The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

The Life Of George Holcomb – Moving The School House

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Thursday, April 20, 1826: This afternoon I went to school house to a school meeting to try to agree to move the said school house, but it was not agreed on. I called to Asa Goodriches on the way home and got a pair of shoes that was to have been made by Amos Chapman for my wife. Goodrich was employed by said Chapman to make the shoes. Today a disturbance took place with our families.
Friday: I returned the shoes that I got to Goodriches last night, for they were too large. He would not take them for he said that the upper leather was so poor that he could not sell them, but said Goodrich agreed to make another pair for nothing if I could find leather. I told him I would, and went and got my calf skin and borrowed some leather of John Wylie and paid in cash to John Russell’s wife six cents for a quarter of a yard of lace cloth to line said shoes. Today I tended to no work, but tried to get Wm to talk over our concern and make a division of our property but he would not. Mother’s age is 76.
Saturday: I walked over across to Claudius Moffitt’s store and exchanged the shoe that Goodrich made for a pair of Denmark Sattin shoes and paid fifty cents to boot in cash.
Sunday: This evening I walked over to my Rodgers farm to brother Sylvester’s to see to my young cattle.
Monday: Today we tended to putting runners under the school house and this afternoon we went with our oxen to the drawing of said school house. It was drawn from the corner near Simeon Wylie’s to the spot near where the Widow Buten once lived.
Tuesday: This morning I sowed some spring wheat for John Wylie and this forenoon I went and consulted with Mr. Hazard Morey about dividing with brother Wm, our property. He advised us to do it ourselves. This afternoon I plowed stalk ground.
Sunday, April 30: I took the single wagon and carried my wife to the funeral of old Miss Rebecca Douglass, who died on Friday with old age. The old lady was one of the first settlers of this town. She came with her father, Asa Douglass, and she never married. Elder Jones preached at his meetinghouse. After the sermon and burial, one Mr. Taggard preached a short sermon.
Friday, May 5: Today I and my wife and child went to Troy. On the way we called to Mr. Henry Withee’s and took dinner. We peddled out nearly all of our load before we got to Troy.