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<filedesc>
<titlestmt>
<titleproper encodinganalog="245$a">Worthington (Mass.) Tavern Account book</titleproper>
<subtitle>Finding Aid</subtitle>
<author encodinganalog="245$c">Finding aid prepared by Dex Haven.</author>
</titlestmt>
<publicationstmt>
<publisher encodinganalog="260$b">Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Dubois Library, UMass Amherst</publisher>
<address>
<addressline>Amherst, Mass.</addressline>
</address>
<date encodinganalog="260$c" normal="2010">2010</date>
<p>&#x00A9; University of Massachusetts Amherst. All rights reserved.</p>
</publicationstmt>
</filedesc>
<profiledesc>
<creation encodinganalog="500">Finding aid encoded in MSWord<date>2010-07-06</date>
</creation>
<langusage>Finding aid written in <language encodinganalog="546" langcode="eng" scriptcode="latn">English</language></langusage>
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<frontmatter id="front">
<titlepage>
<publisher>Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst
</publisher>
<titleproper>Worthington (Mass.) Tavern Account book</titleproper>
<subtitle>Finding Aid</subtitle>
<num>MS 421 bd</num>
<author>Compiled by Dex Haven</author>
<date>August 2010</date>
<p>&#x00A9; 2010 University of Massachusetts Amherst. All rights reserved.</p>
</titlepage>
</frontmatter>


<archdesc relatedencoding="MARC21" level="collection">
<did id="main">
<head>Collection Overview</head>
<unittitle label="Title:" encodinganalog="245$a">Worthington (Mass.) Tavern Account book</unittitle>
<unitdate encodinganalog="245$f" type="inclusive" normal="1826/1854">1826-1854</unitdate>
<unitid label="Collection Number:" encodinganalog="099" repositorycode="mu" countrycode="us">MS 421 bd</unitid>
<physdesc label="Quantity:">
<extent encodinganalog="300$a">1 volume</extent>
<extent encodinganalog="300$a">(0.1 linear ft.)</extent>
</physdesc>
<repository label="Location:">
<corpname>Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst</corpname>
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<abstract encodinganalog="520$a">By the turn of the nineteenth century, the Berkshire County town of Worthington, Massachusetts, was a significant crossroads on the Boston-Albany Turnpike, belying its small size.  The population in Worthington peaked at barely over 1,000 in 1810, and declined slowly thereafter, although it remained an active stopover on the road for many years.
<lb />This standard double column account book provides a concentrated record of financial and other transactions in the antebellum period, probably associated with a tavern in Worthington, Mass.  Although the ledger's keeper is unidentified, it records an assortment of odd jobs filing saws, smoking meat, lending horses, carting, pasturing cattle, and tending sheep, along with the sale of significant quantities of beer and cider and a regular stream of hard brandy and rum.  There are records as well of providing meals and, in one instance, caring for prisoners and their keepers overnight (p. 21).  Most of the clients who can be positively identified were residents of Worthington (e.g., Persis Knapp, Chauncy B. Rising, Nathan Searl, Shubal Parish, Elisha H. Brewster, Addison D. Perry, Merritt Hall, and Otis Boies), however others are noted as wayfarers, passing through from towns such as Whately or Hadley.  Clients settled their accounts with a motley mixture of cash, goods, and labor.
</abstract>
<langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial>
</did>



<bioghist id="bioghist">
<head>Historical Note</head>
      <p>By the turn of the nineteenth century, the Berkshire County town of Worthington, Massachusetts, was a significant crossroads on the Boston-Albany Turnpike, belying its small size.  The population in Worthington peaked at barely over 1,000 in 1810, and declined slowly thereafter, although it remained an active stopover on the road for many years.</p>
</bioghist>

<scopecontent>
<p>This standard double column account book provides a concentrated record of financial and other transactions in the antebellum period, probably associated with a tavern in Worthington, Mass.  Although the ledger's keeper is unidentified, it records an assortment of odd jobs filing saws, smoking meat, lending horses, carting, pasturing cattle, and tending sheep, along with the sale of significant quantities of beer and cider and a regular stream of hard brandy and rum.  There are records as well of providing meals and, in one instance, caring for prisoners and their keepers overnight (p. 21).  Most of the clients who can be positively identified were residents of Worthington (e.g., Persis Knapp, Chauncy B. Rising, Nathan Searl, Shubal Parish, Elisha H. Brewster, Addison D. Perry, Merritt Hall, and Otis Boies), however others are noted as wayfarers, passing through from towns such as Whately or Hadley.  Clients settled their accounts with a motley mixture of cash, goods, and labor. </p>
</scopecontent>


<accessrestrict id="admin-access">
<p>The collection is open for research.</p>
</accessrestrict>

<prefercite id="admin-cite">
<head>Preferred Citation</head>
<p><emph render="italic">Cite as</emph>: Worthington (Mass.) Tavern Account book (MS 421 bd). Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst.</p>
</prefercite>

<acqinfo id="admin-acqinfo">
<p>Acquired from Dan Casavant, 2001 (2001-015).</p>
</acqinfo>

<processinfo><p>Processed by Dex Haven, August 2010.</p></processinfo>

<controlaccess id="subj">
<head>Search Terms</head>
<subject encodinganalog="650" source="lcsh">Taverns (Inns)--Massachusetts--Worthington.</subject>

<geogname encodinganalog="110" source="lcsh">Worthington (Mass.)--Economic conditions--19th century.</geogname>

<genreform encodinganalog="655" source="aat">Account books.</genreform>
</controlaccess>




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