Background on William A. Faber
William A. Faber (b. 1818) owned a livery stable in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, during the second quarter of the nineteenth century. Successful in his trade, his household in 1850 included a wife, Minerva, four children, two Irish-born females (presumably servants), and three ostlers. His property at the time included a substantial $2,500 in real and personal property, most of which was probably tied up in horses, carriages, and the stables themselves.
Although the circumstances are uncertain, it appears possible that Faber either quit as a stabler in 1853 or left Great Barrington. The city's business directory for that year lists two livery stables, neither owned by Faber.
Scope of collection
The Faber ledger documents the activities of a stabler between 1848 and 1853. His 44 customers included some of Great Barrington's most prominent citizens -- Albert S. Crane, George Ives, and George Pynchon, along with several of the town's notable businesses, including the apothecary F. T. Whiting, the auctioneer G. M. Whiting, blacksmith J. D. Noxon, cabinetmaker Frederick Langsdorf, clothiers Girling and Doolittle, and the Granger and Hill country store. Faber also provided regular services for Sarah and Nancy Kellogg's boarding school for girls, renting teams and wagons to the school's hired hand, Thomas Burghardt (b. 1790), to transport students and supplies.
In most cases, the accounts record the rental of horses, wagons, carriages, and cutters for trips to neighboring towns, and rarely for plowing or other agricultural work. Occasionally, Faber appears to have transported individuals or merchandise for customers himself. Typically, Faber received payment for services in cash, although he sometimes accepted payment in kind through services (especially from Noxon the blacksmith), hay, clothing (from Girling and Doolittle), and even a buffalo robe (from the Kelloggs). Among the three ostlers in the Faber household, was a nineteen year-old, Massachusetts-born, African American man, Fred Berry.
Administrative information
Search terms
Subjects
- African Americans--Massachusetts--Great Barrington--History
- Berry, Fred
- Burghardt, Thomas, b. 1790
- Cab and omnibus service--Massachusetts--Great Barrington
- Coaching (Transportation)--Massachusetts--Great Barrington
- Crane, Albert S
- Girling & Doolittle
- Granger & Hill
- Great Barrington (Mass.)--Economic conditions--19th century
- Ives, George
- Pynchon, George
- Rose Cottage Seminary (Great Barrington, Mass.)
- Stables--Massachusetts--Great Barrington
Contributors
- Faber, William A. [main entry]
- Faber, William A., 1818-
Link to similar SCUA collections
