Martin A. Sweet Collection

Description:

Three ledgers from the grocery business operations of Martin A. Sweet, Mason, Michigan. Martin A. Sweet was born in about 1826 in Pennsylvania. His first wife Margarette died in 1855. They had a son Perry that year. He was married again to Lydia A. Williams in 1865, and they had two daughters, Nettie and Allie. Lydia was a dressmaker. Martin started his business with only $35 but at the end of his active days was quite successful. He built the Pioneer Block building in downtown Mason, where his "Pioneer Grocery" was located. He died on February 21, 1881, and is buried in the Maple Grove Cemetery in Mason. The first ledger in this collection is a "day book" for May 31, 1873 to May 25, 1874, in which Martin Sweet recorded entries with date, customer name, items purchased, prices and total, and a unique number for each transaction in the left margin. These numbers may have referred to an index of customers that is not present. This day book has been disbound and may be missing pages. Second is a receipt book from 1877 which has the name Nellie Sweet written in the front end papers. Sweet had a daughter who is listed as Nettie or Nellie in different sources, as well as another daughter named Allie. This bound volume includes an index of customers with page number references at front, and records of their purchases by date, with prices and totals. Finally, a volume of pasted-in receipts from suppliers in Jackson, Detroit, and Lansing is included, which dates from 1875 to 1877 in reverse order. This volume's binding is in poor condition. Many receipts have elaborate vignettes and typefaces. Also in the collection are two small adhesive-backed labels from the M. A. Sweet store which reads "Dealer in Groceries, Provisions, Flour, Feed, Canned Goods, Oysters, &c."

Date Created:

[1873 TO 1877]

Data Provider:

Capital Area District Library (Lansing, MI). Forest Parke Library and Archives

Collection:

Martin A. Sweet Collection

Subject Topic:

Ledgers, Accounting, Mason (Mich.), Vevay Township (Mich.), and Grocery stores

Language:

English

Rights:

No Known Copyright

URL:

http://cadl.pastperfectonline.com/archive/A30208CE-5806-4035-B1D8-695610889469