W.A. Currier Daybooks

Scope of collection

William A. Currier's daybooks document the activities of a mid-19th-century merchant in Haverhill, Mass. At least some of the trade recorded in this volume appears to have consisted of high volume transactions with contractors, based on the volume and frequency of purchases. On September 16, 1865, for instance, Peter Gildea purchased $152 worth of brushes, brooms, lamps, trowels, baskets, and door stoppers, while three days later he charged another $178 worth of paint, trays, brushes, and other goods. Other regular customers included George Adams, Samuel Griffin, W.P. Stacy, and J.W. O'Brine (of Newburyport), all making large purchases. There is also a steady stream of customers making more limited purchases.

One of Currier's specialties was stoves, which he sold and repaired regularly. He routinely purchased old stoves to repair and resell, and he did a fairly substantial trade in old rags. On July 9, 1866, for example, he purchased 1,400 pounds of rags from J.W. O'Brine, just a month after purchasing 2,800 pounds from another customer. Currier also made much smaller purchases of rags from local customers. The rags, in turn, he sold to O. Kimball and W.F. Daniels in large shipments, although it is not known for what purpose.