Scope and Contents
A daybook and ledger for the transactions of the farmer Aaron Wright, while living in Dutchess County, New York. It covers years from 1822 to 1851, but was most heavily used in the 1820s. The first half is the day book, recording the details of exchanges in chronological order. The first fifty pages are filled. Most of the exchanges involve labor, farm equipment, and farm animals. Wright’s customers include several relatives, such as his brothers Peter and Isaac, and his brother-in-law Squire Mead. While most customers are men, Abigail Russell, Abigail Hinkley, and Mary Organ are mentioned repeatedly. Many transactions are crossed out, presumably as a method of marking the settling of the account.
The second half is the ledger, organized by the name of Wright’s customers and recording the state of their accounts with him. Ten pages are filled. The end of the volume has a variety of short lists, such as “Prices of cows sold,” “Bills of experience,” and “Bills of hay.” A significant number of pages and half-pages have been cut out.
Dates
- Creation: 1822-1851
Creator
- Wright, Aaron, 1795-1888 (Person)
Language of Materials
Materials entirely in English.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research. Materials stored offsite; access requires advance notice. For more information on access procedures and reproduction services, please contact specialcollectionsref@hbs.edu
Conditions Governing Use
In many cases, Baker Library does not hold the copyright to the materials in its collections. Researchers are responsible for determining copyright status and identifying and contacting any copyright holders for permission to reproduce or publish content from collections. Baker Library has included the names of third-party copyright holders at the folder and item level when known.
Extent
.25 linear feet (1 volume)Biographical / Historical
Aaron Wright (1795-1888) was born in Fishkill, New York, to John Wright and Tamar Mabie Wright. Between 1846 and 1850, he and his wife Eleanor Nichols moved to Wisconsin. Wright was a farmer and coffin-builder throughout his adult life.
Physical Location
MANU
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Stuart M. Wright, 1945
Processing Information
Processed: March 2024 By: Baker Library Special Collections and Archives Staff
Processing Information
To enhance discoverability, this collection was removed from an artificial collection of account books and records of sawmills, lumber dealers, and makers of various wood products, New England and New York in March 2024.
Processing Information
Collection title revised by archivist. Original title: Aaron Wright papers
Creator
- Wright, Aaron, 1795-1888 (Person)
- Author
- Baker Library
- Description rules
- dacs
- Language of description
- eng
- EAD ID
- bak01881
Repository Details
Part of the Baker Library Special Collections and Archives, Harvard Business School Repository
Baker Library Special Collections and Archives holds unique resources that focus on the evolution of business and industry, as well as the records of the Harvard Business School, documenting the institution's development over the last century. These rich and varied collections support research in a diverse range of fields such as business, economic, social and cultural history as well as the history of science and technology.
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