New England's Market during the 18th and 19th Centuries : Business Transactions of Levi Allen
In late winter of 1787, Thomas Sketchley, an auctioneer in Quebec City, sent a letter to Levi Allen, brother of Colonel Ethan Allen and Ira Allen, regarding the cheese market in Quebec. There was only a small amount of cheese in Quebec's market at the time so the demand was high, so Sketchley wrote to Allen to inform him that it would be profitable to ship cheese up to Quebec from Vermont. Allen was the man to go to for such a trade, because in 1784, Levi Allen had opened a store in St. Johns, Quebec in order to trade with his brothers and other merchants in the Champlain Valley.
Levi Allen died in 1801 in the Burlington gaol (jail), in which he was imprisoned for his debts. Because at the time Vermont law stated that if anyone were to take the body of the deceased outside of the town limits, that person would assume the debt of the deceased and the only cemetary near Burlington at the time was located outside of Burlington, no one came to claim Levi's body. In order to solve the matter, a five acre lot (Elmwood Cemetary) was set aside as a burial ground.
This letter from the year 1787, was written by Levi Allen, written to his brother, Ira.
Levi Allen's discusses transactions with his new business agent, Stafford. He goes into detail of his purchases and sales history. Levi states that Stafford will be doing the work because he will not be able to make the trips himself. Allen concludes his letter with news of his recent purchase of salt, as well as the interactions that have taken place between Stafford and himself.