Leatherman (vagabond)
Leatherman | |
|---|---|
The Leatherman (June 9, 1885) | |
| Born | Jules Bourglay (unconfirmed)? c. 1839 |
| Died | March 24, 1889 (aged 49–50) |
| Resting place | Sparta Cemetery |
The Leatherman (c. 1839–1889) was a vagabond famous for his handmade leather suit of clothes who traveled through the northeastern United States on a regular circuit between the Connecticut River and the Hudson River from roughly 1857 to 1889. Of unknown origin, he was thought to be French-Canadian because of his fluency in the French language, his "broken English", and the French-language prayer book found on his person after his death. His identity remains unknown and controversial. He walked a repeating 365-mile (587 km) route year after year, which took him through certain towns in western Connecticut and eastern New York, returning to each town roughly every 34 days.