Guide to the Pittsburgh Mercantile Company Records, 1877-1950 AIS.1965.06
Arrangement
Repository
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Title
Pittsburgh Mercantile Company Records
Creator
Pittsburgh Mercantile Company
Collection Number
AIS.1965.06
Extent
21 Linear Feet
Date
1877-1950
Abstract
The Pittsburgh Mercantile Company operated in western Pennsylvania from the 1870s until the 1950s. The company was made up of clothing and dry goods stores, mainly patronized by steelworkers and coal miners. This collection contains various forms of ledgers including balance books, departmental ledgers, private ledgers, inventories, payroll, and share books.
Language
English
.
Author
Andy Newman.
Publisher
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Address
University of Pittsburgh Library System Archives & Special Collections Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections Business Number: 412-648-3232 (Thomas) | 412-648-8190 (Hillman) Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Acquisition Information
Gift of Sy Silverman on February 17, 1965.
Previous Citation
Pittsburgh Mercantile Company Records, 1877-1950, AIS.1965.06, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
Preferred Citation
Pittsburgh Mercantile Company Records, 1877-1950, AIS.1965.06, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Access Restrictions
No restrictions; however, users of this collection must make an appointment with the Archives Service Center before the collection can be serviced because of its current physical arrangment.
Copyright
The University of Pittsburgh holds the property rights to the material in this collection, but the copyright may still be held by the original creator/author. Researchers are therefore advised to follow the regulations set forth in the U.S. Copyright Code when publishing, quoting, or reproducing material from this collection without the consent of the creator/author or that go beyond what is allowed by fair use.
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Andy Newman in November 2004.
History
The Pittsburgh Mercantile Company operated in western Pennsylvania from the 1870s until the 1950s. The company was made up of clothing and dry goods stores, mainly patronized by steelworkers and coal miners. As in all mining and steel working towns, workers purchased all necessities from the company store. There were stores throughout western Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh, California, Fredericktown, Woodlawn, Vestaburg, and Denbo. The Pittsburgh Mercantile Company, the superstore of its day, offered household supplies, tools, and foods in addition to clothing. Although the stores were retail, the company made most of its profit from wholesale to companies and businesses. Some of the stores had service stations for the maintenance of automobiles.
Arrangement
The records are organized into eight series (additional notes are found at the series level):
Series I. Financial Ledgers, 1894-1949
Series II. Private Ledgers, 1875-1947
Series III. Tax Records, 1903-1931
Series IV. Shares, Vouchers, and Check Books, 1880-1936
Series V. Payroll, 1937-1941
Series VI. California, PA, Store Fire, January 3, 1946
Series VII. Inventory and Supply Ledgers, 1898-1937
Series VIII. Ledger of Contacts, 1904-1917
Scope and Content Notes
The records of the Pittsburgh Mercantile Company reflect the business activities of the company from 1877 to 1950. Most of the material is in the form of ledgers, which have been microfilmed. This collection contains many different forms of ledgers including balance books, departmental ledgers, private ledgers, inventories, payroll, and share books. Each type of ledger allows a glimpse into a function of the company.
