Administrative Information

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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.