Briggs Motor Sales
Business Records, 1923-1969

Mss: 534
1925-1969
B856

Historical Note:

During the 1920s, George Briggs, Sr., owned a car dealership located at 10 Water Street, Plymouth, Massachusetts. Upon his death in 1926, his son, George Briggs, Jr., inherited the business and continued it under the name of Briggs Auto Sales. In addition to selling both new and used cars, both men maintained an automobile repair service as well as two service stations. On August 31, 1932, George Briggs, Jr., Russell Davis and Sherman L. Whipple, Jr. incorporated this endeavor under the name Briggs Motor Sales, Inc. The corporation's original purpose was to manage, purchase, sell or deal in automobiles, boats, airplanes and motors. During the years of active business, Briggs Auto Sales and Briggs Motors Sale, Inc. traded in Dodge, Plymouth, Nash, Austin, Ajax and Packard automobiles. In the mid-1930s, the corporation leased a Gulf gasoline station on Main Street, Hyannis, MA, which they no longer maintained after 1939. Briggs Motor Sales, Inc. dissolved in 1941. However, George Briggs Jr., continued to sell used cars from time to time until his death in the 1976.

Scope and Content:

The records of Briggs Motor Sales, Inc. date from 1923-1969 [bulk dates are 1926-1932] and includes documents from both George Briggs, Sr. and George Briggs, Jr., car dealerships in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The records document sales, advertising, distribution and customer concerns for Dodge, Plymouth, Nash, Packard, Ajax and Austin automobiles in Plymouth County and Cape Cod during the boom years of the 1920s, the economic depression of the 1930s and the beginning of rubber rationing in the early 1940s. Included are administrative, legal and financial documents as well as correspondence between Briggs Motor Sales and customers, regional car distributors and the home office for all automobiles carried in the showroom. Of interest are the circulars received from car manufactures detailing new models, unique selling points, repair and service updates, personal changes and economic news. Records include ledgers, accounts receivable, check register, journals, trial balance, worksheets, bills, minutes, stock certificates, inventories, notes, agreements, notices, mortgages, accident reports, advertisements, news clippings, income tax returns, letters sent and received, circulars and invoices. Topics in correspondence include automobile rentals, repairs, sales, automobile financing and credit payment plans, debt collection, vendor accounts and customer concerns.

Provenance : Gift of the family, through the Pilgrim Society, Plymouth, MA, 1977

Amount: 2 cartons, 2 boxes, 8 volumes

Series Description:

Series I , Personal: Series includes expenses for automobiles owned by Lillian and George Briggs, Russell Davis, Frank H. Holmes and Whitney Motor Sales, Inc. Also included are federal income tax returns, correspondence about collectors looking for car parts and used car dealer licenses.

Series II, Administrative/Legal: Series contains agreements between car manufacturers and Briggs Motor Sales, official minutes of the corporation and documents pertaining to suits and rental agreements.

Series III, Subject Files: Series contains an files, arranged alphabetical, pertaining to the daily business of a car dealership during the 1920s and 1930s.

Series IV, Financial: Series includes correspondence and volumes documenting the daily, monthly and annual transactions of the corporation.

Container List: Series I - Personal

Carton 1

Folder 1. -- Personal family accounts, 1939-1942 [cut from volume]

Folder 2. -- Federal Income Tax return, 1942

Folder 3. -- Division of Corporate Taxes, 1946

Folder 4. -- Correspondence, 1950-1953

Folder 5. -- Letters sent, Debits/Credits, 1942

Folder 6. -- Letters sent/received, 1943

Folder 7. -- Letters sent/received, 1946

Folder 8. -- Used car dealer's license, 1968-1969

Series II - Administrative/Legal

Carton 1

Folder 9. -- Repurchase agreement plan [Shawmut Bank], 1931

Folder 10. -- Minutes, Directors/Stockholders meetings, 1932-1942

Folder 11. -- Stock certificates, 1932-1934

Folder 12. -- Agreement for Hyannis sales agency, 1934

Folder 13. -- Incorporation papers, agreement of trial occupancy, 1935

Folder 14. -- Writ/Guaranty/waiver, 1936

Folder 15. -- Power of attorney, 1937

Series III - Subject Files

Carton 1

Folder 16. -- American Austin Car Company, Inc., 1930-1932

Folder 17. -- American Austin Car Company, Inc., 1930-1932

Folder 18. -- Advertising, 1926-1934

Folder 19. -- Accident reports, 1935-1938

Folder 20. -- Ajax Motors Company, 1925-1926

Folder 21. -- Analysis of operations/inventories/notes payable, 1930-1932

Folder 22. -- Bills, Dodge Brothers, Graham Brothers, Massachusetts AutoDealer and Garage
Association, 1926-1927

Folder 23. -- Buses, 1931-1932 [selected]

Folder 24. -- Plymouth Cantrell Suburban, 1932

Folder 25. -- Commercial Credit Corporation, 1930-1937

Folder 26. -- Commercial Investment Trust Corporation (C.I.T.), 1926

Folder 27. -- Correspondence, 1925

Folder 28. -- Correspondence, 1926

Folder 29. -- Correspondence, 1929

Folder 30. -- Correspondence, 1930

Folder 31. -- Correspondence, 1931

Folder 32. -- Correspondence, 1932

Folder 33. -- Correspondence, 1933

Folder 34. -- Correspondence, 1934

Folder 35. -- Correspondence, 1935

Folder 36. -- Correspondence, 1936

Folder 37. -- Correspondence, 1937

Folder 38. -- Correspondence, 1939

Folder 39. -- Correspondence, 1940-1941

Folder 40. -- Crapo, Clifford, Prescott and Bullard, 1925-1926 [law firm]

Folder 41. -- Withington, Cross, Proctor and Park. 1935-1942 [law firm]

Folder 42. -- Harold L. Crump, 1926-1927

Folder 43. -- C. E. Fay Company, distributor, Chrysler/Plymouth, 1935

Folder 44. -- Dodge Brothers Corporation, 1926-1932 [letters received]

Folder 45. -- Dodge Brothers Corporation, 1930-1932 [letters received]

Folder 46. -- Dodge Brothers Corporation, Commercial Credit Plan, 1932

Folder 47. -- Chrysler Corporation, Reserve agreement, 1932

Folder 48. -- Dodge Brothers Corporation, press release, 1931

Folder 49. -- Dodge Brothers Corporation, literature prices, ca. 1932

Folder 50. -- Dodge Brothers Corporation, Bulletins C1x-C65, 1930-1932

Folder 51. -- Dodge Brothers Corporation, Service Bulletins D1-D58, 1930-1932

Folder 52. -- Dodge Brothers Corporation, Bulletins, F1-F42, 1930-1932

Folder 53. -- Dodge Brothers Corporation, dealer letters, January-March 1931

Folder 54. -- Dodge Brothers Corporation, dealer letters, April-June 1931

Folder 55. -- Dodge Brothers Corporation, dealer letters, July-September 1931

Folder 56. -- Dodge Brothers Corporation, Dodger Truck-er, No. 18, 1931

Folder 57. -- Dodge Brothers Corporation, dealer letters, October-December 1931

Folder 58. -- Dodge Brothers Corporation, dealer letters, January-March 1932

Folder 59. -- Dodge Brothers Corporation, dealer letters, April-August 1932

Folder 60. -- Dodge Brothers Corporation, Dodge Truck-er, No. 39, 1932

Folder 61. -- Dodge Brothers Corporation, color samples, n.d.

Folder 62. -- Dodge/Plymouth, William J. Case, regional manager, 1930-1932

Folder 63. -- Dodge Brothers dealership, Harold F. McCormick, Inc., 1930-1932

Folder 64. -- Dodge Brothers, parts, Massachusetts Motor Car, Inc., 1931-1932

Folder 65. -- Forms [sampling], 1923-1938

Folder 66. -- J. C. Harvey, distributor, American Austin, 1930-1931

Folder 67. -- Mifflinburg Body Company, Dodge Custom-built station wagon, ca. 1932

Folder 68. -- Nash Franchise, 1926-1935

Folder 69. -- Nash New England Company, 1929

Folder 70. -- Nash, C. P. Rockwell, Inc., [New England distributor], 1925

Folder 71. -- Nash, C. P. Rockwell, Inc., January-March 1926

Folder 72. -- Nash, C. P. Rockwell, Inc., April-June 1926

Folder 73. -- Nash, C. P. Rockwell, Inc., July 1926

Folder 74. -- Nash, C. P. Rockwell, Inc., August-September 1926

Folder 75. -- Nash, C. P. Rockwell, Inc., October-December 1926

Folder 76. -- Nash, E. J. Wall, Inc., [New England distributor], 1925-1926

Folder 77. -- Packard, 1931-1936

Folder 78. -- Packard, 1931-1936

Folder 79. -- Price lists, ca. 1931 [sampling]

Series IV. Financial

Carton 1

Folder 80. -- IRS, Annual information return [payments of dividends], 1934, 1936

Folder 81. -- Inventory for town of Plymouth assessment, 1934

Folder 82. -- Census of business, 1935, 1939

Folder 83. -- Financial statements, 1936-1941

Folder 84. -- Statement of dealer to Commercial Credit Company, 1937-1938

Folder 85. -- Statement of sealer to C.I.T. Corporation, 1939

Folder 86. -- Statement of condition, 1939-1946

Folder 87. -- Office of Price Administration, Tire and tube inventory/purchase of tires and tubes, 1941, 1943

Folder 88. -- IRS, Stock Transfer Division, 1934

Folder 89. -- IRS, Capital Stock Tax Return, 1934-1945

Folder 90. -- Workmens' Time Book, November 1926-August 1927

Folder 91. -- Workmens' Time Book, August-December 1927

Folder 92. -- Workmens' Time Book, January-May 1928

Folder 93. -- Workmens' Time Book, June-October 1928

Folder 94. -- Workmens' Time Book, October-December 1928

Folder 95 -- Workmens' Time Book, May-August 1929

Folder 96. -- Workmens' Time Book, October 1929

Folder 97. -- Payroll, 1937

Folder 98. -- Social Security, 1937

Folder 99. -- IRS, inventory of cotton, 1933

Folder 100. -- IRS, correspondence, 1937

Folder 101. -- Social Security Board, 1939

Folder 102. -- Statement, 1937-1938

Folder 103. -- Accounts Receivable, A-G, 1925-1932

Folder 104. -- Accounts Receivable, H-P, 1925-1932

Folder 105. -- Accounts Receivable, Q-Z, 1925-1932

Folder 106. -- Accounts Receivable, A-Z (paid), 1925-1932

Folder 107. -- Sales Transfer Ledger, A-B, 1926-1932

Folder 108. -- Sales Transfer Ledger, C, 1926-1932

Box 2

Folder 1. -- Sales Transfer Ledger, D-E, 1926-1932

Folder 2. -- Sales Transfer Ledger, F-G, 1926-1932

Folder 4. -- Sales Transfer Ledger, H, 1926-1932

Folder 5. -- Sales Transfer Ledger, I-L, 1926-1932

Folder 6. -- Sales Transfer Ledger, M-N, 1926-1932

Folder 7. -- Sales Transfer Ledger, O-Q, 1926-1932

Folder 8. -- Sales Transfer Ledger, R, 1926-1932

Folder 9. -- Sales Transfer Ledger, S, 1926-1932

Folder 10. -- Sales Transfer Ledger, T-V, 1926-1932

Folder 11. -- Sales Transfer Ledger, W-Z, 1926-1932

Box 3

Folder 1. -- Service station dealer agreement [Firestone], 1925

Folder 2. -- Release of claims/cars sold by Everett T. Harlow, 1926

Folder 3. -- Sales agreements [sampling], 1928-1932

Folder 4. -- Trial balance, September 1925

Folder 5. -- Legal, mortgages, suits, etc., 1927-1937 [sampling]

Folder 6. -- Massachusetts Corporation certificate of condition, 1933, 1945

Folder 7. -- Massachusetts Department of Corporations and Taxation, Agreement of Association, 1935

Folder 8. -- Unemployment Compensation Commission, 1936

Folder 9. -- Issue of capital stock, 1937

Folder 10. -- Correspondence, Gulf Oil Corporation/Hyannis, 1937-1941

Folder 11. -- Unemployment Compensation Commission, 1937

Folder 12. -- Unemployment Compensation Commission, 1938

Folder 13. -- Unemployment Compensation Commission, 1939

Folder 14. -- Unemployment Compensation Commission, 1940

Folder 15. -- Unemployment Compensation Commission, 1941

Folder 16. -- Notice/ letters sent/receipt/list of equipment, 1941

Folder 17. -- IRS, Corporate Income Tax Return, 1932-1939

Folder 18. -- IRS, Corporate Income Tax Return, 1940-1948

Folder 19. -- Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Income Tax Return (George R. Briggs, Jr.), 1943

Carton 4
Cash received, check register, purchase record, general journal, sales summary and note register, 1925-1930; Cash disbursed, 1940-1946; payroll 1938-1941

Vol. 1. -- General ledger, 1925-1932

Vol. 2. -- Accounts receivable, 1930-1932; trial balance 1930-1934

Vol..3. -- Distributors and dealers monthly financial statement, 1937-1938

Vol. 4. -- Distributors and dealers monthly financial statement, 1938-1942

Vol. 5. -- Salesmen's records, 1926-1929

Vol. 6. -- Sales, new and used cars, 1929-1932

Vol. 7. -- Bills sent out, #3514 (1930)-#4198 (1932)

Vol. 8. -- Nash dealer records sheets, 1930-1932; includes cash receipts and journal, purchase and cash disbursements; daily sales summary, 1939