73. Day Book

This day book was kept in 1817 by William Willson, who ran the general store in Clarksburg after the death of his father-in-law, John G. Clark (1752-1802). Clark had laid out lots for the upper Montgomery County town of Clarksburg in 1780. His daughter Sarah, age 15, had married Willson in 1797.

John G. Clark’s general store was located on the site of an Indian trading post established by his Scottish-born grandfather. Accompanying this day book are ledgers showing debts owed to Clark on his death, debts owed by Willson, and the inventory of the store. Entries in the ledgers provide insights into the cost of fabrics used by Sarah Willson to make a fancy quilt that is also in the collection. Presuming she would have received the fabrics from the family store, the blue chintz fabric used for the major decorative elements would have been quite expensive, costing $7.00 per yard.

Across the Georgetown to Frederick Road (Route 355) from the store site stands the Clark-Waters house, the rear log portion of which is the original home of John and Ann Clark and afterwards Sarah and William Willson. The front of the house was added by their descendants – Sarah’s daughter Mary married Dr. William A. Waters in 1863.

Next Artifact

Previous Artifact