Guide to the A.P. Jacobs Carpentry and Sawmill Account Book (Bradford County, Pa.), 1839-1855

Accession number: 2006-0135H

University Libraries
The Pennsylvania State University
Special Collections Library
Historical Collections and Labor Archives

Contact Information:

Pennsylvania State University

University Libraries

Special Collections Library

104 Paterno Library

University Park, PA 16802

814/865-7931

FAX 814/863-5318

E-mail: jpq1@psulias.psu.edu

Processed by:					Doris Malkmus
Date Completed:					2006
Encoded by:					Susan Hamburger

©2006 Pennsylvania State University. All rights reserved.

Descriptive Summary

Creator:	Jacobs, A. P.
Title:	A.P. Jacobs Carpentry and Sawmill Account Book (Bradford County, Pa.), 1839-1855
Accession:	2006-0135H
Extent:	1 volume (160 pages)
Repository:	Pennsylvania State University, University Libraries, Special Collections Library

Administrative Information

Arrangement

Entries are arranged chronologically.

Biographical Note

Little is known about A.P. Jacobs to whom this account book is attributed. Apparently, he lived in the vicinity of Alba, in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, between 1839 and 1855. He earned a living as a sawyer and carpenter in the area.

Scope and Content

The A.P. Jacobs Carpentry and Sawmill Account Book consists of one journal and dates from 1839 to 1855. This mid-nineteenth century account book from Bradford County, Pennsylvania, contains a list of names, transactions, and account balances of customers for carpentry and sawmill services. It also includes an unidentified postcard image of a man and woman in the early twentieth century. The book measures approximately six by eight inches with worn leather and marbled board binding. It lists the accounts of about forty residents, both men and women, listing debits and credits in items bartered in exchange for services. It is a rich source of information about daily labor, the barter economy of a rural township, and names of local residents in this northern Pennsylvania community.

Index Terms

These materials are indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Pennsylvania State University. Researchers wishing to find related materials should search the catalog under these index terms.