The 1884 Merchant’s Ledger, Z. L. Levans’ Ledger of the Center Point Store, and the Justice Docket of the 1880s are all important because of the dates — they each lead up to the missing 1890 U.S. Census records.
All of the people mentioned in these ledgers lived in or around Carroll County. Their purchases tell a lot about their lives; it’s easy to spot the family who is probably just setting up their household. They buy knives and forks, sets of cups and saucers, dish pans, cedar buckets, etc. You can identify who had daughters or sons in the family by the clothing they purchased. From necessity, a great deal of their clothing was made at home, as shown from the yardage of fabric sold—every thing from sheeting to linen. And, of course, there was all of the equipment, large and small, to keep the farm operational. One entry shows everything bought for “Mr. Bearden’s burial.”
These hand-written books kept by storekeepers and business men are not just a list of names and items bought, they tell a story of the people of Carroll County and how they lived from day to day.
Wonderful books for wonderful genealogical discoveries! You can find the ledger books in the Spring 2018 issue of the Carroll County Genealogical Society Quarterly, which is posted to our web site at ccgsga.org. (If your membership dues are not up-to-date, you won’t be able to access it through our web site.)