THE JOHN K. GREEN LEDGER, LUMBER MERCHANT AND MILL OWNER ACCOUNT LEDGER

(Ohio - Cincinnati ) Green, John K. ledger, a lumber merchant and mill owner in Cincinnati between the years 1855-1870. Business accounts of a wealthy lumber merchant in Cincinnati, Ohio during the years leading up to the Civil War. The first section (318 pages) documents Green’s activities between 1855 and 1857. The remainder of the book 1861-1870, is an accounting of the income and expense reports for Green and his family including the inventory and appraisal of property owned by Benjamin Stewart, his wife’s brother, who died in 1862. There is a list of his beneficiaries and their inheritance, including, John Greene (executor), Mary Stewart, Sarah A. White, Mary Rees, Hannah B. Gano, and Jane Green, Stewart’s inventory covers pages 382-388.

The lumber company section of the ledger documents lumber sales of plank and clear wood, the cost of flooring and other building supplies, and the price of architectural elements used in both private and commercial construction. Hundreds of local Cincinnati builders and homeowners are listed and the accounts show a thriving business. Interestingly enough, several pages show some expenses from Longview Asylum in 1867. 

John K. Green (1813-1898) was the son of Marmaduke and Mary (Kesley) Green and was born in Ohio. He married Jane Stewart (1823-1914) and had at least three children. In addition to his lumber business, Green was also President of the Eagle Insurance Company, a state legislator, and a director of Longview State Hospital. It was his success in the lumber business that propelled him into the leaderships positions he undertook after the Civil War.

The back inside cover shows a hand drawn plat of property- "91 18 west". This could be property holdings in Cincinnati. In the 1850s, Green also was a partner in the Ohio Stock Breeding Company. This partnership purchased many acres of land in Iowa but did not prosper. When it dissolved, Green retained 3700 acres of land in Iowa, and son, Kesley Stewart Green, moved there to take management of the land. Kesley, Iowa, is a town named after him.

Folio. 8 x 13 inches. Manuscript in ink. 335 pgs. Contemporary reverse sheep, worn as expected with spine separation. Text in tact and written in a very legible hand.