Check It Out

I am still going through papers and other documents, as I will be doing for some time. My parents did not throw much away and they even saved papers from my grandparents (and great-grandparents) as well. I like old papers and they often give a lot of interesting information but it takes awhile to go through them. Some items are worthy of being saved while others can be thrown out. It all takes time.

This week I went through some old canceled checks. No, not my parents’ canceled checks this time, but my grandpa Miller’s canceled checks. Grandpa died in 1973. I saved and scanned some I found interesting.

Here are some scans of canceled checks written to some Chattanooga businesses in the 1950s & 60s. I hope you enjoy seeing the endorsement signatures of some of Chatt’s past business owners.

Bollenbacher’s Grocery, 7 April 1959, for $10.00:

Check made out to Bollenbacher's Grocery, April 1959.

Check made out to Bollenbacher’s Grocery, April 1959.

Canceled Bollenbacher Grocery check, April 1959.

Canceled check to Bollenbacher Grocery, April 1959.

Ivan Johnson’s Garage, 21 November 1956, for $55.65:

Canceled check from Ivan Johnson's Garage, November 1956.

Canceled check from Ivan Johnson’s Garage, November 1956.

Jack August, with Ivan Johnson’s signature, too, 8 July 1957, for $4.81:

Canceled check to Jack August, August 1957.

Canceled check to Jack August, August 1957.

I had never seen a Counter Check but grandpa had several in his collection. Some businesses provided these blank/generic checks that people could fill out and use when they were in the store. A Counter Check made out to Ray Hemmelgarn, who ran the Chatt Bar at one time, 20 May 1959:

Counter Check to Ray Hemmelgarn, May 1959.

Counter Check to Ray Hemmelgarn, May 1959.

Wendel’s Garage, 11 July 1957, for $10.00:

Canceled check to Wendel's Garage, July 1957.

Canceled check to Wendel’s Garage, July 1957.

Fisher’s Hardware, 13 November 1956, for $5.00:

Canceled check to Fisher's Hardware, November 1956.

Canceled check to Fisher’s Hardware, November 1956.

I find it interesting and surprising that his checks did not have his checking account number on them. He had the card below but he did not always write the account number on a check.

Carl Miller checking account card.

Carl Miller checking account card.

It appears that grandpa patronized the local Chatt businesses often.

 

2 comments

    • Cindy Grapner on April 15, 2016 at 10:42 am
    • Reply

    Karen, I’m doing the same thing…so my kids won’t have to. Found Randy’s grandma’s cookbook, probably 100 years old…not familiar with some of the strange ingredients. “What to do when Lewis vomits?” This one is simple…warm water and lemon juice.

    1. That was in a recipe book? Ha! It would be interesting to try some of those other old recipes. You should make some of them for you next family reunion, if you can find the strange ingredients! The cookbook sounds like a treasure.

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