J. Winston Coleman (November 5, 1898 – May 4, 1983) was an American tobacco farmer, contractor, newspaper columnist, historian, book collector, and bibliographer who specialized in the study of 19th-century Kentucky, United States.[1][2] He graduated from the University of Kentucky in the 1920s with a bachelor's and master's in mechanical engineering.[2] He worked as a building contractor and started the historical work as a hobby.[2] He wrote a newspaper column on Kentucky historical topics for 20 years.[2] A lifelong resident of Lexington, Coleman owned Winburn Farm from 1936 until his death.[3]
In addition to writing several books, he published over 50 pamphlets.[4] In the late 1960s he donated "3,500 books and pamphlets," scrapbooks, photographs, "Kentucky church histories, maps, atlases, personal correspondence and manuscripts" to Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky.[2] His Slavery Times in Kentucky remains a standard reference on the topic,[2] and papers and images he collected during his research are held at the University of Kentucky libraries.[5]
He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1983 after a long illness.[2] Coleman was buried at Lexington Cemetery.[6]
Selected works
edit- Masonry in the Bluegrass (1933)
- Stagecoach Days in the Bluegrass (1935)
- Slavery Times in Kentucky (1940)
- A Bibliography of Kentucky History (1940)
- Historic Kentucky (1967)
- Lexington During the Civil War (1968)
- Famous Kentucky Duels
- The Springs of Kentucky
References
edit- ^ "John Winston Coleman Jr. collection on slavery in Kentucky". exploreuk.uky.edu. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- ^ a b c d e f g Hewlett, Jennifer (May 5, 1983). "J. Winston Coleman, historian, dies at 84". Lexington Herald-Leader. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-09-29. & "Historian dies in apparent suicide". p. 24.
- ^ "J. Winston Coleman dies at Lexington". The State Journal. May 5, 1983. p. 5. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- ^ "New genealogy book planned". McLean County News. October 13, 1983. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- ^ "John Winston Coleman Jr. collection on slavery in Kentucky". exploreuk.uky.edu. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- ^ "COLEMAN". Lexington Herald-Leader. May 6, 1983. p. 24. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
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