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<filedesc>
<titlestmt>
<titleproper encodinganalog="245$a">Asa Culver-Asa Culver Jr. Account Book, 1820-1876
</titleproper>
<subtitle>Finding Aid</subtitle>
<author encodinganalog="245$c">Finding aid prepared by Denise S. Henry.</author>
<sponsor>Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.</sponsor>
</titlestmt>
<publicationstmt>
<publisher encodinganalog="260$b">Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst</publisher>
<address>
<addressline>Amherst, MA</addressline>
</address>
<date encodinganalog="260$c" normal="2003">2003 </date>
<p>University of Massachusetts Amherst. All rights reserved.</p>
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<profiledesc>
<creation encodinganalog="500">Finding aid encoded using Perl scripts and edited in XMetal 2.0. Encoded by Eric Cartier.
<date>2003-04-22</date>
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<langusage>Finding aid written in
<language encodinganalog="546" langcode="eng" scriptcode="latn">English.</language>
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<date normal="2005-09-23">2005-09-23</date>
<item>mu7 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02-5c.xsl (sy2003-10-15).</item>
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<frontmatter id="front">
<titlepage>
<publisher>Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst

</publisher>
<titleproper>Asa Culver-Asa Culver Jr. Account Book, 1820-1876
</titleproper>
<subtitle>Finding Aid</subtitle>
<num>Manuscript Number 350
</num>
<author>Compiled by Denise S. Henry
</author>
<date>July 1992
</date>
    
<sponsor>Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.</sponsor>
<p>2003 University of Massachusetts Amherst. All rights reserved.</p>
</titlepage>
</frontmatter>

<archdesc relatedencoding="MARC21" level="collection">
<did id="main">
<head>Collection Overview</head>
<origination label="Creator:">
<persname encodinganalog="100" source="lcnaf">Culver, Asa, b. 1793</persname>
</origination>
<unittitle label="Title:" encodinganalog="245$a">Asa Culver-Asa Culver Jr. Account Book</unittitle>
<unitdate encodinganalog="245$f" type="inclusive" normal="1820/1876">1820-1876</unitdate>
<unitid label="Collection Number:" encodinganalog="099" repositorycode="mu" countrycode="us">MS 350</unitid>
<physdesc label="Quantity:">
<extent encodinganalog="300$a">1 volume</extent>
<extent encodinganalog="300$a">(0.25 linear ft.)</extent>
</physdesc>
<repository label="Location:">
<corpname>Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst</corpname>
</repository>
<abstract label="Abstract:" encodinganalog="520$a">Farmers who provided services (such as putting up fences, shingling, butchering, and cutting brush) for townspeople.  70-page book of business transactions, and miscellaneous papers including mortgage payments, highway building surveyor assessments, and poems.
</abstract>
<langmaterial label="Language of Material:">
<language langcode="eng">English.</language>
</langmaterial>
</did>

<bioghist id="bioghist">
<head>Biographical Note</head>
<p>Asa Culver (b. 1793 in Massachusetts) was a farmer in Blandford, Massachusetts, and lived in Chester for a brief period of time.</p>
</bioghist>

<scopecontent id="scope">
<head>Scope and Contents of the Collection</head>
<p>Asa Culver begins this account of his transactions in 1822 at the age of 29.  The 70-page book contains business transactions between Asa Culver and his neighbors, many of whom were regular customers and/or prominent townspeople.  Squire Reuben Boies was a large landholder and a man of position and influence in the town of Blandford.  Duty Underwood was a bartender who sold rum at the Baird House in Blandford, and Robinson and Brigum were also regular customers who received hemlock bark from the Culvers.  Mr. Culver, along with his son Asa Jr., provided Reuben Boies such services as putting up fences, shingling, butchering and cutting brush.  Boies paid in cash or with goods.  Asa Culver gained an average income not only by selling his services and those of his son, but also by selling products (vinegar, brandy, apples, corn, hemlock bark, cider and potatoes).  He also allowed some of his customers to "put their horse, cow and one yoak of cattle in his paster."  Asa Jr. appears to have taken over the farm labor tasks for his father in 1856, which suggests early retirement for Asa Sr.
</p>
<p>Although Asa had the help of his son, he also required the aid of female workers in his home.  A woman named Delila Stewart(?) came to work for the Culvers in 1843.  Margaret Donahue was employed at the Culvers in 1851.  Catherine McClear began work for the Culvers in 1859.  And Widow Mary Dwight began her work for the Culvers in 1861.  It is not clear what these women did for the Culvers, but they were each paid $1.25 a week, except for Ms. McClear, who was paid $1.00 a week.
</p>
<p>While Asa needed the services of these women in his home, some female farmers needed the use of male workers to help them tend their farmland.  In 1825 Margaret Tompson, who was probably a farmer/worker, had Asa Culver do work for her: "thrashing bushels of corn, laying a plowshare, washing and shearing seven sheep and making stable doors."
</p>
<p>The 1870 Massachusetts Census lists 6 household members in the Culver home, including Asa Culver.  Although Eunice Culver was not in residence at the time, she may have been an older daughter who married and moved away from home.  Included among the numerous miscellaneous papers found in this account book is a piece of scrap paper with tabulations on it that says "Be neat and smart in all things Eunice Culver" hidden among the figures.
</p>
<p>The miscellaneous papers included mortgage payments, highway building surveyor assessments, and poems.  Asa Jr. may have written the poem called "Little Sadie" about the death of a little girl and the sorrow that is felt by all those who loved her.  Sadie Culver may have been the daughter of Asa Jr. and his wife.
</p>
</scopecontent>
<descgrp type="admininfo" id="admin">
<head>Information on Use</head>
<descgrp type="admininfo">
<head>Terms of Access and Use</head>

<accessrestrict encodinganalog="540" id="admin-use">
<p>The collection is open for research.</p>
</accessrestrict>
</descgrp>

<prefercite id="admin-cite">
<head>Preferred Citation</head>
<p><emph render="italic">Cite as</emph>: Asa Culver-Asa Culver Jr. Account Book (MS 350). Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst. </p>
</prefercite>
</descgrp>

<processinfo><p>Collection processed by Denise Henry, 2003.</p></processinfo>

<acqinfo>
<p>Purchased for SCUA by Robert W. Hugo for the Friends of the Library.</p>
</acqinfo>


<controlaccess id="subj">
<head>Search Terms</head>
    
<persname encodinganalog="600" source="lcnaf">Culver, Asa, b. 1793</persname>
<persname encodinganalog="600" source="lcnaf"> Culver, Asa </persname>
<subject encodinganalog="650" source="lcsh">Farmers--Massachusetts--Blandford--Economic conditions--19th century</subject>
<subject encodinganalog="650" source="lcsh">Agriculture--Massachusetts--History--Sources</subject>
<subject encodinganalog="650" source="lcsh">Farm management--Massachusetts--Blandford--Records and correspondence</subject>
<subject encodinganalog="650" source="lcsh">Wages--Domestics--Massachusetts--Blandford</subject>
<geogname encodinganalog="651" source="lcsh">Blandford (Mass.)--Economic conditions--19th century</geogname>
<persname encodinganalog="600" source="lcnaf">Culver, Asa</persname>
<genreform encodinganalog="655" source="aat">Account books</genreform>
</controlaccess>
</archdesc>
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