This series contains estate papers, property assessments, deeds, receipts and bills, and financial correspondence for the Holley and MacRae families. Evident from the records is the fact that the financial status of both families was, for the most part, extremely modest.
The financial records of Josephine Lyon Holley and Edward Payson Holley provide a wealth of information for the researcher interested in the financial costs of running a boardinghouse during this period. The financial records of Mary Jane Rogers MacRae are also interest. Mary moved to Connecticut following the death of Charles MacRae, and invested the remainder of his estate in an unsuccessful chicken farm in Norwalk. Much of the records from the last few years of her life concern the farm, and following her death in 1906, Elmer MacRae was saddled with a debt that took him the next eight years to repay.
The largest body of material pertains to Charles MacRae and his real estate business in New York City. During the 1870s-1880s, Charles MacRae was a successful speculator and realtor for several significant patrons including members of the Vanderbilt family. His clippings scrapbook documents his sales and leasing activities and other publicity his firm received. The client ledgers document the transactions for which each client engaged him and provide a fascinating overview of property sales in New York City. MacRae's cash ledger provides detailed information regarding the accounts of his clients, including Cornelius Vanderbilt, and also provides a narrative of his various discussions and correspondence with them.
