Robert L. Northcutt, law partner or John Todd and John Craig Shelby; James Richard Bush, the attorney who became Northcutt's partner; and W.C.P. Breckinridge, U.S. Congressman and law partner of John Todd Shelby.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- Property rights reside with the University of Kentucky. The University of Kentucky holds the copyright for materials created in the course of business by University of Kentucky employees. Copyright for all other materials has not been assigned to the University of Kentucky. For information about permission to reproduce or publish, please contact Special Collections.
Contents of the Collection
Biographical/family, 1841-1961, undated
John Todd Shelby, 1872-1943, undated
Episcopal church A-O, undated
Episcopal church P-Z, undated
Princeton University, undated
Princeton University and Texas, undated
John Todd Shelby and George S. Shelby - insurance policies, 1872-1920
Notes of indebtedness and death, 1889-1922
Estate, 1918-1925, 1943
Affiliation with central Kentucky organizations, various pamphlets and periodicals, 1885-1918
Genealogy, political activity, 1896, 1910-1919
Christine Shelby - miscellaneous matters pertaining to Shelby family, undated
Thomas Hunt Shelby/Lizzie M. Shelby, undated
John Craig Shelby, 1926-1961, undated
General personal effects, undated
Calendars, 1926-1961
University of Kentucky, Harvard Law School, undated
Harvard Law School, undated
Phi Delta Theta fraternity, undated
Phi Delta Theta fraternity, undated
Law school notebooks, undated
Law school notebooks and textbooks, undated
Shelby family pictures, undated
Thomas Hart Shelby (father of J.T.S.), W.C.P. Breckinridge, J.R. Bush, personal correspondence, Robert L. Northcutt,, 1841-1938
Correspondence, 1875-1968, undated
Law correspondence, 1875-1919, undated
Kentucky Central Railway Co. and L & N railroad letter books, 1891-1898
L & N letter books, 1898-1904
General letter books, 1875-1887
General letter books, 1887-1892
General letter books, 1892-1895
Breckinridge-Shelby law cases - general letter book, 1895-1898
Copies of general letters, 1898-1901
Copies of general letters, 1901-1903
General letter book, 1898-1900
Daybook, 1904-1919
Breckinridge-Shelby law firm C & O letter book, 1899-1902
C & O letter book and Newport News & Mississippi Valley Co. letter books, undated
Letters pertaining to various railroad companies, 1891-1896
C & O letter books; copy book of Desha Breckinridge, undated
Letters (with index), 1875-1882
Letters (with index), 1879-1884
Letters (with index), 1882-1892
Letters, Abbott to Bryan, undated
Letters, Buckner to Cornell, undated
Letters, Cornick to Fuzer, undated
Letters, Gaff to Hitt, undated
Letters, Hockmeyer to Lincoln, undated
Letters, Lindsey to Mount Sterling, undated
Letters, Muir to Rexford, undated
Breckinridge-Shelby law firm; letters, Rich to Charles H. Stephens, undated
Letters, Stephenson to United Merchants of New York, undated
Letters, Union National Bank to Young; miscellaneous, undated
John Todd Shelby personal correspondence, undated
F. Walton Todd correspondence, undated
John Craig Shelby personal correspondence, 1931-1968, undated
Ab-Ew, undated
Fig-Ailene Lockwood, 1931, undated
Ailene Lockwood-Pay, 1932, undated
Pen-Thomas H. Shelby, 1939, undated
Thomas H. Shelby, 1940-1957
Thomas H. Shelby, Nellie Straughton, 1940, 1957
Nellie Straughton, 1941-1968
Stri-Mary Williams, 1930, undated
Mary Williams-unidentified letters, 1932, undated
Financial material, 1875-1967, undated
Law firm, 1875-1951, undated
Breckinridge-Shelby Firm - order book, abstract of cases, ledgers, account statements, undated
Daybooks, 1877-1899
Daybooks, 1900-1904
L & N letter books, L & N voucher book, undated
Receipts from clients, 1875-1898
Checks, 1891-1894
Checks, 1895-1943
Checks, checkbook stubs, book statements, 1891-1943
Shelby, Northcutt, & Shelby checks and checkbook stubs, 1913-1951
Shelby, Northcutt, & Shelby day books 3 and 4, 1914-1927
Shelby, Northcutt, and Shelby-Ledger B Shelby & Shelby firm-check, checkbook stubs and bank books, undated
Shelby & Shelby firm: checks, daybooks, 1907-1914
Shelby family investments, undated
John Todd Shelby, 1884-1920, undated
Personal checks, 1911-1914
Personal checks, 1915-1918
Personal checks, bank books, 1893-1920
Office checks, checkbook stubs, account books, and bank books, 1884-1910
Receipts: A-Bla, undated
Receipts: Blu-Hallie Elliot, undated
Receipts: Milward Elliot-A.F. Harting, undated
Receipts: Harting Drug Store, Lexington Gas Co., undated
Receipts: Lexington Granite Co.-Paton, undated
Receipts: Payne-Wrenn, undated
Wright-Zenszer; home remodeling receipts, literary compositions, eulogies, toasts, and speeches of Shelby family, undated
John Craig Shelby, 1909-1967, undated
Personal checks, 1909-1921
Personal checks, 1922-1929, 1956-1957
Personal checks, 1958-1964
Bank books, bank statements, deposit slips and checkbook stubs, 1909-1929
Bank books, bank statements and checkbook stubs, 1941-1965
Personal checkbook subs, 1909-1921
Personal checkbook stubs, 1936-1937, 1952-1960
Daybooks and accompanying newspaper clippings, 1935-1936, 1938
Daybooks and accompanying newspaper clippings, 1945-1949
Daybooks and accompanying newspaper clippings, 1950-1951
Daybooks and accompanying newspaper clippings, 1952-1953
Daybooks and accompanying newspaper clippings, 1954-1955
Daybooks and accompanying newspaper clippings, 1956-1958
Daybooks and accompanying newspaper clippings, 1959-1967
U.S. individual income tax and social security, undated
State and local taxes; Kentucky Bar Association; Lexington Bar Association, undated
Receipts; Allen Electric Co.-Mary Cummings, undated
Receipts: Dailey-Jay, undated
Receipts: Kaufman-Milward, undated
Receipts: Mitchell-YWCA, undated
Law cases, 1852-1945, undated
No. 1-44, undated
No. 45-64, undated
No. 65-76, undated
No. 77-120, undated
No. 121-145, undated
No. 146-176, undated
No. 177-205, undated
No. 206-231, undated
No. 232-271, undated
No. 272-286, undated
No. 287-325, undated
No. 326-350, undated
No. 351-402, undated
No. 404-430, undated
No. 431-477, undated
No. 478-505, undated
No. 506-527, undated
No. 528-569, undated
No. 570-598, undated
No. 599-631, undated
No. 632-659, undated
No. 660-684, undated
No. 685-712, undated
No. 713-720, undated
No. 721-735, undated
No. 736-758, undated
No. 759-790, undated
No. 791-793, undated
No. 794-811, undated
No. 812-829, undated
No. 830-833, undated
No. 834-841, undated
No. 842-852, undated
No. 853-861, undated
No. 862-867, undated
No. 869-889, undated
No. 890-898, undated
No. 899-912, undated
No. 912-921, undated
No. 922-927a, undated
No. 927-945, undated
No. 946-960, undated
No. 960-980, undated
No. 981-1001, undated
No. 1002-1014, undated
No. 1015-1023, undated
No. 1025-1043, undated
No. 1044-1058, undated
No. 1059-1069, undated
No. 1069-1082, undated
No. 1083-1094, undated
No. 1095-1119, undated
No. 1121-1142, undated
No. 1143-1153, undated
No. 1154-1163, undated
No. 1164-1176, undated
No. 1177-1185, undated
No. 1186-1191, undated
No. 1192-1211, undated
No. 1212-1221, undated
No. 1222-1233, undated
No. 1234-1258, undated
No. 1259-1270, undated
No. 1271-1295, undated
No. 1296-1309, undated
No. 1310-1333, undated
No. 1334-1360, undated
No. 1361-1377, undated
No. 1378-1397, undated
No. 1398-1414, undated
No. 1415-1434, undated
No. 1435-1451, undated
No. 1452-1463, undated
No. 1464-1475, undated
No. 1476-1492, undated
No. 1493-1518, undated
No. 1519-1525, undated
No. 1526-1541, undated
No. 1542-1557, undated
No. 1558-1576, undated
No. 1577-1581, undated
No. 1582-1588, undated
No. 1589-1618, undated
No. 1619-1638, undated
No. 1639-1661, undated
No. 1662-1682, undated
No. 1683-1716, undated
No. 1717-1732, undated
No. 1733-1754, undated
No. 1755-1783, undated
No. 1784-1805, undated
No. 1806-1824, undated
No. 1824-1846, undated
No. 1847-1870, undated
No. 1871-1893, undated
No. 1894-1912, undated
No. 1913-1927, undated
No. 1928-1949, undated
No. 1950-1972, undated
No. 1973-1983, undated
No. 1984-2008, undated
No. 2009-2020, undated
No. 2021-2036, undated
No. 2037-2046, undated
No. 2047-2065, undated
No. 2066-2076, undated
No. 2077-2088, undated
No. 2089-2110, undated
No. 2111-2135, undated
No. 2136-2147, undated
No. 2147-2150, undated
No. 2151-2170, undated
No. 2171-2190, undated
No. 2191-2193, undated
No. 2194-2209, undated
No. 2209-2226, undated
No. 2227-2240, undated
No. 2241-2254, undated
No. 2255-2289, undated
No. 2290-2306, undated
No. 2307-2321, undated
No. 2322-2347, undated
No. 2348-2373, undated
A-Boyle, undated
Bran-Minnie B. Clay (No. 3), undated
Minnie B. Clay (No. 4)-Gar, undated
Gib-Lew, undated
City of Lexington-Nov., undated
Off-She, undated
Southern Mutual Investment Co.-Wal, undated
Ware-Young; abstracts of court cases; miscellaneous cases in Superior Court of Kentucky, 1852-1874, undated
Legal matters, Ab-Av, undated
Bac-Bog, undated
Bra-Cam, undated
Can-Cor, undated
Cos-Es, undated
Et-Gol, undated
Gom-Hes, undated
Hia-Jy, undated
Ka-Lez (No.1), undated
Lez (No.2)-Mam, undated
Man-Mon, undated
Mov-Pe, undated
Pf-Rob, undated
Roc-Sh, undated
Si-Ta, undated
Te-Wel, undated
Wem-Wiz, undated
Wo-Z; bills and promissory notes, 1852-1902, undated
John Todd Shelby-administrator of Thomas Sewell estate, 1882-1891
Breckinridge-Shelby firm: railroad charters, undated
Railroad charters; railroad letters A-K, undated
Railroad letters L-Z, undated
L & N cases in the U.S. Circuit Court; Superior Court of Kentucky; Court of Appeal of Kentucky; Clark Circuit Court, and Fayette Circuit Court, undated
C & O cases in U.S. Supreme Court, Circuit Court of the U.S., Court of Appeals of Kentucky, Bath Circuit Court, Carter Circuit Court, and Fayette Circuit Court, undated
C & O legal business, 1892-1912
C & O legal business, 1913-1945
L & N Southern Railway Co. legal business, 1892-1936
Miscellaneous, 1897-1968, undated
Announcement card, licenses, certificates, undated
Big Stone Gap, undated
John Craig Shelby - advertisements, undated
John Craig Shelby - newspaper clippings, 1897-1956
John Craig Shelby - music catalogues and magazines, 1940-1943, 1950-1957
John Craig Shelby - miscellaneous magazines, pamphlets, and books, undated
John Craig Shelby - acknowledgements of sympathy, 1927-1968
Miscellaneous, undated
Miscellaneous, undated
Packages, 1838-1917, undated
Package 1 - Shelby, Craig papers; case book of Beauchamp & Allen; Beauchamp & Walton; Beauchamp & Calhoun, 1889-1904
Package 2 - John Todd Shelby; Shelby & Shelby; Shelby, Northcutt, & Shelby ledger A, (index included), 1904-1915
Package 3 - Breckinridge & Shelby, account ledger, 1884-1917
Package 4 - Breckinridge & Buckner; Breckinridge & Shelby statement of accounts, 1870-1900
Package 5 - execution book no. 2-W.W. Dowden, Sheriff (Fayette Co.), 1868-1869
Package 6 - miscellaneous pictures and photographs, undated
Package 7 - John Todd Shelby - practice before the U.S. Supreme Court; honorary degree: Doctor of Laws from Agricultural & Mechanical College of Kentucky; professional membership; John Craig Shelby practice before U.S. Supreme Court, 1870, 1904, 1913
Package 8 - Frances Walton Todd, M.D., medical diploma and professional society membership, 1838-1878
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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.
