The collection consists of various business records of the Traverse City Wagon Works, 1903-1923, and undated, including journals, ledgers, and receipts.
Mold Alert: The collection is quite dirty and not in good condition overall. There is what appears to be dried mold on many pages. Patrons should be careful in using the collection if they have any type of allergies or breathing issues.
Organizational History:
A. J. Petertyl was the owner of Traverse City Wagon Works. A. J. Petertyl and his cousin, Victor Petertyl, manufactured buggies, carriages, wagons, cutters, sleighs, and engaged in general blacksmithing for twenty-two years in Traverse City. About 1899, Victor bought out A.J. and continued the business alone, employing 19 people with an annual payroll of $10,500. After they split, A.J. owned a two-story brick shop building, probably the business location of Traverse City Wagon Works, and employed nine people with a payroll of about $5,000. (This information is from http://traversehistory.org/TraverseHistory/Historical_Time_line.html, accessed June 13, 2012, and from Grand Traverse and Leelanaw Counties, 1903.)
The Clarke also has a separately cataloged diary, 1870-1898, of Anthony Petertyl, 1830-1910, who is likely A.J. Anthony was born in Czechoslovakia, then settled in the Grand Traverse area about 1870. He later moved to Chicago, returning to Czechoslovakia in 1898, where he died in 1910.
