Real-Time Deconstruction of a 1911 Court Proceeding Ledger

This book originated from Jackson County in Michigan - specifically Concord Township. Concord is located halfway between Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor. The ledger dates back to 1911 and ended up in a barn in Texas. It is a record of civil and criminal cases administered in the township during the period 1911 to 1929.
John C. Root, Justice of the Peace, oversaw 137 civil cases between September 1911 and April 1929. The vast majority of these were 'Assumpsit' -- i.e. "an action to recover damages for breech of contract." There were 17 criminal cases recorded from 1911 to 1917 the majority of these being for drunkenness and the rest as follows:
- Leaving without paying hotel bill
- riding motorcycle on sidewalk
- swearing and cursing and refusing to leave hotel when required
- use of indecent and offensive language
- indecent, immoral, and insulting language
- taking pair of shoes
- taking orders for goods in violation of village ordinance
Per a notation in the ledger, "Frank W. McKenzie took office of Justice of the Peace, July 1st 1930 for the full term of four years, being elected on April 4, 1930 on Township Meeting Day." None of his cases were in this ledger.
There were 600 pages in the book for recording cases -- 300 for civil and 300 for criminal. The vast majority of pages were not utilized.
#Ledger #bookbinding #assumpsit