Chase Leavitt & Co., Records, 1936-1983 | Maine Maritime Museum Manuscript Collection Online Catalog

The general overall operation of the company is not documented within these records, with one exception, which is discussed below (Series II).  There are no general account ledgers, personnel records, company minutes, policies or correspondence, for example.  However, these kinds of records have survived and are in the care of Maine Historical Society, Portland, ME.  A copy of their inventory for this collection is appended.  What the MMM collection does do is to document in great detail all the actions and operations necessary to service each vessel as it enters port, is in port, and as it leaves (Series I).  A list of the types of documents found in Series I follows, and while each folder does not contain every type of document listed below, overall there are many examples of each.

cargo loading plans                                telephone messages

disbursement accounts                          certificates of survey

correspondence                                      account summaries

bills of lading                                        Customs stores lists

telegrams                                                CL form (pilot, berthing, water, bunkers)

crew lists                                                certificates of survey

passenger lists & forms                          freight brokerage bills

export declarations                                crew sign-off forms

stevedore bills                                        vessel utilization/performance forms

pilot bills                                                news clippings

cargo port logs                                      loading/unloading permits

ship data sheets                                      deportation notices

freight manifests (inward & outward)  miscellaneous notes

stores lists                                              miscellaneous receipts

medical bills                                          navigation fee forms

master’s oaths                                        certificates of loading

marine protests                                      certification of billing

damaged cargo reports                          transfers of funds

damaged cargo photos                          charter parties

damage to vessel/outrun reports            legal papers of various kinds

            The exception to the lack of general company documents is two boxes of material (Series II), one of which relates to operations during the early years of World War II, when the U. S. War Shipping Administration set policy for cargo handling firms.  Included are correspondence with local and Washington-based officials of the WSA, forms, accounts, and copies of regulations which give a fairly complete picture of this phase of the company’s business.  The second contains a book of notarized marine protests, many of which were completed by the Leavitts, and an unrelated book of blank receipts from the Portland Dry Dock Company which bear the date 186-.