Theophilus Taylor Collection
Scope and Contents
The ledger book dates from 1906 to 1922 and is an alphabetical listing of Taylor’s customers. There is an A-Z index in the front listing the companies and individuals along with the pages numbers. Some companies he dealt with include American Express Company, Banner Laundry, Charles Clarage, Gilmore Brothers Department Store, William E. Hill and Company, Kalamazoo Fire Department, Kalamazoo Ice and Fuel Company, Kalamazoo Lumber Company, Kalamazoo Sled Company, C. Leundyke, Michigan Asylum for the Insane/Kalamazoo State Hospital, Standard Oil Company, U.K. Balch,U.S. Express Company, Wheeler Blaney, Witner Bakery Company. The daybook dates from July 1890 to to May 1894 and contains day-to-day accounts in the firm.
Dates
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1890-1922
Creator
- Taylor, Theophilus, 1849-1922 (Person)
Biographical / Historical
Theophilus Taylor, born in England in 1849 came to America and lived in New Jersey.He came to Kalamazoo in 1876 with his wife Mary and at first worked as a butcher but then became a harness manufacturer and dealer in trunks, harness supplies, traveling bags and other leather goods. His shop was located in several sites downtown on North Burdick, East Main, North Rose and Portage Streets. His son, Arthur joined him in 1911 to form T. Taylor and Son. Theophilus remained at the store until 1922 and died on May 15 of that year.
Extent
.50 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
English
Physical Description
The collection amounts to .50 cubic feet and is composed of two account books. The first one, the ledger, is 14” x 8 ½” x 1 ½” and is leather bound. It has 316 total pages, of which pages 1 to 159 are filled. There are seven pages filled between pages 299 to 316. The leather cover is warped and it appears that both the front and back covers have been taped to the book. The pages are in good condition although just slightly yellowed. The account book was produced by the Ihling Brothers and Everard Company in Kalamazoo. The second book is a daybook also 8 ½” x 14” x 1 ¾” and dates from 1890-1894. The pages are in good condition, although slightly worn and yellowed. The leather on the back flap has separated. Overall the leather is worn in several places. The book was made by the Ihling Brothers and Everard Company.
General
Purchased with funds from the Starring Endowment.
Subject
- Kalamazoo Sled Company (Organization)
- Title
- Theophilus Taylor Collection Finding Aid
- Author
- Lynn Houghton
- Date
- 2010-04-12
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Western Michigan University Archives & Regional History Collections Repository
Charles C. and Lynn L. Zhang Legacy Collections Center
1650 Oakland Drive
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5307 US
(269) 387-8490
arch-collect@wmich.edu