1859 Ohio Timber Bill of Sale – Edward Spear & Co. – Mecca Township Sawmill – Warren

Original 1859 handwritten bill of sale for timber from Trumbull County, Ohio, documenting a commercial transaction involving George Kahle and Edward Spear & Co. of Warren, Ohio.

Dated July 8, 1859, the manuscript records the receipt of $42.00 from Edward Spear & Co. in payment for a lot of timber lying on the ground in the seller's meadow and woods on property in Mecca Township, Ohio.

Of particular historical interest, the document specifically states that the property was located near a sawmill belonging to Edward Spear & Co.

The agreement gives Edward Spear & Co. the right to remove timber already felled or cut from the stump and grants access to the property for the purpose of collecting the timber. George Kahle then conveys his right and ownership in the timber to the company for the stated consideration.

The exterior docket identifies the document as:

“Bill of Sale of Timber by George Kahle to Edward Spear & Co.”

Historical research identifies Edward Spear (1792–1873) as a prominent longtime resident of Warren, Ohio. Period histories record that Spear served for seven years as an Associate Judge of the Court of Common Pleas and later as a Justice of the Peace. He was also active in Warren's civic and religious life.

This document is particularly interesting because it provides contemporary primary-source evidence of the commercial activities of Edward Spear & Co. and specifically references the firm's sawmill near Mecca Township.

The manuscript appears to have been executed on behalf of George Kahle by an agent whose name appears to read Henry Kahle.

An appealing piece of original pre-Civil War Ohio ephemera combining local history, business history, timber and sawmill history, genealogy and 19th-century legal documentation.

DATE: July 8, 1859
LOCATION: Warren / Mecca Township, Ohio
SELLER: George Kahle
BUYER: Edward Spear & Co.
AMOUNT: $42.00
SUBJECT: Sale and removal of felled timber
DOCUMENT TYPE: Manuscript Bill of Sale
HISTORICAL PERIOD: Pre-Civil War America

CONDITION

Original antique document in good overall condition for its age, with expected folds, creasing, toning, scattered light staining/soiling, minor edge and corner wear, and small areas of paper loss or folding at the corners.

The manuscript remains exceptionally legible overall, with strong period handwriting and the principal text, names, transaction details and exterior docket intact.

No modern restoration has been performed by Collexcion.

Please examine all photographs carefully, as they show the actual document offered and form an important part of the condition description.