The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

 

Creator:          Sweat-Comings Co.                            

Title:               Papers             

Dates:             ca. 1883 – 1922, ca. 1960                  

Call No.:         Col. 547          

Acc. No.:         98x121, 00x74

Quantity:        13 boxes and 33 volumes

Location:        33 K 1 and L 1-5

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

The earliest papers in this collection are from C. A. Powell & Co. of Richford, Vermont, a general store that sold all types of merchandise including furniture, farm equipment, seeds, fertilizers, household goods, window treatments, tableware, cookware, paint, and wallpaper.  By 1887, the store was operating under the name Powell & Comings.  In addition to the goods listed above, it also sold hardware, carpets, undertaker’s supplies, glass, and artist’s materials. C. A. Powell and H. C. Comings were partners in this business. 

 

Around 1890, Mr. Comings also went into partnership with S. P. Carpenter, I. J. Sweat, and E. H. Powell, in the firm of Sweat, Comings, & Co., manufacturers of furniture and building materials.   The company made beds, chiffoniers, dressers, washstands, mirrors, commodes, window sashes, doors and door jambs, blinds, and moldings.  They sold to furniture dealers, undertakers, and hotels, as well as directly to indidviduals, mostly in the Northeast.   At least until 1922, the company also ran a gristmill as part of its operations and dealt in flour, feed, and grain.  The company apparently established the Richford Electric Light Company around 1890, which provided electricity for other customers, too, not just for Sweat-Comings.   Around 1902 the ampersand was dropped from the company name, and it became the Sweat-Comings Co.  The company continued making furniture until about 1980.

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

Most of the papers document the various components of the Sweat-Comings Company.  There are accounts payable invoices, vendor orders, correspondence, credit reports, daybooks, time books, cash books, furniture order books, records of lumber purchases, and account books from the gristmill operations. One volume of accounts is from the Lavene & Mills Gristmill, which later became part of the Sweat-Comings Co.  Many of the volumes record the transactions of more than one operation; for example, daybooks record the sales of both furniture and building materials.

 

From the C. A. Powell Co., there are accounts payable invoices.  From Powell & Comings Co., there are vendor orders and correspondence.  Accounts payable invoices indicate that around 1890 the company started the Richford Electric Light Company.

 

 

 

ORGANIZATION

 

 This archive consists of thirteen boxes and 33 volumes.  Box 1 through Box 6, folder 2 contain accounts payable invoices, both for C. A. Powell & Co. (1884-1885) and for Sweat-Comings Co. (1890-1904).  The accounts payable invoices from 1896 to 1899 also include bills for the Richford Electric Light Company which were sent to Sweat-Comings Co. (Prior to that time, the Richford Electric Light Co. was billed separately and those bills are therefore filled separately, in Box 12.)

 

Box 6, folder 3 through Box 12, folder 2 contain vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports from the Lyon Mercantile Agency.  These materials are found both for Powell and Comings (1887-1888) and for Sweat-Comings (1894-1904).  Vendor orders and correspondence written on postcards are housed in Box 13.  These date 1895-1899 and 1903-1904.

 

Also in Box 12 are railroad freight bills (1904); accounts payable invoices of the Richford  Electric Light Company (1890-1895); accounts payable (1895-1896) and correspondence (1904) for the gristmill operations;  and a brochure for the “Gable House” line of furniture being manufactured by Sweat-Comings around 1960.

 

The volumes record cash transactions, sales, inventories, and other accounts.  Volumes 1-18 and volume 22 relate to the various aspects of the business: furniture making, building materials, and gristmill and feed operations.

 

Volumes 1-8 are daybooks.  They record sales of furniture and building supplies such as doorjambs, windows, and veranda posts.  The furniture sales do not always specify what was bought, but instead lists such items as “no. 3 suit.”

 

Volumes 9-11 are cash books.  They record the receipt and the disbursement of money.  Included are the names of workers and the number of days worked or the quantity of furniture made.

 

Volumes 12-13 are time books.  They list the workers, the number of hours worked, and the amount of their wages.

 

Volumes 14-18 contain “names of accounts.”   Mostly these are records of customers, but the volumes also list the value of the company’s machinery, the stock on hand, and the physical plant of the company.

 

Volumes 19-21 record furniture orders.  These list the name of the customer, the city in which the customer lived, what was ordered, and the charges.  Sometimes the list of what was ordered just gives the stock number of the item, e.g. no. 790, rather than specifying what the article was.

 

Volume 22 contains an inventory of furniture and building materials for the years 1899 through 1905.   Also included is a list of accounts still outstanding.  Following the inventory and the list of  outstanding accounts, there is a summary of assets and liabilities and a note about revenue for the year, including revenue from the electric plant.  The inventory for 1905 includes not only furniture and wood in the finishing room and machine shop, but also the stock in the sawmill and  the gristmill, and an inventory of the office furniture.

 

Volumes 23-25 record the sales of building supplies.

 

Volumes 26-28 record the purchase of logs and wood for the company.  They give the names of the people from whom wood was purchased and the kind of wood bought.  The company bought spruce, hemlock, birch, maple, and other kinds of wood.

 

Volumes 29-33 are account books from the gristmill operation.  Volume 29 is from the Lavene & Mills Gristmill, which was later acquired by Sweat-Comings.  The company sold different kinds of flour and feed.

 

 

  

PROVENANCE

 

 Purchased from Bookworm & Silverfish, Wytheville, VA. 24382

 

           

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

Topics

 

                        C. A. Powell & Co.

                        Lavene & Mills Gristmill

                        Lynn Mercantile Agency

                        Powell & Comings Co.

                        Sweat Comings & Co.

                        Richford Electric Light Co.

           

                        Building materials

Credit ratings

Electric power-plants – Vermont – Richford

Freight and freightage

Furniture industry and trade – Vermont – Richford

Furniture making – Vermont – Richford

Gristmills – Vermont – Richford

Lumber trade - Vermont

                       

                        Invoices.          

                        Daybooks.

                        Time sheets.

                       

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location:  33 K 1, L 1-5

 

Box: 1

 

                                Folder: 1         C. A. Powell & Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1884-85

 

                        Folder: 2         C. A. Powell & Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1885

                       

                        Folder: 3         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable, 1890

 

Folder: 4         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1891

 

                        Folder: 5         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1891

                       

                        Folder: 6         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1892

 

                        Folder: 7         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1892            

           

Box: 2

 

                        Folder: 1         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1892-93

                       

                        Folder: 2         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1892-93

 

                        Folder: 3         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1894

 

                        Folder: 4         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1895

 

                        Folder: 5         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1895

 

                        Folder: 6         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1896-97

 

            Box: 3

 

                        Folder: 1         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1896-97

 

                        Folder: 2         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1896-97

 

                        Folder: 3         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1897-98

 

                        Folder: 4         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1898-99

 

                        Folder: 5         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1899

 

                        Folder: 6         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1899

 

Box: 4

 

                        Folder: 1         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1899

 

                        Folder: 2         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1899-1900

 

                        Folder: 3         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1901

 

                        Folder: 4         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1902

 

                        Folder: 5         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1902

 

                        Folder: 6         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1902

 

                        Folder: 7         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoice, 1902

 

Box: 5

 

                        Folder: 1         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1902-1903

 

                        Folder: 2         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1902-1903

 

                        Folder: 3         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1902-1903               

 

                        Folder: 4         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1903

 

            Folder: 5         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1903-1904

           

Folder: 6         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1903 -1904

                       

Box: 6

 

                        Folder: 1         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1904

 

                        Folder: 2         Sweat-Comings Co.: Accounts Payable invoices, 1904

                       

                        Folder: 3         Powell & Comings: Correspondence, 1887; vendor orders and invoices, 1888

 

Folder: 4         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1894-1895

 

Folder: 5         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1895

 

Folder: 6         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1895

 

Folder: 7         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1895

                                                           

Folder: 8         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1895

 

Box: 7

 

Folder: 1         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1896

           

Folder: 2         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1896

 

Folder: 3         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1896

 

Folder: 4         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1897

 

Folder: 5         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1897

 

Folder: 6         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1897

 

Folder: 7         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1897

 

Box: 8

 

Folder: 1         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1897

 

Folder: 2         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1898

 

Folder: 3         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1898

 

Folder: 4         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1898

 

Folder: 5         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1898

 

Folder: 6         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1899

 

Folder: 7         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1899

 

Box: 9

 

Folder: 1         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1899

 

Folder: 2         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1900

                       

                        Folder: 3         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1900

 

Folder: 4         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1900

 

Folder: 5         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1900

 

Folder: 6         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1900

                       

                        Folder: 7         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1900

 

                        Folder: 8         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1902

 

Box: 10

 

Folder: 1         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1902

 

Folder: 2         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1902

 

Folder: 3         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1902

 

Folder: 4         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1902

 

Folder: 5         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1903

 

Folder: 6         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1903

 

Folder: 7         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1903

 

Box: 11

 

Folder: 1         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1903

 

Folder: 2         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1903

 

Folder: 3         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1903

 

Folder: 4         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1903

           

Folder: 5         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1904

           

Folder: 6         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1904

 

Folder: 7         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1904

 

Box: 12

 

Folder: 1         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1904

 

Folder: 2         Sweat-Comings Co.: vendor orders, incoming correspondence, and credit reports, 1904

 

                        Folder: 3         Sweat-Comings Co.: railroad freight bills, 1904.

 

                        Folder: 4         Sweat-Comings Co.: railroad freight bills, 1904.

 

                        Folder: 5         Richford Electric Light Company: accounts payable invoices, 1890-1893

 

                        Folder: 6         Richford Electric Light Company: accounts payable invoices, 1894-1895

 

Folder: 7         Sweat-Comings Co.: Grist Mill, Accounts payable invoices, 1895-1896; correspondence, 1904

 

Folder: 8         Sweat-Comings Co.: “Gable House” furniture brochure, ca. 1960; and catalog with price list, 1971

 

 

Box: 13

Vendor orders and correspondence written on postcards, 1895-1899, 1903-1904

 

 

Volumes 1-8                           Sweat-Comings Co. Daybooks: 1890-1895; Jan. 2, 1895-Nov. 6, 1897; Apr. 25, 1898-Nov. 7, 1900; Nov. 7, 1900-Oct. 27, 1902; Oct. 27, 1902-Mar. 30, 1904; 1904-1905; Apr. 2, 1905-July 23, 1906; July 26, 1906-Apr. 29, 1908

 

Volumes 9-11                         Sweat-Comings Co. Cash books: Dec. 1894-Nov. 1901; Dec. 1901-Dec. 1905; Dec. 1905-July 1908

 

Volumes 12-13                       Sweat-Comings Co. Time books: 1905-1907; 1907-1910

 

Volumes 14-18                       Names of accounts: 1908-1909; 1910-1912; 1912-1913; 1915-1916; 1918-1922

 

Volumes 19-21                       Furniture orders: Nov. 5, 1896-Oct. 12, 1900; Oct. 11, 1900-Apr. 1903; Apr. 30, 1903-May 5, 1905

 

Volume 22                              Inventory, 1899-1905

 

Volume 23-25                         Building supplies ledger books: 1895-1898; 1902-1904; 1903-1905   

Volume 26-28                         Lumber purchases: n.d.; 1892-1899; 1904-1905

 

Volume 29                              Lavene & Mills Gristmill account book: 1891-1907

 

Volume 30-33                         Gristmill account books: 1904-1905; 1915-1917; 1917-1918; 1918-1919