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SUMMARY

BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL NOTE

Thomas Clark Porteous, born in Edinburgh, Scotland, was manager of Levois Drygoods Store, New Orleans, and Star Plantation, St. Charles Parish, Louisiana. Both the store and the plantation were owned by J. Levois of Paris, France. The store (133 Canal Street) was rented from Fellman Brothers. Porteous, a resident of New Orleans since 1859, was also a bookkeeper from 1891-1919 for Godchaux Department Store in New Orleans.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

Papers consist of family business papers, public instruments of protest, tax statements, and related items pertaining to Porteous' association with absentee owner, J. Levois and his heirs. Other papers include a letter (1891) describing Porteous’ service, 1862-1865, in Fenner's Battery of Light Artillery, and an 1863 account of the "Battle of the Oyster Shells" by Major General Nathaniel T. Banks. A letterpress copybook (1878-1883) contains weekly letters to Levois and family, giving information about New Orleans retail trade and real estate, crop conditions, and labor problems at Star Plantation. A map of Star Plantation in 1858 is sketched in the volume, and local customs, yellow fever epidemics, economic trends, and other topics are discussed. Porteous' account and collection book contains an alphabetical list of outstanding accounts for Levois Drygoods Store (1882-1884) and for sale of bricks (1885). A bank book (1886-1889), a cashbook (1880-1890), and two check stub books (1887-1891) comprise the remaining volumes.

COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

Business and personal papers of Thomas C. Porteous pertain to his association with J. Levois and Co., New Orleans dry goods store (1858-1898, undated). These include tax receipts, public instruments of protest, promissory notes, insurance documents, stock certificates, titles and sales of property in New Orleans (1872-1876), and specifications for repairs and additions to a home on Prytania Street in New Orleans (1897). Also included are an account of the "Battle of the Oyster Shells" by Major General Nathaniel T. Banks (1863) and a letter from Porteous describing his service, 1862-1865, in Fenner's Battery of Light Artillery (1891).

The collection also contains six manuscript volumes:

INDEX TERMS

CONTAINER LIST