In early America, local governments played a pivotal role in the daily lives of citizens, overseeing an array of public services — from administering justice to maintaining poorhouses, repairing roads, and collecting taxes. Among these essential functions was the regulation of weights and measures, a cornerstone of commercial markets and consumer protection. To safeguard trade…
Ordering an Electric Chair from Montgomery Ward?
When one thinks of the items available from Montgomery Ward, the prominent mail-order retailer based in Chicago, an electric chair is certainly not among them. Yet in 1913, this merchandising giant received an unusual letter from the Colonial Stores Company in Canton, China, seeking to purchase an apparatus for executing criminals. The letter sent by…
The Clerk of the Court & 19th Century Court Records
As a result of spending years navigating courthouse record rooms across the mid-Atlantic, I have developed a keen interest in the evolving recordkeeping practices of the Clerk of the Court. Some of this comes from observing the pre-computer age methods the recording officials used to create, index, and preserve legal documents while providing public access…
Temperanceville: The Legacy of a Dry Village
While giving a talk in Ocean City last week on America’s complex history with alcohol, an audience member asked about Temperanceville, a small village on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Although I had driven past it for years, I had never taken the turn off Route 13 to explore the place. However, prompted by the…