Ever since I ran the Leatherman’s Loop race in 2007, I’ve been curious about legend. When I learned there was a lecture on “The Old Leatherman” at the South Salem Library, January 31st, by author Dan Deluca, I knew I had to be there. Dan Deluca is a genealogist and Connecticut historian who has been researching the Old Leatherman for 22 years. He recently published a book documenting his discoveries and he spoke about his experiences in collecting information and details about the legendary “Old Leatherman.” It was fascinating!

I loved hearing details about the legend and the person they call the Old Leatherman. The account of his mysterious life has been pieced together through news clippings and stories passed down from generation to generation. One of the most interesting facts about the Leatherman is that in 1883 he started walking a 365-mile loop between Connecticut and the Hudson River and repeated it every 34 days like clockwork. He was seen in at least 41 towns and would sleep in caves and would only accept food from certain people in town. He never spoke, just uttered a few grunts and used gestures to communicate. He always wore his coat, pants, hat, and shoes all made of leather from discarded boots.

The book documents what is known about his life through several photographs, newspaper articles written about him, piecing together the legend and mystery surrounding this man dressed in leather. New information about The Old Leatherman continues to surface and so the mystery continues to grow and live on. The question I had for the author on a very cold January afternoon, (19 degrees and snow on the ground) was, what do you think the Old Leatherman would do on a day like today? His answer, “walk.”

Posted By: Sonja Lovas