James Lawther

Title: Invoice for Building Materials
Type: Document
Date: 1867
Source: Goodhue County Historical Society

Description: Lawther's work in Red Wing involved many building projects. This invoice shows some of the building materials he ordered from a local hardware store.
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Activities:

1. This invoice lists items Lawther purchased from a local hardware store. Since most of the items are materials that would be used for building, what can we assume Lawther is doing with the materials?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: From this listing of supplies, it would seem that Lawther is beginning a large building project of some kind. He may be building a number of homes or businesses.
2. If Lawther is doing some construction in the Red Wing area, why might it be important that this hardware dealer is also located in Red Wing?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: The transportation of goods was very costly during this time, and dealers would be able to offer better prices to local customers because these buyers would not have to pay as much to transport the goods. It would also be helpful for a buyer to know the seller well and be able to obtain credit for large purchases, as is shown on this invoice.
3. How did Lawther pay for the goods he purchased?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: The lower portion of the invoice shows four payments made by Lawther in various forms. Since it was not likely that someone would have large amounts of cash on hand at this time, many purchases were made on credit and paid in smaller installments over a period of time.
4. By studying this invoice, what details about the time period can we learn?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: We can assume that, because this invoice is handwritten, typewriters or adding machines were not in common use. We can also learn much about what materials were used in building construction and how much those items would cost to purchase.