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H. E. Crook business ledgers

 Collection — Box: 1
Identifier: MS-0627

Scope and Contents

This collection includes three manuscript business ledgers, from 1924 to 1945, kept by the firm H.E. Crook. The volumes are thick folios, bound in 3/4 calf over cloth, totaling 1,800 pages. Dated entries in two of the account books (1922-1927 and 1935-1945) list clients' names and addresses, with types of projects conducted, materials used, and dollars charged. The dated and detailed entries of the third volume (1924-1930) record company expenses. Detailed are an impressive range of jobs, in size and complexity.

Reference: Polk's 1919 Baltimore Directory, pp. 633 and 2479.

Dates

  • Creation: 1924 - 1945

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is housed off-site and requires 48-hours' notice for retrieval. Please contact Special Collections for more information.

Collection is open for use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions. It is not necessary to seek our permission as the owner of the physical work to publish or otherwise use public domain materials that we have made available for use, unless Johns Hopkins University holds the copyright.

Biographical / Historical

H.E. Crook of Baltimore, Maryland was a construction company, dealing primarily in heating and ventilation, that was in operation from the early 1920s to the mid-1940s, approximately. The business installed these systems in houses, public buildings, commercial buildings, churches, and apartments throughout greater Baltimore.

Their clients included organizations and businesses such as: Goucher University, Western Newspaper Union, the local Woman's Christian Temperance Union, House of the Friendless, Maryland Tobacco Growers Association, Kelly's Stag Hotel, Baltimore and Philadelphia Steamboat Company, and Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Notably, H.E. Crook challenged the U.S. government in the federal Supreme Court, in the case H.E. CROOK CO. v. UNITED STATES in 1926. The company contended that they were owed back payments due to delays in construction, delays which occurred because of their client, the U.S. government. The Court affirmed that the government was in the right and that Crook was not owed any extra money.

Extent

1.25 Cubic Feet (1 record center carton)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

H.E. Crook of Baltimore, Maryland was a construction company, dealing primarily in heating and ventilation, that was in operation from the early 1920s to the mid-1940s, approximately. This collection includes three manuscript business ledgers, from 1924 to 1945, kept by the firm. The volumes are thick folios, bound in 3/4 calf over cloth, totaling 1,800 pages.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was purchased in 2004 from Carmen D. Valentino, American Historical Manuscripts.

Processing Information

This collection was processed in October 2015 by Annie Tang.

Subject

Title
H.E. Crook business ledgers
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Repository

Contact:
The Sheridan Libraries
Special Collections
3400 N Charles St
Baltimore MD 21218 USA