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Aziscoos Land Company Records, 1863-1957

 Collection
Identifier: MSS 928

Scope and Content Note

The Aziscoos Land Company Records contain records from the everyday operation of the Aziscoos Land Company. Some of the material is dated beyond the years that Aziscoos Land Company operated. This is because the same individuals and families who owned the land before the creation of the company, were involved in the company, and had their land conveyed back to them after the company's liquidation. Thus, the materials dated outside of the years of the company's operation, were most likely used as reference for the company's work. Some of the items have handwritten numbers on them; it is unclear what these numbers mean, as there is no note in the donor files to indicate what they are for. This collection has been divided into four series.

Series I. Financial Records contains financial records of Aziscoos Land Company. This series has been divided into seven subseries. Subseries A. Taxes contains tax records. Subseries B. Paid Bills contains bills that were issued by Aziscoos Land Company or were paid by Aziscoos Land Company or its representatives. The paid bills are organized according to the date on which they were paid, if that date is marked on the bill. If the date is not marked on the bill, the bill is filed according to the date on which it was created. This subseries has two sub-subseries. Sub-subseries 1. Stumpage Bills contains paid stumpage bills. Sub-subseries 2. Other Bills contains bills that are not stumpage bills. A lot of the bills in this sub-subseries are bills that were issued by Stephen Wheatland (1897-1987) or addressed to him, presumably for his work on behalf of Aziscoos Land Company. Subseries C. Invoices contains invoices sent to customers from Aziscoos Land Company, as well as invoices sent to Aziscoos or its representatives. Subseries D. Payroll contains payroll records and related information. This series is restricted as the materials contain social security numbers. A number of the payroll records are for Aziscoos Land Company employees/agents who were employed by Stephen Wheatland. Subseries E. Bank Statements contains statements, check books, check stubs, and returned checks. Subseries F. C. C. Murphy Papers contains the financial papers of Aziscoos Land Company agent C. C. Murphy. These papers include bills, invoices, and receipts, and have been organized chronologically. Subseries G. Other contains miscellaneous financial records such as: account books, trial balances, year-end reports, and stumpage income.

Series II. Land Records contains operational and land records. This series contains two subseries. Subseries A. Leases, Sales, and Deeds contains records of leases, sales, and deeds. Subseries B. Lumber Operations contains records relating to the land leased and/or owned by Aziscoos Land Company. This subseries contains two sub-subseries. Sub-subseries 1. Scale Returns contains records of scale returns. Sub-subseries 2. Other Lumber Operations contains records from lumber operations such as reports of timber cut, depletion records, Spruce Budworm damage, and maps. Included in this sub-subseries is a folder labeled "Log measurements by J. W. Sewall". The contents of this folder were found in a hard covered folder, the front of which was photocopied, and can be found in the "Log measurements by J. W. Sewall" folder. The original folder was disposed of due to its' poor condition. Also included in this sub-subseries are folders labeled "Old U.S.G.S. sheets and river surveys", the contents of which were found in a hard covered folder, the front of which was photocopied, and can be found in the new folders. The original folder was disposed of due to its' poor condition.

Series III. Administrative Records contains materials relating to the administration of the Aziscoos Land Company. This series has been divided into three subseries. Subseries A. Meeting Records contains records from the board meetings of the Aziscoos Land Company. Subseries B. Correspondence contains correspondence to and from the Aziscoos Land Company. This subseries has been divided into three sub-subseries. Sub-subseries 1. Sent contains correspondence sent by the Aziscoos Land Company. Sub-subseries 2. Received contains correspondence received by the Aziscoos Land Company. Sub-subseries 3. Mixed contains correspondence arranged by topic, and containing both letters sent and received. The items in the folders in this sub-subseries were arranged this way by the original owners of the material. Subseries C. Other Administrative Records contains miscellaneous items from the administration of the company. Included in this subseries are materials from the liquidation of the company in 1951.

Series IV. Other contains miscellaneous items found in the collection. Included in this series are local Maine publications

Dates

  • Creation: 1863-1957

Creator

Restrictions on Access

This collection is open for research use.

Series I. Financial Records, subseries D. Payroll is restricted from researchers, as this material contains personal identifying information.

Historical Sketches

Aziscoos Land Company was formed on October 19, 1934, by Stephen Wheatland (1897-1987), Hosea B. Buck (died 1937), and Charles P. Conners in Bangor, Maine. The purpose of the company was to engage in general real estate business and in the management of forest property. The company would acquire, "lease, occupy, use, sell, or otherwise dispose of real estate of any and all kinds and any and all interests therein, and particularly wood lands and stumpage; and to develop and operate the same; to cut and manufacture timber into lumber and other forms of merchandise; to own and operate saw mills and other equipment necessary for conducting a general lumber business and for marketing timber products" ("Articles of Association of Azicoos Land Company"). The first officers were Stephen Wheatland who was elected president, and Hosea B. Buck who was elected treasurer and clerk; the directors were Stephen Wheatland, Hosea B. Buck, and Charles P. Conners. The company was located at 15 Columbia Street, in Bangor.

Aziscoos Land Company was liquidated on March 15, 1951. Conveyance of timberlands was made by Aziscoos Land Company to each of the stockholders, in proportion to their stock ownership of the company. Stockholders at the time of liquidation included: Stephen Wheatland, David P. Wheatland, Lucia P. Fulton, Anna W. Ordway, Martha W. Ingraham, and the trustees under the will of Richard Wheatland.

Extent

25.75 linear feet (28 boxes; 3 volumes; 2 flat files)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The Aziscoos Land Company Records contain records from the everyday operation of the Aziscoos Land Company.

Series List

SERIES I. Financial Records

  • A. Taxes
  • B. Paid Bills
    • 1. Stumpage Bills
    • 2. Other Bills
  • C. Invoices
  • D. Payroll
  • E. Bank Records
  • F. C. C. Murphy
  • G. Other
SERIES II. Land Records

  • A. Leases, Sales, and Deeds
  • B. Lumber Operations
    • 1. Scale Returns
    • 2. Other Lumber Operations
SERIES III. Administrative Records

  • A. Meeting Records
  • B. Correspondence
    • 1. Sent
    • 2. Received
    • 3. Mixed Correspondence
  • C. Other Administrative Records
SERIES IV. Other

Physical Location

Phillips Library Stacks

Provenance

This material was donated by Pingree family heirs.

Bibliography

Organization and Records of all Meetings to April 29, 1941 (Inclusive). "Articles of Association of Aziscoos Land Company."

Related Collections

David Pingree Papers, 1810-1939. MSS 901

David Pingree Papers, 1831-1940, 1969. MSS 905

E. S. Coe Papers, 1844-1906. MSS 924

Pingree Family Scrapbook Collection, 1849-1972. MSS 927

Piscataquis Land Company Records, 1934-1940. MSS 930

Richard and Mary K. Wheatland Family Papers, 1862-1951. MSS 907

Seven Islands Land Company Records, 1794-1967, 1981. MSS 931

Processing Information

Collection processed by Hilary Streifer, May 2016.

Title
AZISCOOS LAND COMPANY RECORDS, 1863-1954
Author
Processed by: Hilary Streifer; machine-readable finding aid created by: Rajkumar Natarajan.
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Sponsor
The processing of this collection was funded by a gift from the Pingree heirs.

Repository Details

Part of the Phillips Library Repository

Contact:
Peabody Essex Museum
306 Newburyport Turnpike
Rowley MA 01969 USA