The Sunday Read: ‘What I Found on the 365-Mile Trail of a Lost Folk Hero’
whatshot 119 snips
Mar 23, 2025
Discover the intriguing tale of the Old Leatherman, a mysterious 19th-century wanderer who roamed the backroads of New York and Connecticut. Explore the emotional landscapes of self-discovery through a reflective journey in a historic cemetery. Delve into the duality of the Old Leatherman's legacy, examining how his life encapsulated themes of alienation and societal fascination. Journey with an individual to a cave sanctuary, contrasting tranquility with the chaos of daily life, embodying the quest for solace and introspection.
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Old Leather Man's Mystery
Sam Anderson, obsessed with the Old Leather Man, a 19th-century folk hero, walked his 365-mile loop.
The Old Leather Man's mysterious life, regular loop, and leather suit intrigued Anderson.
question_answer ANECDOTE
The Mysterious Stranger
A strange man, the Old Leather Man, appeared in the 1850s-60s, wandering between NYC and Hartford in a homemade leather suit.
He was a "greasy and ill-odored" mystery, sleeping in caves and refusing to explain himself.
insights INSIGHT
A Regular Loop
The Old Leather Man's walks were not random; he followed a 365-mile loop, taking 34 days per circuit.
His regularity was so precise that people could "set their clocks" by his appearances, offering certainty in uncertain times.
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Long Bright River is a deeply affecting novel that delves into the lives of two sisters, Mickey and Kacey Fitzpatrick, in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. Mickey, a single mother and police officer, searches for her missing sister Kacey, who is struggling with addiction and works as a sex worker. The story unfolds as a mystery-thriller, with a series of murders involving prostitutes, forcing Mickey to confront their troubled childhood and the complexities of their relationship. The novel explores themes of addiction, family dynamics, and the broader social issues of poverty and community policing, offering a gripping and emotionally charged narrative[2][4][5].
The old leather man
historical accounts of a Connecticut and New York legend
Dan W. Deluca
This book explores the life and legend of the Old Leather Man, a mysterious figure known for his leather attire and his regular circuit through southwestern Connecticut and southeastern New York. It gathers early newspaper accounts, maps of his route, and historic photographs to unravel the myths surrounding him. The Old Leather Man's story is one of intrigue and mystery, with much of his life remaining unknown.
Sometime in the 1850s or ’60s, at a terrible moment in U.S. history, a strange man seemed to sprout, out of nowhere, into the rocky landscape between New York City and Hartford, Conn. The word “strange” hardly captures his strangeness. He was rough and hairy, and he wandered around on back roads, sleeping in caves. Above all, he refused to explain himself. As one newspaper put it: “He is a mystery, and a very greasy and ill-odored one.” Other papers referred to him as “the animal” or (just throwing up their hands) “this uncouth and unkempt ‘What is it?’”
But the strangest thing about the stranger was his suit.
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