Geography: San Rafael

This ledger, spanning from November 20, 1859, to December 1860, documents the business transactions of Block & Levy Co., a general store in San Rafael, California. The nearly 200 pages record purchases of various goods, including whisky, clothing, shoes, food, and gunpowder, by residents of San Rafael and the surrounding area. The ledger is signed by Emanuel Block III and Samuel Levy on the frontispiece and includes entries by D. Block, Maurice L. Levy, and Philip Rothschild. It offers a unique glimpse into the economic life of early San Rafael and represents the earliest known account book of a Jewish store in the California Gold Fields.