Colonial Maryland Currency Printed by Anne Catharine Hoof Green

Benton County Historical Society Exhibitions Curator Mark Tolonen suggested the item below as the subject for the blog saying, “there are probably a lot of stories that could be learned from this one note.” He was certainly correct.

This tattered paper is a two-thirds dollar note issued by the colonial assembly of Maryland. British policy kept the American colonies chronically short of money which made transactions difficult. Colonists resorted to using native wampum and tobacco and tobacco notes (certificates of inspection). Finally, in 1733, the colony began to issue paper money, denominated in shillings and backed by tobacco and securities of the Bank of England.  In 1767, Maryland began issuing currency in dollar denominations instead of shillings. Although the term “dollar” was in common use, this was the first official dollar currency. Two-third dollar seems like an odd amount but it was chosen because it equaled 3 British shillings. The note shown above was issued in 1774, the last time colonial Maryland printed any currency.  The note is tattered because currency was still scarce in the colonies so each bill was kept in circulation for a long time.

The front of the note says “Two Thirds of a Dollar. / [No. 10365 / This Indented BILL of Two thirds of a DOLLAR shall entitle the Bearer thereof to receive Bill of Exchange payable in LONDON, or Gold or Silver at the Rate of four SHILLINGS and SIX PENCE Sterling for the said Bill, according to the Directions of an Act of Assembly of MARYLAND.” If you look closely at the image, you can see a caret under the “h” in first appearance of the word “Third.” This was one of many “secret” marks the official printers use to try to discourage counterfeiting. There are several others but they are hard to see. The idea was that counterfeiters would assume these were errors introduced by other counterfeiters and correct them.  It didn't work.

The reverse shows a practice, introduced by Benjamin Franklin, which was also designed to deter counterfeiters. A wet cloth was placed over a smooth plaster and then leaves or other plant material put on top. The plaster hardened under pressure to become a mold for a copper printing plate. The fine lines and detailed patterns were difficult for counterfeiters to duplicate.

The reverse also notes that it was printed by A.C. and ____ Green.  What is noteworthy is that A. C. Green was a woman:  Anne Catharine Hoof Green.

 

Anne Catharine Hoof was born in the Netherlands around 1720 and later emigrated with her parents. In 1738 She married Jonas Green, the son of printers, in Philadelphia.  They moved to Annapolis Maryland and set up a print shop in their home which published a newspaper, the Maryland Gazette.  Jonas also had a contract with the Maryland Assembly to publish official documents. 

After Jonas died in debt in 1767, Anne Catharine took over, continuing to publish the newspaper and completed the work the government had commissioned. She made a success of the business, paying off the debt and winning the position as official printer. The unreadable other initial is probably an F for her son Frederick who helped his mother in the business and took over after she died in 1775. She was the first, or at least one of the first, women printers and publishers in America.

By Martha Fraundorf, Volunteer for Benton County Historical Society, Philomath, Oregon

More of Edna Finley's Irish Bend Memories

The last post contained Edna Finley Buchanan's memories of childhood in the Irish Bend area. This post will continue those recollections with her descriptions of the operation of the warehouse owned by her father, Hugh McNary Finley.

Hugh Finley had entered the warehouse business after purchasing it and thirty acres of land from a man named Hamilton.  Edna recounts:

“We had come to a grain growing section to live. Wheat and oats were the principal market crops and from Monroe east into the Bellfountain section and north for miles, grain was stored in warehouses to await shipment by river steamers that plied between Harrisburg and Portland throughout the winter season.”

“From early morning until at night, the long line of wagons and teams waited their turn to unload.  They came from Bellfountain, the Starrs, the Waggoners, the Barnards, the Edwards, and many more. The Graggs came driving their heavy team of matched bays, carrying a decorated harness set with cold [gold?] colored rivets and rings.  They brought their loads of wheat, oats, and barley from above Monroe and near Junction City.  Those were busy days.”

“One of the functions of the Finley warehouse was to furnish sacks to the growers.  To do this, several journeys to Corvallis, fifteen miles away, with wagon and team was necessary. My Father made these trips, returning with a load of 3,000 sacks, two bales of 1,000 each and one opened bale stored under the high seat and in crevices.  As five hours was consumed on the return trip, it was toward evening when he reached home.... The team consisted of one black and one white horse.  After traveling twelve miles on the now West Side Pacific Highway No. 99W, then a road inches deep with dust, made the black horse light colored as the white horse and both be ground with the Good Earth.”

“For some time the power used to elevate the grain was Bill, the black horse, which was faithful and true to every duty.... Bill was hitched to a pole and patiently walked hour by hour around a circular post, the horse urged on by a boy driver carrying a hazel stick as a threat.... He traveled round and round and round the beaten dusty path. I remember feeling great indignation when visiting boys seeking to “show off” would climb upon old Bill's back as he trudged around the circle.”

“In winter the boats came to load and carry the grain to Portland-- large river boats.  The Occident, the Bonanza, the Champion.  Later these were replaced by smaller boars, the Three Sisters and The Ruth.

The Ruth was in charge of Captain Raab, related to the Bradleys of Bellfountain.  Often the boats reached Finley's Landing in the evening and took on their load at night.”

“In our quiet lives, it was a matter of great interest when the boat whistle broke on the air, especially the blast that meant the boat would load at Finley's Landing.  This was three long blasts.  In a short time, neighborhood men and boys would arrive on horseback ready to help load the boats.  For this service, father paid his helpers twenty-five cents an hour and mother served a bountiful meal when the work was over.  It was a real social event as well as a money-making event.  We children stood and watched the men haul the sacks on their truck, six at a time, to the chute and slide them to the boat where they were gracefully dropped from the chute platform into trucks handled by the “deck hands” and wheeled away into the hold.  If the boat loaded in the evening, it remained at our landing overnight.  Sometimes the purser would buy milk or eggs from us.” 

“Soon after the grain shipment was made, father would hire a crew and sack more grain from the bins that held the loose grain.”

“Time passed and a new storage building was erected...the grain was sacked from the bins, trucked through the long room into the large room and stacked eight sacks high by such stalwart men as George Houck, Tom Richardson, or Martin Grimsley....George Houck was a tall, loose-jointed man with big nose, feet, and hands, and had a big heart.  He was a batchelor [sic] and had a cabin of his own but fitted with our needs so well, he became like one of the family.  The warehouse work was heavy work, but he was strong and willing.  He could handle a sack of wheat as though it were a toy....

“The greatest improvement in the business occurred when Old Bill was replaced by an [steam] engine.... This was not a traction engine, but a stationary one so Bill and Ben hauled it from Corvallis one night. When morning dawned, we two children were treated to an unusual sight for the big black engine stood by the yard fence.  It was installed in a building joining the warehouse.  A young engineer from Corvallis, Johnny De Munion, was hired to run the machine and this he did with painstaking pride.  This boy, Johnny, was also full of pranks and sometimes amused himself at the expense of an inquisitive visitor or two.... Suddenly, and without warning, he would release the steam with a loud, loud sound.  Since engines were not common and considered rather dangerous, the men rushed from the room speedily to save their lives.  Johnny would settle down in his chair and enjoy the joke greatly and have something to relate to the family at the supper table....

“The warehouse industry had competition in mills.  New mills were being built in towns or on highways by railroad tracks for trains were replacing steamboats. Millers stored grain free of charge so the need of warehouses ended.  As Father's business gradually folded up, he set out an orchard consisting largely of prunes and so became a pioneer prune grower.”

 By Martha Fraundorf, Volunteer for Benton County Historical Society, Philomath, Oregon