{"product_id":"new-york-buffalo-wattles-general-store-cheese-butter-1898-billhead-4-5-x-5-5","title":"Buffalo New York 1898 Wattles General Commission Merchant Billhead 4.5 x 5.5","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"200\" data-end=\"451\"\u003eThis 1898 billhead from G. M. Wattles of Buffalo, New York reflects the structure of late nineteenth-century wholesale food distribution, when commission merchants facilitated the movement of perishable goods between rural producers and urban markets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"453\" data-end=\"839\"\u003eBuffalo’s position as a major transportation hub on the Great Lakes and rail networks made it a key center for the exchange of agricultural products, particularly dairy and poultry. Firms such as Wattles operated within this system by coordinating sales, storage, and distribution, linking country suppliers with city-based demand during a period of expanding commercial infrastructure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"841\" data-end=\"1454\"\u003eThe printed letterhead identifies G. M. Wattles as a general commission merchant specializing in butter, cheese, eggs, and poultry, with an address at 152 Michigan Street. The document includes handwritten transaction details and accounting notations within a structured ledger format, reflecting routine business activity. The layout features bold typographic hierarchy at the top with ruled sections below for itemization and totals, characteristic of small-format late nineteenth-century billheads. Further examples of grocery and produce trade documents are represented within the broader ephemera collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1456\" data-end=\"1745\"\u003eThe item shown in the listing is the exact item the collector will receive. We have tens of thousands of items to choose from. Shipping will always be combined (or refunded) to save you as much money as possible. Please contact us with any questions, or visit our store page for specifics.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Everything Ephemera","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52979959824568,"sku":"20250825","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0939\/8740\/6008\/files\/57_fdedfae2-19b3-4b9a-a040-ed36b9b4b686.jpg?v=1773035607","url":"https:\/\/everythingephemera.com\/products\/new-york-buffalo-wattles-general-store-cheese-butter-1898-billhead-4-5-x-5-5","provider":"Everything Ephemera","version":"1.0","type":"link"}