Years this material was created: 1947-1955 (bulk 1951-1954)
Quantity: 3 linear shelf feet (in 3 document cases and 1 oversize)

 ©2000 by Fort Lewis College Foundation, Center of Southwest Studies account

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Collection M 100
Gordon Store (Durango, Colo.) records
1910-1965
3 linear shelf feet (in 3 document cases and 1 oversize)

This collection contains a sampling of records kept by the Gordon Store of Durango, Colorado.  They are clothing store sales records, mostly from the 1950s.  The collection mostly consists of a sampling of customer invoices for individual purchases/ sales of clothing to customers; it includes few items from a higher administrative level.  The invoice samples provide a useful source of research for identifying what brands of clothing and novelty items were purchased and used in the Durango area during the early- to mid-twentieth century.   The purchasing records also indicate what stores were in the Durango area and the names of some of the entities with whom the Gordon Store did business.

Subject terms:    Clothing trade--Colorado--Durango
                            Business records--Colorado--Durango

Administrative information

Acquisition of this collection/ provenance:  The Center of Southwest Studies acquired this collection (accession 1992:07002) by deed of gift after the materials were retrieved from the basement of the Gardenschwartz Building in downtown Durango, where the Toh-Atin Gallery had inherited them.

About the organization of this collection:  Materials in this collection are arranged in a single series.  Because we do not expect to add to this collection, the boxes are numbered in one single numbering scheme starting with 1.  Folder numbers start with 1 in each box.  Items within each series (e.g., correspondence, reports) and within each folder are arranged chronologically, unless noted otherwise.

Processing information:  Fort Lewis College student archival assistant Paul Beckler arranged and described this collection at the Center of Southwest Studies in September of 2000.  This inventory was prepared by student archival assistant Debra Lehl and edited by Todd Ellison, December 19, 2000 (last updated by him in October 2005).

Series 1.      Receipts, carbon copies, ledgers, shipping and invoice duplicates pertaining to Gordon Stores of Durango.  The bulk of this information is from the years 1951-1953.  The ledgers range from 1947-1952.  3.3 linear shelf feet (in 3 document cases and 1 oversized box). 

Box 1:      18 folders:

            Folder 1           Department sales ledger, 1937-1944.

            Folder 2           Gordon Store correspondence, 1951-1953.

            Folder 3           Samples of Gordon’s freight and order invoices, 1951-1952.

            Folder 4           Shipping label, Gordon Stores (Durango, Colo.), circa 1952.

            Folder 5           Invoice samples, 1951-1953 [A-B].

            Folder 6           Invoice samples, 1951-1953 [C-D].

            Folder 7           Invoice samples, 1951-1953 [E-F].

            Folder 8           Invoice samples, 1951-1953 [G-I].

            Folder 9           Invoice samples, 1951-1953 [K-L].

            Folder 10         Invoice samples, 1951-1953 [M-N].

            Folder 11         Invoice samples, 1951-1953 [O-R].

            Folder 12         Invoice samples, 1951-1953 [S].

            Folder 13         Invoice samples, 1951-1953 [T-Z].

            Folder 14         Purchasing records, 1954 Jan. 20-Apr. 27.

            Folder 15         Purchasing records, 1954 Apr. 27-July 30.

            Folder 16         Purchasing records, 1954 July 31-Nov. 10.

            Folder 17         Purchasing records, 1954 Nov. 12-1955 Mar. 1.

            Folder 18         Purchasing records, 1955 June 9-Sept. 13.

Box 2: 13 folders:

            Folder 1           Daily sales receipts, 1954 Jan. 19-Feb. 13.

            Folder 2           Daily sales receipts, 1954 Feb. 13-Mar. 8.

            Folder 3           Daily sales receipts, 1954 Apr. 10-26.

            Folder 4           Daily sales receipts, 1955 Oct. 10-19.

            Folder 5           Daily receipts, 1958 Apr. 11.

            Folder 6           Daily receipts, 1958 Apr. 14.

            Folder 7           Daily receipts, layaway or charged items, 1951 July 25.

            Folder 8           Daily receipts, layaway or charged items, 1951 Aug. 25.

            Folder 9           Daily receipts, layaway or charged items, 1952 Dec. 25.

            Folder 10         Merchandise return slips, 1954 Apr.-May.

            Folder 11         Merchandise return slips, 1954 June.

            Folder 12         Merchandise return slips, 1954 July-Aug.

            Folder 13         Merchandise return slips, 1954 Sept.-Oct.

Box 3: 1 folder:

            Folder 1           Personal credit accounts, 1950.

Box 4: 3 folders:

            Folder 1           Department sales ledger, 1947.

            Folder 2           Department sales ledger, 1948.

            Folder 3           Department sales ledger, 1949.

            Folder 4           Department sales ledger, 1950.

            Folder 5           Department sales ledger, 1951.

            Folder 6           Department sales ledger, 1952.

This collection is located at the Center of Southwest Studies on the campus of Fort Lewis College.  Researchers wanting more information about using this material at the Delaney Southwest Research Library at the Center may email the archivist at archives@fortlewis.edu or click here to use our E-mail Reference Request Form (or phone the archivist at 970/247-7126).  The Center does not have a budget for outgoing long-distance phone calls to answer reference requests, so please email if you wish to receive a response from the Center.  To request reproductions/copies, click here for instructions.

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