1849-1888 Worcester, Massachusetts Area Store Ledger

[Worcester]: n.p., 1888. Leather bound. Fair. Folio ledger. Approximately 13" x 8". Brown suede covered boards and spine. Red leather title label on the spine. Black leather title label on the spine is blank and starting to peel. Leather is worn and scuffed on the covers and torn on the corners. A few leaves inside have closed tears. The end sheets in back are creased, torn, and partly loose. Binding is sturdy. Contents mostly clean. Ledger in fair or better condition.

Ledger includes index tabs. Approximately 338 pages used to record account information from very brief entries to the entire page used. Front and rear paste downs also have (truncated) writing. Ledger almost completely filled for recording detailed store accounts for food products, clothing, paper, etc. Dated sections range from 1849; one 1854 entry; 1863 to 1865; 1875; and 1887-1888. Several of the accounts are not written in a yearly sequence.

Unknown store owner but the store accounts could possibly linked to the name Houghton. Entries suggest locations in and around Worcester, Massachusetts and possibly later in West Glocester, R.I.. An 1865 account lists the "City of Worcester." An 1864 account name includes "Webster Square M.E. Church". An entry for 1864/5 account page lists "Worcester & Nashua Railroad". The business possibly relocated to Rhode Island in the 1880's. One leave has a pinned print and hand receipt for a "[Mr. Richey] In acc't with Hawkins & Houghton. West Glocester, R. I. [April 17] 188[8]". The name Houghton and Hawkins are listed in 1875 accounts (H. A. Hawkins and Alex A Houghton). Some accounts end with the note: "Charged to H. & H."

Other account names include Henry Houghton [1849]; Elias B. Crawford [1849]; Elizabeth Hawkins [1849]; C.B. & W.S. Jenks [1864]; C. W. Holbrook [1864]; Trumbull & Hartshorn [1864]; C. B. Robbins [1863]; Geo. A. Tilton [1863]; Joseph Trumbull [1865]; Edward McDonald [1875]; Abyak Brown [1875]; Augustus Houghton [1875]; Joseph Lyman [1875]; Houghton & Alttor [1875]; Charles Steere [1887]; and dozens more. One of the account found inside was for Elizabeth Hawkins who married into the Houghton family. From family search:

When Elizabeth Hawkins was born on 14 December 1826, in Glocester, Providence, Rhode Island, United States, her father, Alexander Hawkins, was 22 and her mother, Phebe Thornton, was 19. She had at least 1 son and 1 daughter with Augustus Alexander Houghton. She lived in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States in 1860. She died on 30 January 1909, in Putnam, Windham, Connecticut, United States, at the age of 82. (Inventory #: 34815)