George Holcomb

Monday, December 7, 1835: I drew two loads of wood from my Rodgers farm. Today I began to send my children to school in Lebanon in the district near Mr. Nathan Patchins. Mr. Hiram Mattison teaches the school. I send there on account of our own school paying an extra price of 16 dol per month and boarding. The teacher’s name is Howard from Williams College. On this evening I took my cutter and carried my wife to Mr. Judah Rowley’s. We went to get sage to put in to sausage.

Tuesday: Today I send the whole of my children to school, five of them. We carry and fetch them in the cutter and Mary Wylie with them.

Thursday: I called to Mr. Wm Bailie’s to see him about sending my children to school in his district, but he was not to home and I came on and fetched my children from school and on this evening I chopped up sausage meat.

Friday: I chopped wood to the door and filled sausages.

Wednesday, December 16: Today a severe cold. I carried and fetched my children to and from school. I only tended to my chores and today I rode over to Mr. Amos Chapman and reckoned with him. We reckoned over all our deal such as my team work and house rent and butter and soap and leather and on his part his work in the corn and potato ground and shoemaking, and there was a balance due to me eight dollars and seventy four cts.

Thursday: On this morning my wife returned home from Frederick Russel’s. She went there last evening and said Frederick’s third child was born, it was a son, early last evening.

Tuesday, November 24, 1835: I took my sleigh and carried two of my hogs weighing 397 pounds to Lewis M. Brown at six cents per and took a note of $24 and 32 cts to be paid in 30 days, and he credits me two dol and 13 cts to be paid out of his store for the loading I brought from Troy.  [Read more…] about Nephew Is Sick

Thursday, November 19, 1835: This morning I took off a cider cheese and today I went to Hancock to Wm Hadsell’s with a load cheese and had it weighed, 1964 pounds.

Friday: I took another load cheese and went to Hancock to Wm. Hadsell’s. The weight was 1864 pounds, which makes in all 3838 pounds at seven dol and 75 cts per hundred weight, which amounts to two hundred ninety seven dol and 44 cts and for the same said Wm Hadsell gave me a note payable the 15th Feb next and today I took on a load of cheese to carry to Troy for said Hadsell and he credits me the same on book. I carry over 21 hundred. It began to rain before I got out of the village. I called to Acox old stand to Elanges and paid three cts for a drink rum.  It slacked and I went on and had to stop again at Hosey Brown’s store and then I went to Christopher Clifford’s and stayed. I had a cup of tea with my own victuals. It was quite rainy the fore part of the night.

Saturday: This morning before light I started on for Troy. I stopped to Crandal’s old stand and bated. I paid six cts for bitters and two cts for cider.  I went into Troy and left my load to Mallery and Hunters and took a receit. I loaded on a cask of oil and three beems cotton yarn for Lewis M. Brown. I paid one dol and 12 cts for 2½ yards silk to make our Charlotte’s dress and I paid 31 cts for a bladder snuff and 12 cts for a writing book. I stayed to Knights.

Sunday: This morning I paid my bill to Knight’s Tavern which was 66 cts. I came on to Crandal’s old stand and bated. I paid six cts for bitters and cake.  I then came on to Lewis M. Brown’s factory and took out his load, and then I came home. Tonight a snow storm.

Monday: We butchered our pork, seven hogs in number. Asa Sheldon butchered and Peter Belcher helped. Today quite a snow storm and high wind.

Wednesday, November 4, 1835: This morning I went with a load of cider of six barrels and four gallons to N. Nichols still, and he credits me for the same and I had six panes of glass charged 25 cts and one pound pepper and one half yard black cambric 19 cts, and this afternoon I went to Election to Simon Cranston’s. This afternoon Howard Coon returned to work for me. Today I called to the post office and got my papers and paid 25 cts for a letter from Cincinnati from brother Twichel.

Saturday: This evening I took my team and carried the clothier at the pool by the name of Taylor two barrels of cider at one dol per barrel.

On the way home I went on to my Rodgers Farm and got a load of wood.  My wife and daughter rode home from Aseneth Newton’s, they went over to see Miriam Newton for her health is quite poor.  Today Howard Coon quit me on account of his being sick. I paid up for his quarter of a month one dollar as the bargain was, and I paid him eight cts for the half a day he worked over the quarter of a month. [Read more…] about Trading In Albany

Saturday, October 10, 1835 Today I went to Pittsfield with apples and cider. On the way I stopped to Mr. Clark’s tavern and settled up with his daughter for teaching our school this summer past.  I paid her nine dollars and she gave a receit and my daughter Angeline fetched the receit home. I went on to Pittsfield and sold out my load. I sold my apples at 25 to 37 cts per bushel. I had about 14 bushels. [Read more…] about Hiring Help

Monday September 28. 1835: On this evening I took my single wagon and carried my wife to Lebanon to Nathaniel Nichols Store and bought a few small articles to the amount of 27 cts.  We then went to Edwin Griggs store and I paid 19 cts for half a pound bohea tea, and on the way home I called to Mr. Salmon Oins and got Judah Rowley’s cross cut saw to saw chestnut, and today I chopped and drew chestnut shingle timber. [Read more…] about Apple Season

September 19, 1835: I tended to chores and dug potatoes.  Today Peter Surdam had my wagon and horse to go to training to Canaan and Asa Sheldon with him and they do agree to butcher my hogs and beef, for the use of the horse and wagon.

Sunday: High wind and blew off my apples and my stack tops. I gathered apples and put on my stack tops. [Read more…] about Making Shingles

Tuesday August 25, 1835: Some rainy. We mowed in the forenoon and this afternoon I borrowed Mr. Alonzo Chapman cradle and Peter cradled oats and I bound. Today two Irish men bargained for my sorrel mare at 30 dollars to be paid in ditching. The said Irishmen agree to come on the first Sunday in Sept to ditch at 20 cts per rod on my Rodgers farm and to make said ditch three feet wide and 1½ deep, and my ditch to home is to be 2½ wide and 1½ deep at 1/3 pence per rod and not to have the mare until paid for nor I do not warrent her sound nor with foal nor to be at any certain age.

Wednesday: Quite rainy. I chopped wood to the door. Tonight my wife returned home from the west. Her passage from Rome to Schenectady on the boat was one dol 50 cts and on the railroad to Albany was 50 cts, and the stage to Lebanon one dol 50 cts.

Friday: Quite showery, we mowed and this afternoon I took my single wagon and carried Fanna Roberts home. She has worked for us three weeks and two days and I paid her three dol and 25 cts.

Thursday, September 10: We mowed rowing and stubble and pulled out my stacks and topped up stacks and drew in two loads rowing. Today Peter Surdam helped, which pays me up the month’s work that he gives for his house rent.

Friday: Today I worked on the highway with my team and plow and I had three days credited me.

Monday: Today brother Sylvester cleared out my cider house and made a small pressing cider of about one barrel and had half of it, and tonight I sold brother Sylvester my bay mare. He shingles my house and gives ten days works, and gives in what I owed him for a trifle of work.

Tuesday: I drew twelve slabs from Elijah Goodrich sawmill and repaired the bridge where I turn my cows to pasture. On this morning the widow of Rockman Pierce died of a lingering consumption.

Wednesday: I moved a gate and laid the wall in the old gate road to go into my milk yard and drew rails and made a hog yard.

Thursday: This morning I went with my covered wagon and carried my family to the funeral of the widow Pierce. Elder Jones preached. Towards night I went with my team and fetched part of a load of apples for Peter Surdam from Asa Sheldon’s to my cider mill and said Peter gathered apples for me while I was gone. On this evening I walked over onto my Rodgers Farm to turn out cattle that had broken into my pasture, but Mr. A. Chapman had turned them out.

Friday: Today I went to Pittsfield with bushels of apples and sold them from 25 cts to 37 cts per bushel.

Thursday, August 6, 1835: Today an Irish woman came and went to work for us. Today sister Eleanor and my daughter Charlotte went to Hoosic to old Mr. David Barnhart’s to get information what town brother Wm has moved to, but all I can learn he lives in the country of what is called Buffalo. On the way home tonight from work I met Mr. Amis Chapman and he asked me if I was willing he should return to his work for me and I gave him a privilege in my barn as he says [Read more…] about Isaac Newton Dies; George’s Wife Goes Traveling

Saturday, July 25, 1835: Jointed shingle and worked at hay. R. Danford and boy came and helped get in one load of hay, a shower rising today. Brother Sylvester came and finished shingling the east side, the roof of my house. He worked 3/4 of the day and I let him have half a bushel of rye and the other day a peck of fine salt. This afternoon a quite hard thunder shower and raised the water quick and high. [Read more…] about Midsummer Haying