Vouchers, 1817-1868.

ArchivalResource

Alabama. Comptroller of Public Accounts. Vouchers, 1817-1868.

Vouchers, 1817-1868.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/122438966

The comptroller of public accounts served as the state's chief financial officer responsible for virtually all revenue and accounting functions. This series contains vouchers sent to the comptroller requesting payment from the state treasury for goods and services rendered to the state. Included in the series are vouchers issued in 1817 and 1818 when the state was governed as the Alabama territory. After Alabama became a state in 1819, the office of the comptroller continued its original functions, reporting to the state government rather than the territorial government. The vouchers provide justifications for expenditures, such as salaries for the governor, legislators, and other state officials; travel reimbursements for state legislators; payment for supplies and services; and funding for state institutions, i.e., the University of Alabama and Bryce Hospital. There are many gaps in the series, most notable for the following years: 1819, 1827-1829, 1831, 1849, 1853, and 1864. There are very few years for which a complete set survived. Users should also be aware of a change from a calendar year system to a fiscal year system that occurred ca. 1853-1854. Because there are so many gaps, however, the post-1854 vouchers are arranged numerically by calendar year. The following men served as comptroller: Samuel Pickens, 1819-1829; George W. Crabb, 1829-1836; Jefferson C. Van Dyke, 1836-1848; Joel Riggs, 1848-1855; William J. Greene, 1855-1865; and Malcolm A. Chisolm, 1865-1868. The comptroller was renamed the state auditor in 1868. Many of the documents suffer from severe mold and vermin damage. The most fragile records have been photocopied and are not available to researchers. The photocopies are inserted in place of the originals.

15 cubic ft. (29 archives boxes and 2 oversized folders).

Alabama Department of Archives and History