Introduction
The copies of two 1800s commercial gun part procurement-related documents included below were provided by Art DeCamp, who received them from the archives of the Huntingdon County Historical Society in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania decades ago by way of the former Director Nancy Shedd. Huntingdon County adjoins Bedford County, and the town of Huntingdon is about 21 road miles from Bedford County and about 54 road miles from Somerset County.
L. Dietle
Purchase of a dozen locks
Shipments of gun barrels from Philadelphia
The following excerpt from "McElroy's Philadelphia directory for 1844" indicates that James M. Bolton was a Forwarding Merchant at the north wharves.
Mr. DeCamp reports that "the building that the McMurtrie store was located in is still in existence at the NE corner of 4th Street and Allegheny Street in Huntingdon, PA. It is currently owned by the Historical Society and is used for exhibits periodically."
The following image is an excerpt from the "First, Second & Third Wards of Huntingdon" map in the 1873 "Atlas of Blair and Huntingdon counties, Pennsylvania". Although the map was made many years after the October 5, 1844 manifest, it still shows a McMurtrie presence at the northeast corner of Fourth Street and Allegheny Street, and shows that the McMurtrie store was located near the Pennsylvania Canal, which ran along the Juniata River.
The following excerpt is from the Birmingham-related portion of the "Warrior's Mark Township" section of the 1883 book "History of Huntingdon and Blair counties, Pennsylvania". It indicates that a Fisher & McMurtrie store had been located in Birmingham, Pennsylvania. The town of Birmingham is located about 16-1/2 road miles northwest of the town of Huntingdon.
The following image shows October 5, 1842 records from the ledger of the B.E. & W.E. McMurtrie Store of Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. Among various other items, the page documents the purchase of a dozen gun locks for $17.00.
The following image shows an October 5, 1844 canal transportation manifest that documents shipments of gun barrels from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to the Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania firms of B.E. & W. McMurtrie and Fisher & McMurtrie. According to page 34 of the 1883 book "History of Huntingdon and Blair counties, Pennsylvania", the canal began delivering goods from Philadelphia to Huntingdon in 1831.
