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AC -243
John Jay French Ledger, 1831-1853
DESCRIPTION
The business ledger of John Jay French—pioneer, Beaumont tanner, and merchant --dates from 1831 to
1853. It provides a detailed account of merchandise that French bought and sold along with a roster of
Beaumont's early citizens who were his customers. The ledger entries list items brought to the store, such
as deer and cow hides, barrels of corn or tallow which were bartered for domestic calico, buttons, combs,
rope, flour, and mosquito netting. Raw hides were brought to be made into shoes, saddles, bridles, etc.
French also sold "spirits", whiskey, brandy, and wine, which he made himself, stored in barrels, and sold
by the pint or gallon.
Theledger carries names of some prominent citizens: Alexander Calder, Beaumont's first mayor; Nancy
Tevis Hutchinson, who with her husband, Noah Tevis, were the first settlers here; William McFaddin,
Joseph Pulsifer, Joseph Hebert, Washington Tevis, F.W. Ogden, Gilbert Stevenson, Isaiah Junket, Cave
Johnson, Biddle Langham, and others. This collection includes both the original and a color copy.