Blacksburg, Virginia, General Store Day Book,
Scope and Content Note
This collection consists of a single day book from an unidentified general store. The names of the customers would seem place the business in the Blacksburg, Virginia area. The ledger includes customer names, dates of purchase, goods purchased, and prices. Among the customers are a number of students and professors from the Virginia Agriculatural & Mechanical College (now Virginia Tech).
Dates
- Creation: 1894 - 1895
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish material from the Blacksburg, Virginia General Store Day Book must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.
Biographical Note
Evidence suggests that this ledger may have been maintained by Blacksburg merchant James P. Harvey. While the great majority of transactions in the day book identify customers by full name, a number are marked to the account of an individual with initials "J. P. H.," indicating that the store owner felt comfortable in not providing the entire name and would immediately recognize the initials. Various sources note that J. P. Harvey was a store merchant in Blacksburg during the 1890s, and the 1900 census describes 39-year-old Blacksburg resident James P. Harvey as a merchant. He is listed again as a dry goods merchant in the 1910 census. An obituary for James P. Harvey, appearing in the June 15, 1916 edition of the Lynchburg News, states that he had been a lifelong Blacksburg resident and served as director of the Virginia Tech band. Married, he was the father of two sons.
Full Extent
0.1 Cubic Feet (1 folder)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Ledger recording daily transactions of an unidentified Blacksburg, Virginia general mercantile business, possibly that of James P. Harvey.
Acquisition Information
The Blacksburg, Virginia General Store Day Book was acquired by Newman Library in 1968.
Physical Characteristics
0.1 cu. ft. 1 folder
Processing Information
The processing and description of the Blacksburg, Virginia General Store Day Book commenced and was completed in April, 2011.
- Title
- A Guide to the Blacksburg, Virginia General Store Day Book, 1894-1895
- Subtitle
- A collection in Special Collections.
- Author
- John M. Jackson
- Date
- ©2011 By Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. All rights reserved.
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections, Virginia Tech Repository
Special Collections, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu