Title: Dexter-Roundy Family Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1772-1951

Creator:

• Dexter-Roundy Family

Call Number: Milwaukee Mss 108; Milwaukee Micro 57; Micro 1126; PH 3691

Quantity: 1.4 cubic feet (4 archives boxes), 1 reel of microfilm (35 mm), and 41 photographs

Repository:

Housed at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries’ Archives Department / Milwaukee Area Research Center and the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

UW-Milwaukee Libraries, Archives / Milwaukee Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Family and some business papers of a family originally from Shelbyville, Illinois, that founded in 1872 the independent Milwaukee grocery wholesale firm Roundy, Peckham & Dexter. Included is detailed correspondence between Judson A. Roundy and his brother-in-law Joshua L. Dexter, concerning family matters and the establishment of their Shelbyville, Illinois grocery business in 1851; letters and diaries of Joshua's son Charles J. concerning his education and early life, move to Milwaukee in 1879, and other matters; correspondence and diaries of Charles' son Edward who was also active in the business; and a detailed European travel diary (1908) and correspondence of Charles' wife, Effie McBeth Dexter. Also pertaining to her family are numerous legal papers primarily concerning investments in Ohio during the first half of the nineteenth century. Pertaining to Roundy, Peckham & Dexter are articles of incorporation and circular letters. Also included are genealogical material, and miscellaneous correspondence of various other members of the extended family. The photographs include portraits of the family, friends, and images of homes. There are also several examples of advertising materials and labels used for canned produce.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mil00108

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The Dexter-Roundy family has been prominent in the Wisconsin grocery business for over a century, but even prior to that time they were engaged in the trade in Shelbyville, Illinois and Maine. Charles Joshua Dexter, sometimes referred to as “the grand old man of the Wisconsin grocery business,” was born on August 8, 1845 in Shelbyville, Illinois, to Joshua Lufkin Dexter and Sara Jane Smith Dexter. Both parents died of cholera when Charles was a boy, and as a result young Dexter was placed under the guardianship of his uncle, Judson A. Roundy until 1860 when his care was taken over by another uncle, Colonel Dudley Chase Smith. Dexter was educated at Shelbyville Academy, Jubilee College in Peoria, Illinois, and Franklin Family School, Topsham, Maine. When Smith left to serve in the Civil War, Charles briefly became acting head of the Smith household.

At age eighteen, Charles began to clerk in the store which his father had founded during the 1840s and which Judson Roundy had managed following Dexter's death. (As the result of Dexter's financial assistance Roundy had sold his business in Maine and moved to Shelbyville in 1851 to become a full partner.) In 1866 when Charles Dexter turned 21 he became a full partner in the business with Roundy. About a decade later when Judson Roundy moved to Wisconsin, the Shelbyville business became known as C.J. Dexter's Mercantile Co.

Having established himself in Milwaukee, Judson Roundy entered a partnership in a wholesale grocery business known as Smith, Roundy and Co. In 1877 William E. Smith left the company to enter politics, eventually being elected governor of Wisconsin. Upon Smith's resignation, W.S. Peckham was admitted as a partner to the new firm, Roundy, Peckham & Co.

In 1879 Charles closed his Shelbyville store and moved to Milwaukee to join the firm. In 1903 Charles Dexter became president of the wholesale company which was then renamed Roundy, Peckham & Dexter Co.

Charles Dexter remained in an active administrative position with the company, also serving as president of the Wisconsin Wholesale Grocers' Association, until his death in 1939. He was also active outside the business as a Mason, an active member of the Immanuel Presbyterian Church, and a trustee for the Downer Home. Other activities included membership in the Old Settlers Club, the Athletic Club, and the Town Club.

Charles Dexter married Effie E. McBeth on May 5, 1869. They had three children: Edward McBeth, Lucia Chafee, and Mary Lois. Edward Dexter was a vice-president with the Roundy Co. until his death in 1920; grandson Edward II was with the company until 1955.

This collection was received in the Archives in two segments. Part 1, the Original Collection dates 1836-1939 and comprises Box 1 and the photographs. Part 2, the 1987 Additions, date 1772-1951 and comprises Boxes 2-4 and the microfilm. Each part is described separately in the narrative that follows.

Part 1 of the Dexter-Roundy Papers contains fragmentary documentation about a major Wisconsin grocery wholesaler. Information about the history of the family itself was also incomplete. The papers were collected by Mary Dexter, who was very interested in family history, and passed on to her niece, Helena Dexter McBride, who in turn presented the material to the Wisconsin Historical Society.

This original collection, which primarily documents Charles J. Dexter and his uncle, Judson A. Roundy, consists of correspondence, legal and financial documents, genealogical and biographical miscellany, advertising material, and photographs. The papers are organized according to the family member to whom they refer, with a few files concerning Roundy, Peckham & Dexter and its predecessor companies.

Material pertaining to Charles Dexter includes fragmentary personal and business correspondence, a scrapbook of letters put together in 1930 to honor his half-century with the firm, numerous promissory notes and other legal documents, and miscellaneous biographical material. Pertaining to Judson Roundy is the most complete set of correspondence in this part of the collection, a group of letters written to Charles Dexter just prior to his relocation in Milwaukee, and a volume of flute music transcribed in 1836. Also included are a few letters concerning Dexter's father, Joshua Dexter, and letters of condolence concerning the death of Edward Dexter in 1920. Materials on the family's business enterprises include articles of incorporation; miscellaneous receipts and statements concerning C.J. Dexter Mercantile; and advertising material, labels, and circular letters issued by the Roundy Company.

Part 2, the 1987 Additions, contains additional documentation donated by Helena McBride concerning the life of Charles J. Dexter, the primary focus of the Part 1; his father Joshua Dexter; his son Edward McBeth Dexter; and his wife Effie McBeth Dexter and her McBeth family relatives. There are few letters written by Judson Roundy in this group and virtually no records concerning the operation of Roundy, Peckham & Dexter. As a result, the papers remain useful primarily for a study of family history. However, the material does include important correspondence pertaining to the early interest of the family in the grocery business under Joshua Dexter during the 1840s and 1850s and some impressions of the business may be gleaned from personal papers elsewhere in the collection. Like the original collection, this material has been organized alphabetically by the name of the writer of the letter. All of the diaries in the collection have been microfilmed and the originals of several returned to the donor. At the same time a few selected original letters were also returned.

In addition to personal matters and health, the papers touch on a wide range of topics of more general interest such as trade conditions and business linkages between the East Coast and the Middle West, land development and trade in Ohio, European travel in the early twentieth century, the experiences of soldiers during the Civil War, and student life in Illinois and Maine during the 1850s.

Pertaining to Charles Dexter are diaries and letters concerning his youth and education during the 1860s and additional financial and legal papers. His friendship with Effie McBeth is also recorded. Additional evidences of this may be found in her file together with letters she received from other young men, some of whom were serving in the Civil War. Her file also includes a detailed diary about travel in Europe in 1908.

About their son Edward (Ned), there are additional European travel letters (1907) and a run of diaries that is virtually complete between 1907 and 1920. Unfortunately, the entries are brief and his handwriting difficult to read. Researchers may find that use of the microfilm copy overcomes reading problems to some degree.

Although a slim file, the letters of Joshua Dexter to his brother-in-law Judson Roundy in Maine during the 1840s are quite valuable for their general discussion of business conditions, the operation of his ill-health and his search for a treatment.

Although of a somewhat fragmentary nature, the additions contain two folders of correspondence and legal papers of John and William McBeth (sometimes spelled McBeath) primarily concerning their land holdings and business ventures in Ohio during the early nineteenth century. Also included is a brief transcribed diary of William McBeth, a member of the Ohio Legislature, concerning travel on the Ohio River during 1843. Other family members are documented by small files, most notable of which is the Civil War correspondence of Dudley Chase Smith.

Two Roundy, Peckham & Dexter Company letterheads from the Ephemera Collection have been digitized and are available to view online. WHi Image ID: 112976 and 112980 (PH 2724). A similar memohead is included in this collection (PH 3691, Item 42).

Acquisition Information

Presented by Helena D. McBride, Long Beach, California, 1986-1987. Accession Number: M86-163, M87-457

Processing Information

Processed by Robert D. Nyboer (FGH summer class, 1987); and Randal Sivertson and Carolyn J. Mattern, 1987.

Milwaukee Mss 108	Part 1: Original Collection, 1836-1939
Box   1 Folder   1	Genealogical Material
PH 3691	Family Photographs
Item   1	Judson A. Roundy Note: Photographer: B. Lauro & Nice
Item   2	Judson A. Roundy
Item   3	Mary Dexter Roundy Note: Carte-de-visite by: William Pierce.
Item   4	Man [Possibly Dexter Relative]
Item   5	Charles Joshua Dexter, circa 1850s
Item   6	Charles Joshua Dexter and William Dexter, circa 1850s
Item   7	Charles Joshua Dexter, circa 1860 Note: Carte-de-visite by: C. Hannaman, Shelbyville, Illinois.
Item   8	Charles Joshua Dexter, circa 1870s
Item   9	Effie, Mary and Tirzah McBeth, circa 1850s
Item   10	Charles Dexter, Sue Hartwig and Effie McBeth, 1867
Item   11	Charles Dexter's first house, Shelbyville, Illinois, 1869
Item   12	Dexter family, Shelbyville, Illinois, circa 1874
Item   13	W.S. Peckham, Judson A. Roundy, Charles Joshua Dexter and Sidney Hauxhunt, circa 1885
Item   14	Margaret Potter, Pony, Helen West and Ned Dexter, 1893 June Note: Photographer: Curtiss, Madison, Wisconsin.
Item   15	Ned Dexter at M.I.T., 1893 June Note: Photographer: Partridge, Boston.
Item   16	House, 526 Astor Street, 1896
Item   17	Mantle and fireplace in living room, 526 Astor Street
Item   18	Couch and chairs
Item   19	Dr. Paul B. Jenkins house on Ogden Avenue, circa 1914
Item   20	Charles Joshua Dexter in Hupp-Yeats car
Item   21	Cars in street, 1914, July
Item   22	Father and Ned, 286 Knapp St., 1916 July 4
Item   23	Charles Joshua Dexter and first Dodge car, 1917
Item   24	Charles Joshua Dexter and family
Item   25	Charles Joshua Dexter and family, 1917
Item   26	Charles J. Dexter, 1929 Note: Photographer: Studio of Delonge, Milwaukee.
Item   27	Charles J. Dexter and Mr. & Mrs. Jenkins, Walden Cottage, 1929 August
Item   28	Charles J. Dexter and Charles J. Dexter II, 1930
Item   29	Charles J. Dexter at desk, 1930 February Note: Photographer: Murdock, Milwaukee.
Item   30	Charles J. Dexter at desk, 1930 February Note: Photographer: Murdock, Milwaukee.
Item   31	Charles J. Dexter and group, 1930 February Note: Photographer: Murdock, Milwaukee.
Item   32	Charles J. Dexter, center and group of men, 1930 February Note: Photographer: Murdock, Milwaukee.
Item   33	Charles J. Dexter and Mrs. Adolph Pietbrock, Daytona Beach, Florida, 1930 April
Item   34	Mr. Pietrock, 1930 April
Item   35	Charles J. Dexter at Community House, Daytona Beach, Florida, 1930 April
Item   36	Charles J. Dexter, St. Petersburg, Florida, circa 1930
Item   37	Charles J. Dexter and group, circa 1930
Item   38	Charles J. Dexter at salesmen's Picnic near Burlington, Wisconsin, 1931 July 6
Item   39	Charles J. Dexter in office, 1934 March 22
Item   40	Charles J. Dexter, Marian Palucke, and Roy Johnson, 1935 August
Item   41	Charles J. Dexter and Charles J. Dexter II and son
Milwaukee Mss 108	Charles J. Dexter
Box   1 Folder   2	Correspondence, 1864-1939
Box   1 Folder   3	Promissory notes and legal documents, 1873-1901
Box   1 Folder   4	50th anniversary scrapbook, 1930
Box   1 Folder   5	Miscellaneous and biographical clippings
Box   1 Folder   6	Edward Dexter scrapbook, 1920
Box   1 Folder   7	Joshua Dexter, 1843-1849
	Judson A. Roundy
Box   1 Folder   8	Correspondence to Charles Dexter, 1878-1892
Box   1 Folder   9	Miscellaneous, 1836-1892
	Roundy, Peckham & Dexter
Box   1 Folder   10	Articles of incorporation, 1878-1894
Box   1 Folder   11	Statements and correspondence regarding sale of Roundy interests, 1903-1905
Box   1 Folder   12	Receipts and statements of C.J. Dexter Co.
Box   1 Folder   13	Advertising material, labels, circular letters, undated
PH 3691	Original advertising material and labels, undated
Item   42	Roundy, Peckham and Dexter pictorial letterhead, and note, 1930 February 5
Item   43	Roundy's pickle labels, American N.W. printing press and Roundy's food special advertisement from the Milwaukee Journal, 1932
Item   44	Roundy, Peckham and Dexter Co. business cards
Item   45	“Roundy's Supreme Mammoth Halves Peaches” label
Item   46	“Roundy's Superior Pumpkin” labels
Item   47	“Roundy's Supreme Coffee” label
Item   48	“Dexter's Tomatoes” label
Item   49	“Roundy's Select Yellow Cling Peaches” label
Milwaukee Mss 108 Box   1 Folder   14	Miscellaneous
	Part 2: 1987 Additions, 1772-1951
Box   2 Folder   1-2	Genealogical material
	Charles Joshua Dexter
Box   2 Folder   3	Correspondence, 1852-1939, undated
Box   2 Folder   4	Diaries, 1863-1876
Milwaukee Micro 57/Micro 1126 Reel   1 Segment   1	Microfilm copy
Milwaukee Mss 108 Box   2 Folder   5	Receipts, 1861-1926
Box   2 Folder   5a	David Dexter Jr., 1825, 1866
	Edward McBeth Dexter
Box   2 Folder   6	Correspondence, 1877-1918
	Diaries
Box   2 Folder   7	1897, 1907-1909
Milwaukee Micro 57/Micro 1126 Reel   1 Segment   3	Microfilm copy
Reel   1 Segment   4	1910-1911
Milwaukee Mss 108 Box   3 Folder   1	1912-1915
Milwaukee Micro 57/Micro 1126 Reel   1 Segment   5	Microfilm copy
Reel   1 Segment   6	1916
Milwaukee Mss 108 Box   3 Folder   2	1917-1920
Milwaukee Micro 57/Micro 1126 Reel   1 Segment   7	Microfilm copy
Milwaukee Mss 108	Effie McBeth Dexter
Box   3 Folder   3	Correspondence, 1863-1923
Box   3 Folder   4	Diary, 1908
Milwaukee Micro 57/Micro 1126 Reel   1 Segment   2	Microfilm copy
Box   3 Folder   5	Joshua Lufkin Dexter, 1833-1852
Box   3 Folder   6-7	McBeth family, 1795-1903
Box   4 Folder   1	McCurdy family, 1822-1874
Box   4 Folder   2	Judson A. Roundy, 1847-1894
Box   4 Folder   3	Addison Smith, 1819
Box   4 Folder   4	Dudley Chase Smith, 1862-1869
Box   4 Folder   5	Lucia Smith (to LS), 1847
Box   4 Folder   6	Miscellaneous material and unidentified correspondence