Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection open for research.

Use Restrictions

No physical characteristics affect use of this material.

Preferred Citation

Loudoun Merchant and Trade Research Collection, 1800-1903 (M 0126), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.

Acquisition Information

Dr. and Mrs. Fred Johnson, Great Falls, VA

Alternative Form Available

None

Accruals

2015.0142

Processing Information

Laura Christianse, Renée Harkness-Shanahan, Deborah Hershman, LCPL Star Day Staff: Carey Getis, Katherine Lindsay, Katie Maher, 2017

Historical Information

This collection of newspaper clippings, photographs, and other reference materials related to merchants in Loudoun County in 19th and early 20th centuries was compiled by Dr. Fred D. Johnson, Jr. (1942 - ) of Great Falls, Virginia. Originally from Alexandria, Virginia, Johnson owned a dental practice in McLean, Virginia. In the late 1970's, Johnson began collecting 19th century chairs made in Loudoun County, generally called "Waterford chairs". Unable to find information about those who originally manufactured and sold the chairs, Johnson began to research them. In 2003 he published Nineteenth Century Loudoun County, Virginia Chair Manufacturing, a book featuring information about Loudoun County chair, clock, and cabinetmakers between 1765 and 1900. Throughout and after his research for this book, Johnson amassed a large collection of newspaper advertisements and other information about 19th century merchants and tradespeople in Loudoun County. This collection includes materials about a wide variety of merchants, including silversmiths, grocers, haberdashers, saddlers, and many other trades.

Scope and Content

This collection consists of newspaper advertisements clipped from photocopies of 19th century newspapers, microfilmed newspapers, and other sources by Dr. Fred D. Johnson in the course of his research to identify merchants and tradesmen operating at that time. Johnson collected advertisements from the Genius of Liberty; Loudoun Chronicle; Loudoun Telephone; The Mirror; and The Washingtonian as well as census records and supplemental notes about each merchant. These materials were stored in binders, with materials related to each merchant sorted into individual sleeves. Johnson organized the ads into three categories: "Leesburg Merchants", advertisements arranged by date, and "Loudoun Advertisements by Town." His arrangement has been maintained. Ads related to "Leesburg Merchants" are arranged alphabetically by business name. Advertisements arranged by date are sorted chronologically by decade and relate largely to silversmiths, but include other trades as well. "Loudoun Advertisements by Town" include merchants from Aldie, Hamilton, Hillsboro, Lincoln, Lovettsville, Lucketts, Middleburg, Paeonian Springs, Purcellville, Snickersville, Roundhill, Waterford, Wheatland, and Woodburn. There is also a file for White's Ferry, as well as one folder of clippings about merchants not from Loudoun County. A few files include photographs of items made or sold by a merchant; or wood samples from furniture made by them these have been rehoused for preservation.

Arrangement

Box: folder

Related Material

Charles A. Johnston Collection (M0098); Diaries of Samuel B.T. Caldwell, 1811-1820 (SC 0004); Transcription [VREF 929.2 Caldwell]; Samuel B. T. Caldwell's Address (OM 008); Ethel Littlejohn Adams Collection (M 091); Norris and Sons Account Book (BV 005); Henry Franklin Davis Ledger, 1881-1897 (BV 0013); Hollan, Catherine B. 2010. Virginia Silversmiths, Jewelers, Watch- and Clockmakers, 1607-1860: Their Lives and Marks. [McLean, Va.]: Hollan Press [V REF 739.23 HOL].Johnson, Fred D. 2003. Nineteenth Century Loudoun County, Virginia Chair Manufacturing. [Place of publication not identified]: Fred D. Johnson, Jr. [V REF 684.13 JOH]; Michael, Jerry. Through the Eyes of Three Country Newspapers: 1880 & 1881; 1882 to 1885; 1885 to 1890; 1890 to 1893 [V REF 975.528 MIC]; Early American Industries Association. 2009. The Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association, Inc. [Electronic Resource]

Adjunct Descriptive Data

Bibliography

Loudoun Merchant Research Collection (M0126), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.

Wheeler, Linda. 25 December 2003 "Area Writer Is Sitting Pretty With Historical Book" The Washington Post. [Accessed online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local on March 2017.]

Ancestry.com. U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

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Other Finding Aid

None

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Technical Requirements

None