Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.
Colden Store Totals - Top Purchases
The last day of sales recorded in the Colden Day Book was two days ago on November 3, 250 years-ago. The store appears to have continued operations, but the new Day Book was not preserved.
From the 12,529 transactions in the surviving Day Book, now transcribed and in searchable database form, analyses can be performed and conclusions reached about the community around the store.
Over the period from August 11, 1767 to November 3, 1768, Colden filled 450 pages with the details of over 250 clients who visited the store almost 4000 times.
The top entries (purchased on more than 100 occasions) and the number of times they were purchased is below:
| Item | # of Purchases |
| Rum | 1644 |
| Tea | 854 |
| Sugar | 736 |
| Salt | 475 |
| Molasses | 401 |
| Nails | 377 |
| Buttons | 339 |
| Paper | 333 |
| Cash | 307 |
| Linen | 243 |
| Pepper | 235 |
| Indigo | 234 |
| Silk | 231 |
| Powder | 230 |
| Mohair | 223 |
| Handkerchief | 212 |
| Shot | 204 |
| Pins | 201 |
| Check | 173 |
| Wheat | 165 |
| Hat | 163 |
| Shalloon | 155 |
| Snuff | 155 |
| Cambric | 151 |
| Thread | 149 |
| Cotton | 148 |
| Cloth | 131 |
| Knife | 131 |
| Comb | 125 |
| Flaxseed | 111 |
| Pot | 105 |
The top five items were foodstuffs. However, this analysis hides the fact that the major purchases in terms of cost (not in number) were sewing items. That will be shown in a future blog.
All of the items above are discussed in detail in a prior blogs. See Index to Colden Store Blogs.
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Search the DayBook
This article is one in a series of a daily accountings of Colden Store transactions. Index to Colden Store Blogs. Be sure you read the first installment for an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.
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