Cariño Conservation LLC completed a project in 2006 to clean, stabilize and house over 320 ledgers, held in the Tunstall General Store since the 1880’s. Lincoln NM is the site of the Lincoln County Wars. The ledgers had been stored on the shelves behind the register of the general store during its years of operation through 1956 and through the tenure of the Lincoln State Monument. The ledgers record the transactions of the store and post office throughout the years of its operation. The project established item control of the items by assigning each a unique identification number. The ledgers were extremely soiled from exposure, pest infestation, and constant handling. A HEPA vacuum with micro-attachments and variable suction facilitated careful cleaning of each item. Minor repairs and stabilization reduced future risks to the ledgers. Custom fitted boxes with accurate labels now house each ledger in a secure cabinet.
