1888 Philadelphia Traction Company Commercial Invoice Billhead Trimble & Howell
$ 6.86
Description
1888 Philadelphia Traction Company Commercial Invoice Billhead Trimble & Howell. This 1888 commercial invoice documents a transaction between Trimble & Howell and the Philadelphia Traction Company's West Philadelphia Division, originating from 104 Walnut Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The billhead, dated May 21, 1888, bears the standard E. & O. E. (Errors and Omissions Excepted) disclaimer, a common legal safeguard on 19th-century business documents. The meticulously handwritten entries detail a shipment of 52 pounds of Med. Corn at 65.5 cents per unit, amounting to $26.80, with additional G. D. charges bringing the total to $328.67. This document provides a tangible connection to Philadelphia's industrial and transportation history, capturing a moment in the operational logistics of one of the city's major streetcar systems during the era of horse-drawn and early electric traction. The item serves as a significant artifact of Gilded Age commerce and urban infrastructure development. The Philadelphia Traction Company was instrumental in shaping the city's growth through its street railway networks, while Trimble & Howell operated from a central business address in the historic Walnut Street commercial corridor. The specific notation for Med. Corn suggests trade in processed grains or feed, possibly for the company's stable operations if transitioning from horse-powered conveyances. The document's material qualities—including its aged paper stock, accounting notations, and the authoritative EP signature—exemplify late-19th century business ephemera and commercial paleography. This invoice represents a valuable primary source for understanding the supply chains, accounting practices, and inter-business relationships that supported urban transit systems during a transformative period in American municipal development. PLEASE NOTE: This item may be folded in order to fit the mailer. Whenever possible, it will be folded using folds or creases that were already in the document.
