The
The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and
Printed Ephemera
Henry Francis du Pont
5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur,
Delaware 19735
Telephone: 302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883
OVERVIEW OF
THE COLLECTION
Creator: Sargent, Dana, 1818-1884
Title: Bills,
Dates: 1873-1887.
Call No.: Col. 923
Acc. No.: 74x382.38-.66
Quantity: 27 items (1 folder)
Location: 34 J 5
BIOGRAPHICAL
STATEMENT
Dana Sargent lived in Nashua, New Hampshire, where
he was a lumber and hardware merchant. He
served as mayor of Nashua in 1871, and in the bills, he is sometimes addressed
as Esquire or the Honorable. Dana was
born in 1818, the son of Eunice K. Davis and Reuben Sargent. Dana married Susan Merrill Hadley
(1821-1890), and they had four children: Mary E., Reuben, Susan, and William
Franklin (1847-1904). Dana Sargent died
in 1884.
In the 1877 directory for Nashua, Dana Sargent was
listed as being in the hardware business, although in the 1870 and 1880
censuses, he was listed as being a lumber merchant. His son William F. Sargent was listed as a
musician in the 1877 directory, although in the 1880 census, William was listed
as a farmer. William married Bridget
Minnie Cullen; they had a number of children
SCOPE AND
CONTENT
A small group of bills addressed to Dana Sargent
from various merchants in Nashua, New Hampshire; one bill was addressed to Mrs.
Dana Sargent, and one bill was addressed to their William F. Sargent. Sargent purchased household items, musical
instruments, wallpaper, jewelry, books, hardware, and had blacksmithing work
done, which included repairs to wheels and wagon bodies. Sargent purchased a piccolo (from a music
store in Boston), an organ (purchased from a sewing machine dealer), violin
strings, and music books. He had his
doors grained, his house painted and wallpapered, and bought tapestry
fabric. He bought feather beds, a baby
carriage, and a bureau. Some pans, cups,
spoons, Washington cake dishes, a wire fruit basket, a child’s tray, and other
household goods were purchased. Mrs.
Sargent had her wig repaired by a woman in Concord, N.H., and bought a watch
and a gold chain. Son William F. Sargent
bought a piccolo and strings for instruments.
The bills are all on printed bill heads, three of
which are illustrated. The bill from
John M. Harris, carriage and sign painter, is illustrated with carriages. The bill from H.M. Goodrich has a picture of
his store. The bill from Charles P. Bell
depicts a sewing machine. All the bills
have been marked as being paid.
ORGANIZATION
The bills for Mr. and Mrs. Dana Sargent are in
chronological order. A bill to William
F. Sargent is filed at the end.
LANGUAGE OF
MATERIALS
The materials are in English.
RESTRICTIONS
ON ACCESS
Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.
PROVENANCE
Purchased from Fred Roleau.
RELATED
MATERIALS
The University of Florida has a small collection of
papers of Dana Sargent, mostly pertaining to lumber business.
ACCESS POINTS
Topics:
Businesswomen - New
Hampshire - Concord.
House furnishings - New Hampshire - Nashua.
House furnishings - Prices - 19th century.
House painting - New Hampshire - Nashua.
Jewelry - Prices.
Musical instruments - New Hampshire - Nashua.
Musical instruments - Prices - 19th century.
Wallpaper - Prices - 19th century.
Wigs.
Billheads.
Receipts (Acknowledgments).
DETAILED
DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Location: 34 J
5
All accession numbers begin with 74x382.
All bills are addressed to Dana Sargent, unless
otherwise indicated.
Folder 1 of 1:
.39 from Q.A. Woodward & Co., Nashua,
July 10, 1873: for bolts, setting and varnishing buggy tires, repairing
something, leather on shaft, repairing wagon body, varnishing carryall,
painting wagon;
Printed billhead: Blacksmiths,
shoeing horses and oxen, job and carriage work;
.40 from Howard & Copp, Nashua, Nov.1873:
for bureau, table[?], caster bottle, bedstead, teapoy, rocker;
Printed billhead:
Furniture, Crockery and China Ware,
Table Cutlery, Glass Ware and Housekeeping Goods
.41 from M.V.B. Greene, Nashua, Dec. 31,
1873: for note paper, books (short titles given), ink stand, music paper,
volumes of music, Knight Pythians, a newspaper, Appletons Journal, Eclectic
Magazine, Harpers Magazine, drawing paper, etc. [bill continues on back];
Printed billhead:
bookseller, printer & binder, … picture frames, and dealer in pictures
.42 from John M. Harris, Nashua, Jan. 1,
1876: for painting sleigh;
Printed and illustrated
billhead: Carriage and sign painter; illustrated with picture of two carriages
.66 to Wm. F. Sargent, from G.W.
Stratton & Co., Boston, Oct. 5, 1878: for strings [for an unnamed musical
instrument], piccolo, and other goods identified only by number;
Printed
billhead: musical merchandise of every description
.43 from H.M. Goodrich, Nashua, Jan. 1, 1879:
for child’s brrom, doll, tea spoons, potato grater, a damper, kerosene
chimney[?], stove parts, wash stand, enameled kettle, tin pail, water dipper,
sauce pan, some kind of tea pot, copper wash boiler for Stewart cook[stove],
and for repairs to pipes and cook stove
.44 from S.E. Jaquith & Co., Nashua,
March 20, 1880: for oil cloth;
Printed billhead:
carpetings, paper hangings, window shades, fixtures, tassels, cords, &c.
.45 from Marden & Decater, Nashua, May 2,
1880: for paint, varnish, graining doors, and days of labor;
Printed billhead: house
and sign painters, grainers, glaziers and paper hangers, [etc.]
.46 from Howard & Co., Nashua, June 24,
1880: for baby carriage delivered to Frank, bedstead, teapoy, mirror;
Printed billhead:
furniture and crockery; furniture and mattresses re-upholstered and made to
order;
[presumably Frank was
William Franklin Sargent; one of his children was born earlier in 1880]
.38 to Mrs. Dana Sargent, from Mrs. J.M.
Jones, Concord, N.H., Nov. 3, 1880: for repairing wig;
Printed billhead: human
hair work, ladies’ and gent’s [sic] wigs made and repaired and warranted to fit
.47 from Howard & Co., Nashua, Dec. 3,
1880: for feather bed;
Printed billhead: furniture
and crockery; furniture and mattresses re-upholstered and made to order;
.48 from Henry H. Eaton, Nashua, Dec. 17,
1880: for lady’s gold watch and chains, West End watch, pin;
Printed billhead:
optician, watchmaker and jeweler
.49 from Charles P. Bell, Nashua, Feb. 25,
1881: for a Bruce & Chaid organ;
Printed
and illustrated billhead: sewing machines of all kinds, needles, shuttles,
bobbins, tuck-markers, oil, oil cans, screw drivers, castors, hemmers,
rufflers, stands, tables, covers, drawers, [etc,], illustrated with a treadle
sewing machine on a stand, with cover on floor next to it;
.50 from S.E. Jaquith & Co., Nashua, May
1, 1882: for yards of tapestry and stair linen; rolls of wallpaper and border;
plus charges for sewing;
Printed billhead:
carpetings, paper hangings, window shades, fixtures, tassels, cords, &c.
.51 from
W.H. Campbell & Co., Nashua, [May] 1882: for paint, spirits, varnish, and
hours of labor;
Printed billhead: plain and ornamental house, sign and
furniture painters, grainers, glazers and paper hangers
.52 from J.L. Pierce & Co., Nashua, March
26, 1883: for rolls of wallpaper and yards of frieze;
Printed billhead: paper
hangings, crockery, table cutlery, silver plated ware, curtains, curtain
fixtures, cord and tassels, &c., &c.
.53 from G.W. Stratton & Co., Boston,
April 3, 1883: for violin and other strings, a piccolo, and something
abbreviated acc.;
Printed
billhead: musical merchandise of every description
.56 from
J.F. Barnes & Son, Nashua, April 4, 1883: for hanging rolls of wallpaper
and yards of four inch border;
Printed
billhead: plain and decorative paper hangers
.54 from J.L. Pierce & Co., Nashua, April
19, 1883: for rolls of wallpaper and yards of border and base;
Printed billhead:
crockery, glass ware, paper hangings, window shades, &c., fine silver
plated ware, “Under First Congregational Church”.
.55 from
J.F. Barnes & Son, Nashua, May 21, 1883: for hanging rolls of satin paper
and yards of four inch border;
Printed
billhead: plain and decorative paper hangers
.57 from Barr & Co., Nashua, July 17,
1883: for hooks & staples, nails, butts, locks, knobs, screws, catches,
etc.;
Printed billhead:
hardware, iron and steel, paints, oils, &c.
.58 from J.L. Pierce & Co., Nashua,
August 9, 1883: for rolls of wallpaper and yards of border;
Printed
billhead: crockery, glass ware, paper hangings, window shades, &c., fine
.59 from J.L. Pierce & Co., Nashua,
August 15, 1883: for jelly tumblers;
Printed billhead:
crockery, glass ware, paper hangings, window shades, &c., fine silver
plated ware, “Under First Congregational Church”.
.60 from
J.F. Barnes & Son, Nashua, Sept. 12, 1883: for hanging rolls of wallpaper,
satin paper, and yards of four inch border;
Printed
billhead: plain and decorative paper hangers
.61 from
W.H. Campbell & Co., Nashua, Sept. 13 1883: for paint, and days of labor;
Printed billhead: plain and ornamental house, sign and
furniture painters, grainers, glazers and paper hangers
.62 from
Harry J. Bell, Nashua, Oct. 2, 1883: for feather beds;
Printed
billhead: upholster, mattress maker and dealer in curled hair, husks and
excelsior
.63 from Barr & Co., Nashua,
Feb. 21, 1884: for knobs, lights of glass, glazier points, hinges, door bolt, C
& H hooks, nails, ladder hook, extra heavy hinges, screws, nails, washers,
vegetable seeds (pumpkin, carrot, beet), sheep shears, twine, fish hook &
lines, raw oil, etc.;
Printed billhead:
hardware, iron and steel, paints, oils, &c.
.64 from
Green & Blood, Nashua, May 2, 1884: for a two quart heavy water dipper,
cakes of Rising Sun blacking, and repairs to faucet and setting thimble covers;
These
items were purchased for Frank: heavy milk cans, plated spoons, pint cups,
Washington cake dishes, wire fruit basket, another kind of cake dishes, a light
water dipper, a child’s tray, and a fog horn;
Printed
billhead: cooking, parlor and office stoves, furnaces, ranges, Britannia glass,
jappaned [sic], stamped, wood and hollow ware, brooms, brushes, &c.; The
New Clifford Ranges, and Garland Oil Stoves
.65 from
J.F. Barnes & Son, Nashua, June 2, 1884: for hanging rolls of wallpaper and
yards of four inch border;
Printed
billhead: plain and decorative paper hangers