Bergen County, New Jersey General Store Account Book, 1838-1841
A Collection in
Special Collections
Collection Number
Ms1978-012
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Special Collections, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Contact Information:University Libraries
P.O. Box 90001
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, Virginia 24062-9001
USA
Phone: (540) 231-6308
Fax: (540) 231-3694
Email: specref@vt.edu
URL: http://spec.lib.vt.edu/
Processed by: John M. Jackson, Special Collections
2011 By Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. All rights reserved.
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish material from the Bergen County, New Jersey General Store Account Book must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Bergen County, New Jersey General Store Account Book, Ms1978-012, Special Collections, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va.
Acquisition Information
The Bergen County, New Jersey Account Book was acquired by Special Collections in 1978.
Processing Information
The processing and description of the Bergen County, New Jersey General Store Account Book commenced and was completed in May, 2011.
The item was accessioned and originally cataloged as "General Store Day Book," but a closer examination of the piece during processing revealed it to be an account ledger, rather than a day book. Research through a census check of the customer names revealed that the volume probably originated from Bergen County, New Jersey. Because the item includes several loose items, receipts issued to a Benjamin Post, it seems likely that Post was the store's proprietor.
Biographical Note
An examination of the account ledger indicates that it may have been maintained by Benjamin Post of Bergen County, New Jersey. A Benjamin Post married Margaret Maysinger (1802-1866) ca. 1820 in Bergen County. The 1850 census lists a 60-year-old carpenter named Benjamin Post living in Bergen County's Hohokus Township. Also in the household were 58-year-old Margaret Post and children Sarah (18), William (14), Adaline (8), Matilda (6), and Hannah Jane (2). The census record indicates that all had been born in New Jersey. No further record could be found
Scope and Content Note
This collection consists of a single account ledger from an unidentified store, surmised to have been located in Bergen County, New Jersey and possibly operated by Benjamin Post. The ledger contains customer names; dates of purchases; lists of goods purchased; prices paid; credits in cash, trade, and labor; and balances.