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The True Legend Of The Leatherman, The Mysterious Traveler Of The American Northeast
For more than 30 years in the 1800s, a vagabond of few words and elaborate homemade clothing traveled the same 365-mile loop
A significant part of what makes people recognizable is consistency. If someone does something for long enough they are bound to become familiar, even if they aren’t doing anything particularly worthy of fame. A perfect example of this is the Leatherman, a quiet and mysterious vagabond always dressed in homemade leather clothing who constantly traveled through the same towns in New England and eastern New York on a continuous loop for more than 30 years.
The true identity of the Leatherman remains a mystery. Born around 1839, the gentle but overly quiet man regularly traveled the same roads in a loop along the Connecticut River and the Hudson River. Dressed in a suit of homemade clothing, including a hat, scarf and shoes, composed entirely of leather, this nomad was believed to be on this same circuitous journey of approximately 365 miles continuously from 1857–1889.
An article appearing in an 1870 issue of the Burlington Free Press claimed that he was referred to the hermit as “the leather-clad man.” It went on to describe “his outlandish costume…
