Origins
The Filson was founded on May 15, 1884 in Louisville by ten Kentuckians with a common love of history. The primary founder and first president was Reuben T. Durrett, who was joined by George M. Davie, John Mason Brown, Basil W. Duke, Thomas W. Bullitt, Alex P. Humphrey, William Chenault, James S. Pirtle, Richard H. Collins, and Thomas Speed.
The organization was named in honor of John Filson, Kentucky’s first historian, whose book, The Discovery, Settlement, and Present State of Kentucke, and map of Kentucky were published in 1784. In honor of Filson and the centennial of those historical publications, Durrett christened his fledgling organization the Filson Club.