Name/Title
Store Ledger for C.O. Brown & Bro.Entry/Object ID
2009.19.10Description
Store ledger with brown leather cover and thin red spine. When opened, it contains two sets of ledgers held together with metal clasps: customers with last names G-L on the left side and customers with last names M-R on the right side. The top of each page contains the name of the business, "C.O. Brown & Bro. Dr."Context
Primarily operated by Charles O. Brown (1849-1919), along with his brother Richard Henry Brown (1850-1892), C.O. Brown & Bro. were Columbia dealers of sashes, blinds, doors, glass, paint, oils, lime, and other hardware. Later, Charles's son, Charles O. Brown, Jr. (1896-1985) would take over the business.
The ledger is pre-printed with certain information, including the business name, business location, and date of "188_" or "189_". On many of the ledger's pages, however, the latter "8" in the "188_"s has been slashed through and replaced with a handwritten "90," "91," or "92," indicating these pages of the ledger were in use beginning in 1890. According to the printed ledger, the store was located on "Main St., opposite Postoffice." However, the 1888 and 1891 city directories for Columbia indicate the business was located at 209 N. Richardson (1730-1732 Main Street), which was not renamed Main Street until 1892. Although this ledger predates the official name change, Richardson Street was used interchangeably with Main Street in the late nineteenth century.Made/Created
Date made
1890Place
City
Columbia, South CarolinaDimensions
Height
1-3/8 inWidth
3-1/2 inLength
3-1/2 inDimension Notes
Width 8.125" when closed.Material
Cardboard, Paper, LeatherRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
C.O. BrownRelated Places
Place
City
Columbia, South Carolina
