Brown & Hewett journal
Creation: 1796-1804Abstract
Brown & Hewett were merchants of Oneida County, New York. The journal contains the accounts of individuals doing business with the firm, which was a typical backcountry mercantile enterprise trading imported goods such as brandy, rum, tobacco, paper, textiles, and merchandise for local staples like wheat and lumber.
Dates
- Creation: 1796-1804
Creator
- Brown & Hewett (Oneida County, N.Y.) (Organization)
Extent
1 volume(s)
Historical Note
Brown & Hewett were merchants of Oneida County, New York. In 1801, Brown & Hewett opened the second store in the fledging community of Sangerfield Huddle, which later was named Waterville, in Oneida County, New York. They had previously operated a store along the road to Oriskany Falls, west of Sangerfield.
Located within the township of Sangerfield, formed in 1795, the "Huddle" was situated at the junction of the east branch of Oriskany Creek and one of its tributaries. At this junction, the river dropped significantly, thus making the location well situated for water-powered industry. A saw mill was built in 1793, and another saw mill and two grist mills were built in the subsequent six years.
The length of time the Brown & Hewett store operated is currently unknown, although it may have been impacted by an April 1804 freshet, which caused significant property damage in the community and killed two people.
Scope and Content
The journal contains the accounts of individuals doing business with the firm, which was a typical backcountry mercantile enterprise trading imported goods such as brandy, rum, tobacco, paper, textiles, and merchandise for local staples like wheat and lumber. However, the principal local product is potash, one of the few market commodities that could be extracted and shipped from wooded frontier regions. Many of the transactions are simple exchanges or barter, but others are on a cash or credit basis. The journal details transactions, however, it also references page numbers of a corresponding daybook/ledger that is not in the Hagley collections.
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research. Litigators may not view the collection without approval.
Language of Materials
English
Additional Description
Provenance
On Deposit.
Bibliography
Finding Aid & Administrative Information
- Title:
- Brown & Hewett journal
- Description rules:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description:
- English
- Script of description:
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 2020: Revised by Angela Schad.
- 2020: Updated historical note
Repository Details
Repository Details
Part of the Manuscripts and Archives Repository
