The Morse Hardware Company Records consist of three specific series spanning the years 1891-1999. These series are: 1) The records of the Morse Hardware Company, 2) Morse Family Materials, and 3) Bellingham and Whatcom County Historical Materials. The first series, the company records, comprise the bulk of the collection. This series includes Board of Directors meeting minutes, stockholder minutes, extensive financial material including ledgers and account books, sales records, invoices, daybooks, cash books, shipping and freight records, taxes, leases and other property records which document growth and change in business activity. The records also include extensive material documenting employees and employee functions. Marketing, merchandise and customer relations played an increasingly important role as the company grew and flourished. A large section of the collection documents this activity and includes a number of sales catalogs generated by Morse Hardware and other companies. These catalogs were used by the Morse sales staff as they canvassed their respective territories. Finally, the Morse company records include subject files maintained in the main office which document the humor, general interests, and business philosophy of the Morse family. The final two series were created by members of Morse family and include pamphlets, maps, photographs and manuscript material, which document the history of Morse Hardware and the history of the local community and which underscore the important role that this family-owned business served in the local community and the regional economy.