Peace Farm: The Fletcher Years
The Fletcher/Thompson Years
Matthews Fletcher standing in the backyard of Twigmore, his aunt Lillian Fletcher Bracket's home. From the March 1975 Call of the Pewee.
In 1946, Matthews Fletcher and his wife, Lillian B. “Hunnybunny” Fletcher moved to Peace Farm.
Matthews, known to his friends in Louisiana as “Buddy” and his friends in Kentucky as “Mackey”, was born in Indianapolis on September 7, 1917. He attended Brown University – a Fletcher family tradition -- for three years, but quit after his junior year to cruise the world in a cargo ship. When he returned from his adventures, he worked as a foreman for his father’s construction company in Memphis and travelled up and down the Mississippi River on various jobs.
He met his future wife at the Blue Light Inn in Cottonport, Louisiana, when she came to wait on his table and said, “What do you want, Yankee?” Born January 23, 1919, Lillian Beauvais was descended from an old Creole family who owned a magnificent home and large cotton plantation along the Mississippi before the Civil War.
Matthews served in the U.S. Navy during WW2 and after his discharge in 1945, moved to Pewee Valley at the behest of his aunt, Lillian Fletcher (Brackett). The story of how they came to own the property was published in the April 1975 issue of the Call of the Pewee:
...After the (Caldwell-Peace) family ownership, the property fell into the hands of several absentee owners, and the place became extremely rundown. It wasn't until about 1920 that Mrs. Lillian Brackett took notice. She had purchased the adjacent property and had seen timber people dropping and hauling away huge walnut trees from the land. This greatly disturbed her, and consequently she located the Louisville owner and bought the place. Subsequently, she put sheep on the grounds, mainly for breeding, and began fixing up the vandalized cottage. She added running water and many essentials and then rented it out to a variety of sorts.
And then the Fletchers came to Pewee Valley. They moved to Peace Place during the terrible winter of 1945-46. It was so cold for Hunnybunny Fletcher that she vowed she was going back to Louisiana! Then the spring came, and the change of seasons here was something she had never seen in the south...
Some years ago, Mrs. Brackett, having married and moved to California, gave Mackey Fletcher Peace Place as a birthday present...
Matthews, known to his friends in Louisiana as “Buddy” and his friends in Kentucky as “Mackey”, was born in Indianapolis on September 7, 1917. He attended Brown University – a Fletcher family tradition -- for three years, but quit after his junior year to cruise the world in a cargo ship. When he returned from his adventures, he worked as a foreman for his father’s construction company in Memphis and travelled up and down the Mississippi River on various jobs.
He met his future wife at the Blue Light Inn in Cottonport, Louisiana, when she came to wait on his table and said, “What do you want, Yankee?” Born January 23, 1919, Lillian Beauvais was descended from an old Creole family who owned a magnificent home and large cotton plantation along the Mississippi before the Civil War.
Matthews served in the U.S. Navy during WW2 and after his discharge in 1945, moved to Pewee Valley at the behest of his aunt, Lillian Fletcher (Brackett). The story of how they came to own the property was published in the April 1975 issue of the Call of the Pewee:
...After the (Caldwell-Peace) family ownership, the property fell into the hands of several absentee owners, and the place became extremely rundown. It wasn't until about 1920 that Mrs. Lillian Brackett took notice. She had purchased the adjacent property and had seen timber people dropping and hauling away huge walnut trees from the land. This greatly disturbed her, and consequently she located the Louisville owner and bought the place. Subsequently, she put sheep on the grounds, mainly for breeding, and began fixing up the vandalized cottage. She added running water and many essentials and then rented it out to a variety of sorts.
And then the Fletchers came to Pewee Valley. They moved to Peace Place during the terrible winter of 1945-46. It was so cold for Hunnybunny Fletcher that she vowed she was going back to Louisiana! Then the spring came, and the change of seasons here was something she had never seen in the south...
Some years ago, Mrs. Brackett, having married and moved to California, gave Mackey Fletcher Peace Place as a birthday present...
The Case of the Embezzler
Lillian Fletcher was probably more than a little worn out by renters when she invited her nephew to live at Peace Farm. Florence Dickerson, in a Valley Vignette called "The Embezzler" that ran in the March 1974 Call of the Pewee, related the following anecdote that lends proof to the adage, "You can't choose a book by its cover."
One spring in the nineteen thirties Miss Lillian decided to rent her cottage on Peace Farm. The same day that the advertisement appeared in the Louisville paper, a handsome, modishly dressed man in his forties came to inquire. He spoke unusually good English and was very mannerly. While the taxi waited he looked at the cottage and commented that it was just what he and his wife needed, a small furnished home in the country. He paid the rent in advance and even suggested that Miss Lillian accept more than the amount she asked. He and his wife moved in the next day.
Several days later the local grocer called Miss Lillian to inquire if the stranger was living in her cottage. The grocer was quite baffled, because the stranger had deposited, in advance, $200.00 against future purchases, an unheard of practice in Pewee Valley. Miss Lillian explained this was the custom in the eastern part of the country by well-to-do families to enable servants to manage the household and order groceries without using cash. (Before charge accounts and credit cards!)
The newcomer went to Louisville daily but in his leisure hours walked a great deal through the lanes and roads of Pewee Valley dressed in his well tailored clothes including spats and a cane. He was entertained frequently by the town people where he appeared stylishly and immaculately dressed. His gracious English manners charmed the ladies. An invitation was always given his wife but she rarely accompanied him. She was very pleasant, very quiet, and always plainly dressed. Although there was an air of mystery, the gentleman seemed to have a more than adequate supply of money, paid his debts promptly, often in advance.
Miss Lillian was caring for her aunt, Kate Matthews, and the tenants were most solicitous. The wife brought tasty dishes of food and delicious baked goods to tempt her ailing aunt. On occasion the wife appeared upset and weepy but she never disclosed her inner feelings.
Several months later Miss Kate Matthews died. (Editor's note: Kate Matthews died in 1956. The author may have confused Lillian Fletcher's Aunt Charlotta Matthews Osborn with her Aunt Kate in this story. Charlotta raised Lillian and lived with her niece at Twigmore from 1923 until her death in 1935.) When Miss Lillian told the stranger that she was going to visit her sister in Providence, Rhode Island, he seemed to know a great deal about that city, but when privately queried he stated that he had just driven through Providence. This seemed odd.
A day or two after Miss Lillian arrived in Providence, she read in the paper there that the butler who had embezzled $30,000.00 from the Shepherds, an affluent family of Providence, had been found in Kentucky. Pewee Valley to be specific. This was Miss Lillian's tenant.
When the Shepherds closed their winter home in Florida, the butler and maid drove one of the family cars north. Mr. Shepherd had entrusted them with $30,000.00 in negotiable securities. An inveterate gambler, the butler had cashed them. Instead of doubling the amount by betting on the races and playing cards, he had lost a great deal of it. He came to Louisville and by trading on the stock market had recouped his losses. This accounted for his daily trips to Louisville.
The butler was arrested and jailed, nevertheless he returned the $30,000.00 to his employer. At the trial Mr. Shepherd admitted having used poor judgment in giving the butler securities and requested the court to be lenient. The judge ordered that the defendant not be imprisoned but that he be deported to England.
The cottage at Peace Farm in 1974. From "Pewee Valley: Land of the Little Colonel" published in 1974 by Katie S. Smith
Florence Dickerson may not have had all the details straight, but her anecdote about a well-dressed, on-the-lam Englishman hiding out at Peace Farm after stealing securities from his employer was based on a true story -- the story of Francis Vane. His arrest in Louisville hit the Courier-Journal's front page on September 17, 1935:
Prisoner Here Admits
Theft of $25,000 Bonds
__________________________
Officers Tipped by New
Albany Man: Francis
Vane Nabbed
__________________________
$1,000 IS REWARD
___________________________
Recovery of $20,000
for Boston Owner
Is Expected
Francis Vane, former secretary for a Boston financier, from whom he admits stealing $25,000 in negotiable bonds, was in jail here Monday night because his path chanced to cross that of an acquaintance, Bernard G. Davis, 32, of 2009 E. Spring, New Albany, Ind.
Mr. Davis, who returned to New Albany six weeks ago after spending ten years in Florida, where he managed a grocery that Vane frequently visited, said he was surprised when Vane walked into a brokerage firm on Jefferson at 1:30 in the afternoon while he was waiting there.
Readily admitting his identity to detectives summoned by Mr. Davis, Vane waived extradition and was placed in jail on grand larceny and fugitive charges to await word from Florida and Massachusetts. Detectives said there would be a recovery of about $20,000.
Sought Since June
Vane has been sought since June, when his former employer, John Shepherd, Jr., of Boston, reported the theft of twenty-five $1,000 negotiable bonds issued by the City of Palm Beach for park financing. Mr. Shepherd offered a reward of $1,000 for information leading to the apprehension and conviction of Vane.
When asked by a reporter at the jail why he took the bonds, Vane, taciturn, soft-spoken and an Englishman by birth, replied, "I don't know." He had the same reply when asked why he chose Pewee Valley as a place to hide out under the assumed name of "Edward Harrison."
He rented a secluded cottage on a private road near the Pewee Valley Rd., and had lived there since the middle of June with his wife. Under the name of Harrison, Vane said he opened a trading account at J.J.B. Hilliard & Son, brokers, 419 W. Jefferson, in which office he was recognized by Mr. Davis, who happened to have an appointment there.
"I certainly was surprised to see Vane walk into the office," Mr. Davis related. "I got up from the chair, walked up to him and said, 'How are you, Vane?' He was accompanied by a woman and became very excited, his face flushed, and he answered, 'Do me a favor and say nothing about this.' I nodded and walked away," Mr. Davis said.
Knowing of the reward offer, the New Albany man said he decided he'd better notify the authorities before someone else did so he went to detective headquarters and notified them. In the files was a circular with Vane's photograph, his description and notice of reward, prepared by Paul G. Kirk, Commissioner of Public Safety, sent from Boston on July 5.
Mr. Davis returned to the brokerage office with Detective Sergts. Elmer Smith, George Johnson and Edward Murphy and they found Vane still there, which was about twenty minutes after he had spoken to him, Davis said.
Later at the jail Vane said, "I realized when I was spoken to that I had been recognized, but I didn't know there was a $1,000 reward for my arrest. If I had I might have done differently. I have just identified Davis in my mind and remember he was manager of the grocery at Palm Beach."
Vane said he came to the United States about fifteen years ago and had worked for Mr. Shepherd for eleven, first as his butler and then as his secretary.
"I withdrew the bonds from a Palm Beach bank from an order which I wrote. I went to Boston where I sold the bonds, traveled around for a short time, and then moved with my wife to Louisville. I have been through several times. I placed $17,000 in stocks with the brokerage firm and did all my business with them. I placed a small amount in the Pewee Valley Bank and drew on it. My wife knew nothing of my business...
... It was learned that Vane, under the name of Harrison, paid in advance for his food, depositing a $50 bill with the grocer against which to charge food until the sum was exhausted. Persons in the neighborhood said they knew someone was living in the house Vane rented but they knew nothing of him...
... Vane disappeared June 13, presumably to attend a prize fight in Long Island...
The story was accompanied by photographs of Vane, R.G. Davis, Vane's wife, and the cottage at Peace Farm, captioned, "Residence Vane rented near Pewee Valley."
After he was remanded to the the state of Massachusetts to await trial, detectives there notified Scotland Yard. They learned that prior to emigrating to the U.S., Vane -- who was born Franklin Tresham -- had been arrested seven times, had used a number of aliases, and had served five jail terms. The bond theft, however, represented a quantum leap in criminality. His previous thefts had been confined primarily to sporting goods -- tennis rackets, pool balls, binoculars and snooker balls.
On January 10, 1936, Vane/Tresham pleaded guilty to stealing $26,106 from his employer, and on January 21, was sentenced to from four to five years in state prison.
Mackey Fletcher: Pewee Valley Postmaster 1963-1982
Mackey Fletcher retirement photo from the October 1982 Call of the Pewee
Mackey's and Hunnybunny's only child, Marjorie Fletcher Thompson, was born at Pewee Valley Hospital on October 16, 1946. The Fletchers tried farming the 23-acre property for awhile. According to the 1975 article in the Call of the Pewee, "...they've tried raising every kind of animal (except pigs which aren't allowed in Pewee Valley), some of which were quite profitable. While cultivating the land, they used to turn up quite a lot of Indian artifacts, especially near a ridge close to the spring-fed creeks..."
Farming, however, wasn't sufficient to raise a family. In the early sixties, Matthews served on the Oldham County Draft Board and was head of the horse show at the Oldham County Fair. In 1963, he was appointed postmaster of Pewee Valley by President John F. Kennedy. He was a popular postmaster, and when he retired in 1982, the October issue of the Call of the Pewee paid tribute to him in a story headlined "STAMPED OUT:"
Farming, however, wasn't sufficient to raise a family. In the early sixties, Matthews served on the Oldham County Draft Board and was head of the horse show at the Oldham County Fair. In 1963, he was appointed postmaster of Pewee Valley by President John F. Kennedy. He was a popular postmaster, and when he retired in 1982, the October issue of the Call of the Pewee paid tribute to him in a story headlined "STAMPED OUT:"
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For the first time since he was fourteen, Matthews Fletcher is unemployed. His retirement as Postmaster at our Pewee Valley Post Office -- a position he has held since his 1963 appointment -- came as a surprise to most Pewees.
Mackey (as he is called by friends) was born in what is now Indianapolis ... It was not until after WW2 that he and his petite wife Hunny Bunny settled in Pewee Valley. "That was the year (1946) that we had no summer. It was cool, or cold, all year." Both Mackey and Hunny Bunny became involved in community efforts and activities. They took a special interest in the Little Colonel Playhouse, helping get it organized and have since served it in many capacities -- from play reading committee work to performing on stage. Mackey has also directed plays there. Many changes have occurred in Mackey's term as Postmaster including the coming and going of several parttime employees. The biggest changes are the terrific increase in the volume of the mail thru (sic) the Post Office and the new mechanized methods of handling that much volume. "It is the only way we can handle the amount of mail today." Mackey looks forward to retirement. He and Hunny Bunny will be able to visit their "umpteen" grandchildren in Louisiana more often. "But for the most part, we will stick close to home. I have alot of projects I've been putting off." |
"Green Lizzy" -- the pickup truck Mackey drove to deliver the mail during the '70s and early 80s -- is still around, though she doesn't run anymore. She still sports a faded Pewee Valley Bicentennial souvenir license plate on her front bumper.
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Mackey will be recognized by the City Council with a certificate for "outstanding contributions to our community" to be presented to him at the annual Yule Log Ceremony on December 19...
Hunnybunny passed away on September 13, 1989 at Friendship Manor Nursing Home in Pewee Valley. Matthews died at Norton Hospital in Louisville on December 15, 2004. His funeral service was held at the Pewee Valley Presbyterian Church, where he was a member for many years.
Marjorie Fletcher Thompson died on March 20, 2015. Peace Farm is still owned by her descendants, who have restored the cottage and given it new life.
Hunnybunny passed away on September 13, 1989 at Friendship Manor Nursing Home in Pewee Valley. Matthews died at Norton Hospital in Louisville on December 15, 2004. His funeral service was held at the Pewee Valley Presbyterian Church, where he was a member for many years.
Marjorie Fletcher Thompson died on March 20, 2015. Peace Farm is still owned by her descendants, who have restored the cottage and given it new life.
Restoring Peace Farm
Mail Crane
In 2016, Mike Thompson, Marjorie's son, donated Pewee Valley's old mail crane and a catcher pouch from the days when trains delivered Pewee Valley's mail. Mackey, while serving at the Pewee Valley Postmaster, had purchased it when mail delivery switched to trucks in 1968. For years, it rested under the shade of a maple tree at Peace Farm. Mike discovered it after the tree fell, while he was cutting it up for firewood, and gave Mayor Bob Rogers a call.
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