Center for Archival Collections

Introduction | Biographical Sketch | Scope and Content | Series Description | Inventory

 Introduction

The Dr. Thomas M. Lea collection consists of .1 linear feet and mostly contains Financial Documents. These Financial Documents include ledgers, or Dental Registers, dating from May 19, 1902 to November 7, 1904. It also contains photocopies of two news clipping from The Daily Sentinel providing information on Dr. Thomas M. Lea’s life and death. The collection was donated and transferred to the Center for Archival Collections in 2009 through the cooperation of Donelda Huffman. The collection was processed and the register prepared by Annie Rose Adams in October 2009.

 Biographical Sketch

Dr. Thomas M. Lea was born September 22, 1879, to Rev. Isaac and Mary Lea near Lemert in Crawford County, Ohio. When Thomas was two years old he and his parents moved to Bowling Green, Ohio so that his father could work at the U.B. Church of the town. Thomas went to Ohio State University and graduated with a degree from the Dental College. The day before his graduation, however, he enlisted in the army and served under the 6th O.V.I. during the Spanish-American War. During this war he contracted an intestinal disease which plagued him until his death in 1937. After returning from the war, Dr. Thomas M. Lea returned to Bowling Green and set up his own dental office in May 1902. Dr. Thomas M. Lea was married. Lea had a successful dental business throughout his life. September 7, 1937 Dr. Thomas M. Lea died from carbon-monoxide poisoning in his garage while trying to fix his car.

 Scope and Content

The Dr. Thomas M. Lea collection consists mostly of his Dental Registers from the years 1902-1904. These registers provide a wealth of knowledge on the activities of his business and the prices of his trade. The ledgers provide customer names, what they had done to their teeth, and how much it cost them. Also in the back of one of the ledgers, Dr. Thomas M. Lea wrote down the various expenses he had to pay to keep the business running.

The collection also consists of newspaper clippings one of which describes Dr. Thomas M. Lea’s accomplishment, as having written an article that was going to be published in a book. This clipping provides an insight into how proud the people of Bowling Green were of their dentist and his great accomplishments. The other newspaper clip is of Dr. Thomas M. Lea’s obituary. It provides great details of the day that Lea died, and his life in general. Some things that the obituary talks about are Lea’s childhood, education and military service.

The collection would interest researchers hoping to explore prices of goods during the early 1900s, or the practices of dentists. The handwriting can be difficult to read, but with time becomes more clear.

 Series Description

FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS

LEDGERS
May 19, 1902-November 7, 1904
These ledgers consist of Dr. Thomas M. Lea’s Dental Registers, two in total. They provide intricate details of Dr. Thomas M. Lea’s dentistry business in the beginning years. The ledgers provide a lot of detail about which customers came to see him, what they had done, and how much it costs. One of the registers also provides details on the expenses that Lea paid to keep the business open.

PRINTED MATERIALS

SUPPLY CATALOG PAGES
n.d.
These catalogs pages provide information the importance for the proper construction of artificial dentures, and then goes on to try and sell its product to help with artificial denture construction, cement models for teeth. They also give intricate details on the proper shape and structure of the teeth and gums.

 Inventory

Box 1

1. Financial Documents: Dr. Thomas M. Lea Dental Register, May 19, 1902-Nov. 7, 1903
2. Financial Documents: Dr. Thomas M. Lea Dental Register, July 30, 1902-Feb. 13, 1904
3. Printed Materials: Supply Catalogue pages, n.d.
4. Family History

Manuscripts by Subject | Business & Commerce | Miscellaneous Collections