K414) 19th Century Ledger,1866/1867, Stoddard & Newton,General Store, Minonk IL

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19th Century Ledger,1866/1867, Stoddard & Newton, General Store, Minonk ILThis 1866/1867 ledger, measuring approximately 13" x 8 1/4" x 1 3/4", has 576 pages (all used) with the ink on its first 152 pages being lighter than that on its remaining pages. All pages are readable, but the calligraphy of the era can make for a little guess-work in determining particular characters. Its covers & spine are well worn with the "leather" finish on its boards crumbling/flaking away, but its inside pages remain rather "sturdy" for their advanced & showing foxing, toning, & small smudges/stains. Pages 1 & 2 of the ledger appear to missing/torn out, but on page 3 the 1st written entry reads: "31 October 1866 --- B.? Stoddard and ? R. Newton --- have this day formed a copartnership --- for the purpose of conducting a retail Dry --- Goods and Grocery business, at Minonk --- Illinois. They are to share and --- sustain equally in all gains and losses". Entries in this ledger include possible references to a "boarding? house", & land purchase? from the "C. I. R. R.?"/Central Illinois Railroad (see photos). Myriad pieces of information await putting together by someone who enjoys this type of research & information synthesis. I will be sad to see this item leave the shop as it has been a treat to peruse its pages & realize how documentation of the ordinary can make for an extraordinary glimpse of the past --- in this case daily life during the Victorian era. Chinchilla fur? yardage, hoop skirts, shirt collars --- a corset & lamp chimney here and there --- it's all here in this ledger. There is also documentation of merchandise for the store purchased of Singer Sewing Machines of Chicago, as well as of Farwell & Co. (a "predecessor"of Marshall Field's & Co. --- "Field quickly rose through the ranks of Cooley, Farwell & Co. to become junior partner in 1862. Due to Cooley's having to leave the firm for financial reasons, Field was persuaded to come onboard as a partner in the same year. " https:///wiki/Marshall_Field ). Note that this is the first (& "founding" one) of several ledgers of the Stoddard & Newton partnership.I will not re-write history here, so the interested buyer is referred to this website for details of the history of Minonk Illinois: /township.htm-Of note from the website ( /township.htm ) is the following information:-"Minonk's orgins are tied to the development of the railroads in Illinois during the 19th century. In 1854 the Illinois Central Railroad completed its main line through Section Seven where the city of Minonk would eventually be located. On November 7, 1854 a plat of the town was recorded in the Office of the Recorder of Woodford County".-"As soon as it became known that a town was established accessions began being made at once. A boarding house for the railroad men was the first building. Charles Dobson , from near Pattonsburg built the first home and moved in August, 1854. That fall, in partnership with Americus Pogue , he opened a general store. A post office was soon established with Mr. Dobson as postmaster".-"The C. W. Goodrich family came from New York state, and built the second home. Goodrich opened a grain and lumber business with a James Parker as his partner".-"A Presbyterian evangelist, Rev. Mr. Frost , held the first religious services".-"The first trustees, who operated three years, were Reuben P. Bell, A. Cholwell, C. W. Goodrich, Henry C. Dent and M. A. Cushing ".-"...Thomas A. Edison had made two electric generators and, being a good friend of Miner T. Ames, gave him one of them so that he could have electric lights at the mine. When the big store at the mine was destroyed by fire a new store was established up town at the corner of Chestnut and Seventh streets. In order that the store could have electric lights instead of coal lamps, they strung a pair of wires which gave Minonk the first electrically lighted street in the world."-"... librarian, W. R. D... read more

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