The Papers
Reference
About
Kirtland Safety Society Daybook, circa 4–16 January 1837
Source Note
Source Note
Kirtland Safety Society, Daybook, , Geauga Co., OH, ca. 4–16 Jan. 1837; handwriting of , , , and Marcellus Cowdery; seven pages; JS Office Papers, CHL.
Historical Introduction
Historical Introduction
The was formed in November 1836; however, the institution did not open for business or operate a banking house until January 1837. When the bank opened, individuals acting as clerks kept a record of daily transactions in an ad hoc daybook composed of four loose, folded sheets of paper. This daybook contains entries for loans as well as for the issuing of Kirtland Safety Society notes in exchange for banknotes from other financial institutions. It was through these loans and exchanges that the Safety Society notes were put into circulation in , Ohio, and surrounding communities. Several of the entries in the daybook were marked with an "x", which has not been captured in the transcript but appears to correlate with payments received. Unfortunately, the daybook captures only a brief period of operation, from about 4 to 16 January 1837. After this time there are no extant records for the daily transactions of the bank.
Footnotes
- [1]
- [2]
The handwriting of Newel K. Whitney is most prevalent in the daybook. Although he did not serve in an official capacity, Whitney appears to have helped at least in the first weeks of the Safety Society’s operation. Several other individuals also helped keep this record, including Warren Parrish, who became the official clerk of the Kirtland Safety Society between November 1836 and January 1837.
- [3]
Although most of these transactions involved Kirtland residents, some individuals were from nearby Willoughby or Cleveland, Ohio. Nearly all were Latter-day Saints.
| 10 Jany. | J. Smith Jr | To cash for Eliot | $15.00 | |
| [illegible] | Cahoon, C[arter] & Co | To cash for Byron | $406.20 | |
| interest & all do cash | 60 .00 | |||
| 346.20 | ||||
| To Cash (Settled by dr c[en]t.) | $835.00 $895.00 | |||
| C[ahoon] Carter & Co | By cash | $60.00 | ||
| 12 Jany | Stranger | Exchange | $3.00 | pd. |
| J. Smith Jr | To cash pd. for Currency | $3.00 | payt. | |
| Exchange | $4.00 | pd. | ||
| Jany 12 | Redeemd of Stranger | $80.00 | ||
| Exchangd. men | $56.00 | |||
| [Exchanged] Eliot of | $30.00 | |||
| 13th | J. Smith Jr | To cash pd. Johnson) pr hand of ) | $2.00 | payt. |
| Allen | Exchanged | $35.00 | pd. | |
| J. Smith Jr | To cash to redeem Currency | $15.00 | payt. | |
| To cash to pay Crny [currency] this day | $124.00 | [payt.] | ||
| Cash to redeem bad money given to Coit of | $10.00 | |||
| Stranger | Exchangd. | $1.00 | pd. | |
| Exchangd. | $1.00 | pd. | ||
| 13 Jany. | Redeemed | $46.00 | ||
| Stranger | Exchangd. | $3.00 | pd. | |
| J. Smith Jr | pr Dr. to to Mr. Lott | $30.00 | ||
| Andrew Brim | Exchanged for Bank $ | $42.00 | ||
| 14th | took for ex[change]— gave Receipt | $100 | ||
| paid out <fifty dollars> for I don’t to know to whom | $10.00 $50.00 |
[p. [2]]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [2]
TEXT: Written vertically in the left margin.
Newel K. Whitney handwriting ends; Oliver Cowdery begins.