Series I. William Stearns (1754-1819) Papers contains correspondence, account books, and financial and legal papers. The records document William's apothecary and grocery store, and the shipping ventures in which he had a minor interest. Of note in the correspondence are letters concerning the 1791-1793 court case which William brought against the United States government. William sought compensation for the damage done to his father's Charlestown farm by American troops during the Revolution. (The Business and Personal Accounts contain William's financial statements drawn up for the court case.) Also of interest is correspondence directed to William as director of the Salem Turnpike and Chelsea Bridge Corporation, letters regarding the lease of property in Charlestown, and a 1792 letter concerning William Stearns and Jonathan Waldo's construction of a building on Jeffrey's corner (Essex and Washington Streets) in Salem. The bulk of the legal papers consists of land deeds and permits to sell liquor.