mums103 Joseph D. Norton and Son Account Book, 1851-1881 Finding Aid Finding aid prepared by Ruth Owen Jones. Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Dubois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst 2003

Finding aid encoded using Perl scripts and edited in XMetal 2.0. Encoded by Eric Cartier. 2003-05-08 Finding aid written in English. 2005-09-23 mu83 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02-5c.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst Joseph D. Norton and Son Account Book, 1851-1881 Finding Aid Manuscript Number 103 Compiled by Ruth Owen Jones December 1985 Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Collection Overview Joseph D. and Leonard Norton Joseph D. Norton and Son Account Book 1851-1881 MS 103 1 envelope (2 linear in.) Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst Father and son wood turners, manufacturers of ladders, and general wood workers from the Loudville section of Westhampton, Massachusetts. Includes names of customers and businesses (bulk of the accounts are with local lumber and furniture dealers S.M. Smith Co., E.H. Lyman, Medad Pomeroy, and Charles Loud & Co.), items sold (such as bureaus, tables, and lumber), furniture that they repaired, and supply items which they acquired (such as varnish, stain, glass, tacks). Also contains documentation of employee payment, flour, tow, sugar, and coffee purchases, and employee lost work days. English. Scope and Contents of the Collection

This small account book contains 142 pages of Joseph D. Norton and Son's (Leonard Norton) accounts. The Nortons were wood turners, manufacturers of ladders, and general wood workers in the Loudville section of Westhampton, Massachusetts according to the 1888 Gazetteer of Hampshire County. There were seven mills in Loudville in 1870 when Pine Island Lake was formed to control the water in the river.

The Nortons' accounts are primarily with Westhampton and Northampton lumber and furniture dealers. The final eight pages of the book include columns depicting log footage bought from Westhampton farmers: ash, maple, cherry, apple, and bass.

The bulk of the accounts are with S.M. Smith Co., probably Silas Smith furniture sellers at the corner of Court and Gothic Streets in Northampton, Massachusetts. Other frequent accounts are with E.H. Lyman, Medad Pomeroy, and Charles Loud & Co.

The Nortons usually sold bureaus, secretaries, wash stands, tables of all kinds, scores of turned furniture legs, and lumber. They also repaired furniture. They paid out money for varnish, stain, shellac, tacks, hinges, "guilt fraims", casters, chairs, coffins, glass, furniture hardware, and upholstery cloth. On the paid out side are also records documenting employee payment; employees were paid in cash or sometimes with shoes or clothing bought for them. Flour, tow, sugar, and coffee purchases are also listed here. On occasional pages employee lost work days are recorded.

Frequently-named customers and businesses include: Smith and Prindle, Northampton; Wells and Hibbard; Hayre and Sargent; Spalding and Stockwell; Charles N. Loud, lumber dealer, Westhampton; William E. Lyman, lumber dealer, Westhampton; Spencer Bridgeman; Smith and Clark; Stoddard and Lathrop; King Brothers, Westhampton; Wilson and Edwards; Elijah Torrey, carpenter, joiner, Westhampton; Fish and Luman; Albert C. Juvet, carpenter, joiner, Westhampton; Elihiu Strong; Medad Pomeroy; Silas Smith; and S.M. Smith Co., S.M. Smith, furniture dealers, Court at Gothic St., Northampton, Mass.

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Cite as: Joseph D. Norton and Son Account Book (MS 103). Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Acquired from Robert Lucas, 1985.

Processed by Ruth Owen Jones, December 1985.

Search Terms Norton, Joseph D. Norton, Leonard. S.M. Smith Co.--History--Sources. E. H. Lyman (Firm)--History--Sources. Medad Pomeroy (Firm)--History--Sources. Charles Loud & Co.--History--Sources. Furniture industry and trade--Massachusetts--Westhampton--History--19th century--Sources. Furniture industry and trade--Massachusetts--Northampton--History--19th century--Sources. Lumber trade--Massachusetts--Westhampton--History--19th century--Sources. Lumber trade--Massachusetts--Northampton--History--19th century--Sources. Woodworkers--Massachusetts--Loudville--Economic conditions--19th century--Sources. Furniture--Repairing--Massachusetts--Loudville--History--19th century--Sources. Wages--Furniture workers--Massachusetts--Loudville--History--19th century--Sources. Wages-in-kind--Massachusetts--Loudville--History--19th century--Sources. Ladders--History--Sources. Loudville (Mass.)--Economic conditions--19th century--Sources. Account books. Norton, Joseph D. Norton, Leonard. Furniture--Repairing--Massachusetts--Loudville--History--19th century--Sources.