Blackford Record and Account Books, 1863-1907, MS.131

Descriptive Summary

This collection is made up of 22 volumes and covers the years 1854-1908. Except for William Blackford's private account book and Rebecca Blackford's housekeeping book, these volumes relate to Eugene Blackford's work both at his farm, Cleve, and with the Sudbrook Company of Baltimore County.

Eugene Blackford lived both at his farm Cleve and in the garden suburg Sudbrook Park in northwest Baltimore County during the years covered in this collection. From 1893 to 1896, he spent summers at a rental home in Sudbrook Park and rented Cleve out for the summer. From October 1896 to 1901, he lived year-round at a home he built at Sudbrook Park. And, beginning in 1902, he spent his summers at Cleve. His personal financial records consist of both ledgers and day books. He lists his accounts with firms like Pikesville Dairy, Kuntz's Ale, and the Sudbrook Company, as well as many daily expenses for hired help and purchases. Also in the collection is a farm journal in which he recorded events and work at Cleve. Cow accounts, which list the production of offspring and milk from the cows he owned, are included.

Beginning in 1889, he was manager of the Sudbrook Company's real estate venture, Sudbrook Park, a northwest Baltimore garden suburb designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr., that same year. In Blackford's ledgers and day books (marked Eugene Blackford volumes in container list) are details of financial transactions he, in partnership with Hugh L. Bond, Jr., had with the Sudbrook Company. The first listing of his salary with the Sudbrook Company is in May 1889. Many of the volumes in this collection provide information related to the houses built and rented as an investment in Sudbrook Park. In addition, ten volumes in this collection consist entirely of the records of the Sudbrook Company (marked Sudbrook Company volumes in container list). These records include day books, ledgers, and letterbooks that hold details on the community's early history.

BOX 1

William M. Blackford - Private Account Book, 1854-1864

Rebecca C. Blackford - Housekeeping Book for Cleve, 1861-1878

Eugene Blackford - Farm Journal, 1869-1890

Eugene Blackford - Ledger, 1868-1872

Eugene Blackford - Ledger, 1891-1895

BOX 2

Eugene Blackford - Ledger, 1896-1898

Eugene Blackford - Ledger, 1899-1907

Eugene Blackford - Day Book, 1887-1890

Eugene Blackford - Day Book, 1891-1893

Eugene Blackford - Day Book, 1894-1896

Eugene Blackford - Day Book, 1897-1901

Sudbrook Company - Day Book, 1894-1902

BOX 3

Sudbrook Company - Day Book, 1901-1908

Sudbrook Company - Day Book, 1903-1908

Sudbrook Company - Ledger, 1894-1899

Sudbrook Company - Ledger, 1895-1903

Sudbrook Company - Letterbook, 1891-1894

BOX 4

Sudbrook Company - Letterbook, 1892-1902

Sudbrook Company - Letterbook, 1894-1899

Sudbrook Company - Letterbook, 1899-1906

Sudbrook Company - Letterbook, 1902-1907

OVERSIZED VOLUME

Eugene Blackford - Day Book, 1875-1880