1850-1889, ten diaries of Quartermaster General George Franklin Davis, Cavendish Vermont

Ten diaries of Quartermaster General George Franklin Davis of Cavendish Vermont. They do not cover all years (notably missing are the war years 1861-65) but they do span the years 1850 to 1889. The diaries (with a few highlights I noticed) are for:

1. 1850 - Out-of-the-ordinary note on Dec. 19 about the Burlington RR Co. paying for a meadow crossing.

2. 1853-54 - Lots of notes on wool trading, costs, etc.

3. 1854 - April 6, "sold to (Huskee Merter of Chester?) 70 fur sheep at four dollars and seventy five cents per head". Oct. 7 "1 cow - 45.00'

4. 1855-56 - Sep. 11 "Fare to Boston - 4.20"

5. 1858 - Davis properties inventory included

6. 1860 - In the memorandum section, "Rifles 20 - 140, Muskets 20 - 120"

7. 1867 - Cash account, "shoes for Fanni", his daughter

8. 1870 - Cool advertisement card for "P.H. Robbins, General Dealer in Hardware, Iron, Steel, Coal"

9.1874-76 - Grocery prices including "coffee 40, nutmeg 25, soda 12, cinnamon 20, smoked halibut 2.00"

10. 1889 - Many notes on weather, farming related.

Also, one leather-bound folder for holding "Valuable Papers".

A large part of the diaries are for trade. Many, many transactions are recorded. I saw road building, hogs, colts, wool (lots of wool), inventories of the Cavedish estate and other estates, guns, groceries, "gave to wife", etc.. Accounting. Etc.

Lots of dealings with the town of Cavendish throughout the diaries.

About George F. Davis -

Mr. Davis was born in 1815, and attended Cavendish Academy. In 1838 he began operation of the "Hotel Elliot", until 1853. He was married with children. He took a post at the National Black River Bank, served as state senator, then in 1857 was elected Quartermaster General for the State of Vermont. During the Civil War he was noted for supplying the Vermont troops well. He oversaw the building of several hospitals during the Civil War. In the 1870 census he was a farmer with real estate valued at $10,000. He died in 1905.

Physical Attributes -

Ten wallet-style diaries, bound in leather. One file folder, bound in leather. Diaries range in size, but all are in the range of modern small journals.

Condition -

See pictures. All are used, but the leather is in decent condition (no dry rot). Occasional cracked hinges, torn pages, etc.. Each with wear consistent with a diary that was used throughout the year.