Summary Information
Rowley Family Papers
1837-1967
Wis Mss 53PB
4.5 cubic feet (11 archives boxes and 1 oversize folder)
Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)
An unusually complete set of business records kept by three generations of the Rowley family, physicians who practiced medicine in Wisconsin for nearly a century, at Verona, 1851-1864, and at Middleton, 1864-1948. From 1868 to 1880 the two elder doctors also operated a drugstore at Middleton. The papers include visiting lists recording cases treated; prescription books; and account books and daybooks for the drug business and for the medical practices of Newman C. Rowley, Antinous A. Rowley, and A. Gilbert Rowley. Essays on the drugstore and the three doctors by Jessica Rowley are also included. Family correspondence, diaries, family trees, and other genealogical information relate to the history of the Rowley, Wheelwright, and Campbell families. Also included are business papers relating to Antinous and Newman Rowley, and Antinous Rowley's Civil War letters to his parents.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-wis053pb ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
Three generations of the Rowley family served Middleton, Wisconsin for nearly a century as physicians and, from 1868 to about 1880, as operators of a drug store dealing in “drugs, paints, oils, groceries, and perfumes.”
Newman C. Rowley (1815?-1871) was born in the state of New York and taught school there circa 1837. He then studied at the Cincinnati College of Physicians and Surgeons. In 1849, he moved to Wisconsin to become apprenticed to a Dr. Evans at Janesville, who provided the funds for him to continue his studies. Shortly thereafter he was licensed and his daybook for 1851-1857 shows that he practiced at Verona, Wisconsin. In May 1864, he transferred his office to Middleton and practiced there until his death in 1871.
Antinous A. Rowley (1841-1902), son of Newman C. Rowley, was born in Ohio and moved to Wisconsin with his family. He served in the Civil War with the Eleventh Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment. Following his discharge for disability in 1863, he attended Rush Medical College, Chicago, and on graduation first practiced at Springfield Corners, Wisconsin. In 1868, he moved to Middleton to become associated with his father in both the practice of medicine and operation of the drug store. After his father's death, he worked alone (except for a brief period about 1875 when he was associated with Dr. A.O. Kendall) until he was joined by his son, Antinous Gilbert, in 1902.
A. Gilbert Rowley (1875-1956) was the younger of the two sons of Antinous A. Rowley. He was educated in Middleton and at Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam before entering Rush Medical College. Receiving his medical degree in 1899, he practiced for a short time at Prairie du Chien with his brother, Dr. Jesse C. Rowley, but their father's illness prompted Gilbert to transfer his practice to Middleton in 1902. There his half-century of service to the people of Middleton made him one of the best known doctors in the area.
An informative article about the Rowley family of physicians, especially A. Gilbert Rowley, appears in “Doctor's Day in Middleton. Honoring Dr. Allen and Dr. Rowley for Their 50 Years of Service to the Community,” by the Middleton Doctor's Day Historical Committee (1949), available in the Society library.
Scope and Content Note
The Rowley Family Papers, 1837-1955, document the activities of all three generations of Middleton doctors. Consisting primarily of their business records, the Papers are organized in three groups: personal papers, medical practice records, and drug store records.
The personal papers of the Rowley family which include letters, daybooks, account books (ledgers), and a teacher's notebook are fragmentary and provide a negligible amount of information. The medical school notes of all three doctors include notes on injuries and diseases and their remedies and give lists of ingredients and recipes for medicines. Of special interest in the notes is an undated paper by N.C. Rowley in which he describes the benefits of blood letting (Box 1, Folder 3).
Records of the Rowleys' medical practice include visiting lists (residence calls) and appointment books, daybooks, account books, and prescription books, covering the period from 1850 to 1955 in nearly unbroken sequences. There are no visiting lists or appointment books for 1908 to 1940, but there are financial records for this period. For the early period, the visiting lists often give the reason for the doctor's visit, but seldom give the recommended remedy. One folder of recipes for remedies is also included with these records.
The material related to the drug store is limited to financial records. These cover most of the period the store was in operation and are a source of information on the substances used in medicines and their cost. Volume 27, an account book, gives prices of spices, drugs, staple goods, and sundries.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented by Dr. A. Gilbert Rowley, October and November 1955; and by Mr. and Mrs. Philip Keister (Jessica Rowley), Freeport, Illinois, August 1958, and 1964-1967. Accession Number: M64-261, M66-398, M67-282, M75-380
Processed by M. Patzwald (archives intern) and Karen Baumann, August 3, 1973.
Contents List
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Wis Mss 53PB
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Series: Personal Papers
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Dr. Newman C. Rowley
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Box
1
Folder
1
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Papers, circa 1862, 1865
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Box
3
Volume
51
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Household Records, circa 1865
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Box
1
Folder
2
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Teacher's Notebook, 1837
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Box
1
Folder
3
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Medical School Notes, ante 1849, 1853, undated
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Dr. A.A. Rowley
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Box
1
Folder
4
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Papers, 1865-1901
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Oversize Folder
1
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Certificate, 1870s
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Box
3
Volume
98
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Diary, 1862
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Box
3
Volume
99
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Roll Call Book, Company F, 11th Wisconsin Infantry, 1861-1862
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Daybook
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Box/Folder
1/5
Volume
58
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1871-1876
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Box
3
Volume
59
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1872-1881
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Account Books
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Box
2
Volume
31
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A.A. Rowley in Account with Dufrenne
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Box
5
Volume
96
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Unidentified, undated
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Box
1
Folder
6
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Medical School Notes, 1864
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Dr. A. Gilbert Rowley
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Box
1
Folder
7
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Papers, 1894-1901
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Box
1
Folder
8
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Daybook, 1931-1939
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Box
1
Folder
9
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1938-1947
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Box
1
Folder
10
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Medical School Notes, circa 1896
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Rowley Family
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Box
2
Volume
30
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Account Book, Rowley Estate in Account with Dufrenne and Lyle, 1873-1877
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Box
1
Folder
11
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Miscellaneous Papers, 1864, 1866, 1868, undated
: Includes deeds and poetry.
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Series: Medical Practice Records
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Visiting Lists and Appointment Books
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N.C. Rowley
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Box
3
Volume
65
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1860
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Box
2
Volume
1
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1862
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Box
2
Volume
2
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1863
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Box
2
Volume
3
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1864
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Box
2
Volume
4
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1865
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Box
3
Volume
66
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1871
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A.A. Rowley
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Box
2
Volume
5
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1874-1875
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Box
3
Volume
67
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1875
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Box
2
Volume
6
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1876
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Box
2
Volume
7
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1877-1878
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Box
2
Volume
8
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1878-1880
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Box
3
Volume
68
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1880-1881
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Box
2
Volume
9
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1882-1883
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Box
2
Volume
10
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1883-1884
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Box
2
Volume
11
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1884-1885
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Box
2
Volume
12
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1885-1886
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Box
2
Volume
13
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1886-1887
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Box
3
Volume
69
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1887-1888
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Box
3
Volume
70
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1888
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Box
2
Volume
14
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1889-1890
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Box
2
Volume
15
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1890-1891
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Box
2
Volume
16
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1891-1892
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Box
2
Volume
17
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1892-1893
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Box
3
Volume
71
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1894
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Box
3
Volume
72
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1896
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Box
3
Volume
74
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1900-1901
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Box
2
Volume
18
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1901-1902
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A.G. Rowley
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Box
3
Volume
73
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1900
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Box
3
Volume
75
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1901
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Box
3
Volume
76
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1902
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Box
2
Volume
19
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1903
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Box
4
Volume
77
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1904
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Box
2
Volume
20
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1905
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Box
4
Volume
78
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1907
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Box
4
Volume
79
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1941
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Box
4
Volume
80
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1942
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Box
4
Volume
81
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1943
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Box
4
Volume
82
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1944
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Box
4
Volume
83
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1945
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Box
4
Volume
84
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1946
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Box
4
Volume
85
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1947
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Box
4
Volume
86
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1948
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Box
4
Volume
87
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1949
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Box
4
Volume
88
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1950
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Box
5
Volume
89
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1951
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Box
5
Volume
90
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1952
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Box
5
Volume
91
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1953
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Box
5
Volume
92
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1954
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Box
5
Volume
93
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1954
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Box
5
Volume
94
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1955
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Box
5
Volume
95
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1955
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Daybooks
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N.C. Rowley
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Box
11
Volume
48
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1850-1857
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Box
3
Volume
60
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1854
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Box/Folder
6/1
Volume
49
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1857-1863
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Box/Folder
6/2
Volume
50
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1864-1871
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Box
3
Volume
51
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circa 1865
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Box/Folder
6/3
Volume
53
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1871
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Box/Folder
6/4
Volume
54
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A.A. Rowley & A.O. Kendall, 1875-1876
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Miscellaneous Accounts
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Box
6
Folder
5
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N.C. Rowley, 1864, 1869
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Box
6
Folder
6
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A.A. Rowley, 1869-1877
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Account Books
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N.C. Rowley
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Box/Folder
6/7
Volume
21
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circa 1853-1857
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Box/Folder
7/1
Volume
22
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1858-1866
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Box/Folder
7/2
Volume
57
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1864-1874
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Box/Folder
7/4
Volume
26
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circa 1870-1872
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A.A. Rowley
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Box/Folder
7/3
Volume
24
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1866-1882
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Box
2
Volume
28
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circa 1872
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Box
2
Volume
32
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circa 1875
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Box
2
Volume
35
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1884
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A.G. Rowley
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Box/Folder
7/5
Volume
36
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1902-1907
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Box
3
Volume
37
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1907
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Box/Folder
8/1
Volume
38
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1908-1916
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Box
3
Volume
39
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1909
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Box
3
Volume
40
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1910
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Box
3
Volume
41
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1911
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Box
3
Volume
42
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1912
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Box
3
Volume
43
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1913
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Box
3
Volume
44
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1914
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Box/Folder
8/2
Volume
45
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1916-1926
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Box/Folder
9/1
Volume
46
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1920-1926
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Box
11
Volume
47
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1927-1948
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Box
1
Folder
8
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Recipes for Remedies, N.C. Rowley, undated
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Prescription Books
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N.C. Rowley
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Box
3
Volume
60
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1850
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Box
3
Volume
61
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circa 1855
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A.A. Rowley
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Box
3
Volume
62
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1890
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Box
3
Volume
63
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1899
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Box
5
Volume
97
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Notebook, A.A. Rowley, 1899
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Series: Drug Store Records
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Daybooks
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Box/Folder
9/2
Volume
52
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N.C. Rowley, 1870-1872
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A.A. Rowley
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Box/Folder
1/5
Volume
58
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1871-1876
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Box/Folder
9/3
Volume
55
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1875-1876
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Box/Folder
9/4
Volume
56
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1876-1879
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Box/Folder
10/1
Volume
64
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Cash Book, A.A. Rowley & A.O. Kendall, 1869-1876
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Account Books
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Box
2
Volume
23
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N.C. Rowley & Son, post-1868
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Box/Folder
10/2
Volume
25
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N.C. Rowley, 1869-1870
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Box/Folder
10/3
Volume
27
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N.C. Rowley & Son, 1870-1873
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Box/Folder
10/4
Volume
29
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A.A. Rowley, 1872-1875
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Box/Folder
10/5
Volume
33
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A.A. Rowley & A.O. Kendall, 1875
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Box/Folder
10/6
Volume
34
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A.A. Rowley, 1875-1879
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