Volume 30: Bleakmor, Gallaher, and Ansbrutz, General Store, Moundsville, WV. Daybook., 1851-1856

John Gallaher, Christian Ansbrutz, and Caleb Bleakmor started a general store partnership in 1853. Prior to that date, Gallaher operated a store in Moundsville, which is documented in the first 90 pages of the daybook. The daybook follows the partnership for only six months (until September 1853), but then another Moundsville general store (involving Bleakmor) used the daybook during 1856. In the 1850 census, Bleakmor was listed as a constable, age 49, born in Maryland; and Ansbrutz was listed as a miller, age 47, born in France, worth $23,000. Only Gallaher, a 53-year-old Irishman worth $12,000, was listed as a merchant. From the evidence in the daybook, it appears that the partnership was short-lived.