Perea Bros. Mercantile Co. Letterpress Copybook
Collection
Identifier: MSS-30-BC
Scope and Content
The collection consists of one water-damaged letterpress copybook in which correspondence with clients, suppliers, creditors, banks, and the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad is recorded. The letters copied into this book reflect the type of goods sold locally (basic needs such as food, clothing, oil, and fabric) as well as the sales of wool and sheep pelts (and the delayed collection for these items). It is evident that this small business dealt with companies all over the country (including St. Louis, Chicago, Kansas City, Philadelphia, and Boston) and with notable businesses such as Levi-Strauss and Co. The Perea Bros. Mercantile Co. dealt with other local businesses and merchant families including the Charles Ilfeld Company and the Spiegelberg Brothers. While they seemed to provide general goods for local residents (both in Bernalillo and in the mining town, Copper City), this business was involved in the export of wool and pelts throughout the country. The business worked with the First National Banks of Santa Fe, Las Vegas, and Albuquerque as well as the Banco Mexicano in Chihuahua, Mexico. Letters explaining delays in payment to suppliers and creditors due to the difficulty of collecting payment from miners reflect the economic situation of the era. The ledger contains letters in Spanish as well as in English.
Dates
- 1883 June 2-1896 June 19
Language of Materials
English Spanish
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Copy Restrictions
Duplication is not permitted, due to preservation concerns. User is responsible for compliance with all copyright, privacy, and libel laws. Permission is required for publication or distribution.
Background Information
The Perea brothers (Jesus Maria, Jacobo, Pedro, and Mariano) owned and ran the Perea Bros. Mercantile Co. in the late 1800s. They provided general merchandise to inhabitants of Bernalillo (trading center and county seat, 17 miles north of Albuquerque) and Copper City during the early years of this mining settlement. The Perea family is known for its land ownership and large scale participation in the sheep industry in New Mexico. The family has always been an influential Spanish-American family in the political circles of the region, and one of the Perea Brothers, Pedro Perea, represented New Mexico in Congress between 1899-1901.
Extent
1 box (.38 cu. ft.)
Abstract
This collection is comprised of correspondence regarding the business records of the Perea Bros. Mercantile Co. -- a supplier of general merchandise as well as wool and pelts -- located in Bernalillo, New Mexico, in the later 1800s.
Relevant Secondary Sources
- Baxter, John O., "Salvador Armijo: Citizen of Albuquerque, 1823-1879," New Mexico Historical Review 53 (3): 219-237, 1978.
- Dargon, Marion, "New Mexicos Fight for Statehood, 1895-1912," New Mexico Historical Review XIV (1): 1-33, 1939.
- Espinosa, J. Manuel, "Memoir of a Kentuckian in New Mexico," New Mexico Historical Review XIII (1): 1-13, 1938.
- Title
- Finding Aid of the Perea Bros. Mercantile Co. Letterpress Copybook, 1883 June 2-1896 June 19
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by K. Stocker
- Date
- ©2000
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is in English
Revision Statements
- June 28, 2004: PUBLIC "-//University of New Mexico::Center for Southwest Research//TEXT (US::NmU::MSS 30 BC::Perea Bros. Mercantile Co. Letterpress Copybook)//EN" "nmu1mss30bc.sgml" converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (sy2003-10-15).
- Monday, 20210524: Attribute normal is missing or blank.
Repository Details
Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository
Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451
cswrref@unm.edu
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451
cswrref@unm.edu