Illinois Department of Agriculture, 1946-1947

The H.W. Colwill Collection documents the business activity of the Creston Grain Elevator (1932-1977) and Leader Oil Company (l944-l967) in Creston, Illinois. Series 1 consists of materials related to the personal activities of H.W. Colwill during the years 1930-1977. Included are correspondences, tax records, estate settlement records and grain speculation records (e.g., files under Rice, Lamson, Schulenburg). Also included are catalogs and advertisements. Included in series two are the majority of general business files of the grain elevator, coal, lumber and supply businesses from 1946-1961. Included with this series are correspondences, receipts, lists, and a small amount of printed material. Arrangement is chronological and within that, alphabetical. The first files for each year consist of letters, miscellaneous receipts and general files. These are followed by supplier files. Series three commences houses accounts and ledger books. Materials in this series consist of business inventories, 1962, 1967; account/account receivable books, 1952, 1959, 1966; debit/credit accounts, 1932-1951; grain purchase and receipt books, 1962-1967; and three items (accounts, inventory) from the Leader Oil Company, 1959-1962. The series continues with ledger sheets of the Colwill’s grain and feed operation, 1940-1969 and the Leader Oil Company, 1944-1967. Arrangement in series three is chronological and within that alphabetical. Also housed in this series are two oversized business ledgers, 1932-1933, 1932-1940.