Blacksmiths

Scope and Contents

Consists of daily record of work done by this New Jersey blacksmith in the second quarter of the 19th century. He makes or repairs a wide variety of goods including chains, wagon parts, hinges, hoops for barrels, horse shoes, a coffee mill, plows and scythes, and the like. A few items are laid in.

Content Description

Account book of brothers Nathan and Marcus Stoddard of Templeton, MA, containing records of blacksmithing work performed February 1846 through July 1864. Accounts primarily consist of blacksmithing jobs such as horse shoeing, sharpening chisels, repairing chains, and mending items including forks, buggies, and sleighs.

Scope and Contents Papers consist of business letters, orders, invoices, bills, and receipts, and a very few personal letters. One personal item of particular importance is a copy of a 1799 letter to Nathaniel's brother Isaac, in which he tells about his anchor business and gives a little news about the family. The business papers focus on Cushing's anchor business and his investments in overseas commerce, trading in such commodities as iron, cotton, cotton yarn, flour, and tobacco. Correspondents...