This large, leatherbound, handwritten company ledger by Brown & McArthur (1986.18) is featured in our permanent exhibit "Fabric of a Small Town", curated by Michael Rikley-Lancaster. Measuring at 22 x 33cm the ledger’s hefty size is testament to the amount of property and payment records documented in Almonte, Ontario, during the late 19th century.
Brown and McArthur were general merchants in Almonte, a town whose growth and economy largely relied on the growth of the textile industry. The #1 Rosamond Woolen Mill, one of many mills in the area and now the home of the MVTM, was once the highest producer of textiles in Canada. The growth and popularity of the textile industry and success of the town of Almonte is a great example of our Canadian heritage.