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A Guide to the Augusta County (Va.) Business Records, 1789-1908 Augusta County (Va.) Business Records, 1789-1908

A Guide to the Augusta County (Va.) Business Records, 1789-1908

A Collection in
the Library of Virginia


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Library of Virginia

The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000
USA
Email: archdesk@lva.virginia.gov(Archives)
URL: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/

© 2024 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.

Processed by: Bari Helms; Greg Crawford

Repository
Library of Virginia
Title
Augusta County (Va.) Business Records, 1789-1908
Physical Characteristics
79 volumes; .45 cubic feet (1 box) .
Collector
Augusta County (Va.) Circuit Court.
Location
Library of Virginia; State Records Center
Language
English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Many of the business volumes are fragile and should not be handled, please check alternative formats for volumes that have been microfilmed. Please use microfilm if available .

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Augusta County (Va.) Business Records, 1789-1908. [include volume title]. Local government records collection, Augusta County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

These records came to the Library of Virginia in transfers of court papers from Augusta County in 2008 under the accession numbers 43658 and 43836.

Alternative Form Available

Please see August County Microfilm index in the Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm available on the Library of Virginia website for full listing.

John Armstrong, Sr. Ledger, 1827-1842 is available as microfilm Augusta County (Va.) Reel 247

Alanson Harris Blacksmith Ledgers and Daybook, 1839-1867 is available as microfilm Augusta County (Va.) Reels 253, 255, 256

Aetna Insurance Company Vouchers, 1857-1861 is available as microfilm Augusta County (Va.) Reel 244

Augusta Perpetual Building and Loan Company Business Records, 1885-1907 are available as microfilm Augusta County (Va.) Reels 248, 254, 255

Mandelbaum Clothier Daybook, 1871 is available as microfilm Augusta County (Va.) Reel 249

Mercer Salt Works Business Records, 1851-1856 is available as microfilm Augusta County (Va.) Reel 247

Mictiow Sales Book, 1837 is available as microfilm Augusta County (Va.) Reel 255

Mount Ery Furnace Ledger, 1789-1793 is available as microfilm Augusta County (Va.) Reels 249, 250

Timothy M. Patterson General Store Ledgers, 1792-1805 is available as microfilm Augusta County (Va.) Reels 247, 253

Henry I. Tapp Daybook and Ledger, 1826-1831 is available as microfilm Augusta County (Va.) Reel 244

Templeton and Company Daybook and Ledger, 1856-1860 is available as microfilm Augusta County (Va.) Reel 257

Virginia Banking and Trust Company Business Records, 1866-1875 is available as microfilm Augusta County (Va.) Reels 244-245, 256-257

William Weaver Business Records, 1814-1826 are available as microfilm Augusta County (Va.) Reels 246, 252, 253

Processing Information

Prior to 2024, the various business records in this collection were originally described as individual records, but they have been consolidated into one large business record for the locality.

The records in this collection were processed as different times from 2002-2015 mostly by Bari Helms as well Greg Crawford. Efforts have been taken to identify chancery causes related to these business records as some of these records were used as evidence in court proceedings.

Encoded by M. Mason, March 2024

Historical Information

Context for Record Type: Business Records, both volumes and loose records, are in some cases transferred to the Library of Virginia as components of court record transfers. These business records in some cases were simply stored in the local court building for safe keeping by business owners. In other cases, business records (particularly ledgers, account books, etc.) may have been filed in a court case as an exhibit. These business record exhibits appeared both in chancery causes and in judgments , these records serving as exhibits for business dissolution cases, debut suits, and contract disputes.

Locality History: Augusta County was named for Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, who married Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales, and was the mother of King George III. It was formed from Orange County by a statute of 1738 that stipulated that when the population was large enough the new county government would begin to function. The county court first met on 9 December 1745.

Scope and Content

Augusta County (Va.) Business Records,1789-1908, is comprised of various records created by individuals and companies is pursuit of documenting business activities in and around Augusta County (Va.). Represented records largely consists of bound volumes such as ledgers, daybooks, minute books, cashbooks, invoice books, and account books.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged

Series I: Aetna Insurance Company Vouchers, 1857-1861
Series II: John Armstrong, Sr. Ledger, 1827-1842
Series III: Augusta Perpetual Building and Loan Company Business Records, 1885-1907
Series IV: John B. Christian Ledger, 1817-1837
Series V: John Frazier and Bath and Rockbridge Alum Springs Ledger, 1850-1854
Series VI: Alanson Harris Blacksmith Ledgers and Daybook, 1839-1867
Series VII: Henry Holloway Plantation Ledger, 1796-1810
Series VIII: Houff & Holler Business Records, 1904-1908
Series IX: Breeze Johnson Ledger, 1839-1847
Series X: Nicholas C. Kinney Daybook and Ledgers, 1815-1830
Series XI: Mandelbaum Clothier Daybook, 1871
Series XII: Mercer Salt Works Business Records, 1851-1856
Series XIII: Mictiow Sales Book, 1837
Series XIV: Mount Ery Furnace Ledger, 1789-1793
Series XV: Mutual Annuity Company Ledger, 1892-1906
Series XVI: Timothy M. Patterson General Store Ledgers, 1792-1805
Series XVII: Tannehill & Wheat Nursery Ledger, 1866-1874
Series XVIII: Henry I. Tapp Daybook and Ledger, 1826-1831
Series XIX: Templeton and Company Daybook and Ledger, 1856-1860
Series XX: Thornburg and Shafer Daybook, 1877-1879
Series XXI: Unidentified General Store Daybooks, 1828-1835
Series XXII: Unidentified Grocer Account Book, 1873
Series XXIII: Virginia Banking and Trust Company Business Records, 1866-1875
Series XXIV:Virginia Express Company Minute Book and Cashbook, 1867-1869
Series XXV: John Wayt Invoice Book, 1828-1831
Series XXVI:William Weaver Business Records, 1814-1826

Related Material

See also: August County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1746-1912

Additional August County(Va.) court records can be found on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Consult Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."

Contents List

Series I: Aetna Insurance Company Vouchers, 1857-1861
Physical Location: State Records Center
1 volume

Historical Information: Based out of Hartford, Connecticut, the Aetna Insurance Company sold its first life insurance policy in 1850. In 1853, the company was incorporated as the Aetna Life Insurance Company with former Connecticut judge Eliphalet A. Bulkeley as its first president. In 1861, the company began offering participating life insurance policies, and at the end of the Civil War, Aetna was one of the nation's biggest life insurance providers. Today, Aetna is a diversified health care benefits company providing a range of health care insurance products and related services including dental, pharmacy, group life, and disability insurance.

Aetna Insurance Company established an insurance agency in Staunton, Virginia, in the mid-nineteenth century. Alexander F. Kinney served as an agent for the company. Kinney, a Virginia resident born about 1836, was also a bank teller and a circuit court clerk for Augusta County.

Scope and Content: Aetna Insurance Company Vouchers, 1857-1861, record the disbursements of the company for such expenses as advertising, express or freight charges, taxes, return premiums, etc. All vouchers were signed by Aetna's agent Alexander F. Kinney.

  • Barcode number 7278963: Aetna Insurance Company Vouchers 1857-1861
Series II: John Armstrong, Sr. Ledger, 1827-1842
Physical Location: State Records Center
1 volume

Historical Information: John Armstrong, Sr. was a farmer in Augusta County, Virginia. He had a son, John Armstrong, Jr., who owned a neighboring farm. He died in 1842.

Scope and Content: John Armstrong, Sr. Ledger, 1827-1842, records Armstrong's personal finances along with the business activities of his farm. Each account records the transactions with individuals that Armstrong either hired or with whom he conducted business. Information found in each entry include the date, type of transaction, and monies debited or credited to the account. Armstrong recorded purchases for such items as wheat, bacon, brandy, tallow, butter, dry apples, and flour. There are also larger purchases such as livestock and furniture. In addition, Armstrong recorded the work done by white laborers which included such tasks as sawing wood, mowing, etc.

Also see: Augusta County Chancery Cause, Admr. of John Armstrong, Sr. vs Admr. of John Armstrong, Jr. , Etc.1860-074. Avaible Digitially through the Chancery Records Index.

  • Barcode number 7278959: John Armstrong, Sr. Ledger 1827-1842
Series III: Augusta Perpetual Building and Loan Company Business Records, 1885-1907 1885-1907
Physical Location: State Records Center
20 volumes

Historical Information: The Augusta Perpetual Building and Loan Company financed loans for land purchases and building constructions in Augusta County, Va. The company was formed on 7 February 1885 at a meeting conducted at the city clerks office in Staunton, Va., by a group of citizens wishing to organize a building and loan association. Early officers of the company included M. Erskine Miller, president; John W. Stout, vice president; and Newton Argenbright, secretary. Later presidents included A. C. Gordon and J. N. McFarland. The company suspended operations and began a long process of voluntary liquidation in December of 1898.

Scope and Content: The Augusta Perpetual Building and Loan Company Business Records, 1885-1907, consists of three daybooks, five cashbooks, four letter books, two ledgers, one index, one minute book, one statement book, two Bills Payable and Bills Receivable Account Books, and one stock receipt book.

  • Series III:Subseries A: Bills Payable and Bills Receivable Account Books 1885-1906
    2 volumes

    Bills Payable and Bills Receivable Account Books,1885-1906, were used to record both the money owed by the building and loan company and the money owed to the company by customers and shareholders. Both of the account books contain two separate halves -- one for bills payable and the other for bills receivable. Each entry includes the date, name of the customer or shareholder, and the bank where the payments were made. For bills payable, the company which is owed money to is noted along with the name of the building and loan employee responsible for the transaction. Some entries note that full statements of the accounts can be found in the accompanying letter books.

    • Barcode number 7278957: Augusta Perpetual Building and Loan Co. Bills Payable and Bills Receivable Account Book, 1885-1906
    • Barcode number 7278956: Augusta Perpetual Building and Loan Co. Bills Payable and Bills Receivable Account Book, 1887-1895
  • Series III:Subseries B: Cashbooks, 1885-1907
    5 volumes

    Cashbooks, 1885-1907, record cash received and cash disbursed. Transactions are listed chronologically as they occurred. Entries document monies credited and debited for such activities as bills received, costs of sales,and interest paid on accounts. Other entries track monies received and dispersed on individual accounts for dues and running shares, loans, interest, fines, and stock transfers. Company expenses were recorded for items such as employee salaries, taxes paid, rent, commissioners' fees, insurance premiums, attorney fees, advertising, and postage.

    • Barcode number 1178207: Augusta Perpetual Building and Loan Company Cash Book, 1885-1887 1885-1887
    • Barcode number 1178206: Augusta Perpetual Building and Loan Company Cash Book, 1887-1888
    • Barcode number 1187920: Augusta Perpetual Building and Loan Company Cashbook, 1888-1893
    • Barcode number 1178316: Augusta Perpetual Building and Loan Company Cashbook, 1894-1902
    • Barcode number 1178192: Augusta Perpetual Building and Loan Company Cash Book, 1902-1907
  • Series III:Subseries C: Daybooks, 1885-1906
    3 volumes

    Daybooks, 1885- 1906, document business activities on a chronological basis as they occurred. Entries include date, account name, type of transaction, and monies credited and debited. Transactions recorded include real estate loans, costs of sales, stock values and stock purchases, interest due on individual accounts, profits and loss statements, and expenses such as insurance, taxes, and fines. Records of stock purchases contain the name of buyer, the dollar amount of stock purchased, and the entrance fees applied to the purchase.

    • Barcode number 1178310: Augusta Perpetual Building & Loan Company Daybook, 1885-1890
    • Barcode number 1178203: Augusta Perpetual Building and Loan Company Daybook, 1890-1897
    • Barcode number 1178176: Augusta Perpetual Building and Loan Company Day Book, 1897-1906
  • Series III:Subseries D: Ledgers, 1885-1907
    2 volumes

    Ledger, 1889-1898, records the accounts of "holders of paid up stock." Each entry includes the date, number of stock shares bought or sold, and the amounts debited or credited to the account. If stock shares were recorded as sold, the name of the buyer was listed in the transaction.

    Ledger A, 1885-1907, records the accounts of individual stockholders and individual loan holders. Information found in the accounts of individual stockholders include the date of transaction and the amounts of stock purchased. Transactions in the accounts of individual loan holders document the loan purchase amount, interest fees, and fines. Payments on the accounts were also recorded and were made either with cash or redeemed stock. Some accounts include notations of actions taken on the account such as paid in full, case in litigation, or property sold at auction. The back of the ledger includes a totaling of representative accounts such as bills receivable, capital stock, subscribed stock, redeemed stock, expenses, and cash accounts. Account entries concerning stock include the name of the purchaser along with the amount of stock purchased.

    • Barcode number 1187937: Augusta Perpetual Building and Loan Company Ledger A, 1885-1907
    • Barcode number 1187937: Augusta Perpetual Building and Loan Company Index to Loans and General Accounts, 1885-1907

      Provides an index to the individual accounts found in Ledger A

    • Barcode number 1178309: Augusta Perpetual Building & Loan Company Ledger, 1889-1898
  • Series III:Subseries E: Letter books, 1886-1902
    4 volumes

    Letter Books, 1886-1902, provide a record of out-going correspondence related to the company's business activities. Letter topics include requests for account balances to be paid, demands for the sale of land or property to settle a debt, and details of monies received and owed on individual accounts. The majority of the letters are signed by W. T. McCue, who was identified as the cashier for the company; however a few were signed by Taylor Bissell, a clerk for the company.

    • Barcode number 1178209: Augusta Perpetual Building and Loan Company Letter Book, 1886-1891
    • Barcode number 1178204: Augusta Perpetual Building and Loan Company Letter Book, 1891-1895
    • Barcode number 1178308: Augusta Perpetual Building & Loan Company Letter Book, 1895-1900
    • Barcode number 1178178: Augusta Perpetual Building and Loan Company Letter Book, 1900-1902
  • Series III:Subseries F: Minute books, 1885-1903
    1 volume

    Records the meetings of the company's board of directors and meetings of the stockholders. Early entries in February of 1885 document the formation of the building and loan association and the creation of a constitution and by-laws for the government of the company. These early meetings also established stock prices and membership fees and elected officers and committee members. Business statements for the company were presented to the board of directors on a semi-annual basis. These statements documented the profits and loses of the company and documented such items as stock subscriptions, loans on real estate, stock dues, bills receivable, bills payable, loss and gain records, and company resources and liabilities. Applications to redeem stock and applications for loans on real estate were presented for approval at meetings. Because the company's constitution stipulated that "stockholders must be a white person," several meetings discussed the "legal right of the association to make loans to colored people through the intervention of a white applicant." It was ultimately decided that to protect the company both the white applicant and the colored borrower should execute the bond for loans. In December of 1898, a resolution was recommended to stockholders that the company suspend operations as a building and loan company and that it was in the best interest of the company to go into voluntary liquidation, collect the company's assets, and return money to stockholders. Meetings held from 1899 to 1903 concern the liquidation of the business.

    • Barcode number 1178307: Augusta Perpetual Building & Loan Company Board of Directors Minute Book, 1885-1903
  • Series III:Subseries G: Statement books, 1886-1898
    1 volume

    Records the financial statements of the company at the end of each fiscal year beginning in December of 1886. The statement book was used by the committee appointed by the Board of Directors to examine the company's books and papers. The business statements document stock accounts, loans, interest due and unpaid on accounts, and fines unpaid for each fiscal year. The stock accounts and loan account statements include the name of the individual shareholder, the number of shares bought or sold, and the monies debited or credited to the accounts. For each fiscal year, balance sheets provide the company's profits and loss statements and include a list of resources (loans, bills receivable, cash, property) and liabilities (stock dues, bills payable).

    • Barcode number 1178313 : Augusta Perpetual Building and Loan Company Statement Book, 1886-1898
  • Series III:Subseries H: Stock Reciept books, 1889-1898
    1 volume

    Includes duplicate stock certificates kept for the company's records of stock shares purchased. Each stock certificate includes a certificate number, date, name of buyer, and the number of shares purchased.

    • Barcode number 1178313: Augusta Perpetual Building & Loan Company Stock Receipt Book, 1889-1898
Series IV: John B. Christian Ledger, 1817-1837
Physical Location: State Records Center
1 volume

Historical Information: John B. Christian was a merchant in Augusta County, Virginia, in the early nineteenth century. Christian dealt primarily in the grocery and grain trades selling items such as wheat, corn, sugar, and coffee.

Scope and Content: John B. Christian Ledger, 1817-1837, records the accounts of individual customers. Each customer account includes separate entries for purchases and payments made. Purchases were not detailed but rather include the prices per unit and the total purchase price made for that day. However, details were provided for payments made toward account balances. John B. Christian accepted cash, bartered items (whiskey, butter, livestock, hats, etc.), and labor (hauling, carpentry work, etc.) as payments. Beginning in 1829, customer accounts include the items purchased. Examples of items purchased include flour, bran, wheat, corn, rye, beef, sugar, and coffee. In addition to the customer accounts, the back of the volume was used to record the number and weights of hogs butchered.

Also see: Augusta County Chancery Cause, Anthony Beard vs. Heirs of John B. Christian 1842-027. Avaible Digitially through the Chancery Records Index.

  • Barcode number 1178153: John B. Christian Ledger, 1817-1837
Series V: John Frazier and Bath and Rockbridge Alum Springs Ledger, 1850-1854
Physical Location: State Records Center
1 volume

Historical Information: John W. Frazier, born about 1810, was a farm and hotelkeeper in Bath County and Rockbridge County, Virginia. Frazier owned and operated two mineral springs resorts, Bath Alum Spring and Rockbridge Alum Spring. Frazier purchased the Rockbridge Alum Spring property, a noted antebellum spa complex, in 1852. Frazier began building on the property in 1852 but died in 1853 before the building project was completed. Frazier's brother William Frazier oversaw the completion of the project, and the final results consisted of a large central hotel building flanked with cottages and supporting service buildings. The resort included a barroom and a building used as a store and post office. The hotel property was converted into a hospital in 1861. After the Civil War, an attempt to revive the spa resort failed and the property was ultimately sold at auction in 1880. Today what remains of the old spa property is owned by the Young Life organization.

Scope and Content: John W. Frazier and Bath and Rockbridge Alum Springs Ledger, 1850-1854, records the financial activities of Frazier and his hotels, two of which were the Bath Alum Spring and the Rockbridge Alum Spring. The ledger documents the accounts of individual customers and employees. Each entry includes the date, type of transaction, and monies credited and debited to the accounts. The early part of the ledger pertains to the accounts of John Frazier's store customers. Customers purchased such items as butter, meal, eggs, sugar, coffee, tobacco, and bacon. Beginning in 1852, the ledger was used to record the business activities of the two alum springs resorts. For Bath Alum Spring, customer accounts document purchases made at the Fairview Store, which sold items such as whiskey, tobacco, sugar, coffee, and cloth. Beginning in 1852, Frazier made entries pertaining to the building project at Rockbridge Alum Spring. Employee accounts document blacksmith work and the buying and hauling of lumber and other building supplies. Also in 1852, customer accounts for hotel customers begin to appear. Transactions document lodging expenses, tavern bills, meals purchased, and livery fees.

Recorded throughout the ledger are entries pertaining to the hire of enslaved individuals. One such entry, mentions the arrival of Alfred Tyler and Rachel and brother. The remainder of these entries merely include the prices paid for the ensalved individuals hired.

In 1853, the ledger was used by William Frazier who took control of John W. Frazier's estate after his death. William Frazier primarily used the ledger to document the settlement of outstanding accounts. Located in the back of the ledger is a detailed listing of inventory on hand at the Fairview Store in 1854. Examples of items in the inventory include china, glassware, spices, medicines, hardware items, and cloth.

  • Barcode number 1187991: John Frazier & Alum Springs Ledger, 1850-1854
Series VI: Alanson Harris Blacksmith Ledgers and Daybook, 1839-1867
Physical Location: State Records Center
5 volumes

Historical Information: Alanson Harris, born in 1812, owned a blacksmith business in Augusta County (Va.). Harris often performed carpentry work with the assistance of carpenter E. B. Simpson. Simpson, born in 1832, lived in Augusta County (Va.) until he relocated to Colorado in the 1870s.

Scope and Content: Alanson Harris Blacksmith business records, 1839-1867, consist of three ledgers, one blacksmith and carpentry work ledger, and one daybook.

Also see: Augusta County Chancery Cause, Creditors of Alanson Harris vs Administrator of Alanson Harris, 1890-060. Avaible Digitially through the Chancery Records Index.

  • Barcode number 7278764: Alanson Harris Blacksmith and Carpentry Work Ledger, 1860-1867

    Blacksmith and Carpentry Work Ledger, 1860-1867, records the carpentry work performed for individual customers. Information found in each account includes the date; amounts of shingles, posts, planks, or timber sawed; and the monies debited or credited to the customer's account. A majority of the carpentry work was done with the assistance of carpenter E. B. Simpson.

  • Barcode number 7278765: Alanson Harris Blacksmith Daybook, 1856

    Daybook, 1856, records work performed on almost a daily basis. Each entry includes customer name, service provided, and the amount charged for the service. Examples of work performed include shoeing horses, repairing tools, and some carpentry work such as making coffins. The daybook was also used to record the amount of wood hauled throughout the year. These transactions include the customer name and the monies received.

  • Barcode number 1178205: Alanson Harris Blacksmith Ledger, 1839-1866

    Alanson Harris Blacksmith Ledger, 1839-1866, records the accounts of individual customers. Each account entry lists transactions in chronological order and includes the amounts owed and paid. The ledger is separated into two parts, each of which has its own index. The first half of the ledger, 1839-1840, could pertain to the business M. G. & Co., which is embossed on the spine of the ledger. There is no mention of this business within the ledger, but there are several references to members of the Harris family, specifically George T. Harris and Frank L. Harris. Entries are listed in chronological order under individual account names with amounts owed and paid, and each transaction is described as being for either merchandise, sundries, or interest. The second half of the ledger, 1864-1866, is devoted to the blacksmith business operated by Alanson Harris. Transactions, listed under individual account names, record activities such as shoeing horses, making nails, sharpening knives and shears, repairing wagons and carriages, and repairing mill and farm equipment such as reapers and plows.

  • Alanson Harris Blacksmith Ledgers, 1860-1862; 1860-1867

    Record the accounts of individual customers. Information found in each account includes the date, type of service provided, and the monies debited or credited to the account. Services provided included shoeing horses, sharpening tools, and repairing wagons and carriages. Also, the back of the volume dated 1860-1862 was used as a daybook for September 1861 to December 1861 with transactions recorded on an almost daily basis. Each entry includes customer name, service provided, and the amount charged for the service.

    • Barcode number 7278763: Alanson Harris Blacksmith Ledger, 1860-1862
    • Barcode number 1187894: Alanson Harris Blacksmith Ledger, 1860-1867
Series VII: Henry Holloway Plantation Ledger, 1796-1810
Physical Location: State Records Center
1 volume

Historical Information: Henry Holloway was a plantation owner in Amherst County, Virginia. He died on 12 June 1810.

Scope and Content: Henry Holloway Plantation Ledger, 1796-1810, records the business activities of the Holloway family's plantation and the personal financial activities of Henry Holloway. The ledger records the accounts of individuals, estates, and businesses that Holloway managed or with whom he conducted business. Each account lists transactions in chronological order, and each transaction includes the date, the type of transactions, and monies debited and credited.

The accounts connected with the plantation document purchases made for items such as trees, oxen, horses, sugar, and coffee. Several accounts include a listing for the hiring of enslaved individuals; although, no detail is provided as to what type of work they performed on the plantation. There are also entries for the plantation overseer that concern his wages and providing him his share of wheat and corn. Holloway also kept records of the quantities of wheat seeded, used by the family, and sold.

The personal financial accounts of Henry Holloway document the individuals and businesses with which Holloway conducted business. Many of the accounts detail Holloway's family expenses and document tuition paid and purchases of clothing and books. There are several account entries that detail the settlement of the estate of Robert Holloway who died around 1802. Holloway also helped to support his sister Betsey Yancey, wife of Robert Yancey. Her account entry includes the following note written by Holloway: "It is impossible for the Writer to say how unhappy he has been made from the imprudence of Capt. Robert Yancey. He has brought a wife and children to want from his drinking as well as gambling. The above articles is given to a sister who is in want of much more, and I wish I had it in my power to give it."

Also see: Augusta County Chancery Cause, Norvell Spencer vs. Exr. of Henry Holloway, 1814-085. Avaible Digitially through the Chancery Records Index.

  • Barcode number 1178221: Henry Holloway Plantation Ledger, 1796-1810
Series VIII: Houff & Holler Business Records, 1904-1908
Physical Location: State Records Center
.45 cubic feet (1 box)

Historical Information: Houff & Holler, conducted a general mercantile business in Roman, Augusta County, Virginia. The managing partners of the business were J. W. Houff and Michael Holler. The business operated for only a few years until their entire stock was consumed by fire on 1908 November 6.

Scope and Content: Houff & Holler Business Records, 1904-1908, consists of a ledger, inventory and stock book, account book, correspondence, and receipts that record the general store's business dealings in Augusta County, Va

Account Book, 1907, is a record of Houff & Holler's account with Planters Bank located in Bridgewater, Virginia. The book only documents deposits into the company's bank account.

Correspondence, 1907-1908, documents Houff & Holler's business dealings with other companies. The correspondence consists primarily of solicitations from other businesses such as Sumter Telephones and Peerless Buggy Company. The businesses offer free or discounted merchandise in exchange for promotion of their items in the general store. Included in this correspondence is information from Sumter Telephones on purchasing, installing, and using their telephones. In order to promote the organization of new lines, Sumter Telephones offered their No. 356-B Mammoth 5-Bar phone complete with installation equipment for $11.25.

Inventory and Stock Book, 1907, records the amount of goods in stock. The book includes a single entry dated 7 January 1907, which records the inventories of items such as shoes, hats, gloves, dry goods and notions, groceries, tobacco, produce, and eggs.

Ledger, 1904-1907, records the accounts of individual customers. Each account lists transactions in chronological order. Entries include date, type of transactions, and monies debited and credited. Since most of their sales were nearly all for cash, Houff & Holler did not keep records of daily sales. The mercantile sold a variety of goods including clothing, shoes, cloth, soap, candy, eggs, sugar, coffee, beef, cigarettes, peanuts, liniment, morphine, and hardware items.

Receipts, 1907, record the general store's accounts with other companies in Virginia. Items purchased included paint, dry goods, glassware, lamps, shoes, hardware items, and produce.

  • Barcode number 1178211: Houff and Holler Business Records, 1904-1908
Series IX: Breeze Johnson Ledger, 1839-1847
Physical Location: State Records Center
1 volume

Historical Information: Breeze Johnson, born in Virginia around 1811, was a lawyer in Staunton, Virginia.

Scope and Content: Breeze Johnson Ledger, 1839-1847, documents the financial activities of Johnson's law firm. Transactions were entered in the accounts of individual clients. Information found in each entry includes date, type of transaction, and monies debited and credited to the account. Few details are provided as to the type of work performed for individual clients, but some accounts do contain a notation when a suit was filed in court. Scattered throughout the ledger are notations made by Johnson noting that he was to defend a client in court.

Johnson also used the ledger to record some of the law firm's expenses. Several account entries refer to the payment of rent for office space. There are also a few account entries for the hire of Peyton and Thomas, as servants [the legal status of Peyton and Thomas are unclear, but believed to be enslaved Black men]. The account for Thomas notes that his service was hired at the rate of one dollar per month, and his account balance notes that he worked for Johnson for over two years. The accounts of Thomas and Peyton also describe several expenditures. Thomas received extra cash payments, but Peyton is documented as receiving a silk vest, a white beaver hat, and an old cloth coat in addition to his cash payments.

  • Barcode number 1178185: Breeze Johnson Ledger, 1839-1847
Series X: Nicholas C. Kinney Daybook and Ledgers, 1815-1830
Physical Location: State Records Center
4 volumes

Historical Information: Nicholas C. Kinney (1785-1859), a veteran of the War of 1812, was a lawyer in Staunton, Virginia. In 1828, Kinney was appointed as clerk of court for Augusta County. Kinney was also the owner of an 850 acre farm located in Augusta County.

Scope and Content: Nicholas C. Kinney daybook and ledgers, 1815-1830, conists of one daybook and three ledgers largely concerning his work as a lawyer.

  • Barcode number 7278961: Nicholas C. Kinney Attorney Daybook, 1817-1823

    Daybook, 1817-1823, was used primarily to record the various suits that Kinney presented at court. Each entry lists the style of suit with court costs and notes the amounts of money owed and paid by his client. Throughout the volume Kinney recorded tasks he needed to accomplish. Some of these tasks relate to his cases (filing warrants, etc.) but other tasks are of a personal nature such as notes to buy candles and tobacco. The volume also contains occasional references to Kinney's farm. Kinney documented plantings and what crops were growing in certain pastures.

  • Barcode number 7278962: Nicholas C. Kinney Ledger, 1815-1819

    Ledger, 1815-1819, was used primarily to record the personal financial activities of Nicholas C. Kinney. Accounts are organized by the individual or company with which Kinney transacted business. Information found in each entry includes the date, type of transaction, and the monies debited or credited to the account. Most transactions concerned the lending of money and the purchase of items such as clothing, lumber, grain, and furniture. Kinney also provided cash accounts to record the cash he had on hand. Information found in these entries include the amounts paid and received along with the name of the individuals with which he did business. In addition, the back of the volume includes a list of enslaved individuals hired out in 1818, which includes: the name of the enslaved person, to whom they were hired out, and the amounts paid. Enslaved individuals mentioned by name include: Betty, Jacob, Martin, Edmund, and Obed.

  • Barcode number 1187938: Nicholas C. Kinney Ledger, 1823-1828

    Ledger, 1828-1830, records items purchased for Kinney's farm and his personal use. Account entries are listed chronologically and are divided into spring purchases and fall purchases. Each account is listed under the business name where the items were bought. Information found in each account entry includes a listing of the items purchased, the amounts paid for each item, and the total purchase price. Examples of items purchased include coffee, tools, hardware, tack and saddlery, cotton, stoneware, cloth, spirits, and shoes. Kinney entered the total amount of purchases at the end of each season. The final entry in the volume totals all purchases for 1828-1830.

  • Barcode number 1178198: Nicholas C. Kinney Account Ledger, 1828-1830

    Ledger, 1823-1828, records the financial aspects of cases tried by Kinney. Information found in each entry includes the style of suit, date of court hearing, and any court costs incurred. No indication is provided as to the nature of the case, but some entries do include amounts of debt or damages involved in the case. Some entries note that property was sold to help pay court costs. One such entry for the case of James Allen vs John Allen records the sale of a Louisa, an enslaved woman.

Series XI: Mandelbaum Clothier Daybook, 1871
Physical Location: State Records Center
1 volume

Historical Information: Mandelbaum Clothier, located in Staunton, Virginia, specialized in men's clothing. The clothier was also a dealer in trunks and valises. Seymore Mandelbaum, an Augusta County resident born in Virginia about 1848, was the owner and operator of the business.

Scope and Content: Mandelbaum Clothier Daybook, 1871, records customer transaction on a daily basis as they occurred. Information found in each entry includes the name of the customer, item purchased, and the monies debited or credited to the customer's account. Customers bought such items as suits, gloves, suspenders, shoes, cologne, hats, ties, pants, and trunks.

  • Barcode number 7278960: Mandelbaum Clothier Daybook, 1871
Series XII: Mercer Salt Works Business Records, 1851-1856
Physical Location: State Records Center; Library of Virginia
6 volumes

Historical Information: The Mercer Salt Works, one of the major suppliers of salt to West Virginia, was located at the junction of New River and Lick Creek in Mercer County, West Virginia, which is now in Summers County, West Virginia. The salt works employed white laborers and hired enslaved Black and multiracial laborers to work the furnace. Several enslaved laborers were hired from Augusta County, Va. enslavers, including Thomas J. Michie and Alexander Turk. The salt works was destroyed on 10 August 1862 by the 23rd Ohio Regiment under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes, who was stationed at Camp Green Meadows near the Bluestone River.

Scope and Content: Mercer Salt Works Business Records consist of a daybook; Salt A Ledger; Ledger E; cashbook; "Wood Account and Negro Clothing" Ledger; and an account ledger.

  • Barcode number 1178337: Mercer Salt Works Cashbook, 1852-1856

    Cashbook, 1852-1856, records the cash received and cash disbursed on an almost daily basis. In each pair of facing book pages, the left page is used to record cash received, while the right page documents cash disbursed. Each entry includes the names of individuals or accounts that the company received cash from and paid cash to. Expenses recorded for the company include the hiring of Negroes (these entries include the enslavers name but rarely was the enslaved individual's name documented), employee wages, and freight and storage costs. Also, the front of the cashbook chronicles the purchases made for 1852. Entries were arranged according to the item purchased (bacon, corn, beef) and include date of purchase, amounts bought, and amount paid.

  • Barcode number 1178180: Mercer Salt Works Day Book, 1851-1856

    Daybook, 1851-1856, records transactions on a daily basis as they occurred. Transactions recorded document purchases of salt and cash received to settle customer account balances. Information found in each entry includes the date and type of transaction, name of customer, and monies credited and debited to the customer's account. Each transaction was recorded under the customer's name in the corresponding Salt A Ledger. In addition, the amounts of cash received for salt on a given day were totaled and entered into the corresponding cashbook. Included in the back of the ledger is a listing of the dates that it snowed in 1853 and 1854.

  • Barcode number 7278958: Mercer Salt Works Ledger, 1851-1856

    Ledger, 1851-1856, records the accounts of individual employees who were either hired enslaved Black and multiracisl laborers or white laborers. Each account documents the work performed such as repairing furnace, driving cattle, etc. Wages were provided to white laborers and enslaved laborers were compensated for extra work. Workers, both free and enslaved, were paid either in cash or goods purchased from the salt works store or from a local business. Examples of items purchased include bacon, eggs, coffee, butter, tobacco, and shoes. Many of the accounts of enslaved laboroers were carried over from the corresponding "Wood Account and Negro Clothing Ledger." Several customer accounts are also included in the ledger. These customer accounts include the amounts of salt purchased along with payments received in either cash or items bartered. The customer transactions can also be found in the corresponding daybook.

  • Barcode number 1187921: Mercer Salt Works Salt A Ledger, 1851-1856.

    Salt A Ledger, 1851-1856, records the accounts of individual customers. Each customer account includes separate entries for purchases and payments. Purchases were not detailed, as they were recorded in the daybook, but rather include the amount purchased, the price per unit, and the total purchase price for the transaction. However details were provided for the payments toward account balances. Mercer Salt Works accepted cash and the occasional bartered item such as tobacco for payments. Several customer accounts include notations that payments were sent out for collection, and unpaid accounts were noted with such details as "absconded" or "dead and estate insolvent." Also, company entries are recorded throughout the ledger under entries for cash accounts and produce accounts. Specific details for company expenditures can be found in the corresponding daybook and cashbook.

  • Barcode number 1178188: Mercer Salt Works Ledger E, 1852-1856

    Ledger E, 1852-1856, records the purchases made at the salt works' store by customers and employees. Information found in each account includes the date of transactions, merchandise purchased, and the monies debited and credited to the account. Items purchased at the store include bacon, flour, coffee, cloth, tobacco, hardware, and shoes. Customer accounts often document the salt purchases transferred to the customer's salt account which can be located in the corresponding Salt A Ledger and daybook. The Mercer Salt Works store accepted cash and bartered items (produce, livestock, eggs, etc) as payments from its customers. Several customer accounts also contain information concerning enslaved Black and multiracial laborers hired by the salt works. For example, Thomas J. Michie's account includes a notation where he paid the medical bills for Boston, a Black men enslaved by Michie, and Archibald Turk's account includes a credited amount for the hire of a "girl." Ledger E also records the purchases made by the company's employees. These employee entries are identical to the customer accounts with the exception that labor was the most prominent payment toward account balances. Employees performed such duties as working at the furnace, working at the store, driving cattle, cutting wood, etc. The employee accounts included in the ledger appear to only belong to white laborers employed at the salt works.

  • Barcode number 1178337: Mercer Salt Works "Wood Account and Negro Clothing" Ledger, 1851-1856

    The "Wood Account and Negro Clothing" Ledger, 1851-1856, documents the accounts of enslaved individuals hired by the salt works. Black and multiracial enslaved laborers who performed work beyond their required tasks were often compensated in cash or in goods purchased from the company's store. Individual accounts record both the work performed by ensalved laborers and items purchased by the individual with their extra wages. Each account lists transactions in chronological order and includes the date, details of the work performed or items purchased, and monies debited and credited to the account. Accounts include the enslaved person's name along with their enslavers's name. One account for "Henry Alexander's woman Susan" includes the conditions of her hire at the rate of thirty dollars and she would be "furnished the usual winter clothing" and the salt works "has the privilege of returning her at any time." Many of the entries for work performed are listed only by the number of days of work, but some entries describe the work performed. Examples of work done by enslaved laborers include cutting timber, building stables, building chimneys, and working on the furnace, and purchased items such as tobacco, coffee, clothing, hats, and boots.

    Located at the back of the volume is a record of the amounts of wood chopped by enslaved laborers for 1852 to 1856. The accounts list the namee of the enslaved individual, the name of the enslaver, the number of days worked, and the amount of wood cut. The accounts for clothing supplied to enslaved individuals were also recorded for the years 1852 to 1856, and include the enslaved person's name, the enslaver's name, and the numbers of pants, shirts, coats, shoes, boots, hats,and blankets provided for each enslaved laborer.

Series XIII: Mictiow Sales Book, 1837
Physical Location: Library of Virginia
1 volume

Historical Information: This unidentified merchant operated in the Augusta County, Virginia, area during the nineteenth century and sold a variety of goods including books, clothing, and tools.

Scope and Content: Identified on the cover as the Mictiow Sales Book, this volume documents the sale of goods made 2-7 January 1837. The sales were recorded as they occurred and were listed by the customer name and included the item purchased and the amount paid. Total sale amounts were included at the end of each day's sale. Items purchased included tools, saddlery, stoneware, gloves, shoes, clothing, perfume, and tobacco. Books were also sold and included such titles as Scott's Lessons, Tytler's History, American Psalmody, English Reader, Natural Philosophy, Village Hymns, Ladies Lexicon, Kirkham's Grammar, and Perrin's Fables.

  • Barcode number 7278966: Mictiow Sales Book, 1837
Series XIV: Mount Ery Furnace Ledger, 1789-1793
Physical Location: State Records Center
1 volume

Historical Information: Mount Ery Furnace was founded by Solomon Matthews and was located in either Rockingham County or Loudoun County, Virginia. By 1793, the furnace was operated by Benjamin Fawcett and Joseph Fawcett. The furnace did business in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Scope and Content: Mount Ery Furnace Ledger, 1789-1793, records the accounts of individual customers and employees. Entries are arranged in chronological order under the account name. Entries document customer purchases of iron, but the majority of entries concern employee accounts. The employee accounts record money paid for work done, cash accounts, and items purchased such as clothing and food supplies, leather, and tobacco. Each entry includes the date of transaction, items purchased or work performed, and amount of money debited and credited.

Also see: Augusta County Chancery Cause, Solomon Matthews vs. Benjamin Fawcett, 1828-028. Available Digitally through the Chancery Records Index.

  • Barcode number 1178177: Mount Ery Furnace Ledger, 1789-1793
Series XV: Mutual Annuity Company Ledger, 1892-1906
Physical Location: State Records Center
1 volume

Historical Information: Chartered in 1889, the Mutual Annuity Company operated in Augusta County, Va., during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In 1892, the company consolidated with Inter-states Life Association to form a single joint stock company.

Scope and Content: The Mutual Annuity Company Ledger, 1892-1906, records the company's financial activities. The first half of the ledger is a cashbook which records the cash available on hand for 1892. The cashbook documents stock, expense fees, premiums, sundries, cash advances, postage, and expenses such as office supplies, stamps, and telegrams. Beginning in 1894, the ledger was used to keep track of individual court cases filed throughout Virginia in which the company had insured a bond or deed. Each entry is listed under the style of suit for the case and includes information such as the court in which the case was filed, the kind of interest the company held (note, deed, or bond), when the deed was dated, when the deed was due, and the amount that was insured. Some entries have comments that note how a suit was settled.

  • Barcode number 1178311: Mutual Annuity Company Ledger, 1892-1906
Series XVI: Timothy M. Patterson General Store Ledgers, 1792-1805
Physical Location: State Records Center
6 volumes

Historical Information: A dealer in dry-goods, groceries, and hardware, this general store operated in the Augusta County, Virginia, area during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Timothy M. Patterson operated the general store for the years 1798 to 1801; however, it is uncertain if Patterson controlled the general store for the entirety of its existence.

Scope and Content: Timothy M. Patterson General Store Ledgers, 1792-1805, consists of the following six volumes: Ledger No. 4, 1792-1795; Ledger No. 5, 1795-1797; Ledger No. 6, 1789-1801; Ledger No. 7, 1802-1805; Index to Ledger No. 5, 1795-1797; and Index to Ledger No. 7, 1802-1805. The ledgers record the accounts of individual customers, with accounts carried over to the next ledger once a volume was completed. Information found in each entry includes the customer names, date of transactions, name and quantity of items purchased, amounts owed, and amounts paid. Examples of items purchased include butter, coffee, window glass, stoneware, whiskey, clothing, shoes, cloth, beef, sugar, and saddlery. The general store accepted cash, labor (making clothes, hauling, cording wood, etc), and barter (cattle, produce, etc.) as payments. Ledger No. 4 indicates that customer accounts were carried over from an unidentified Ledger No. 3. Separate indexes are included for both Ledger No. 5 and Ledger No. 7.

  • Barcode number 1178144: Timothy M. Patterson General Store Ledger No. 4, 1792-1795
  • Barcode number 1187953: Timothy M. Patterson General Store Ledger No. 5, 1795-1797
  • Barcode number 72789673: Index to Timothy M. Patterson General Store Ledger No. 5, 1795-1797
  • Barcode number 1178202: Timothy M. Patterson General Store Ledger No. 6, 1798-1801
  • Barcode number 1778201: Timothy M. Patterson General Store Ledger No. 7, 1802-1805
  • Barcode number 7283631: Index to Timothy M. Patterson General Store Ledger No. 7, 1802-1805
Series XVII: Tannehill & Wheat Nursery Ledger, 1866-1874
Physical Location: State Records Center
1 volume

Historical Information: Tannehill & Wheat Nursery was located in Augusta County, Virginia, and was in operation during the late nineteenth century. The business was located on land that was once part of the nursery owned by the Franklin Davis Company. Joseph F. Tannehill, born in Virginia about 1830, was one of the partners of Tannehill and Wheat.

Scope and Content: Tannehill and Wheat Nursery Ledger, 1866-1874, records the accounts of individual customers and employees. Each account lists transactions in chronological order. Each entry for customer accounts includes the date, type of transaction, items purchased, quantity of items purchased, monies credited and debited, and method of payment. Customer accounts include transactions such as purchasing plants, hauling fertilizer, and planting trees. Plants purchased include ceder hedges, shade trees, standard pears and evergreens.

Also included in the ledger are account records for the nursery's business operations and its employees. Business accounts document expenses like employee wages and purchases of inventory and equipment. Employee accounts record the labor performed by the worker such as planting trees, hauling wood, and plowing in addition to recording items purchased for the employee such as food, clothing, and tobacco. The majority of the nursery's employees were described as "colored."

Also see: Augusta County Chancery Cause, Franklin Davis vs Joseph F. Tannehill 1896-093. Available Digitally through Chancery Records Index.

  • Barcode number 1178220: Tannehill & Wheat Nursery Ledger, 1866-1874
Series XVIII: Henry I. Tapp Daybook and Ledger, 1826-1831
Physical Location: State Records Center
1 volume

Historical Information: Henry I. Tapp was a lawyer in Staunton, Virginia, in the early nineteenth century until his death in 1830. Tapp was also involved in the building of the Staunton turnpike.

Scope and Content: Henry I. Tapp Daybook and Ledger, 1826-1831, documents the financial activities of Tapp's law firm on an almost daily basis. Information found in the daybook entries include the name of client and the amounts owed or paid. Each entry can be found under the client's individual account in the ledger located at the back of the volume. Examples of the services provided by Tapp include serving as administrator and guardian, drafting deeds, taking depositions, settling estates, and arguing cases at court. The law firms expenses (such as travel, hire of horses, and purchasing wood) are also recorded in the daybook and ledger.

Several entries also record the hiring out of Michael, Tom, Mike, and Dick, Black men enslaved by Tapp, for short durations for whitewashing, helping with a harvest, etc.

Transactions entered in 1831 were made by Thomas J. Michie, another lawyer in Augusta County, who took over Tapp's cases after his death in 1830.

  • Barcode number 1187994: Henry I. Tapp Daybook and Ledger, 1826-1831
Series XIX: Templeton and Company Daybook and Ledger, 1856-1860
Physical Location: State Records Center
2 volumes

Historical Information: Templeton and Company was a general store that operated in Summerdean, Virginia, from 1856 to 1858. John Wilson, Samuel M. Templeton, and John W. McCormack formed the partnership for the mercantile business in 1856, but by April 1858 the company had dissolved and disposed of its stock of goods at auction.

Scope and Content: Templeton and Company Daybook and Ledger, 1826-1860 consists of a Daybook, 1856-1860 and Ledger, 1856-1860

Also see: Augusta County Chancery Cause, John Wilson vs Samuel M. Templeton, 1870-089. Available Digitally through Chancery Records Index.

  • Barcode number 1178306 : Templeton & Co. Daybook, 1856-1860

    Templeton and Company Daybook, 1856-1860, records the business transactions of the general store on a daily basis as they occurred. Information found in each entry includes the date, the name of the customer, the form of transaction, and the amount of monies debited and credited to the account. Each transaction was also recorded under the customer's name in the corresponding ledger. Templeton and Company sold a variety of items including tobacco, nails, sugar, cloth, coffee, tea, bacon, tea kettles, eggs, candles, clothing, stoneware, shoes, and produce. Records of sales begin in August of 1856 and continue through March of 1858. Beginning in late March of 1858, the daybook was used to document money received for the sale of the company's stock at auction. Each entry lists the name and amounts of the items sold and the money received for the sale. The back of the daybook contains a record for the grain (wheat, corn, rye, and oats) stored in Summerdean Mills for 1857 and 1858. The daybook also contains a record of unidentified payments made by Samuel M. Templeton in 1860 to various individuals.

  • Barcode number 1187919 : Templeton & Co. Ledger, 1856-1860

    Ledger, 1856-1860, records the accounts of individual customers. Each customer account, recorded from 1856-1858, includes separate entries for purchases and payments made. Purchases were not detailed but rather include the notation "to merchandise," amounts purchased, price per unit, and the total purchase made for that day. However, details were provided for the payments made toward account balances. Templeton and Company accepted cash, bartered items (hides, soap, butter, bacon, apples, horses, buggies), and labor (hauling, chopping, work at store) as payments. The back of the volume includes entries pertaining to the dissolution of the business from 1858 to 1860. Information provided includes a listing of customers with outstanding balances and a listing of money collected by A. B. Lightner on behalf of Templeton and Company.

Series XX: Thornburg and Shafer Daybook 1877-1879
Physical Location: State Records Center
1 volume

Historical Information: Thornburg and Shafer was a livery and exchange stable located on New Street in Staunton, Virginia. The partnership originated between Thomas A. Shafer and Samuel T. Thornburg, the managing partner. On 15 July 1878, Levi Shafer purchased Thomas A. Shafer's share in the partnership. At the height of their business, the livery stable owned twenty horses, five carriages, ten buggies, and a number of wagons. The partnership was officially dissolved in 1883 by a decree rendered in the Augusta County chancery court.

Scope and Content: Thornburg and Shafer Daybook, 1877-1879, records the daily activities of the Augusta County livery stable with transactions recorded on a chronological basis as they occurred. The daybook was used primarily to document customer transactions but a few company expenses were also recorded. Information found in each entry include the date, customer name, service purchased, and the monies debited or credited to their accounts. Customers made payments for the hire of saddle horses, wagons, and buggies. Livery fees were also recorded and include payments for board, feed, and shoeing. Company expenses recorded include rent and purchases of feed, coal, and wood.

Also see: Augusta County Chancery Cause, Levi Shafer and Thomas A. Shafer vs S. T. Thornburg, 1870-089. Available Digitally through Chancery Records Index.

  • Barcode number 7278766: Thornburg and Shafer Daybook, 1877-1879
Series XXI: Unidentified General Store Daybooks 1828-1835
Physical Location: State Records Center
3 volumes

Historical Information: A dealer in dry-goods, groceries, and hardware, this unidentified general store operated in Staunton, Virginia, during the mid-nineteenth century.

Scope and Content: Unidentified General Store Daybooks, 1828-1835, record business transactions as they occurred on an almost daily basis. Transactions were entered almost daily for 1828 through 1830, but entries became less frequent for the years 1831 through 1835. Information found in each entry includes the date, name of customer, name and quantity of goods purchased, form of payment, and amount owed. Examples of items purchased include books, sugar, coffee, tools, saddlery, cloth, paper, clothing, shoes, tobacco, tea, and whiskey.

  • Barcode number 1178152: Unidentified General Store Day Book, 1828
  • Barcode number 1178138: Unidentified General Store Day Book, 1829
  • Barcode number 1178305: Unidentified General Store Day Book, 1830-1835
Series XXII: Unidentified Grocer Account Book, 1873
Physical Location: State Records Center
1 volume

Historical Information: This unidentified grocer operated in the Augusta County, Virginia, area during the nineteenth century.

Scope and Content: Unidentified Grocer Account Book, 1873, records financial activities on an almost daily basis. The volume was used primarily as a daybook to document customer purchases. Information found in each entry includes name of customer, name and quantity of goods purchased, and the monies debited or credited to the account. Examples of items sold include tobacco, whiskey, pickles, sugar, oysters, coffee, cigars, cherries, chickens, bacon, peaches, etc. Occasionally, throughout the volume, individual customer accounts were compiled. Such entries noted items purchased and payments made to the account. The grocer accepted cash as well as barter for payment.

In addition, the account book was frequently used to document the cash on hand. Business as well as the personal expenses of the grocer owner were recorded in the account book. Business expenses included such items as rent, bar fixtures, hardware, and purchasing stock for the store. Paying for horses, livestock feed, wallpaper, as well as money loans were included among the private expenses of the business owner.

  • Barcode number 7278969: Unidentified Grocer Account Book, 1873
Series XXIII: Virginia Banking and Trust Company Business Records, 1866-1875
Physical Location: State Records Center
6 volumes

Historical Information: The Virginia Banking and Trust Company was originally incorporated as the Virginia Insurance Company by an act of the General Assembly of Virginia passed 13 December 1865. Operating out of its headquarters in Staunton, Virginia, the company insured buildings, furniture, and other property against loss or damage by fire. The company also provided life insurance.

Another act of the General Assembly of Virginia, passed 13 January 1871, changed the name of the company to the Virginia Banking and Trust Company. The company operated under this name until it was dissolved and sold its properties in October of 1875.

Scope and Content: Virginia Banking and Trust Company Business Records, 1866-1875, consist of one cashbook, 1875, daybook,1873-1874; ledgers, 1866-1875; minute book, 1866-1875; and statement book, 1866-1875;

  • Barcode number 1187934: Virginia Banking and Trust Company Cashbook No. 7, 1875-1876

    The Virginia Banking and Trust Company Cashbook No. 7, 1875, records the financial activities of the company with transactions listed chronologically as they occurred. Entries document monies credited and debited for such activities as bills received, deposits by stockholders and insurance policy holders, interest on accounts, and company expenses for such items as office equipment, postage, attorney fees, and taxes. Accounts were balanced at the end of each day's entries and provide a profit and loss statement for that day's activities.

    Stored in the back of Cashbook No.7 are loose papers that contain a statement of policies issued or renewed in 1869 recorded by John C. Whitner an agent working in Atlanta, Georgia. Each entry includes the name of the insured, number of policies and renewals purchased, date of commencement of risk, insurance term, expiration of risk, amount insured, insurance rate, amount of premium, and a brief description of the policy and items insured. Items insured include law libraries, businesses and their stock of goods, and dwelling houses.

  • Barcode number 1187935: Virginia Banking and Trust Company Daybook, No. 6, 1873-1874

    Virginia Banking and Trust Company Daybook No. 6, 1873-1874, documents business activities on a chronological basis as they occurred. Entries include the date, type of transaction, and monies debited and credited. Transactions recorded include purchases of insurance policies and company stock, bills receivable, and company expenses. Each day's entries were balanced and include the total amounts of monies on-hand in currency, gold, and checks.

  • Barcode number 1187932: Virginia Insurance Company General Ledger No. 1, 1866-1875

    The Virginia Life Insurance Company General Ledger No. 1, 1866-1875, records various accounts that document the financial transactions of the company. Examples of accounts documented include capital stock, expenses, profits and losses, bills receivable, bills payable, and insurance premiums paid. Each entry includes the date, type of transactions, and the monies debited or credited to the various accounts.

  • Barcode number 1187929: Virginia Insurance Company Individual Ledger No. 1, 1866-1872

    The Virginia Life Insurance Company Individual Ledger No. 1, 1866-1875, provides a record of customer and employee accounts. The accounts of individual customers record the number of policies purchased or renewed; although, no information is provided as to what the policies insured. Information found in the customer accounts include the amounts paid toward insurance policies and to whom the payments were made. The ledger was also used to record the accounts of company employees and insurance agents. Information found under employee accounts include the number of policies sold, the amount of monies collected for insurance payments, and amounts paid for expenses such as postage, travel, taxes, and attorney fees.

  • Barcode number 1178143: Virginia Insurance Company Minute Book, 1866-1875

    The Virginia Life Insurance Minute Book, 1866-1875, records the minutes for the meetings of the board of directors in addition to recording stockholder meetings. The minutes detail the business of selling stock and acquiring stockholders. Information on creating insurance policies and preparing insurance rates are provided. Meeting minutes also provide detail on policy applications, which describe the items and amounts insured. Also included in the volume are the by-laws created by the company.

  • Barcode number 1178191: Virginia Insurance Company Statement Book No. 1, 1866-1875

    The Virginia Life Insurance Statement Book, 1866-1875, is a balance sheet that describes the total assets, liabilities and net worth of the business. Entries were made on a monthly basis and document stock investments, bills receivable, monies due, commissions, cash on hand, and estimated profits.

Series XXIV: Virginia Express Company Minute Book and Cashbook, 1867-1869
Physical Location: State Records Center
3 volumes

Historical Information: The Virginia Express Company, incorporated by an act of the General Assembly on 23 February 1867, was a freight and cargo transport company operating out of Staunton, Virginia. The company used both stage lines and railroads to ship its freight. During the establishment of the company, Michael G. Harman served as president and William Watts was a clerk for the company. In December 1868, the Virginia Express Company relinquished control of its shipping lines. The stage line business was taken over by Trotter & Company and Harman & Company, while the railroad interests were taken over by the Adams Express and Southern Express Companies.

Scope and Content: Virginia Express Company Minute Books and Cashbook, 1867-1869, consists of a cashbook, 1867-1869, and minute books, 1867-1869.

Also see: Augusta County Chancery Cause, Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad Company vs Virginia Express Company, 1891-077. Available Digitally through Chancery Records Index.

  • Barcode number 1178215: Virginia Express Company Cash Book, 1867-1869

    The Virginia Express Company Cashbook, 1867-1869, records the cash received and cash disbursed on a chronological basis. Entries include the type of transaction and the amount of monies debited or credited. Transactions include cash received for the payment of vouchers and receipts; these transactions are often listed under the employee who received the transaction. Freight charges are listed under the customer name and include amounts paid and the locations of departure and arrival. Several freight transactions include the name of the railroad used to ship freight. Also included in the cashbook are company expenses such as livery fees, shoeing horses, rider fees, employee wages, advertising, equipment repairs, amounts paid for damages of freight, and items purchased such as horses, wagons, iron safes, and postage.

  • Barcode number 7278768: Virginia Express Company Minute Book, 1867

    The Virginia Express Company Minute Book, 1867, records the meetings of the company's stockholders and board of directors. These meetings were held early in the life of the Virginia Express Company and detail the organization of the business. The minutes discuss such topics as the election of officers, the fixing of salaries for company directors and employees, and the creation of by-laws for the government of the business. One meeting details which specific railroads the express company would utilize to ship their freight. Also included in the minutes of the first meeting is a list of stockholders that lists each stockholder by name along with the number of shares purchased.

  • Barcode number 7278767: Virginia Express Company Minute Book, 1868-1869

    Minute Book, 1868-1869, records the meetings of the company's stockholders. Meetings were recorded beginning in December 1868 and end in February 1869 and primarily concern the dissolution of the business and transfer of control to various companies. The minutes include copies of the contracts agreed upon that transferred control of the stage line and railroad shipping ventures. Also included in the minutes are presentations of statements of the assets and liabilities of the company along with a list stockholders. The January 1869 meeting briefly discusses the company's reaction to a robbery that occurred in Norfolk, Virginia.

Series XXV: John Wayt Invoice Book, 1828-1831
Physical Location: State Records Center
1 volume

Historical Information: John Wayt, a son of William Wayt born about 1799, moved to Augusta County, Va., in 1811 where he became a prominent merchant and banker. Wayt was married first to Margaret A. Bell and then to Sarah A. Bell. Wayt died in 1877 leaving behind three children -- Dr. Newton Wayt, J. Howard Wayt, and Mattie Wayt Bledsoe.

Scope and Content: John Wayt Invoice Book, 1828-1831, chronicles Wayt's purchases that he made most likely for his store. Entries are listed chronologically, and each entry includes date, company and location of purchase, items purchased, and amounts paid. Items purchased included clothing items such as thread, yarn, buttons, silk, flannel, muslin, and lace; food items such as cheese, sugar, coffee, and chocolate; and household items such as knives, bowls, decanters, candlesticks, and soap. Wayt also made several book purchases of dictionaries, almanacs, and primers. Most purchases were made from companies located in either Baltimore, Philadelphia, or Richmond.

  • Barcode number 1178212: John Wayt Invoice Book, 1828-1831
Series XXVI: William Weaver Business Records, 1814-1826 1814-1826
Physical Location: State Records Center
9 volumes

Historical Information: William Weaver (1780-1863), born in Flourtown, Pennsylvania, was ironmaster in Virginia and enslaved numerous Black and multiracial people in Rockbridge County. During his career, Weaver was involved in a variety of enterprises including merchandising, milling, marble quarrying, and small-scale textile manufacturing, but in July 1814, Weaver made a chance investment in the Virginia iron industry along with his new partner Thomas Mayburry, a Philadelphia merchant whose father and grandfather had been involved in the iron industry in Pennsylvania. Weaver and Mayburry purchased, from William Wilson, Union Forge, located in Rockbridge County, and two blast furnaces, Etna and Retreat, in neighboring Botetourt County along with 6,000 acres of iron ore and woodlands.

The Retreat and Etna furnace properties were in decline when Weaver and Mayburry made their purchase - Etna Furnace was in serious disrepair while Retreat Furnace possessed inadequate water power. Weaver attempted to put Retreat into blast in 1815, but due to the lack of water, Weaver realized that the furnace at Etna had to be rebuilt. Etna Furnace, originally built in 1792, was situated along Purgatory Creek near Buchanan, Virginia. Weaver succeeded in putting Etna into blast in 1815, thus, insuring that Union Forge would have a steady supply of pig iron.

Union Forge, renamed as Buffalo Forge, was located on Buffalo Creek in Rockbridge County and would become William Weaver's permanent residence when he relocated to Virginia in 1823. Buffalo Forge was a large complex that had in addition to the forge two water powered mills; a store to sell tobacco, sugar, cloth, and clothing to workers; a shoe and harness shop; carpenter shop; sawmill; and blacksmith. In addition, fields on the furnace properties were used to grow crops of wheat, corn, oats, rye, hay, and clover.

Initially, William Weaver staffed his furnaces with a mixture of white laborers and hired Black and multiracial enslaved persons, but in October 1815, Weaver purchased eleven enslaved individuals from John Wilson, son of William Wilson from whom he had purchased the furnace properties. Included among these enslaved labaors was Tooler, Black enslaved skilled ironworker. Tooler and this group enslaved laborers formed the basis of Weaver's large crew of skilled ironworkers. Weaver had the bill of sale for these enslaved laborers made out to himself instead of the partnership of Weaver and Mayburry. When the partnership began to dissolve in 1825, Weaver would insist that Mayburry relinquish any claim to any of the enslaved individuals.

Despite the dissolution of the partnership in 1825, Thomas Mayburry would stay on to operate Etna Furnace. The dissolution of the partnership would ultimately lead to a lengthy chancery suit, primarily pertaining to the ownership rights of the enslaved laborers, that would not be settled until an out-of-court agreement was reached in 1836. A preliminary agreement was reached between the former partners in 1827 when Mayburry agreed to sell Weaver his half of the Union Forge property. After this purchase, Weaver would rename the property Buffalo Forge. Weaver would continue to add to his iron holdings in Virginia, when in 1825, Weaver purchased Lydia Furnace in Rockbridge County. Weaver would later rename this property the Bath Iron Works. Weaver would continue to operate his iron interests until his death on 25 March 1863. Upon his death, Weaver left the Bath Iron Works property to Daniel Brady. The remainder of his property, including Buffalo Forge and many of the skilled enslaved ironworker, passed to his niece Emma Brady, Daniel Brady's wife.

Today, several buildings still stand at the site of Buffalo Forge, including Weaver's residence, "slave quarters," and several support buildings. The property remains in the hands of the Brady heirs. Some ruins of Etna Furnace exist today on private land, but the remains of Retreat Furnace were destroyed in the 1970s by a treasure hunter searching for the Beale treasure.

Scope and Content: The William Weaver Business Records, 1814-1826, document Weaver's partnership with Thomas Mayburry and the financial activities of his Virginia iron interests: Etna Furnace, Union Forge (later renamed Buffalo Forge), and Retreat Furnace. The collection consists of the following nine volumes: Etna Furnace Daybook, 1824-1826; Etna Furnace Negro Book, 1815-1822; Etna Furnace Pig Iron Book, 1815-1826; Etna Furnace Pig Iron Book, 1820-1825; Mayburry and Weaver Cashbook, 1818-1826; Retreat Furnace Daybook and Ledger, 1816-1826; Union Forge Daybook, 1819-1824; Union Forge Provision Book, 1818-1826; and William Weaver Invoice Book and Etna Furnace Daybook, 1814-1826.

Also see: Augusta County Chancery Cause, William Weaver vs.Thomas Mayburry, 1831-019. Available Digitally through Chancery Records Index.

  • Barcode number 1178215: Etna Furnace Daybook, 1824-1826

    Etna Furnace Daybook, 1824-1826, records the daily business transactions of the furnace documenting both expenses and customer orders. Each entry includes the date, type of transaction, and monies credited or debited. Entries for iron purchases include the customer's name along with the amount of iron purchased and monies owed. Expenses for the furnace include freight and shipping fees and the purchase of food, shoes, clothing, and tools. Enslaved laborers are mentioned throughout the daybook with notations concerning the hiring of enslaved persons and paying enslaved persons for overwork. Also recorded are purchases that enslaved workers made at the furnace's store.

  • Barcode number 1178215: Etna Furnace Negro Book, 1815-1822

    Etna Furnace Negro Book, 1815-1822, records purchases at the ironmaster's store made by enslaved laborers at Etna Furnace. Enslaved workers who performed duties beyond their required tasks were compensated in cash or in goods from the ironmaster's store. Each entry is made under the name of the enslaved worker and records the goods purchased, the money owed or paid, or if paid in labor what labor was done. Examples of goods purchased include sugar, tobacco, shoes, trousers, cloth, pantaloons, etc. Examples of extra work performed for payment of goods include hauling, cording wood, working on Sunday, and working during Christmas. There is no index or pagination and no discernible arrangement.

    Some enslaved names found in the account book include Old Sophie, Sam Beau the Miller, or Black Phil. Many surnames are listed including Glascock, Glasscock, Wilson, George, Johnson, Tutwiler, Olds, Carter, Mease, Rowland, Tayloe, Smith, Newbill, Skilern, Mewks, Meux, Mannering, Lee, Cosby, Hart, Burley, Buckley, Gordon, Sprig, Green, Dawson, Clark, and Jackson. Many of the enslaved worked were hired by the furnace, but some such as Tuler (sometimes spelled Tooler) Wilson and Bill Wilson were enslaved by William Weaver.

    The back cover of the volume records instances of "runaway" enslaved persons, noting the date they disappeared and the date they returned. Included are several entries regarding a Randall Clark who is described as a thief and self-emancipator. Reference is made to a trial of Randall Clark in 1815 where he was sentenced to be burned and whipped.

  • Barcode number 1178215: Etna Furnace Pig Iron Book, 1815-1826

    Etna Furnace Pig Iron Book, 1815-1826, documents pig iron sent from Etna Furnace to Union Forge, Pattonsburg (which presumably meant that the pig iron would be staying at Etna Furnace which was located in Pattonsburg in Botetourt County), and M. Harvey's Forge. The iron remaining in Pattonsburg is noted as being sent down the river to Richmond. Each entry lists the date, the weight of the pig iron, and the name of the worker responsible for receiving the shipment. Also included in the back of the volume is an account of the grain received by Etna Furnace. Thomas Mayburry was responsible for the majority of the entries in this volume.

  • Barcode number 1178215: Etna Furnace Pig Iron Book, 1820-1825

    Etna Furnace Pig Iron Book, 1820-1825, records the shipments of pig iron from Etna Furnace to most probably Union Forge. Information found in each entry includes the name of the worker hauling the iron, the amount invoiced at Etna Furnace, and the weight of the iron when it arrived. Workers listed as hauling iron include both Black and multiracial enslaved laborers and white laborers. Also included in the volume are records of the orders for Etna Furnace pig iron. Information found in the orders includes the name of worker who accepted the order and the quantity of pig iron ordered.

  • Barcode number 1178215: Mayburry and Weaver Cashbook, 1818-1826

    Mayburry and Weaver Cashbook, 1818-1826, tracks the cash received and disbursed for the partnership and its iron interests, Etna Furnace and Union Forge (which Weaver would later rename Buffalo Forge). In each pair of facing book pages, the left page is used to record cash received, while the right page documents cash disbursed. Each entry includes the date, type of transaction, and the amount of money debited or credited.

    The cashbook contains entries for Etna Furnace, Union Forge, and what is referred to as House. For both Etna Furnace and Union Forge, expenses are listed for purchases for items such as bacon, sugar, coffee; payments made for having enslaved laborers' clothes made; and paying enslaved laborers "for overwork." Many times expenses were listed for Etna Furnace and Union Forge with no reference to what was paid for, but at times more information is provided such as an entry for the forge which describes expenses paid "for hunting horse that ran away." The House transactions document such purchases as butter, eggs, vinegar, turkey, and cotton for the children.

    Many entries scattered throughout the cashbook refer to the enslaved laboroers living and working at both Etna Furnace and Union Forge. One such entry for 10 January 1824 details the expenses paid for hiring enslaved workers; listed are their bond prices and the expenses they incurred on the road traveling to the furnace. The names of the enslavers are listed along with the amount paid for a year's hire. There are also several entries documenting when enslaved laborers were paid for overwork through either cash or goods [details for some of these transactions can be found in the corresponding Etna Furnace Negro Book].

    In addition, located throughout the cashbook are notations for various business activities. At the back of the cashbook is an account of grain (rye, corn, wheat, and oats) stored at Jenkins's Mill for 1825 to 1826, with an account of the amounts stored at the mill and a record of the grain used at the furnaces. At the front of the cashbook is a record of shoes mended and made by I. Harris for 1824. Entries are listed chronologically as they occurred and include the number of shoes either made or mended. Also included in the front of the cashbook are detailed directions for bottling liquor... "should porter or ale be managed according to these directions it will seldom or never fail to give satisfaction." Following these instructions are a record of porter, corks, and bottles purchased."

  • Barcode number 1178215: Retreat Furnace Daybook and Ledger, 1816-1826

    Retreat Furnace Daybook and Ledger, 1816-1826, was used first as a daybook, 1816, and then as ledger, 1818-1826, to record the transactions of individual employees. Daybook entries document items purchased at the furnace store and include such items as bacon, meal, shoes, blankets, coffee, beef, flour, and tobacco. Transactions were entered on a chronological basis as they occurred. Each entry includes date, employee name, items purchased, and monies debited to the accounts. Beginning in 1818, the volume was used as a ledger to record the individual accounts of employees. All of the employees appear to have been free laborers that were engaged primarily in blacksmith work. Each account includes the employee name and a record of the blacksmith work performed. Each account entry includes the day, a description of the work performed, and the wages provided. Examples of work performed include shoeing horses, making rivets and nails, shaping shovels, and sharpening tools. The accounts also include debits for purchases of items such as blankets, cider, skillets, etc. Several accounts refer to entries made in an unidentified daybook.

  • Barcode number 1178215: Union Forge Daybook, 1819-1824

    Union Forge Daybook, 1819-1824, records the daily operations and financial activities of the forge. The daybook documents customer orders, worked performed by enslaved Black and multiracial laborers and free laborers, wages paid to employees, and items purchased for the forge's operation. Each entry includes the date, type of transaction, and monies credited or debited. Entries for the purchase of iron include the customer's name along with the amount paid. Expenses for the forge include the purchase of provisions, clothing for workers, tools, and livestock. Detailed descriptions of provisions purchased can be found in the corresponding Union Forge Provision Book. Scattered throughout the volume are entries concerning enslaved laborers at Union Forge. Such entries note the hire of enslaved labores, payment for overwork, and the purchase of clothing and blankets for enslaved labroers. Few details are included in the entries about the enslaved individuals, but some are mentioned by name and include: Garland, Tuler (or Tooler), Phil, Glover, and Sam Williams.

  • Barcode number 1178215: Union Forge Provision Book, 1818-1826

    Union Forge Provision Book, 1818-1826, records the purchases of provisions used by the workers at Union Forge. Each entry is recorded under the name of the individual or company from which the items were purchased. Information found in each entry include date, items purchased, and the amounts paid. These entries were also recorded in the corresponding Union Forge Daybook. Provisions purchased included bacon, meal, beef, coffee, sugar, salt, wheat, shoes, clothing, and whiskey. The back of the volume was also used to record the amounts of straw used at Union Forge.

  • Barcode number 1178215: William Weaver Invoice Book and Etna Furnace Daybook, 1814-1826

    William Weaver Invoice Book and Etna Furnace Daybook, 1814-1826, was used to record the financial activities of Weaver and his furnaces. The first half of the volume, 1814-1816, was used as an invoice book by William Weaver, Thomas Mayburry, and the partnership of Mayburry and Weaver. Entries begin in August 1814 and record purchases made by Weaver and Mayburry while establishing their furnace venture in Virginia. Transactions were listed chronologically as they occurred, and each entry includes the name of the person or business that Weaver and Mayburry did business with, a list of the items purchased, and the total monies paid for the purchases. Items purchased included cloth, clothing, livestock, boots, looking glasses, blankets, stoneware, furniture, sugar, coffee, chocolate, saws, hatchets, and wagons. Most of the businesses named were located in Philadelphia.

    Beginning in 1820 the volume was used as a daybook for Etna Furnace with entries made on an almost daily basis as they occurred. The daybook records both purchases from the furnace and items purchased for the furnace. Each entry includes the date, name of purchaser, items purchased, and monies debited or credited. Purchases made from the furnace were limited to iron purchases. Examples of items bought by the furnace include shoes, bacon, beef, flour, tobacco, and whiskey. Also, scattered throughout the daybook are entries for purchases made by furnace employees for items such as food and clothing.