Prospect Mills Daybook from (1870-1872) by Joel Smedley contains an index of clients and what pages they appear on, an itemized list of their profits and expenses, an index of sales and where they are found, the employees of the mill and what they were being compensated for, and lists of how much cider and sausage was made. The profits list ranges from selling molasses, corn, wheat, bran, oats, and flour, as well as sawing boards, turning trundle posts, and rejoining carriage shafts. The recorded expenses for the mill include employee wages and transportation costs.
Admin/Biographical History
Joel Smedley was born in 1799 to parents Joseph Smedley and Rebecca Lewis Smedley. Joel married Martha Wildman and fathered six children including Charles, Mary, John, Lewis, Anne, and Ellwood. Joel inherited the mill from his father in 1833 and expanded it by building a sorghum factory. Joel died in 1872.
Preferred citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Collection Title (MG#), Box #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions. Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact Research@LancasterHistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at Research@LancasterHistory.org for permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Papers filed for construction and repair of bridges. The types of petitions presented to the Court of Quarter Sessions include: petitions for bridge construction and repair, petitions for inspections, and petitions for bridge funds. Other types of items include: specifications, proposals, and contracts for bridge construction and repair; bridge blueprints and plans; correspondence; bills for materials; and bridge condition reports. Many papers show date; court term and case number; names of petitioners, viewers, inspectors, and contractors; costs and fees; location of bridge; and name or number of bridge. The order and report of viewers documents are of particular interest as they usually include a copy of the original petition; the order and names of viewers to inspect the site; the public announcement for the viewers meeting; the report and recommendation of viewers, often with a drawing of the site and surrounding area; and the court decision.
System of Arrangement
Records are arranged by township, then chronologically within each township.
Contains 258 paginated leaves that includes 3 front leaves and 3 end leaves. 140 pages are blank. The body pages are ruled with vertical lines for accounting. The first front page has "thl/shg" in the upper left corner and "Robert Clark's Book bought in the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred and Fifty two Price $1 75 cts" written on it and the next 3 front pages are an index. The end leaves are blank except the last page that has Symptoms of Croup, Cure for Croup and way to water proof boots.
Front inside cover has a typed sticker as follows. "W.M. MURRAY'S; Cheap Books Store, Kramph's Buildings; North Queen St.; Lancaster, Pa."
Back inside cover has an apple orchard layout identifying type of trees.
Spine has "DAY-BOOK" stamped on it.
Book references bills paid and products purchased, e.g, fruit trees, doctors service, plowing, hauling coal, days worked, wheat, dried meat, ham, husking corn, bushels of corn, buckwheat, wood, oats, blacksmith bill, mowing, shad, panth, shirt, gold teeth, potatoes, apples, flour, cider, petticoat, stockings, mittens, candles, butter, oil, salt, boots, sole leather, thrashing, etc.
Book is intact. The outside covers and spine have red rot. Front and back outside covers are worn with stain marks at various places. The leather on the book corners, the top and bottom of the spine and 5" of the bottom the back cover have worn through. Many pages are stained at the bottom. The edges of the back ~100 leaves are stained.
2 Leaves (493 to 496) and leaf (489 to 490) have been torn out.
Object ID
MG0963_F018
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Notes
Preferred citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Collection Title (MG#), Box #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
NOTE: Index is by first name. Also, indexed name may appear on multiple pages.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Original documents may be used by appointment--contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit.
Copyright
Collection items may be photographed. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at Research@LancasterHistory.org.
Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Persons wishing to publish any material from this site must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.
