Title: Thomas H. Thompson Records
Inclusive Dates: 1871-1918

Creator:

• Thompson, Thomas H

Call Number: River Falls Mss L

Quantity: 23.1 c.f. (44 volumes in 8 archives boxes and 1 flat box, and 51 oversize volumes)

Repository:

Housed at the University Archives and Area Research Center, Chalmer Davee Library, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, ; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

UW-River Falls, Chalmer Davee Library / River Falls Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Abstract:

Business records relating to a general merchandise store owned by Thomas H. Thompson, St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, including daybooks, invoices, account books, ledger, warehouse records, a stock inventory, a shipping book, and other financial records.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-rf000l

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Thomas H. Thompson, born in Montreal, Canada, November 11, 1833, farmed in his native country until 1856, when he immigrated to St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. There he engaged in lumbering for ten years, and in 1866 he “embarked in the merchandise trade.” This latter phrase describes chiefly his operation of a general merchandise store, but there is some evidence that he might also have operated a wholesale merchandise establishment.

The Thomas H. Thompson records are separated into two parts: those originally donated in 1958 and additions presented in 1984. The material originally received make up the first fifty volumes. The additions consist of volumes 51 through 95.

Of the fifty original volumes in this collection, forty-one are daybooks listing day by day sales and charges to retail customers of a general store. Dates in the books often overlap, for example, Wednesday, May 3, 1879 might appear in more than one daybook, with charges under the names of different individuals. This leads one to speculate that either (1) Thompson had more than one store, or (2) he kept more than one book in his store and recorded in the one nearest at hand. Also, he seems to have had a book for different clerks. For instance, one volume is listed as “George Thompson's Book,” and another as “J. Weymouth's Book,” although all entries seem to be in Thomas H. Thompson's writing.

The additions contain a chronological continuation of the daybooks and additional material such as a shipping book, stock inventory, cashbook, accounts receivable ledger and an invoices and check register. Most of the items in the additions are from a later date than the material donated originally.

Acquisition Information

Presented by J. N. Thompson, St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, May 21, 1958. Additions presented by Richard Iwaszko, North Branch, Minn., August 29, 1984. Accession Number: M-73, M87-293

	Series: Part 1, Original Collection
Volume   1-41	Daybooks, 1871, Sept. 18 - 1886, Aug. 2 Note Some of these volumes are in boxes: Box 1: Volumes 1-3, 5, 10, 11 Box 2:Volumes 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 20-23 Box 3: Volumes 24-26 Box 4: Volumes 27-30, 32 Box 5: Volumes 33-36 Box 6:Volumes 37-39 Box 7: Volumes 40-41
Box   7 Volume   Vol. 42-45	Invoices, 1875, Jan. - 1892, Jan. 1 Note: These volumes are in Box 7.
Volume   46- 48	Account Books, 1875, Dec. 1 - 1888 Note Some of these volumes are in boxes: Box 8:Volumes 46 and 47
Box   8 Volume   49	Ledger 1878, June 6 - (188?) Scope and Content Note: Record of purchases by Thompson from various companies.
Box   8 Volume   50	Warehouse records 1879, Aug. 19 - 1883, Sept. 8 Scope and Content Note: Record for wheat received at warehouse.
	Series: Part 2, Additions	⇧
Volume   51-88	Daybooks, 1886, Jan. 29 - 1907, Jan. 3
Volume   89	Ledger, 1893-1900
Volume   90	Shipping Book, 1888 December
Volume   91-92	Stock Inventory, 1894 January
Volume   93	Cashbook, 1903-1907
Volume   94	Accounts Receivable Ledger, 1871-1873
Volume   95	Invoices and Check Register, 1916-1918