Chicago Board of Trade Companies: George H. Phillips

G. H. P.

DEC

16

1901

From The Grain Dealers Journal, January 10, 1902:

F. B. & Co. Perfin Confirmed; A Likely P. & Co. Perfin Possibility

Roughly two years ago I took a focused look at perfins known to me on the 1898 documentaries.  Most of the perfins I was able to identify.  But the most interesting remained a mystery.  Since early 2023, I've acquired a document that solves one identity completely, and helps point the way to a solution for another.  

The majority of known perfins are relatively simple user initials, and originate from New York.  But there were two that were complex, encoding both user identification and the full date including month, day and year.  The clearest example was P & Co.:

I made the assumption that the above cancel must originate from New York, and likely the stock exchange, leaving the only likely solution the NYSE firm Pearl & Company.  But the known Pearl & Company stock memos of sale with R184 show a simple handstamp cancel and coventional cuts rather than perfins.

The other complex perfin was the partial perfin below with just enough information to show that it was likely similar to the perfin above.  I speculated that the only likely user with the F. B. initial was Finley Barrell & Co. in Chicago:

Now, courtesy of Bob Mustacich, I have a full Finley Barrell & Company futures sale memo from the Chicago Board of Trade, from late in the tax period in 1902:

The memo clearly displays the full complex perfin cancel, which rather than originating in New York as I first thought, came from Chicago.  This style would proliferate and would be a standard for stock sale memos in New York by the time of the World War I tax period.  Finley Barrell & Co's cancel reads as follows:

F. B. & Co.

+6

+6

02

The F. B. & Co. is turned on its side to the 6/6/02 date, indicating that the tax stamps were canceled three days after the original sale.

So I believe it certain that P. & Co. was a Chicago Board of Trade company.  The question is who?  Short of a surviving on-document example, a look at the P. & Co. members of the Board of Trade in 1901 shows only Pickering & Company as the likely user of the cancel.  Please let me know if you have a stamp or document that could confirm or deny this theory.

Returning to Publication, Now Twice a Week

Greetings regular readers.  As some of you know, the blog went on hiatus to start the 2026 new year.  I'll restart publication by altering the 4x/week schedule to only twice per week, to provide additional time for the occasional longer post and general creativity, and to provide more time in rest of my schedule.  Expect new posts every Tuesday and Saturday, with the possible ad hoc extra post on occasion.

The 1898 Revenues brand just expanded beyond blogging.  I recently set up a stamp store at Hip Stamp that specializes in US revenue stamps.  You can find it here: Hip Stamp 1898 Revenues.  

I'll restart posting with a familiar theme, cancels and material associated with the Chicago Board of Trade.  See you Tuesday!

No Post January

 Happy 2026!  I'm taking a short sabbatical.  Back in February.

Happy New Year!

 

L. S. & M. S.

JAN 1 1901

RY. CO.

The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: Peavey Grain Company

PEAVEY GRAIN CO.

AUG 29 1898

CHICAGO.

Frank H. Peavey was CBOT member 6545

James Fulton Peavey was CBOT member 6533

The Peavey name was synomous with grain elevators, and their businesses operated across the grain markets in the midwest and upper midwest.

from American Elevator & Grain Trade, May 15, 1902

from The Commercial West, May 28, 1902

from the current Peavey Grain site

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: George A. Seaverns

G. A. S.

JUL 29 1898

George A. Seaverns Sr. was CBOT member 1405

George A. Seaverns Jr. was CBOT member 4125

from Men of Illinois, 1902

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: F. G. Logan and Logan & Bryan

F. G. LOGAN

MAY

30

1899

CHICAGO.

Frank G. Logan was CBOT member 2227

Theron Logan was CBOT member 5670

Benjamin B. Bryan was CBOT member 5226 (also a NYSE member)

John S. Bagley was CBOT member 6371

from The Commercial West, August 24, 1901

Merry Christmas!

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: The Albert Dickinson Company

The A. D. Co.

MAY 6 - 1901

CHICAGO.

The A. D. Co.

NOV 6 - 1900

CHICAGO.

Albert Dickinson was CBOT member 388

Charles Dickinson was CBOT member 2477

Nathan Dickinson ws CBOT member 2806

from The Grain Dealers Journal, April 25, 1902

Albert Dickinson in History of the Chicago Board of Trade, 1917

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: Milmine, Bodman & Company

Milmine, Bodman & Co.

APR 26 1898

CHICAGO.

Edward C. Bodman was CBOT member 3304

Luther W. Bodman was CBOT member 3829

Charles E. Milmine was CBOT member 6270

George Milmine was CBOT member 6368

from American Elevator & Grain Trade, May 15, 1902

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: George W. Montgomery & Company

G. W. M. & Co.

JUN 9 1899

CHICAGO.

George W. Montgomery was CBOT member 1093

George Montgomery was a member of the CBOT but was also a prominent insurace agent with his partner, Metellus L. C. Funkhouser.  Their insurance firm, Montgomery & Funkhouser, has been featured on this site in 2023.

 

George W. Montgomery

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: McReynolds & Company

McReynolds & Company

McReynolds & Company,

JAN 14 1899.

George S. McReynolds was CBOT member 2502

Frederick H.  Babcock was CBOT member 6984

from Modern Miller, July 20 1901

from Men of Illinois, 1902

Sometime in September, 1905, George McReynolds provided to the Corn Exchange Bank a receipt for a large amount of grain he kept in his own elevator, providing the bank with the equivalent of ownership of the grain.  McReynolds removed most of the grain without telling the bank.  He went to jail for the fraud.  I suspect there were other charges against him as well given he was spending years in Joliet.  

from The New York Times, August 26, 1910

Futures contract fragments:

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: O. A. Thorp & Company

O. A. THORP & CO.

SEP 24 1900

CHICAGO, ILL.

Ole A. Thorp was CBOT member 3870

from The Chicago Tribune, January 22, 1899

from A History of the Norwegians of Illinois

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: The Ellsworth & Cross Company

THE ELLSWORTH &

CROSS CO.

MAY 16 1901

CHICAGO.

Henry Ellsworth was CBOT member 5092

Albert Eugene Cross was CBOT member 6138

Henry R. Boomer was CBOT member 6777

Henry Hittle was CBOT member 6552

Albert E. Cross from History of the Board of Trade of the City of Chicago, 1917

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: J. F. Harris

J. F. HARRIS.

APR 17 1899

CHICAGO

J. F. HARRIS,

JUL

10

1899

CHICAGO

John F. Harris was CBOT member 5345

from The Grain Dealers Journal, July 10, 1900