JAMES MADISON CAMP (1809-1894) - FAMILY LEDGER BOOK AND PAPERS
Zanesville, Ohio - Rockingham, Iowa - Mt Vernon, Iowa - Lincoln, Nebraska
1859 - 1893 (Believed to be the son of Jamed Madison Camp born 1809, Ohio
Transcribed by Nancy Becker, great-great-granddaughter of James Madison Camp, Sr., [Camp Jr., Brother, Wosser, Becker] December, 2002, without correcting any spelling, capitalization or punctuation. In some places I put two or three spaces between what I thought were sentences to help with clarity even though there was no punctuation and very few capital letters except on people's names. Words or letters I couldn't make out are in brackets with a question mark [ ?] Much of the writing was beautifully formed script which would become more difficult to read the more he wrote that day. Much less flourish to script as the years passed.
All the following was found in a bound (but seriously falling apart with age) 13" x 8" ledger book with lined and columned pages. The ledger was loosely covered by a piece of leather cut to size for it but never glued onto the ledger. Inside the front cover, written as though doodling is: inland Christian Advocate Des Moines, Iowa in three different places and types writing. Also doodled: Mis Raire F Camp 104 west foc; Mr Gorge A Hall (later in the ledger there is a Gorge Camp); oakley & kambrlen; with my wagon; Credit to beef 60; credit to baken 2:50; Janie Camp gets abused by Jinierrz; one year and 5 months and one day older them I am; Camp
Written in the Business Ledger / Journal:
Wednisday Dec 14 1859
9 Each a/c 5 06
1 To Merchandise Amt Sales 5 06
Thurday Dec 15th 1859
23 J.A. Hatch To Merchandise 25
for Rarins 25
9 Each a/c 20 4 45
1 Merchandise Sales 4 45
21 F.W.S. Hale 6 60
To Each a/c On a/c 6 60
Friday Dec 16 1859
1 Sundies to Merchandise 90 28
26 A.R.Harroy Amt Bill 1 35
23 J.A.Hatch " " 25
9 Each a/c " Sales 6 68
1 Merchandise 55
To Susan Fitzele Amt to Bal 55
Saturday Dec 17 1859
1 Sundies to Merchandise 5 90
24 Sam Linger Amt Bill 1 90
29 Sam Smart " " 1 00
23 J.A.Hatch " " 2 55
28 H.S.Hale " " 25
Etc.... working through Saturday December 24 1859; next day of work, Monday Dec 26 1859; then thru Saturday Dec 31 1859; skipping Sunday January 1 1860; skipping Thursday January 5 1860; skipping Saturday & Sunday, Jan 7th & 8th; skipping Tuesday Jan 10, Tues Jan 17, Tues Jan 23. Last day worked before alphabetized customer's sheets was Monday Jan 30 1860.
The next ten pages are a tabbed alphabetical listing of all customers with page reference to their individual account page. Under the "C" listings, for example, is: Camp James Jr; Camp DW; Camp Wm; Camp JM; Cook Stephen; Camp Store; Camp Gorge
On the following 169 pages, he starts numbering each page beginning with page "1." for Customer Pages. One customer's name is at the top of each page. Then, a dated, chronological list (last date, August, 1863) of work performed, and a running tally of charges and payments is entered in the right-hand columns. These pages' entries are typically for repair work for customer's carriages... but often for groceries or sundries as well. Typical entries include: a new bolster; repair log wagon; sharpening plow (25); repairing neck yoke & bolt; letting and wiring shoes; wleding barrel; 2 links in chain; one pair bob sleds; repairing sleigh; filling wheal; hook, bolt & hasp; mending brace in buggy pole; ironing shafts; wood rack; spring on hack; repairing buggy braces; hook for stove lifter; 8 pikes; halling lumber; ironing dash bord; painting pulkey; dobeltree for wagon; one cro bar; one brick hamer; turning rolers; corn marker; 284 ft oak plank; 300 ft bolster stuff; cr 1 cord wood; coffee mill crank; setting wagon box; 11 nails for wagon; splicing pole irons for buggy (75); 2 bee hives & honey box ($3 75); 100 lbs flower ($2 50); 3 hasps for wagon box (1 20); credit for 171/2 bushels of potatoes 25 cnts; 4 38; mending harnes (10); 4 hooks 8 staples (50); 2 iron wedges (2 00); eye for Wheal Barrow (25); dressing crow bar both ends (30); to welding drill (20); etc.
The very last line of the 169 page section says: Mt Vernon January 3, 1881 although the last actual entry on that customer's page was Oct 20 1862 or 3.
The back side of page 169 starts January 1 1881 Mt Vernon
That and the following page comprise a dated, chronological list ending April 18 1881
of amounts paid out mostly for groceries, but also for expenses, with prices in the appropriate right hand column. For example:
one turkie $1 60
one glas dish 75; one set of cups & sosers 65; one set of plaits 30
beef stake 30; coffee 50
cash to Brother Smith 20
pickels 15; buckwheat flowar 50
cash to missionary 25
molasies 30 shuger 1 00; 3 lbs oatmeal 15; lard 35
cash for wood 2 50
pepper 05; salt 10; cheas 15; carsean oil 15; lard 47; cornmeal 42; 10 eggs 18; beans 10 soap 25
The next page is labeled at the top: MtVernon Iowa 1881
Nov 1 John Smith to barn rent 15 months $15 00
half ton of hay 4 00
cash 1 00
Jan 16 1882 Credit to your account $11 47
Jan 17 credit 1 quart of milk 05
Jan 27 credit to hauling coal from lisben 75
then a whole column of "credit to" items: chop feed 1 30; plowing lot 50; holinny lumber 25; helping mov fence 60; hoaling 1 barl of paint 10; holing shingles 50; plowing alie 25 ending on May 20 1882
Nov 18 1882 rented barn agane
Dec 19 credit to 2 bushels and one half of corn 1 25
one bushel corn 50; hauling coal 50 1 00
Janary 25 credit to moving goods
The next page is labeled: 1882 MtVernon Iowa
Miss Mary Price Miss Jain Penry
Sept 12 Room rent $per month 5 50
cash for rent 5 50; cash for potatoes 15; cash for lard 16;
wood 2 cords 4 dollars per cord 7 75; one turm scholership 2 00
charge 15 1/2 bushel of potatoes
credit cash for wood 7 75
Oct 5 credit to cash for scholership 2 00
The next page: CP Clements renter DW Camps hous at $13 00 per month Sept 14 1882 The following page: JW Camp Sept 27 1882 credit cash from [Laros?] $7 75; paid your account at TC Kunick & Co $9 05; credit 2 cords of wood from [Laros?] 8 00 A page is skipped; then, the next is labeled: 1885 Sept 21 Wm M Blackwell 1 hard coal stove and pipe $35 00; 1 cook stove and pipe and other thing 7 00; 1 heating stove up stairs oilcloth 4 00; 2 bed steds 2 chairs 1 tabel 1 stand 6 00; 9 set of windo rolers and shades 5 00; 1 parlor seat chairs and sofey 15 00; 2 wash boals 2 pickers and som other things
The next page is labeled: 1885 Lincoln Neb
Nov 20 Moved in Burchard hous number 430 south 10 street and pay 15 dollars per month;
hack from depot to hous 50; hoaling trucks 50; hoaling goods from depot 1 50; hoaling
stove from daniels 25; one ton of coal 7 75
Dec 21 paid on rent twenty dollars
paid for stove 10 00
stove pipe & joints 80
one elbo 40 cents fixin up pipe 25
Cook S Jonson 1 00
hotel 1 50
The next page, after numerous pages look to be cut out - is written in a more juvenile hand, in pencil, and is very difficult to read... but looks like:
I went to heer in the first time he preach in putnam it was given out that Goener Trmebson was going to preach in putnam at Early candel light we had a lot of mils to walk when we got thair the talow candels was all lit up and the young man was comensing his meeting I think as near as I can we got within fifteen feet of the [alter?] we can hear him talking but we was out of the hous and could not hear much
The following 2 pages were an accounting of expenses in Lincoln from Oct 1892 to Aug 1893 Cook and Jonson acount 64 55 cash from Gorge 5 00; groceries 10 00; meet market 9 street; over to 11 street groceries 10 00; two suits of coatails 65 00; RA Handy lumber 57 37; carpenter work on kichen 12 00; hard ware locks and nails 4 00; roofing 9 00; stone for kichen 3 00; Chlelen groceries 12 65; cash from gorge 5 00; cash from james 2 00; order to halters meet market 5 00; 3 pair of pants 18 00; porch in front of the hous 7 00;shoes at sincere times 10 00; lumber for cave 3 00; tiling for well 5 00; two hats 3 00; 2 under shirts 80; hard coal at senara times 50 00;one ton of soft coal 9 00; one ton of hard coal 10 00; credit by Cooks account 13 13; credit by coffins ac 3 60; cash from Gorge 2 00; James 50; from Coffin groceries 1 40; corn and screening 1 20; corn & wheat 80; 2 shirts 2 trousers hat 3 40; the evening news cop 5 years 25 00; etc
After 2 blank pages, the following is written fairly neatly over three pages:
Early Methodism in Iowa by James Madison Camp
I landed in Scott County 4 miles below Davenport in August 27 1836 with my wife and two cildren my goods lay on the bank of the Mississippi from saturday til monday we slept in the [initials?] Tulivases [?] hous without windo or dore we did not freeze in that hous the two first nights in Iowa but it was prety cold bouth nights on mondy we got a log cabin about one mile from the river and moved our goods in it I think it was as near us I can gess at the size of about ten feet square we fit our things in it the best we could til we got a larger hous in rockingham I bilt me a hous in Rockingham that saim fall I bought the square timber for the hous 16 squar and maid the studing out of [wight?] rails and maid the weather [barain?] out of a larg whit oak tree of the big [Isabena?] the lath and shingles all mad of the saim kind of timber I fraimed every stick of the hous my self when we raised the hous the carpeners said it went to gather the best of eney hous then helpt to rais in town I weather harden it my self and lather it I got the lath maid out of the logs and shingels all the same kind of timber I maid the morter and tended the man that kut it in one room he donet in 2 nights and about 3 ours one moring and I paid him 30 dollars I worked every bourd of the floring and put it down my self when we got in our one hous we was all glad then the next thing was a shop to work in I bought 16 logs gav 16 dollers then we maid a shop of them and worked in that winter was a very cold winter
The winter set in the first days of november and the preacher that was hear then taut they would all starve that winter but it never comin my mind onest that I would want for eney thing to eat and we had plenty of good water at the hour the river frozr over that fall before the merchants got theair goods from St Louis the morning the ice slapt in the river a steam boat got to our town with a load of flowar it was going up to the frinery I got 4 barls of that flower at $16 dollars a baral one baral of corn meal for 5 dollars and Every thing in preportion wit that I traided my hous in Rockingham for a claim the next spring and moved on it it was one mile from the river and thair I kept a methedit Tavern about 15 years we had the first methodist clas that was in that cuntry the names of the clas otha Davenport and his wife we maid him our leader and a good one William Cook and wife JM Camp and wife E Camp Daniel Giberson Susan Zanes Sulivan Anna Crabtree Sulivan and husb we had our clas meeting and prayer meeting every sunday and prayer meeting on thirsday night the fall of [18]37 we sent to the Illinois Confrenc for a preacher thea sent us her Chance Hobert a good preacher he com on after Confrenc He came to my hous wanted to no if he could stop with us over night I told him we was not very well fixt to keep eney persons he asked my name I told him my name he said he was sent hear to preach to the methedis church I [ruch?] him yar him as good as we had til he got a place to live in he was allways a welcom gust at our hous our first presiden Elder was [Henry?] Sumers one of the best men that ever came over the old river he all ways maid his home at our hous he would come to the doar and would say well sister Camp hear comes tribyoulations he was all ways welcom at our hous we often had eight or ten stay over night with us my wife would make a bed acros the end of the rom and lay them down side by side like cord wood When Barten Cartright was on our circuit with a new wife at one of our quarterly meeting we had a hous full and two sisters and we had to put them in one bed and the rest of them on the floor and the old Elder said well sister Camp what has hapened that you have parted man and wife well we had a good laugh at Barten and his wife We had preaching in my hous one time and the youngsters that was thair thoat he was two hard on them and thea got up and started for the doar he said if the shoe pinches you put it on but be very cairful that you doant get hurt he maid it pretty warm then There were then about 10 blank pages to the end of the journal. [end of bound ledger] ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
There were several loose sheets of paper inserted in the ledger. This was written on one mostly in pencil:
A member of the methodist churc it never was eney trobel for me to be a methodist as I did not know that thar was eney other church but ME church til I was 10 years old my uncle Joseph Thraph was one of the firs methodist preachers ever preach in the muskum vatre
I united with the church in Zanesville under nathen Emery feb 22 1828 when radiclism was at fever heat in Zanesville one of the radicls preacher want to know of me one day if I did not want com over to there church I told him I did not think I did he said if I would com with them thea would giv me somthing beter than I had in the old church I told him I did not want eney better he said the old church would all com over eneyhow then he wanted know of some of my frinds would com if I would I told him no he wanted know if father Emery and his wife would com if I would I told him no if every man and woman in the united states did I wouldnt he then saw it was not worth while to talk with me about come with them thank god the old ME church stil livs and is five times stronger then it was in 1828 wel if the old church wil bar with me a few days longer til I go home to se my merry friends that has gen over thair well I hav my dear old brother Joseph m trimble laying before me
when we think of the number that have been baptized by his hands when he was our preacher in Zanesville I sean him one sunday baptize a member in the church and then went to the river and three nelt in the water edg and he baptize them by pouring 11 boal of water on each of thear heads then he tuck 4 more and imerst them that stopt all troubl abut baptism in Zanesville
I tuck the first number of the advocate when I lived Zanesville ohio I have wached the names of our old preacher that I new when I first joined the church david young was our presiding elder nathe Emery our preacher the first clas I belong to Bishop Hamiline was one of the members of the clas Wiliam B Crista James tailor Joseph M trimble Joseph Carper Jacob young James gilroth Leroy swarmsteat asa fox david whitcom went off with the radicals Cornelius Springer Joal dolby william Evans Cornelius Springer was president of the clas I was at quarterly meeting whar he held in my uncel neaberhood he giv out the apointment for sundy he said the doars will be open for [confert?] a 9 oclock but did not say the doars wold be cloas when preaching tim com that time he stept out of the stand and put his cane under the lock of the doar and on the floar and the peopeal cam and rapt on the doar and kept them out and my uncel Camp got up and opened the other doar and said com in brothers and let all in that was out of the hous
Next was a 1/4 sheet of newspaper with ads and articles referencing July, 1884, Zanesville, Ohio
Next was 2 pages of lined stationery:
A few lines from James M Camp
I am old methodist I joined the ME Church in Zanesville febury 22, 1828 under Nathen Emery the preacher in Zanesville David Young was Presiden Elder the old church stud on Secend Street two doars in the end the right hand doar was for the ladyes and the left war for the men thair was a partition through the center of the curch as high as the backs of the seats the men all sit on the left hand and the woman on the right side as you went in the church pulpit was in the end of the church Thair was three or four steps high when the preacher was in the stand and had doar shet you could just see his head an sholder
Next stationery page:
5th [hage?] Western christian Dec 13, 1882
Mr William Mitchell writs from Mt Vernon an said that he tuck the firs nomber of the advocate that was printed in febury 22, 1828 [build?] with me church under the paternal care of Nathen Emery David Young as presden Elder I tuck the first number of the western christian advocate and hav taken it all most all the time sens and I want to take it as long as I am abel to pay for it I was apointed leader of a clas in Zanesville in 1835 brother david Whitcom in 1836 cam to scot county Iowa helpt to mak up the first clas that ever was in Scot county the names of the members brother Davenport and wife William Cook and wife Mrs Susan Zanes sulivan and Mrs david sulivan J M Camp Mary Camp E Camp daniel Giberson Ann Nash
The firs methodist preacher on this sid of the river was Mr Chunsey Hobart the firs presinen Elder Ken Henry sumers hav bean clas leader [?] and trustee many years in the ME Church when I was a prentis boy to henry olir to the blacksmith traid rever[end?] henry nash of the radicals cum in the shop one day and wanted to know if I did not want to join thair church he said they would give me a better place in the church than in the old church I told him no he said the old church would com over to thair church i told him I did not want to go he began to ask me if some of my neares frends went if I would I told him no all the time last he asked me if old father Emery went if I would I told him if every man [ends unfinished here]
And finally, there is a pink card-stock advertisement for North British & Mercantile Insurance Co. Keith & Polk, Agents, 122 North 12th Street, Lincoln, Neb. Telephone 224 Handwritten on the back is The inland Christian Advocate Des Moines Iowa [end]
Ohio Physician and Dentist Directory, 1905
Surname Given Name City - County - State Type Of Doctor School Graduation Year
Camp G.H. Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio Dentist Western Reserve 1904
