In Pittsburgh, Meriwether Lewis is building the barge prior to departing down the Ohio River. Pittsburgh dry goods are described by Thaddeus Harris during his 1803 visit.
Pittsburgh Dry Goods
“The City & Port of Philadelphia, on the River Delaware from Kensington”
William Birch
Courtesy Independence National Historical Park, Karie Diethorn, Chief Curator, and with the kind assistance of library technician Andrea Ashby Leraris.[1]The prints in the INHP collection, which originated in various portfolio sets that preceded Birch’s book, The City of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania North America, as it appeared in … Continue reading
Dry goods in general are sold nearly as cheap as at Baltimore; other goods, are, on account of the carriage, which is four dollars fifty cents from Baltimore and five dollars pr. 100 lbs. from Philadelphia, proportionably higher. The merchants here, as well as those of the western country, receive their goods from Philadelphia and Baltimore; but a small part of the trade being given to New-York and Alexandria. The terms of credit are generally from nine to twelve months. The produce which they receive of the farmers is sent to New Orleans; the proceeds of which are remitted to the Atlantic States, to meet their payments.
—Thaddeus Harris[2]Thaddeus Harris, The Journal of a Tour into the Territory Northwest of the Alleghany Mountains Made in the Spring of the Year 1803, p. 42 in Reuben G. Thwaites, Travels West of the Alleghanies … Continue reading
Notes
| ↑1 | The prints in the INHP collection, which originated in various portfolio sets that preceded Birch’s book, The City of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania North America, as it appeared in the Year 1800, measure approximately 18 by 14½ inches. |
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| ↑2 | Thaddeus Harris, The Journal of a Tour into the Territory Northwest of the Alleghany Mountains Made in the Spring of the Year 1803, p. 42 in Reuben G. Thwaites, Travels West of the Alleghanies (Cleveland: The Arthur H. Clark Co., 1904), p. 343. |
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- The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.
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Unless otherwise noted, journal excerpts are from The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, edited by Gary E. Moulton, 13 vols. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1983-2001).