A Guide to the Allen and Oliver, Records, 1849-1955
A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Accession Number 28049a, 28049b
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia800 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000
USA
Phone: (804) 692-3888 (Archives Reference)
Fax: (804) 692-3556 (Archives Reference)
Email: archdesk@lva.virginia.gov(Archives)
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© 2023 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.
Processed by: Ana Esterbrook
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Use Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Preferred Citation
Allen and Oliver. Records, 1849-1955. Business Records Collection, Acc. 28049a and 28049 b, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.
Acquisition Information
Gift of C.H. Oliver, 23 April 1973.
Biographical Information
Allen and Oliver was a general store that operated in King and Queen County, Virginia. The store also operated under the names W.B. Bird and Son, Allen and Company, Bird and Allen, Taylor and Allen, and finally as Allen and Oliver. Principals involved with the company were Roland D. Allen, Spottswood Bird, William B. Bird, Claibourne H. Oliver (1886-1974), and various other members of their families. The store sold dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes, hardware, china and glassware, and patent medicines. The company was also involved in the purchase and shipment of wood from the docks at Courthouse Landing, King and Queen County, Virginia. Several of the principals, most notably Roland D. Allen, were involved in the operation of the Mantapike Canning Company, producers of "King and Queen Brand" tomatoes. Allen and Claibourne H. Oliver also served as postmaster, the post office being located in the store. The store ceased operation at Oliver's death in 1974.
Scope and Content
The Allen and Oliver Record are housed in 21 boxes and are arranged in two series. Series have been designated for I. Company Records (Acc. 28049a) and II. Postmaster's Records (Acc. 28049b).
Series I. The Company Records, 1849-1955, of the Allen and Oliver general store include accounts, correspondence, daybooks, invoices, journals, ledgers, cancelled checks, and receipts. Includes bills of lading for lumber shipped by Allen and Oliver to Ryland and Brooks Lumber Company and American International Lumber; accounts with Ryland and Brooks Lumber Company (Baltimore, Md.) and International Harvester Company of America; certificates of inspection with the Lumber Exchange of Baltimore (Md.), 1916-1926; inspectors reports from Henrico Lumber Company, 1916-1925; and orders from Ryland & Brooks Lumber Company and W.E. Robinson & Company canned goods packers, Henrico Lumber Company, and American Lumber Company. A farm journal, 1872-1888, appears to be for Benvenue Farm and may have been kept by Spottswood Bird. A memorandum book, 1883-1888, notes payments made, mail received and sent, and ship loadings and departures. In some instances copies of letters sent have been transcribed in the memorandum book.
Correspondence includes incoming and outgoing letters with the various firms that the company dealt, 1907-1926. Correspondents include the American Lumber Company; Bird, Ford and Company; Chesapeake Pulp and Paper Company; C.R. Disharoon Company; Henrico Lumber Company, Henry P. Havens, ship broker; and Ryland and Brooks Lumber Company, for which Spottswood Bird is listed as treasurer. Most of the correspondence relates to the purchase and sale of lumber. Also included is correspondence with Mantapike Canning Company. Personal and business correspondence of Spottswood Bird is also included. Among family correspondents are Bird's sister, Ella Purcell, his sons, Spottswood Jr., Albert, Clifford, and Temple Bird, and his daughter Jean.
Series II. The Postmaster's Records, 1895-1937, include account and records books, and money order cashbooks. The account and record books, 1895-1918, include information on daily transactions of stamps, number of stamps on hand, cash amounts of stamps sold, and rent for post office boxes. The money order cashbooks, 1898-1922, include daily listings of the amounts of money orders sold. The register of money orders issued, 1898-1937, includes listings, by money order number, of orders purchased, the name of remitter, name of payee, and amount of order.
Contents List
Arranged alphabetically by folder title.
- Box 1
Folder 1
Accounts, 1907-1908
- Box 1
Folder 2
Accounts, 1914-1916
- Box 1
Folder 3
Accounts, 1917
- Box 1
Folder 4
Accounts, 1918
- Box 1
Folder 5
Accounts, 1919
- Box 1
Folder 6
Accounts, 1920
- Box 1
Folder 7
Accounts, 1921
- Box 1
Folder 8
Accounts, 1922
- Box 1
Folder 9
Accounts, 1923
- Box 1
Folder 10
Accounts, 1924
- Box 1
Folder 11
Accounts, 1925
- Box 1
Folder 12
Accounts, 1926-1927
- Box 1
Folder 13
Accounts, nd
- Box 1
Folder 14
Bank statements, 1907-1908
- Box 1
Folder 15
Bills of lading, 1915-1926
- Box 1
Folder 16
Correspondence, 1907 January-August
- Box 2
Folder 1
Correspondence, 1907 September-December
- Box 2
Folder 2
Correspondence, 1908
- Box 2
Folder 3
Correspondence, 1909
- Box 2
Folder 4
Correspondence, 1912-1915
- Box 2
Folder 5
Correspondence, 1916
- Box 2
Folder 6
Correspondence, 1917
- Box 2
Folder 7
Correspondence, 1918
- Box 2
Folder 8
Correspondence, 1919
- Box 2
Folder 9
Correspondence, 1920
- Box 2
Folder 10
Correspondence, 1921
- Box 2
Folder 11
Correspondence, 1922-1923
- Box 2
Folder 12
Correspondence, 1924-1925
- Box 2
Folder 13
Correspondence, 1926
- Box 2
Folder 14
Correspondence, Spottswood Bird, 1897
- Box 2
Folder 15
Correspondence, Spottswood Bird, 1904 January-June
- Box 3
Folder 1
Correspondence, Spottswood Bird, 1904 July-December
- Box 3
Folder 2
Correspondence, Spottswood Bird, 1905
- Box 3
Folder 3
Correspondence, Spottswood Bird, 1906
- Box 3
Folder 4
Correspondence, Spottswood Bird, 1907 January-June
- Box 3
Folder 5
Correspondence, Spottswood Bird, 1907 July-December
- Box 3
Folder 6
Correspondence, Spottswood Bird, 1908 January-April
- Box 3
Folder 7
Correspondence, Spottswood Bird, 1908 May-December
- Box 3
Folder 8
Correspondence, Spottswood Bird, 1914
- Box 3
Folder 9
Correspondence, Spottswood Bird, nd
- Box 3
Folder 10
Industrial Commission of Virginia, 1922-1923
- Box 3
Folder 11
Inspection certificates, 1916-1926
- Box 3
Folder 12
Inspector's reports, 1916-1925
- Box 4
Folder 1
Miscellaneous, 1914-1924
- Box 4
Folder 2
Orders, 1907-1925
- Box 4
Folder 3
Receipts, 1916-1923
- Box 5
Cancelled checks, 1903-1954
- Box 6
Account of shad sales, 1902-1905
- Box 6
Account with Spottswood Bird, Jr., 1912-1918
- Box 7
Daybook, 1892-1894
- Box 7
Daybook, 1913 April-July
- Box 7
Daybook, 1913 July-November
- Box 8
Daybook, 1914 April-September
- Box 8
Daybook, 1914 September-December
- Box 8
Daybook, 1914 December-1915 April
- Box 8
Daybook, 1915 April-July
- Box 9
Daybook, 1915 July-October
- Box 9
Daybook, 1915 October-1916 February
- Box 9
Daybook, 1916 February-May
- Box 9
Daybook, 1916 May-August
- Box 10
Daybook, 1916 August-November
- Box 10
Daybook, 1916 November-1917 April
- Box 10
Daybook, 1917 July-November
- Box 10
Daybook, 1917 November-1918 April
- Box 11
Daybook, 1918 April-October
- Box 11
Daybook, 1918 October-1919 April
- Box 11
Daybook, 1919 April-December
- Box 11
Daybook, 1920 January-November
- Box 12
Daybook, 19200-1921
- Box 12
Daybook, 1925 February-1927 July
- Box 13
Daybook, 1927 July-1931 August
- Box 13
Daybook, 1937-1946
- Box 14
Daybook, 1946-1955
- Box 14
Farm account book, 1872-1882
- Box 14
Index to William B. Bird Ledger "E" 1873
- Box 14
Index, Unidentified, nd
- Box 15
Journal, 1908-1917
- Box 15
Journal, 1921-1926
- Box 15
Journal, 1934-1941
- Box 15
Journal, 1942-1952
- Box 16
Purchase journal, 1889-1895
- Box 16
Purchase journal, 1916-1931
- Box 16
Ledger, 1849-1852
- Box 16
Ledger, 1905-1906
- Box 17
Ledger, 1907-1939
- Box 17
Ledger, 1912-1913
- Box 17
Ledger, 1917-1919
- Box 18
Memorandum book, 1883-1888
Arranged alphabetically by folder title.
- Box 19
Account and Record book, 1895-1899
- Box 19
Account and Record book, 1905-1908
- Box 19
Account and Record book, 1908-1911
- Box 19
Account and Record book, 1917-1918
- Box 20
Money order cash books, 1898-1907
- Box 20
Money order cash books, 1914-1918
- Box 20
Money order cash books, 1918-1922
- Box 20
Rent book for Post Office boxes, 1914-1916
- Box 21
Registers of Money Orders issued, 1898-1921
- Box 21
Registers of Money Orders issued, 1925-1929
- Box 21
Registers of Money Orders issued, 1929-1933
- Box 21
Register of Money Order Advices received, 1898-1937