1837 Inventory of an Athen's Tennessee Store

Almost as interesting at the items themselves in this inventory are the various measures used to quantify the goods. This list was placed as an ad in the Athen's Tennessee Journal for June 14, 1837. The inventory emphasizes hardware and basic grocery items. Notably absent are any mention of cloth goods, scissors, needles, thread, knives, dippers, or ladles or kitchen goods such as plates, cups, or bowls. Athens lies on the eastern side of the Tennessee River valley between Chattanooga and Knoxville and had been settled for a long time; there were doubtless other stores in the community that may have supplied the items missing here. The original ad was not in alphabetical order.

Allspice                    4 dozen             
Anvils & Vice               2                   
Axes, Stone's               2 dozen             
Balances, Patent            4 pair              
Bar Iron                    4 tons              
Bitters, Stoughton's        3 boxes             
Brass Kettles               1 bundle            
Castings, Assorted          3 tons              
Chalk                       1 barrel            
Champaign                   4 baskets           
Decanters                   1 dozen             
Do[ugh?], Embree's          3 dozen             
Epsom Salts                 5 kegs              
Flour, fresh                100 barrels         
Ginger, Ground              2 kegs              
Herring                     3 barrels           
Hoes                        20 dozen            
Hoop Iron                   3 bundles           
Mackerel                    4 barrels, 5 kits   
Madder                      1 barrel, 6 kegs     
Medoc Claret                9 boxes             
Mustard                     3 boxes             
Nails, Eastern              20 kegs             
Nails, Embree's             25 kegs             
Paper, Wrapping             12 reams            
Paper, Writing              15 reams            
Pepper                      5 bags              
Pepper, Cayenne             2 boxes             
Powder                      5 kegs              
Raisins                     45 boxes            
Rio Coffee                  25 sacks            
Rope                        2 coils             
Salmon                      1 dozen             
Salt Petre                  2 kegs              
Shot                        5 bags              
Starch, Northern            2 boxes             
Tea, G.P.                   2 boxes             
Tennessee Whiskey           35 barrels          
Tobacco                     3 dozen             
Tobacco, Smoking            3 boxes             
Window Glass                15 boxes            
Wine, assorted              25 barrels          

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