Diaries of machinist Nathaniel S. Raymond, Lynn, Massachusetts, 1855, 1859

Description

Two string bound diaries belonging to machinist Nathaniel S. Raymond based in Lynn, Massachusetts. The diaries contain detailed descriptions of skilled labor and ongoing business transactions. The majority of each diary documents the daily labor, travel, expenses, and business negotiations undertaken each day by Nathaniel S. Raymond. A small portion of each diary contains entries related to leisure and family activities. The diaries are dated 1855 and 1859. Raymond's work was generally centered in Essex County in locations such as Lynn, Saugus, and Swampscott referenced. He also worked in surrounding areas, including Boston, Chelsea, Lowell, and Roxbury, Massachusetts.

Typical entries document activities such as the procurement of supplies for a job, prices paid for materials, the workmen at each site, money earned, the amount of time spent each day on a specific job, the names of local businessmen and companies for which work was undertaken, and the type of labor performed. Raymond repaired, installed, and utilized a variety of machinery, including boilers, lathes, pumps, and engines, among others. A number of tradesmen are identified in the diaries, including two of Raymond's sons, Edward F. Raymond and Albert W. Raymond.