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E. L. Lemley Records

Stewart Bell Jr. Archives
Handley Regional Library
Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society

P.O. Box 58, Winchester, VA 22604
(540) 662-9041 ext. 17
archives@handleyregional.org
www.handleyregional.org

1637 THL

SCOPE AND CONTENT: This collection is comprised of two account books showing business transactions from 1902 to 1931. The entries for the first book are believed to be for Fancy Groceries Confectionary in Stephens City, VA with E.L. Lemley being the proprietor. Edgar Lemley is the contact person listed on the store receipts attached inside the back cover of the book. The second book is a ledger book of unknown origin, though it may have some association with the business of the proprietor of the first account book in this collection. The transactions in the second book are primarily the purchases of clothing and fabric, although some food items were also sold. The transactions span a wider range of time (1902-1931) than the first book. Most of the customers were from the Opequon District – Stephens City area as was discovered via the census data. The patrons are primarily women. It is also noted in the ledger book two that some patrons were allowed to work for the business to repay debts (see Miss Gertrude Jenkins on pg. 594, and Mr. Palmer on pg. 386 – "paid for work"). Last updated: 03/18

BIOGRPAHICAL/HISTORICAL: E. L. Lemley was the storekeeper and employer of Fancy Grocery Confectionary in Stephens City, VA. The wife of Edgar Lemley was named Annie, and they had one son listed in the 1920 census. Edgar Lemley was born in 1866 and died in 1942 Lemley’s name was spelled "Lemely" by the census taker.

CITE AS: "Search Census", Heritage Quest, 1920 database entry fro Edgar Lemley, Opequon District, Frederick County, VA ; Delaney - Painter, Nancy and McCabe, Susan L., editors, Index to Burials in Frederick Count, VA, second edition, (Westminster, MD, Heritage Books Inc., 2004), pg. 190.

BOX 1

Ledger Book # 1, March, 1916 – January, 1918, one item, manuscript

Ledger Book # 2, 1902 - 1931