vihart00506A Guide to the Baker's Store Daybooks, 1861-1878 SC 0403Tiffany ColeJames Madison University Libraries Special Collections

April 2025

820 Madison DriveMSC 1706Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807Telephone: (540) 568-3612library-special@jmu.eduURL:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2025-10-23 07:02:05 -0400.Description is written in: English, Latin script.Describing Archives: A Content Standard James Madison University Libraries Special Collections Baker's Store daybooks Tim Abbott Americana Baker's Store (1860-2018) (Mount Olive, Va.) SC 0403 /repositories/4/resources/785 0.6 cubic feet 1 box 1861-1878 Two daybooks documenting the mercantile activities of Baker's Store in Mount Olive, Virginia. English Access Restrictions

Collection open to research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.

 Use Restrictions

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).

 Preferred Citation

[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Baker's Store daybooks, 1861-1878, SC 0403, James Madison University Special Collections, Harrisonburg, Virginia.

 Acquisition Information

Purchased from Tim Abbott Americana, March 2025.

 Provenance

The ledgers were sold on eBay by a seller in Greencastle, Pennsylvania on January 15, 2025, presumably to Tim Abbott Americana.

 Biographical / Historical

Baker's Store, located in Mount Olive, Virginia in Shenandoah County, operated from 1860 until 2018. Baker's Store sold general merchandise including foodstuffs, perishables, dry goods, fabric, notions, alcohol, tobacco, and sundry items. Ephraim Baker (1836-1919) was the original proprietor of the store until his death when his son William Baker (1895-1989) took over ownership.

 Scope and Contents

Two daybooks documenting the mercantile activities of Baker's Store in Mount Olive, Virginia from 1861-1878. The daybooks are organized chronologically and include the names of patrons and itemized accounts of their purchases from the store. Common items purchased include fabric, eggs, butter, coffee, tobacco, pins, needles, camphor, paper, whiskey, sugar, clothing, and shoes. Names present in the daybooks include Rosenberger, Funkhouser, Grove, Hockman, Hamman, Edmonson, Coffman, Keller, Pifer, Clem, Hottle, Eberly, Copp, and others.

 Related Materials

Baker Store Collection, 2020-0002, Truban Archives, Shenandoah County Library, Edinburg, Virginia, USA

Ephraim Baker Records, 1857-1910. Accession 50152. Business records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia

 Daybooks General stores -- Virginia -- Shenandoah County Merchants -- Virginia -- Shenandoah County -- Records and correspondence Account books -- Virginia -- Shenandoah County Business records -- Virginia -- Shenandoah County Retail trade -- Virginia -- Shenandoah County -- 19th century Shenandoah County (Va.) -- Economic conditions -- 19th century Shenandoah County (Va.) -- History -- 19th century Virginia -- History, Local Tim Abbott Americana Daybook/repositories/4/archival_objects/312791861-1878OV 1Scope and Contents

Front cover inscribed: "Baker & Eberly Day Book No. 2 Mount Olive, Virginia."

Daybook/repositories/4/archival_objects/312801874OV 1Scope and Contents

Front cover inscribed: "Ephraim Baker's Book Mount Olive Va. January 20th 1874 Day Book J"