James Madison University Libraries Special Collections
820 Madison DriveAli Kolleda, Summer Bork, and Jacob Houser; Tiffany Cole
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[identification of item], [box #, folder #], W. E. Long & Sons General Store Records, 1865-1971, SC 0218, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.
Materials in this collection were donated by Scott Suter in 2001; purchased from Scott Suter between 2007 and 2008; purchased from Dusty's Antique Market (Ronald L. Fulk) in Mt. Sidney, Virginia in 2008; purchased from Rocky's Gold & Silver in Weyer's Cave, Virginia in 2009; and found as orphaned material in a Carrier Library filing cabinet in 2016. A 2020 acquisition comprising W. E. Long & Sons shipping books and an account book was added to the collection in 2024.
This collection comprises numerous accessions related to W. E. Long & Sons General Store and the Long family of Mt. Clinton, Virginia. These accessions include 2001-0912, 2007-0419a, 2007-0419b, 2008-0311, 2008-1215b, and 2016-0501. Parts of this collection were previously cataloged as Long's Store Account Books (SC 4056) and Mt. Clinton Post Office Records (SC 4057).
In order to streamline the process of applying collection numbers, Special Collections staff completed a large-scale renumbering campaign in 2018-2019. This collection was previously cataloged as SC 5044. During this time, the collection was physically consolidated into fewer boxes and minor updates made to the intellectual arrangement. However, the overall intellectual arrangement of the collection was maintained.
Samuel Long (1821-1892) was the original owner of the Long Store. He worked primarily as a farmer and dry goods merchant, running numerous stores before moving from Shenandoah County to Rockingham County in 1868. In 1880, he bought the Hopkins Upper Mill on Muddy Creek and established the Chrisman general store and post office. His son, William Evans Long (1855-1926), was named postmaster of the Chrisman post office in 1881. Samuel Long also established another store around 1869 in Green Mount, Virginia. William E. Long was named postmaster of the Green Mount branch in 1889, and took over operations from J.W. Mauck. In 1892, Samuel Long bought A.B. Driver & Company in Mt. Clinton, Virginia, and changed the name to S. Long & Sons. At this time, William E. Long was also appointed postmaster of the Mt. Clinton post office. William E. Long and his brother-in-law, John B. Bowman (1844-1893) ran the Mt. Clinton branch of the store under the name Long & Bowman, until the death of Bowman in 1893. Upon the death of Samuel Long in 1892, William's sister sold her husband's half of the Mt. Clinton store to William for $2,500. The name of the store was changed to W.E. Long & Sons once William Long's children, specifically C. Edward (1887-1961) and Frank R. (1901-1958), reached maturity. The store operated under this name until it was turned over by William Long's sons to a nephew, Samuel Claude Long (1925-1988), who renamed the store S.C. Long & Sons in 1959. It remained under his name until his retirement in 1988 when it left the family's possession. A quick succession of owners succeeded S. Claude Long until the store was torn down in 1995. The Long family owned and operated the Long family store for roughly 95 years, managing to sustain a business through WWI, the Great Depression, and WWII.
The W. E. Long & Sons General Store Records, 1865-1971, primarily document the business activities of W.E. Long & Sons General Store in Rockingham County, Virginia. Materials include account books and ledgers, invoices and receipts, advertisements, billheads, correspondence, and documentation of expenses and sales related to the business dealings of W.E. Long & Sons. Records from the Mt. Clinton Post Office, predating W.E. Long's time as Mt. Clinton postmaster, are also included.
The collection is arranged into six series. Generally, each series is arranged chronologically. Exceptions to this arrangement were made in order to keep like materials together within a series.
Invoices, Advertisements, and Correspondence, 1865-1955 Purchases and Orders, 1893-1924 Bank Ledgers, Expenses, and Sales, 1866-1971 Long's Store Account Books, 1869-1921 Long's Store Records, 1877-1929 Mt. Clinton Post Office Records, 1879-1893This series contains invoices to the Long Store from other companies, showing that orders were paid for in full. Specific company invoices include: Harrisonburg Grocery Co. Inc. Exclusively Wholesale; Merchants Grocery and Hardware Co. (successors of Snell Grocery and Hardware Co.); Sears, Roebuck and Co.; Coca-Cola Co.; National Biscuit Co. (Nabisco); and the Standard Oil Co.
Companies also sent advertisements to the Long Store in order to try to persuade the store to buy their products. Specific company and agency advertisements include advertisements from the US Food Administration; Mishawaka Rubber and Woolen Mfg. Co.; Sears, Roebuck and Co.; and the Merchants Grocery and Hardware Co.
Correspondence includes letters and envelopes addressed to the Long Store from a variety of companies. Most of the correspondence thanks the Long Store for their business, provides information about backorders, includes contract letters, and personal correspondence. Companies that sent correspondence letters include: Miller & Yager General Commission Merchants, Superior Dairy Goods Moseley & Stoddard MFG Co., Darby Manufacturing Co., and R. P. Bayley & Co Importers of China & Glass.
All of these papers provide insight into the business transactions of the Long Store. The papers also show the types of products that the people of Mt. Clinton, Virginia were buying not only in everyday life, but also during the war years. The papers are organized chronologically and they are listed below in alphabetical order by company name.
There was a group of advertisements and letters found with materials from Series 3 which had been left in their original envelopes. The letters were taken out of the envelopes and placed in a folder. The letters were moved to Series 1 for convenience sake, and are all contained together in Folder 9, so they do not follow the chronological scheme of the other folders. One postcard from the State Normal School of Harrisonburg, Virginia, with seemingly no connection to the Long family, was found with the ledgers.
C. L. Moor; Commonwealth of Virginia; David Taylor and Co.; Hellen Jatzeusteler; Heller Brothers and Co.; Jacob and Viert; Joseph Raish Loans; Long Store Ledger Page; Rockingham Register; R. P. Bayley and Co.; Smith, Ellet, & Co.; Stoneburner and Richards; Treasury of Rockingham County; Tucker and Co.; Wm. Devries & Co.; Young, Kimmell, and Diggs
Baker and Company Groceries, Baltimore Bargain House, Baltimore Oil, Brand Shoe Co., Byers-Beery Grocery Co., Chesapeake & Ohio RR, C. J. Rice, Daniel Miller Co. Dry Goods, Edelen Bros. Commission, First National Bank, Harrisonburg Evaporating Co., Harrisonburg Grocery Co., Herb Medicine Co., J. G. Haldeman & Bros, Lynchburg Shoe Co., Miscellaneous, Mishawaka Woolen Manufacturing Co., N. K. Fairbank, Norfolk Western RR, Red C. Oil, R. M. Sutton Co., Snell Grocery & Hardware, Standard Oil, W. A. W. Davis Corporation
American Snuff Co., Baltimore Bargain House, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Crystal Lamps Asst., Daniel Miller Co. Dry Goods, Harrisonburg Grocery Co., J. Frank Darling Co. Inc., J.W. Ould Company Inc., Merchants Grocery & Hardware Co., Red "C" Oil Manufacturing Co., Snell Grocery, Southern Railroad Co., US Food Administration
American Wholesale Corporation, B. F. Goodrich Rubber, Chattanooga Knitting Mills, City Produce Exchange, Daniel Miller Co. Dry Goods, Friedman-Shelby International Shoe, G. K. Andrews & Co., Harrisonburg Grocery Co., Imperial Ice Cream Co., J. M. Snell & Co., Merchants Grocery & Hardware Co., National Biscuit Company, Sternick & Bittman Butter and Eggs, Westel Seed Co., W. F. Berry & Son
American Wholesale Corporation, Arbuckle Brothers, Barnhart Overall Company, B. F. Goodrich Rubber Company, Chas. King & Son Co, Inc., Daniel Miller Company, Edelen Brothers General Commission Merchants, Ehrmann Manufacturing Co., First National Bank, G. K. Andrews and Co., Harrisonburg Candy and Fruit Company, Harrisonburg Grocery Co., International Shoe Company, J. M. Strickler, John W. Eshelman and Sons, J. W. Ould Company, L.W. Gaines and Company, Merchants Grocery and Hardware Co., Mishawaka Rubber and Woolen Mfg. Co., National Biscuit Company, Proctor and Gamble Distributing Co., Richmond Hosier Mills, Southern Railway Company, Valley Supply Company, Virginia Cigar Company, Wetsel Seed Company
American Wholesale Corporation, Barnhart Overall Co.; Burke & Price Insurance; Daniel Miller Co. Dry Goods; D. M. Ferry & Co. Seedsmen; E. W. Ross Ensilage Cutter & Silo Co.; Friedman-Shelby International Shoe; Harrisonburg Candy & Fruit Co., Inc.; Harrisonburg Grocery Co.; Hawkins Hardware Co.; H. M. Baucon & Sons; J. M. Strickler; John F. Birkmeyer & Sons; Merchants Grocery & Hardware Co.; Mishawaka Rubber & Woolen Manufacturing Co.; National Biscuit Co.; R. A. Brice & Son; R. G. Dun & Co.
C. D. Kenny Co.; Daniel Miller Company; Harlin Bro and Co.; Harrisonburg Candy and Fruit Company, Inc.; Harrisonburg Grocery Co.; Hawkins Hardware Co.; International Shoe Company; Miscellaneous; Mishawaka Rubber and Woolen Mfg. Co.; R. A. Brice and Son; R. A. Brice and Son; R. A. Brice and Son; R. A. Brice and Son
American Wholesale Co.; Bentley, Shriver & Co.; Bob's Food Products Co., Inc.; Butler Brothers; Daniel Miller Co. Dry Goods; Dixie Distributing Co.; E. J. Branch & Sons; Elkton Lithia Bottling Co.; First National Bank; Friedman-Shelby International Shoe; Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., Inc.; Harrisonburg Candy & Fruit Company, Inc.; Harrisonburg Grocery Co.; Harrisonburg Livestock Market Inc.; Hartford Fire Insurance Co.; Henry S. King & Sons; J. F. Burkholder's Speech on World Peace; J. S. Denton & Sons, Inc.; Manbeck Bread Co.; Merchants Grocery & Hardware Co.; Miscellaneous Accounting; M. O. Showalter & Son; National Biscuit Co.; Ort Brothers Bakery, Inc.; Proctor & Gamble Distributing Co.; Rockingham Cooperative Farm Bureau, Inc.; Rockingham Tractor & Equipment Co.; Snow King Baking Powder Co.; Strietman Biscuit Co.; Virginia Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co.; Wm. Schluderberg- T. J. Kurdle Co.
R. P. Bayley & Co Importers of China & Glass, Miller & Yager General Commission Merchants: invoice/envelope 2/2/1882, Miller & Yager General Commission Merchants: invoice/envelope 11/10/1882, Superior Dairy Goods Moseley & Stoddard MFG Co.: 4 ads/envelope ca. 1887, George G. McClintock Commission Merchants: receipt/envelope 8/2/1892, Darby Manufacturing Co.: envelope 8/25/1892, Edelen Bros Commission Merchants: invoice/envelope 3:30/1901, State Normal School Postcard: 6/25/1911
This series contains purchases and orders in ledgers compiled during the lifetime of the Long Store. The series contains 23 ledgers in total. Some ledgers show what customers ordered from the store and others show what the Long Store purchased from other companies in order to fulfill the needs of their customers. The order ledgers show what customers wanted to buy as well as who the regular customers were. They show the relationship that the Long Store had with its customers. Once the orders were delivered and were paid for, the order was crossed out with a red "X," indicating that the transaction was complete.
The purchase ledgers show what the owners of the Long Store purchased in order to meet the demand of their customers. Most of these ledgers are labeled with a date, what was bought on that date, and how much the order cost. Most ledgers were not specific with what goods were bought, but were specific with the pricing. Purchases were mostly labeled as "Goods" or "Tobacco" showing the importance of tobacco in that it was given its own category. Other ledgers simply state the name of the company being ordered from, rather than listing all the specific goods themselves.
This series contains records of the expenses and sales of the Long family store, as well as ten bank ledgers. The majority are specific to the First National Bank of Harrisonburg, Virginia. These indicate expenses and sales of the store, including specific company or personal names to whom the store is paying off bills or from whom it is receiving payment.
There are also three ledgers that indicate expenses of the store. The first ledger appears to be expenses organized by specific person or business. The latter two are organized by types of goods, including groceries, tobacco, dry goods, drugs, etc. The orders appear to be crossed out once they were acquired.
There are two other larger ledgers in the series. The smaller of the two appears to document the weekly sales of the store. There are several other receipts and calculations relating to the profit of the store stuck in the pages of the ledger. These loose papers were left there in order to preserve original order and context. The larger of the two ledgers seems to be a system of credit from a store in Johnsonville prior to the existence of Long Family Store in Mt. Clinton, Virginia. Samuel Long was known to have stores in many locations, so it seems prudent to assume it was one of his stores before Mt. Clinton. As with the previous ledger, there are calculations and a few documents of correspondence stuck in between the pages. They were likewise kept within to preserve original order.
This series consists of nine books: one "road book" ostensibly from Long's Store in Green Mount, Virginia and three account books and five daybooks from Long's Store in Mt. Clinton, Virginia. Daybooks record purchases of general household goods and merchandise, such as eggs, butter, pens, pencils, shoes, yarn, chickens, roosters, sugar, dye, matches, hats, and shovels. Account books typically record customer accounts, transactions and balances over time, and do not record itemized purchases.
This series is a collection of receipts that document the business between small town merchant W.E. Long and commission merchants such as Miller & Roller, Washington, D. C.; Acker & Long Produce, Philadelphia; Standard Oil Company; Brand Shoe Co., Roanoke; and J. J. Underhill Fruit & Vegetables, Baltimore which he supplied with butter, chicken, and eggs. Among the local merchants are: Snell Grocery, Harrisonburg; Hoge & Hutchinson, Staunton; Merchants Grocery and Hardware, Harrisonburg; L. W. Gaines, Inc., Harrisonburg; Worthington Hardware, Staunton; and National Biscuit Company, Staunton. Bills document the variety of merchandise including shoes, fabric, sugar, and coffee that Long purchased to supply his own customers. Fifteen cancelled checks from the First National Bank Harrisonburg date to 1920. A folder of bank deposit slips, primarily from First National Bank in Harrisonburg, are included.
This series consists of three record books from Mt. Clinton Post Office from 1879 through 1893. All three books are roughly the same size. However, Book One was received missing most of the front and back covers. Book Three was disassembled and boards discarded due to insect damage.
William E. Long was a postmaster at Chrisman, Virginia (1881-1887); Green Mount, Virginia (1889-1893); and Mt. Clinton, Virginia (1893-1897). William's father, Samuel, established and operated general stores and post offices in all three locations. It is unclear why the Mt. Clinton post Office records prior to William's tenure as Mt. Clinton postmaster remained in his possession. They are included in this collection due to their peripheral connection to Long.