In the course of its daily activities, the Customs Service of Philadelphia generated a large number of records documenting its internal operations. Many of these records relate to employee compensation, including quarterly, monthly, or daily statements of service and receipts for wages. Inspectors, gaugers, weighers, measurers, appraisers, and night watchmen all submitted statements for payment to the customs collector.
The customs collector occasionally administered oaths of allegiance to the United States. These were especially important during the U.S. Civil War, as shown by this 1862 oath signed by B.J. Levy of Hagerstown, Maryland.
