1789 Manuscript Travel Expense Philadelphia To Connecticut Horse And Ferriage

1789 Manuscript Travel Expense Account Philadelphia to Connecticut Horse & Ferriage

Original manuscript document dated October 1789, only months after the formation of the United States government under President George Washington.

This fascinating Federal-period account is titled:

"A Bill of the Expence of the Horse on the Road from Philadelphia to Connecticut also Mine."

The document records the day-by-day travel expenses of Simon Williams, who journeyed from Philadelphia to Connecticut while caring for a horse. Entries include expenditures for hay, oats, horse keeping, ferriage, lodging, breakfasts, dinners, suppers, gin, brandy, and other necessities encountered on the road.

Of particular interest are the numerous references to ferries, taverns, horse care, and currency conversions between regional monetary systems, providing a remarkable snapshot of transportation and commerce in the early United States. The reverse inscription identifies the account as:

"A Bill of Expense Paid by Simon Williams for himself and horse on the road from Philadelphia to Connecticut Oct. 1789."

An outstanding piece of Americana illustrating the realities of long-distance travel in the years immediately following the Revolutionary War. Such surviving personal expense accounts are uncommon and offer valuable insight into everyday life, transportation networks, and economic practices of the late eighteenth century.

Date: October 1789

Location: Philadelphia to Connecticut route

Format: Original manuscript expense account

Condition: Folded as issued with expected age toning, handling wear, and separations at fold intersections; manuscript remains highly legible and displayable.

A desirable and visually appealing artifact from the earliest years of the American Republic.