Register of the Stockton (Calif.) 19th c. Business Ledgers, 1878-1894

Processed by Don Walker; machine-readable finding aid created by Don Walker

San Joaquin County Historical Society and Museum

11793 North Micke Grove Road

Lodi, CA 95241

Phone: (209) 463-4119

Fax: (209) 369-2178

Email: dwalker@uop.edu

URL: http://www.sanjoaquinhistory.org/

Register of the Stockton (Calif.) 19th c. Business Ledgers, 1878-1894

Collection number: Ms7

San Joaquin County Historical Society and Museum

Lodi, California

Contact Information

San Joaquin County Historical Society and Museum
11793 North Micke Grove Road
Lodi, CA 95241
Phone: (209) 463-4119
Fax: (209) 369-2178
Email: dwalker@uop.edu
URL: http://www.sanjoaquinhistory.org/

Processed by:: Don Walker
Date Completed:: 1998
Encoded by:: Don Walker

Descriptive Summary

Title: Stockton (Calif.) 19th c. Business Ledgers,

Date (inclusive): 1878-1894

Collection number: Ms7

Creator:

Extent: 0.5 linear ft.

Repository: San Joaquin County Museum.

Lodi, CA 95241

Language: English.

Administrative Information

Access

Collection is open for research by appointment only.

Publication Rights

The library can only claim physical ownership of the collection. Users are responsible for satisfying any claimants of literary property.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Stockton (Calif.) 19th c. Business Ledgers, Ms7, San Joaquin County Historical Society and Museum.

Access Points

personal name

Dorrance, H.T. (1820-1895)

Easton, Andrew

corporate name

Dorrance Saddlery (Stockton, Calif.)

Andrew Easton Company (Stockton, Calif.)

subject

Merchants -California -Stockton

Business enterprises -California -Stockton

House furnishings -California -Stockton

Stockton (Calif.) -History

Biography

H.T. Dorrance (1820-1895) was a wealthy businessman, Republican and Episcopalian who had come to Stockton in 1850. Dorrance was active in community affairs, serving as a member of the Board of Directors of, and writing several articles for, the Stockton Daily Independent newspaper (1867-1869). He was also a Stockton High School Trustee (1864-72; 1887-89) and a member of the Board of Directors of the Stockton Insane Asylum (1887-94). The Dorrance Saddlery was located at 185 Hunter Street, opposite the Courthouse, for approximately thirty years (c1865-1895). It imported and repaired goods for teamsters and farmers.

Andrew Easton began his professional life in Stockton working for E.L. Houche & Co. selling groceries, crockery, etc. on the corner of Main and Center (c1870). By 1873 the company name was changed to Houche & Easton and, five years later, Easton had opened his own home furnishings business at 184 Main and 361/363 El Dorado (1878). In 1893 Easton entered into a partnership with his nephew Gilbert Stewart Easton, moved the company to 270/ 272 Main, and changed its name changed to A. & G.S. Easton. The two disposed of this company the following year. Easton was apparently involved in Populist Party politics, for the last few pages of his ledger are filled with newspaper clippings and Easton's letters to local newspapers regarding San Joaquin County People's Party affairs (1891/1892). San Joaquin names that appear in the clippings include those of: J.M. Benson; E.N. Pierce; J.A. Anderson; J. McCann; George Hogan; C.A. Campbell; D.A. Learned; Charles Belding; Wm. Inglis; I.S. Bostwick; George West; and, Philip Fitzgerald.

Scope and Content

The Dorrance Saddlery Ledger contains records of sales (including lists of items bought and sold, their price and names of clients and suppliers), deposits, refunds and expenses (1878-1886). It is 579 pages in length, dark brown in color, and measures approximately 14" x 8". It has suffered water damage. The Andrew Easton Ledger (1890-1894) is entitled "San Francisco and Eastern Ledger" and contains business transactions with companies in northern California and on the East Coast. The Ledger contains an alphabetical index of clients as well as a debit/credit running totals for each patron's account. Easton had clinets in Modesto, Oakland, Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Stockton, including the Goodyear Rubber Company, Southern Pacific Railroad Company, the Stockton Courier, the Stanislaus News, and the Lodi Sentinel. The ledger also lists clients in fifteen eastern states. It is more than 200 pages in length, dark tan with maroon leather corners, and measures approximately 13" x 8".