The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, DE  19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

 

Creator:          Shank, Christian H.                                          

Title:               Diary and account book

Dates:             1858-1867

Call No.:         Doc. 370

Acc. No.:         80x76

Quantity:        1 volume (274 pages)

Location:        31 D

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

Christian  H. Shank was a prosperous farmer and partner in a dry goods business, Shank & Horst.  He resided in Annville, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

Consists of 26 pages of invoices (1856-1858) for Shank & Horst, 149 pages titled "Farm Diary" (1858-1864), 29 pages of accounts (1856-1862), and 70 pages of further diary entries (1864-1867).  Diary entries are typically brief and provide a straightforward, businesslike record of Shank's farm activities, including managing hired help, sowing wheat, hauling lime, cutting corn, mowing clover, salting cattle, breeding horses, butchering, fencing, and quarrying stone.  Such odd jobs as plastering rooms, chopping wood, building a bee house, constructing a barn, putting in a pig stay, laying out a new garden, and constructing mink traps are also mentioned.  Shank was interested in improving the efficiency of farm work. To achieve that end he explored the possibility of a mowing machine and brought a smut machine, probably to combat crop disease.  He sent a model of a thrasher to Washington, D.C. to apply for a patent.  Shank's recreational activities included attending debates and camp meetings.  

 

Shank's diary spans the years of the Civil War and he and his family were touched by it.  Shank often noted activities in his community relating to the war effort.  His brother, Joseph, enlisted in the army in 1862 and died in the battle at Fredericksburg in 1863.  Shank was elected a Second Lieutenant of a local outfit.  In July 1863, he went to the battlefield at Gettysburg shortly after the fighting and commented on the destruction.  Shank was also involved in efforts to buy replacement recruits.

 

In the midst of the war, Shank agreed to buy a farm and mill near Lebanon, Pa. from Henry Fortina for $14,000.  The second section of the diary opens on March 17, 1864 with details on work at the new farm. Included is a diagram showing plantings of fruit tress--identified by variety--around Shank's farm house, the location of his bake oven, fencing, and gates.

 

The financial portions of the manuscript document Shank & Horst's dry goods business in Annville.  They list wholesale purchases of such goods as salt, varnish, whalebones (by the gross), crockery, powder (by the keg), candle wicks, crackers, coffee, thimbles, coal, black hats, etc.  Purchases were made from local firms as well as businesses in Harrisburg and Philadelphia.  The second section of accounts records retail sales (by customer) in addition to wholesale purchases.

           

 

ORGANIZATION

 

Diary entries are in chronological order.

 

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

The materials are in English.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

Collection is open to the public.  Copyright restrictions may apply.

           

 

PROVENANCE

           

Purchased from Terry and Jeanette Alford.

 

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

Topics:

            Shank and Horst.

            Agricultural machinery.

            Farm buildings.

            Farm layout.

            Farm equipment.

            Farm management - Pennsylvania - Lebanon County.

            Farm life - History - Sources.

            Farmers - Diaries.

            Dry-goods - Pennsylvania.

            Wholesale trade - History - 19th century.

            Business records - Pennsylvania - Annville.

            Orchards.

            United States - History - Civil War, 1861-1865.

            Diaries.

            Account books.

            Invoices.

            Farmers.

            Merchants.

           

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 31 D

 

Name and occupation indexes to accounts in Doc. 370:

 

 

Name index to accounts in Doc. 370

 

Bancroft & Lee     1

Barr, Harry            8

Bentz, J. K.           6

Boas, J.                5

Bolton, J.             5

Boltz, David        4

Brooke & Fuller   10-14, 16

Bowman, Moses     13, 15

Buchler, Harrison     8

 

Colson, J. W.       7

Cook, Geo. A.      5

Crause, H.           6

 

Eby, J. R.        1

 

Globe Mills      3

 

Hachulen, Jacob F.     3

Hess, James     8

Hicks, J. B.     1

Horst (of Shank &  Horst)  1-16

Howard & Co.    3

 

Karmany, D.      3

 

Lucas, James     3, 11,   14-16

 

McClure, Wm.    2

Meily, Martin      2

Mott, E. T.       13

 

Patsche, John F.      7

Preston, H. W.        2

 

Raber & Oves        7

Raber, David S.     3, 6

Rorer, Graeff & Darling   12, 16

 

Sieger, Lamb & Co.    10, 12-13, 15-16

Shank & Horst              1-16

Shank, Christian H.       1-16

Shirk, Cyrus       1

Shoemaker, Robert & Co.  11, 12, 14, 16

Snyder, H.        3

Spencer, Boardman &  Spencer  3

 

Trexler & Bush      10, 12, 14

 

Ward & Clark       4, 11, 14

Waterman, Osbourn & Co.   2, 7, 8, 10-16

 

 

 

 

Occupation Listings:

 

Bancroft and Lee        trimmings

Brooke and Fuller       trimmings

 

Lucas, James            manufacturer

 

McClure, Wm.            liquor dealer

Mott, Edward T.         queensware

 

Rorer, Graeff & Darling   shoes & bonnets

 

Sieger, Lamb & Co.      dry goods

Shoemaker, Robert & Co.  druggists

 

Trexler & Bush     tobacconist

 

Waterman, Osbourn & Co.   grocers