The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

The Life Of George Holcomb – A Shop for Brother William

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by Alex Brooks
Saturday, June 13, 1818: “This day I am 27 years of age.
August 20, Thursday: Today we drew timber from home down to frame Wm a shop on Mr. Ephraim Pierce’s land opposite of Wm’s house, and drew rails and fenced a yard for the shop, and I took the wall down.  Wm has agreed to give fifty cents a year for twenty years for the ground on which his shop is to stand.
By this time, avoiding military training has become absolutely routine. Among a multitude of other errands recorded that day, he notes:
August 31, Monday: I called to Doctor Graves and he gave me a line to go to the surgeon to get rid of training.
Brother Sylvester Moves To The West
Sept. 8: “Tonight we loaded up Sylvester’s goods.
Sept 25: Wm returned from moving Sylvester to Sullivan, 16 days gone.
Oct. 5: On this day Sylvester returned from the west.  He sold his farm and all of his effects except what he moved back in his one-horse wagon.  He complains the country unhealthy, but I think more like homesick.
Oct 21: I walked over to Sylvenas Carpenter’s to see if I could agree for a piece of land to set a house for Sylvester to live in, but could not.  I went and agreed for a piece of Mr. John Russell and Francis Buten, part of a lot that said Buten has bargained with said Russell for. I agreed to give 20 gallons of cider brandy providing I took said land with a week’s consideration on my part, but the bargain binding on their part.
That Sunday he goes up to Goodrich Hollow schoolhouse to singing school.
Monday: “We killed hogs.”
It’s December, and he is back to chopping wood.  Tuesday a week later he attends singing school at Mr. Simeon Wylies.  Sunday 13th of December, he attends singing school again at Goodrich Hollow schoolhouse.  By late December, more illness: a headache and bad cold and pain in one of his eyes – he is sick and unable to work for several days.
December 25, Friday: “Today I went to Hendricks Presbyterian Chrystmas Sermon, this afternoon I took tea at Mr. John Russell’s.”
The following Tuesday, he went to singing school at Simeon Wylies again.