Curtis Companies Inc. Records

Collection

Identifier: MsC0551

Staff Only
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Scope and Contents

The bulk of the collection consists of financial ledgers, cashbooks, stock books, and similar detailed financial records. The following inventory of the ledgers is as they are arranged on the shelf. They are not in chronological or alphabetical order. The relatively small number of more general documents

Dates

Creation: 1869-1948

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Extent

72.00 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Founded in 1866 and dissolved in 1938, the Curtis Companies were a conglomerate of associated sash, door, and millwork companies that eventually consolidated into a single corporation. Includes correspondence, ledgers, journals, cashbooks, stockbooks, and minute books, with correspondence of U.S. Representative George M. Curtis.

This collection consists almost entirely of financial ledgers for a Clinton, IA company founded in 1886 that specialized in architectural woodworking. Over the years it absorbed many other, smaller companies.

Apart from financial records, there appears to be six indexed letter press books dating 1900-1904; one annual report with some text from the 1930s; an 1893 printed volume describing the company's products; and ditto drafts (the longest about 60 pages) of "The Evolution of Woodwork: A History of the Curtis Companies from Founding in 1886 to the 75th Anniversary in 1941."