MS 183 - Lyon, Clement & Greenleaf Company (Wauseon, Ohio)

The records of the Lyon, Clement & Greenleaf Company of Wauseon, Ohio, date from 1858 through 1880 and from 1885 through 1886. The collection consists of six and one-quarter linear feet of correspondence and financial ledgers.

The collection was donated to the Center for Archival Collections in the summer of 1981 by Mrs. Elizabeth C. Davies through the efforts of Ted J. Ligibel, Historic Preservation Officer. Literary and property rights have been dedicated to the public and duplication is permitted for the purposes of preservation and scholarly research. The collection was arranged and described by Karen Snow and Kenneth Minkema and the register prepared by Kenneth Minkema in March 1982.

George S. Clement and Charles C. Greenleaf purchased the dry goods firm of Hunt & Company in April of 1864, after having emigrated to Wauseon from New Hampshire. The partnership thrived through the 1870s, during which time the two bought into the town's major grain mill, that of Lyon and Brigham. The new company was named Lyon, Clement & Greenleaf's Wauseon Roller Mills and Elevator.

Lyon, Clement & Greenleaf's establishment has paralleled the growth of the town of Wauseon, and has contributed to the agricultural productivity of Fulton County. The mill is still in operation today as a feed company for the area, now connected with the Purina Company.

For more information on the Clement family and their role in Wauseon, consult the inventory file in the National Register for Historic Preservation, pertaining to the Clement-Davies House.

The great majority of the records of The Lyon, Clement & Greenleaf Company is comprised of incoming correspondence from related businesses which were located throughout the northwestern and midwestern United States. The correspondence takes the form of orders, receipts, sales records, market situations, product requests, freight lists, insurance claims, and general comments on goods shipped and received. In essence, the correspondence provides a fine profile of daily exchanges in this particular vein of business and on the supply and demand nature of the market.

The financial ledgers--cash books, inventory lists, transcribed sales and accounts--are really the only records we have of the company itself, since no outgoing correspondence was copied and/or retained. It is interesting to note how the financial records begin with the Hunt & Company records and continue thereafter with the genesis and changes in the Lyon, Clement & Greenleaf firm.

The financial ledgers simply have been arranged by year, depending upon the nature of the information included. The correspondence has been arranged according to year and alphabetically according to company name. Thus the researcher is provided with an efficient means of tracing a given company's particular dealings with the Lyon, Clement & Greenleaf firm over an extended time. The possibilities for studying local business history are by far the best, since most of the correspondence is from various local businesses. In addition, the correspondence can be cross-referenced in the financial ledgers.

Note: A literature class notebook belonging to Minerva Clement was included in the collection in its original state. Since this has no bearing on the business records, the notebook was removed and placed in the Center's miscellaneous manuscript collection.

CORRESPONDENCE

CORRESPONDENCE
1864-1880; 1885-1886.
Arranged chronologically by year and alphabetically by company.
Includes market situations, suggestions for purchase, recognition of received goods, credit information, repair lists for machinery, price indexes, freight lists, Western Union messages, product requests and returns, requests for product replacement and samples, and insurance claims.

FINANCIAL RECORDS

INVENTORY LEDGERS
1858-1866.
Arranged roughly chronologically. There is an overlap in the records, since Clement & Greenleaf bought into Hunt and Company during this period.
Includes inventory of goods on hand.

CASH BOOKS
1858-1874.
Arranged chronologically
Includes lists of cash sales, cash paid out and received.

ACCOUNT BOOKS
1870-1878.
Arranged chronologically
Records account numbers, name of company credited, list of items credited, and charges. Dates are given sporadically.

RECEIPTS
1864-1877.
Miscellaneous items from Internal Revenue and Treasurer's Office of Fulton County.

Box 1

1. Correspondence--(Brayler & Pitts-Brown & Sinclair), 1864
2. Correspondence--(L.D. Chamberlain-Walker & Hayes), 1864
3. Correspondence--(John Blanchard-Brown & Sinclair), 1865
4. Correspondence--(L. D. Chamberlain-Walker & Hayes), 1865
5. Correspondence--(Bishop & Co.-Red Line Transit), 1866
6. Correspondence--(Walker & Hayes), 1866

Box 2

1. Correspondence--(S. Brand-Sweetser, Swan & Blodgett), 1867
2. Correspondence--(Walker & Hayes-Wason, Pierce & Co.), 1867
3. Correspondence--(John Bliss-H. J. Hayes & Co.), 1868
4. Correspondence--(Wm. Hilton & Co.-Wright, Goodwin & Capen), 1868
5. Correspondence--(Charles Barrett-H. R. C. Gardner & Co.), 1869
6. Correspondence--(H. J. Hayes & Co.), 1869
7. Correspondence--(Wm. Hilton & Co.-West & Truax), 1869

Box 3

1. Correspondence--(J. L. Alberger-Greeley & Co.), 1870
2. Correspondence--(H. J. Hayes & Co.), 1870
3. Correspondence--(Wm. Hilton & Co.-Moffitt & Hudson), 1870
4. Correspondence--(Northern Transit-A. Wiener & Co.), 1870
5. Correspondence--(H. Atkins-Brown, Hunt & Winslow), 1871
6. Correspondence--(Brown & Sinclair), January 18-June 8, 1871

Box 4

1. Correspondence--(Brown & Sinclair), June 13-August 22, 1871
2. Correspondence--(Brown & Sinclair), August 23-December 28, 1871
3. Correspondence--(Brown & Sinclair-Charles Cobb), 1871
4. Correspondence--(Collord, Morrison & Co.-Harris & Chisholm), 1871
5. Correspondence--(H. J. Hayes & Co.-Howes, Babcock & Co.), 1871
6. Correspondence--(Hutchins & Co.-Ketcham & Morehouse), 1871
7. Correspondence--(J. S. Kidder & Co.-Porter & Wetmore), 1871
8. Correspondence--(Red Line Transit-A. Wiener & Co.), 1871

Box 5

1. Correspondence--(H. Atkins-Brown & Sinclair), January 2-April 6, 1872
2. Correspondence--(Brown & Sinclair), April 11-August 24, 1872
3. Correspondence--(Brown & Sinclair), August 27-October 17, 1872
4. Correspondence--(John Brownell-Collord, Morrison & Co.), 1872
5. Correspondence--(Charles Cobb-George Ferris & Co.), 1872
6. Correspondence--(Hamlin, Hale & Co.-Howes, Babcock & Co.), 1872
7. Correspondence--(Hunt, Barbour & Co.-A. S. Kelly & Co.), 1872
8. Correspondence--(J. S. Kidder & Co. - R. T. Lyon & Son), 1872
9. Correspondence--(Mutual Insurance Co.-Sanderson, Foster & Co.), 1872
10. Correspondence--(Sargent Bros. & Co.-A. Weiner & Co.), 1872

Box 6

1. Correspondence--(Adams, Jewett & Co.-Wm. Brewster), 1873
2. Correspondence--(Brown & Sinclair), 1873
3. Correspondence--(J. J. Canneff-Hardin, Grey & Dewey), 1873
4. Correspondence--(H. J. Hayes-Hilton, Weston & Co.), 1873
5. Correspondence--(Howe, Moseley & Co.-James Hunt), 1873
6. Correspondence--(Hutchins & Co.-R. T. Lyon and Son), 1873
7. Correspondence--(McNeal & Co.-Porter & Wetmore), 1873
8. Correspondence--(George Reynolds & Co.-J. H. Winterbotham), 1873

Box 7

1. Correspondence--(Washington Adams-Brown & Sinclair), 1874
2. Correspondence--(Cafferty House-Dewey & Lane), 1874
3. Correspondence--(Dewey, Warren & Co.-Hilton, Weston & Co.), 1874
4. Correspondence--(N. M. Howard & Co.), April 8-September 21, 1874
5. Correspondence--(N. M. Howard & Co.), September 22-December 31, 1874
6. Correspondence--(Howe, Moseley & Co.-Justice Bateman & Co.), 1874
7. Correspondence--(J. S. Kidder & Co.-Morris, Tasker & Co.), 1874
8. Correspondence--(Northern Transportation Co.-Jos. Renshed), 1874
9. Correspondence--(George Reynolds & Co.-Russell, Thayer & Co.), 1874
10. Correspondence--(Sargent Bros. & Co.-Williams & Bean), 1874

Box 8

1. Correspondence--(Alcott, Horton & Co-Buchanan, Robinson & Co.), 1875
2. Correspondence--(Collord, Morrison & Co.-Dewey, Knight & Co.), 1875
3. Correspondence--(Dunham, Buckley & Co.), January 15-June 8, 1875
4. Correspondence--(Dunham, Buckley & Co.), August 13-December 26, 1875
5. Correspondence--(European Exchange-Hilton, Weston & Co.), 1875
6. Correspondence--(N. M. Howard & Co.), January 2-April 20, 1875
7. Correspondence--(N. M. Howard & Co.), April 21-December 7, 1875
8. Correspondence--(Howes, Babcock & Co.-Jordan, Marsh & Co.), 1875
9. Correspondence--(J. S. Kidder & Co.-Charles Messinger), 1875
10. Correspondence--(Abram Moore-J. B. Powell & Co.), 1875
11. Correspondence--(George Reynolds-Sargent Bros. & Co.), 1875
12. Correspondence--(Secor, Berdan & Co.-J. M. Wentz & Co.), 1875
13. Correspondence--(Whiting, Young & Warren-O. Young), 1875

Box 9

1. Correspondence--(Alcott, Horton & Co.-Burnham & Banton), 1876
2. Correspondence--(H.S. Claflin & Co.-Ira T. Davis), 1876
3. Correspondence--(Defiance Mills-A. L. Hitchcock & Co.), 1876
4. Correspondence--(N. M. Howard & Co.), January 6-July 13, 1876
5. Correspondence--(N. M. Howard & Co.), July 14-December 29, 1876
6. Correspondence--(J. F. Hunt & Co.-A. M. Molson), 1876
7. Correspondence--(Nazro & Co.-Newport House), 1876
8. Correspondence--(Ostraander & Hoppin), 1876
9. Correspondence--(Sprankle, Morse & So.-Woodworth, Dodge & Co.), 1876

Box 10

1. Correspondence--(Abbot, Kelley & Co.-Burnham & Banton), 1877
2. Correspondence--(Cleveland, Aspell & Co.-Hollister), 1877
3. Correspondence--(N. M. Howard & Co.), January 2-August 28, 1877
4. Correspondence--(N. M. Howard & Co.), August 29-December 26, 1877
5. Correspondence--(Lee & Loomis-National Dispatch), 1877
6. Correspondence--(Nazro & Co.-John Orff), 1877
7. Correspondence--(Porter & Wetmore-A. Wyckoff & Co.), 1877
8. Correspondence--(H. S. Adams-A. Wiener & Co.), 1878
9. Correspondence--(Alcorn, Baker & Co.-Charles Taylor's Sons), 1879
10. Correspondence--(C. M. Nichols & Co.), 1880

Box 11

1. Correspondence--(Fred Adams-Franklin Baker), January 14-March 21, 1885
2. Correspondence--(Franklin Baker), March 26-December 30, 1885
3. Correspondence--(Franklin, Baker & Co-T. W. Burnham), 1885
4. Correspondence--(A. J. Caldwell-Cummer Engine), 1885
5. Correspondence--(Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railway Co.-R.G. Dun & Co.), 1885
6. Correspondence--(Farmers National Bank of Buck County-B. F. Gump), 1885

Box 12

1. Correspondence--(H. C. Haskins-Lyon, Clement & Greeleaf), 1885
2. Correspondence--(Charles Marshall-Mercer & Kulp), 1885
3. Correspondence--(Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway Co.-John Pullen), 1885
4. CCorrespondence--(Secor, Berdan & Co.-D.D. Sewall), 1885
5. Correspondence--(E. O. Stanard & Co.-Trimble & Howell), 1885
6. Correspondence--(Rank Bros.-Samuel Robinson & Co.), 1885
7. Correspondence--(W. A. Rundell & Co.-Scott, Powell & Co.), 1885
8. Correspondence--(Union Paper Box Co.-U. A. Wynn), 1885

Box 13

1. Correspondence--(Frederick Adams-Baker, Harper & Co.), 1886
2. Correspondence--(Daniel Bean-G. Crouse), 1886
3. Correspondence--(Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railway Co.-J. G. Fried), 1886
4. Correspondence--(Galban, Rio & Co.-Knisely, Boots & Co.), 1886
5. Correspondence--(Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway Co.-Fred Louys), 1886
6. Correspondence--(Mercer & Kulp-Western Manufacturers Mutual Insurance), 1886
7. Correspondence--(John Noyes Manufacturing Co.-H. Relyea), 1886
8. Correspondence--(St. John & Churchill-Straus & Co.), 1886
9. Correspondence--(Taylor & Howell-Youngblood & Hall), 1886

Box 14

1. Inventory ledgers--"Produce" ledger, Hunt & Co., January 15, 1862-December 15, 1863
2. Inventory ledgers--invoices, George Clement, April 1, 1858-October 28, 1860
3. Inventory ledgers--invoices, Charles Greenleaf, March 1, 1865-March 1 (?), 1866
4. Cash book--Hunt & Co., November 15, 1858-June 3, 1859
5. Cash book--Clement & Greenleaf, 1864-1874
6. Account book--copied receipts, Clement & Greenleaf, June 15, 1864-September 21, 1870

Box 15

1. Account book--Clement & Greenleaf, September 27, 1870-February 8, 1872
2. Account book--Clement & Greenleaf, February 13, 1872-December 23, 1873
3. Account book--Clement & Greenleaf, June 23, 1872-April 28, 1878
4. Account book, n.d.
5. Receipts--Internal Revenue and Fulton County Treasurer's Office, 1864-1877

Oversize Items

1. Inventory ledgers--Hunt & Co., September 15, 1858-April 27, 1864
2. Inventory ledgers--Clement & Greenleaf, April 28, 1864-July 8, 1864