Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to the William D. Stone General Store Ledger and Papers

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.1358
Creators:
Stone, William Dickinson, 1836-1908
Perdue, Crispin
Dates:
1865-2003
bulk 1865-1885
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.3 Cubic feet
1 box
Repository:
A general store ledger and business papers from the William D. Stone General Store located in Franklin County, Virginia and a Stone and Parker family history.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The William D. Stone General Store Ledger and Papers consists of a ledger book from a general store in Franklin County, Virginia, containing account information about products purchased, by whom, and the prices paid for a two year period, 1865-1867. The ledger is comparable to other general store ledgers of the time in what it documents and records. There is one folder of assorted business papers containing legal papers, correspondence, promissory notes, and lists. There is also a folder containing a Stone and Parker family history written in 2003. The bulk of the materials covers the time period, 1865-1885.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is organized in one series.
Series 1: General Store Ledger and Papers, 1865-2003, undated

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
William Dickinson Stone (1836-1908) was the son of Edmond and Nancy Stone. He was born in Pittsylvania County, Viriginia. He joined the Confederate Army at Chatham, Pittsylvania County in May 1861. He served in Company F, 6th Virginia Cavalry for the duration of the war. He reportedly returned home from the war to find his land confiscated. He and his brother opened a country store at Novelty, Franklin County, Virginia, which he operated from 1865 until he married Mary Rosabelle Parker in 1867. He purchased a farm in Franklin County. They raised a family and left many descendants. Stone died in October 1908 and was buried in the Stone family cemetery, at Rocky Mount, Franklin County, Virginia.
What is commonly known as the general store grew out of farm store, or plantation store, culture. This was a store where landowners could sell goods and food stuffs produced on their own land while also speculating and selling goods imported from elsewhere. This later grew into the general store being independent of a particular farm and standing on its own as a mercantile establishment solely dependent on its own success as a store for survival. During the 19th century general stores were a common feature of many towns and rural by-ways. The stores carred general merchandise, a variety of goods and staples needed by the surrounding community. These general stores may also have functioned as post offices, trading centers, and local banks. Items often were bartered when ready cash was not available. General stores were not unique to any one region of the United States and while they may have been called by a different name in different parts of the country, they were a staple of the rural agarian lifestyle of the United States well into the early 20th century.

Administration

Author
Franklin A. Robinson, Jr.
Processing Information
Processed by Franklin A. Robinson, Jr., archivist, 2015; supervised by Vanessa Broussard Simmons, archivist.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated to the Archives Center, National Museum of American History, by Crispin Perdue in 2015.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Franklin Robinson, 2015.

Digital Content

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Using the Collection

Preferred Citation
William D. Stone General Store Ledger Book, 1865-1867, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Financial records -- 1860-1870 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ledgers (account books) -- 1860-1870 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Merchants -- 1860-1870 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
General stores -- 1860-1870 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Civil War, 1861-1865 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Novelty (Va.) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Virginia -- 19th century Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Commerce -- 1860-1870 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Storekeepers -- 1860-1870 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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