MS 10 - Wood County Monumental Works (Bowling Green, Ohio)
MLA Citation
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| Title | MS 10 - Wood County Monumental Works (Bowling Green, Ohio) |
|---|---|
| Subject | Business & Commerce |
| Introduction | The Wood County Monumental Works collection spans the period from the founding of the business in 1907 until 1954. The collection was donated by Mr. Clarence W. Dick, one of the proprietors, in 1971. At this time,the business was located at 121 East Court Street, Bowling Green, Ohio. The records documenting the business from 1954 until its closing in 1974 are unavailable at this time. The collection, consisting of five linear feet, is housed at the Center for Archival Collections, Bowling Green State University, with no restrictions in its use for research. The register was prepared by Lesley Dick, graduate assistant at Bowling Green State University during March 1981. |
| Agency History | The Wood County Monumental Works was established in 1907 as the Frank E. Smith's Marble and Granite Works, occasionally called Frank E. Smith's Granite and Marble Monuments, situated at 202 South Main Street, Bowling Green, Ohio. In the early 1930's the business merged with the Wood County Monumental Works of 119 East Court Street, Bowling Green, which had previously taken over the premises of B.G. Marble and Granite Co., Inc., situated at 121 East Court Street. Although Frank E. Smith still worked for the business, he then worked from his home at 619 Ridge Avenue, Bowling Green, until he retired in the early 1950s. The proprietors of Wood County Monumental Works were Clarence W. Dick and A. J. Carr. J. W. Underwood also worked for the business from 1928 to 1930. Clarence W. Dick was also mayor of Bowling Green from 1948 to 1960, director of the Bank of Wood County from 1952 to 1966, and was chairman of Wood County Democratic Executive Committee during the late 1950s. He served as proprietor of the business until 1967 when he retired leaving A. J. Carr in charge until 1969. Glen Federke took over in 1974, and the business was closed in that year. The last known address of the business was 119 East Court Street, Bowling Green, Ohio. The function of the business was to supply Wood County and the surrounding districts with different types of monuments--mostly gravestones--but also monuments for schools and other establishments. |
| Scope and Content | This collection (October 1907-December 1954) consists primarily of business contracts and correspondence between the Wood County Monumental Works, previously Frank E. Smith's Granite and Marble Monuments, and both their customers and suppliers. Until December 1928, the collection consists of contracts and correspondence of Frank E. Smith's Granite and Marble Monuments. After 1928, and the business' merger with Wood County Monumental Works, the records are of both companies. The collection consists of three record series--contracts and correspondence, purchase and check records, and cash books and sales records. They are all arranged chronologically into eleven boxes (5 linear feet). During the period of the merger of the Wood County Monumental Works and Frank E. Smith's Marble and Granite Monuments, two sets of contracts were kept for the two businesses. These contracts are filed separately and arranged chronologically. Considering the age of the collection, it is in very good condition; however, occasionally the corner of the contracts which contain the signature of the proprietor have been torn off. The bulk of the material covers the period between October 1907 and December 1928. There are scattered materials for the years 1929 and 1930, then complete coverage for the period between January 1931 and December 1938. After this, the material is incomplete. There are some noticeable gaps in the collection in both the earlier and later records. The gaps include the following: in the contracts and correspondence between January 26,1911 and November 30, 1914; between January 23, 1915 and June 16, 1915; between July 3, 1915 and December 6, 1919; and between January 19, 1916 and December 21, 1917. Gaps in the other record series are more serious as the purchase and check records and the cash book and sales records cover only January through December 1953. This collection has numerous uses. The information given on the contracts such as birth and death dates and cemetery positions provides useful statistics for population and demographic studies, local historians, genealogists, and social scientists. It is of special use to genealogists investigating family or community histories because often groups of stones are ordered for whole families. It is also of architectural importance. The contracts provide drawings showing the design of the monuments to be built, the type of lettering, and the markers used. Occasionally photographs of the stones appear in the correspondence. It is also of literary use in that studies are being done on the phrases engraved on monuments throughout different periods in history. The cost of monuments also are given on the contracts, and this would be useful in determining the social and economic status of the customers. |
| Series Description | LEGAL DOCUMENTS CONTRACTS AND CORRESPONDENCE FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS (not microfilmed) PURCHASE AND CHECK RECORDS CASH BOOK AND SALES |
| Order of Microfilming | Roll 1
Roll 2
Roll 3
Roll 4
Roll 5
Roll 6
Roll 7
Roll 8
Roll 9
Roll 10
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