This week I continued working on the metadata for collections from the A.K. Smiley Public Library. Most of the items consisted of letters, telegraphs, receipts and memorandums. The main subjects that were discussed through the letters were the ordering of pipes, padlocks with keys for the factories and other raw materials required for building iron flumes. Once these iron flumes were built, they played a key role in developing cottonwood plants. As most of us know, cottonwood is used widely in the production of paper. Some of the letters also asked for confirmation from the recipients on the delivery of goods that were being shipped.
The receipts were dated between 1891 and 1892 where shipments took place from every 2 days up to every 2 months. They consisted of the list of items that were being billed along with their weights in pounds and the quantity of items.
The telegraphs mainly sent information regarding scheduling and arrival of goods that were being shipped. One of the key places where these shipments took place was from Wilmington. When I did a little bit of research on the history of Wilmington, it was stated that it is where the Port of Los Angeles District is located. Thus, it was through this port that iron flumes, pipes and other raw materials were shipped for the Bear Valley Irrigation Company. One of the chief engineers of the company, James T. Taylor, had handled all the shipment details.