Indiana Historical Society - Manuscripts & Archives
User Information
Biographical & Historical sketch
Scope and Content Note
Box and Folder Inventory
Cataloguing Information
Processed by
Hilary J. Adams
14 July 1987
VOLUME OF COLLECTION: 3 manuscript boxes (1 c.f.)
COLLECTION DATES: 1825-1905
PROVENANCE: Gift of James and Mary Mullin, Brookville, IN
RESTRICTIONS: none
REPRODUCTION RIGHTS: Permission to reproduce or publish material in this collection must be obtained in writing from the Indiana Historical Society.
ALTERNATE FORMATS: none
OTHER FINDING AIDS: none
RELATED HOLDINGS:
ACCESSION NUMBER: 87.0238
NOTES:
This collection consists of records from various businesses in Franklin County, mainly from the town of Laurel, which was first settled in 1836. The majority of the records concern the family of Dr. Thomas Gifford (1816-1885).
Gifford was born in Yates County New York 17 December 1816. His family migrated to Indiana a year later and settled in Dearborn county. In 1820 Thomas' father and mother died and he went to live with relatives in Laurel.
Gifford worked at various jobs before settling on medicine. He received his degree from Ohio Medical College and set up practice in Laurel in 1846. In 1858 he was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives, serving two terms before being elected to the Indiana Senate, where he also served two terms. From 1870 to 1878 he was Laurel Township trustee and concerned himself with the school system of the township. He practiced medicine in the town of Laurel proper until his death in 1885.
Dr. Samuel Gifford, the son of Thomas Gifford was born in 1855 in Laurel. He followed in his father's footsteps and studied medicine at Ohio Medical College, graduating in 1879. He practiced medicine in Laurel until 1890 when he became chief physician at the Eastern Indiana Hospital for the Insane in Richmond, Indiana. He returned to Laurel in 1895 and practiced medicine there until his death in 1908.
This collection consists of eleven bound volumes all of which are the records of various businesses in Franklin County, mostly in Laurel, from 1825-1905. There are two account books from the medical practice of Dr. Thomas Gifford; two from the firm Gifford and Depuy, which sold everything from varnish to medicines; and one from the firm of Thomas Gifford and Son, which dates from after Thomas Gifford's death. Also included is a payment agreement between Dr. Thomas Gifford and Israel Burris, Sr. dated 1855. Two other volumes in the collection are from the practice and business of Dr. Samuel Gifford, Thomas Gifford's son.
The remainder of the volumes includes the records of the Laurel Butcher Shop, and the minutes of meetings of the Board of Trustees of the local schools, and the log of a railroad conductor, R. Kehl. The log is for 1904-1905, but the name of the rail line and the run are not mentioned.
Box 1
Folder:
1: Agreement between Dr. Thomas Gifford and Israel Burris Sr., 1855.
2: Drug Store Day Book, Samuel Gifford M.D., 1869-1877
3: Bank Book, Gifford and Webb, 1888-1890.
4: Accounts of Sales to Customers, Gifford and Depuy, 1849-1851.
5: Account Book, Gifford and Depuy, 1849-1850.
6: Account Book, Dr. Thomas Gifford, 1838-1857.
Box 2
Folder:
1: Account Book, Dr. Thomas Gifford, 1839-1873.
Box 3
Folder:
1: Railroad Conductor's Record, December 1904-January 1905.
2: Cash Book, Gifford and Son, 1892-1893.
3: Records, Treasurer of School of Township 12 Range 12; Minutes, Board of Trustees of School of Township 12, Range 12, 1838-1853.
4: Minutes, Board of Trustees of School of Township 12, Range 12, 1825-1839.
5: Account Book, Laurel Butcher Shop, 1851-1852.
MAIN ENTRY: Franklin County (Ind.) business records, 1825-1905
SUBJECT ENTRIES: Franklin County (Ind.)
Gifford, Thomas, 1816-1885
Gifford, Samuel A., 1855-1908
Gifford and Depuy General Store (Laurel, Ind.)
Thomas Gifford and Son Druggists (Laurel, Ind.)
Laurel Butcher Shop (Laurel, Ind.)
Business records--Indiana--Franklin County
Physicians--Indiana--Laurel
Medicine--Practice--Indiana--Laurel
Medicine--Practice--Indiana--Laurel--Accounts
Education--Indiana--Franklin county
General stores--Indiana--Laurel
Pharmacists--Indiana--Laurel
Butchers--Indiana--Laurel
Railroad conductors
Log-books
Laurel (Ind.)
END