George Holcomb

Thursday, February 19, 1835: This evening I took my one-horse sleigh and carried Hiram S. Thayer’s wife a peck of potatoes, for he had gone and left her without provision. This morning a tinker by the name of Wallace took breakfast with us. He stayed with us last night and he soldered tin for to pay his bill. [Read more…] about His Cow “Mashes” George’s Toe

Friday, January 30, 1835: Today I took the single wagon and rode to Lebanon. I went to the Shakers and took up two small notes that was paid up but for 74 cts and I paid the 74 cts in cash which makes all our accounts even with said Shakers. I then got a calf skin and they charged it to me, which was two dollars and 75 cts. I called to the milliners Mrs. MacCarters and got my wife’s mourning hat and paid 37 cts for the making and four cents for the wire.  Amos Chapman rode home with me and went on to watch with Mr. Newton. Today and night quite windy and stormy.

[private] Saturday: I carried my wife up to Goodrich Hollow to see Laura Surdam about working for us this season. She was not at home.

Sunday, Feb. 1: Today I walked over to see brother Isaac Newton. He remains quite feeble.

Tuesday: This afternoon I took my team and went over to my Rodgers swamp and drew a load of hard wood to Hiram Thayer and he owes me for the same, and then I drew a load wood to the school house.

Thursday: tonight we watched with Mother and Sarah for they were both quite sick.

Saturday: I took my team and drew Henry Ostrander two loads wood from Adam Brown’s lot near the river, and I charge said Ostrander 25 cts on account for the work.

Friday: Today I carried my wife to Mr. Sylvester Gardners and made a visit. We took dinner and supper to said Gardner’s.

Saturday: Today I drew wood from my swamp and chopped wood to the door and on the forepart of this week as I do hear by hearsay, I do not learn which day, Mr. Ebeneazer Tyler was killed dead instantly by the fall of a tree, it broke his neck.

Sunday: I and my wife rode over to see brother Newton, for he remains very low with the dropsy.

Monday: This forenoon I went with my team and fetched a load of furniture from the Widow Ryans for Alonzo Chapman to his house. He demanded them with a letter of administration but she did not give them up, or in other words she did not give leave to take them, but told him where the goods were. This evening I took my one-horse sleigh and carried my wife and Charlotte to Lebanon to Mr. Amos Chapman’s. We bargained with  Harriot Chapman to come and work for us this season at eighty eight cts per week and if we did not hire any other girl and she made the cheese and took the care of it and was able to go to all sorts of work we agreed to pay her one dollar per week. [/private]

Monday, January 20, 1835: Today Mother Spring continues to be more dangerous and Simeon Wylie rode my horse to Pittsfield after brother F. Jay Wylie, and he said Jay and his wife came only time for his mother to know him for she failed so fast and tonight she had lost all sense and lay all night speechless in the agonies of death. [private] I and my wife together with her two sons and their wives and some neighbors remained there watching every moment to be the last.

Tuesday: On this morning at 7 o’clock Mother Spring died, she died with out any hard struggle. She breathed out her breath gradually shorter and shorter until the last.

Wednesday: I tended the funeral of my wife’s mother that is Deborah Spring, the widow of Nathaniel Spring deceased and formerly the widow of Capt. John Wylie, deceased.  Her age was seventy nine.  My wife and two eldest daughters attended the funeral. Elder Mather Jones tended prayers at the house before the deceased was removed, and then the funeral procession removed to Saturday Meeting house and a sermon by Elder Jones. On this evening I took my cutter and carried my wife and sister Eleanor over to see brother Isaac Newton for his health remains very poor.

Friday January 3: I returned a list of the scholars that draw States money to our Town Clerk, who is Doc Elijah Graves, signed by myself and Platt Wylie, we as trustees for our district. We had 24 scholars to draw money for, within our district.

Saturday: Today I went over to Goodrich Hollow to the widow Surdam’s to bargain with her daughter Laura to work for us this season, but we did not come to no bargain, but she agreed to come to my house the forepart of next week and give us answer if she could work. This afternoon I took my wife to Lebanon to the milliners Mrs MacArthur’s and left a mourning hat to be made over. We called to Edwin E. Griggs store and got trusted for eight yards of gingham at 37 cts per, and linings and silk for to put into my wife’s mourning hat. The said gingham was for my wife a mourning dress.

Sunday: Today I went over to see brother Newton, for he remains quite feeble and bloated with the dropsey.

Monday: I chopped wood to the door. Tonight watched with brother Newton. I sat up until 2 o’clock and then Frederick Russel sat up the rest of the night. Said Newton rested but little, he sat in his chair all night.[/private]

Thursday, January 1, 1835: This afternoon we rode to Hosey Brown’s store to try to sell socks, but could not and then we rode to Hancock Village but could not sell the socks for what they was worth, and we fetched them home again.

[private]Friday: Today I drew wood from the swamp and Mr. Alonzo Chapman chopped for me.  This evening I walked up to the widow Lucy Ryan’s with Mr. Alonzo Chapman to assist him about dividing the furniture his wife’s mother died and left, but we did nothing.

Saturday: I rode over to my Rodgers farm and salted my cows and my wife called over to brother Newton’s for his health remains very low.  Mr. Amos Chapman called and took supper and spent the evening and tried to bargain for my Rodgers house to hire it.

Sunday: I went with my double sleigh to the Shakers to meeting and carried my wife and part of my children, but they had no meeting today on account of it being a severe cold day.

Thursday: On this evening Elder Matthew Jones preached at my house.

Saturday: I drew wood from the swamp and drew a load half a cord hard wood and gave to brother Isaac Newton.

Monday: I drew two loads wood from my swamp and I carried Mother Holcomb over to brother Newton’s at noon and at night I went after her. She walked into the sleigh on a plank and then we put the box on at Mr. Newton’s. We took her into a chair and carried her in. Mr. Newton continues failing, he bloats.

Tuesday: I took my sleigh and carried my wife to the west part of the town to Mr. Tabor Roberts. We took dinner there. We went to engage Fanna Roberts to make our cheese this season. She would not engage certain but told us if she worked out she would work for us.

Tuesday, January 13, 1835: Tonight my wife and I stayed with Mother Spring for she is quite sick. She has had a fit of the shaking palsy.

Wednesday: Today Mr. Withee stays with us for it is quite a thaw and rainy. Mother Spring is a little better.

Sunday, January 19: On this evening we were called up to Mother Spring’s for she was taken down worse. My wife and sister Eleanor stayed and I returned home to stay with my children. [/private]

Tuesday, November 18, 1834: This evening I took my double wagon and carried two of my fat hogs up to Wm Hadsell. One weighed one hundred and eighty and the other one hundred eighty two, and he credit me five dollars per cwt. [Read more…] about The Life Of George Holcomb – Winter Comes On: Chopping Wood

Monday, Nov 3, 1834: This forenoon a drover from near New York called and offered fifteen dol per head for a part of my cows such as I would choose to sell, but it was not high price as I wanted. This afternoon I walked over to Claudius Moffett’s to Election. I put in a Jackson vote and I paid Mr. Dabill 62 cts, which pays him up for the cheese hoops he made for me last summer. This evening I walked to Hazard Morey’s and paid him up the note and interest which was thirty five dol and 25 cts.

Tuesday: This afternoon I drew two loads manure on the hill and I broke the axletree. I had my small wagon.  Tonight I am quite unwell with a cold and I took phisic.

Wednesday: I am quite unwell. I rode to Lebanon to Doc Right’s and got a puke and this evening I took said puke.

Thursday: I took another puke and kept the house.

Friday: I am some better of my cold. This forenoon I pinned on a piece to my axletree and this afternoon took said single wagon and carried my wife to Lebanon.

Monday: This evening I walked over to Mr. Abraham Winston’s and got a side of shoe leather. Mr. Winston went down in the lot and got me some brook lime to put into rum to take for the Sathume on my hands. Today I lent James Adams Jnr one hundred and eighty dollars and took a note on interest for one year.

Tuesday: Tonight brother Wm returned from Hudson with his wife, she was some better, her crazyness. She had been there three months.

Tuesday, November 11, 1834: On this evening brother Wm and I settled our dealings and I paid him one dol in cash which makes all our deal even.

Wednesday: This morning brother Wm and wife left my house for Hoosic and calculated to start on the canal on Friday to move to the westward.  Mother gave Wm a featherbed and a coverlet and I gave him about sixteen pounds of cheese, and I rode along with Wm to Mr. James Adams and said Adams paid him up for his farm. (two days earlier, George lent Adams the money to buy Wm’s farm) William gave me his old sled and small notions and I returned home when William and his wife went on to Hoosic, and I drew out manure.

Thursday: I drew out manure.

Friday: I drew out manure.

Sunday: This afternoon I walked up to the post office at Squ Nathan Howard’s to see if brother Wm wrote me a letter but he had not, and I walked up to Rufus Rose’s with said Nathan Howard and I handed Howard five dollars and twelve cts and he called over to Mr. Watson’s and paid it to Eunice Watson for me, which was her demand in full for the nine weeks work at one dol per week with what I had paid her before.

Thursday, October 9, 1834: Some rainy. This evening I went to our annual school meeting. I was re-elected trustee with Mr. Nathaniel Bishop and Platt Wylie. I contributed 12½ cts and the district generally each man for the repairs for the school house.

Friday: We wired the pigs noses to put out into the pasture. Quite cold and frosty.

Sunday: Today my wife and daughter Charlotte went with me to the south part of Lebanon about ten miles to carry our hired girl home by the name of Margaret Ann White. She worked for us five weeks and I paid her three dollars and seventy five cts.

Monday: Today I went to Williams-town with my two-horse team after the cheese casks as I before bargained with Tower and Mills.  I took dinner to said Tower’s and my two sons with me. I went to four coopers to get said cheese casks.

Wednesday: This evening I walked to Hiram Madison’s and bargained with him to teach our school four months and a half at ten dollars per and to begin the tenth November.

Thursday: Today Alonzo Rodgers gun went off unexpectedly and shot partly through his or on one side of his cheek.

Friday: This evening Mr. Tower and Mills from Williamstown and fetched the third man and they weighed my cheese what I sold them, which was 4646 pounds and paid me the cash, which was $336.83 and what we have weight to pay for the use of cows and for our own eating about six cwt besides late made and we got done about midnight.

Saturday, October 18: This morning at two o’clock I started for Troy with a load of cheese and Ira Sheldon with me.  We went the new road by Maj Bushes. We got into Troy about noon. I delivered my load to the tow boat office and took a receit. I paid 25 cts at the Troy Bank for one hundred dollars of their bills in exchange for my Adams money I had in payment for my cheese. We came home by the way of Sand Lake. We got home about midnight.

Sunday: Today quite rainy.

Monday: I started for Troy with my second load cheese. I went to Sand Lake and stayed to Henry Withees tonight and I paid up the interest to Rufus Withee on the three hundred dollars and gave a new note. Interest I paid 17 dol, 93 cts.

Tuesday: I went into Troy this morning from said Withees and left my load cheese at the tow boat dock and took a receit and I loaded home with Henry Platt’s goods and he credits me 25 cts per cwt. Weights I have not ascertained. I stopped at Uline’s and bated, three cts for beer and got home about eight this evening.

Friday, September 12, 1834: Today Mother Holcomb is taken quite unwell and we called in Doc Right. He ordered castor oil for her.

Saturday: Today brother Sylvester went to Hoosic after sister Eleanor, for Mother is quite sick.

Sunday: Mother some better. Sylvester returned with Sister Eleanor from Hoosic

Wednesday: I went to training to Nassau to Searls and carried passengers.  My boys sold 40 cts worth apples and had half of it in cakes.

Saturday I worked on the highway with my tram and plow, which counts three days. This evening our youngest daughter Sarah Orelia is taken quite sick with a high fever and inflammation in the bowels.

Sunday: Today Sarah continues in great pain and this evening I rode over after Doc Graves but he was not to home. I got some sene of Doc Graves’ wife and returned home. When I got home I found my child growing more sick. I then went to Lebanon and got Doc Right and we returned at eleven this evening. Said Doctor applied draughts and gave calomel.

Monday: This morning I rode to Lebanon to Edwin A Griggs store and had one gallon molasses charged 44 cts and took orders of him to get loading in Troy, and then I rode to Hancock to Hosey Brown’s store to see if I could get loading to carry to Troy but I could not get any. I returned home and at noon I started for Troy after said Griggs loading. I got into Troy about dusk.  I sold two and a half bushels of potatoes to Meanax store at 37 cts per. I then took on twelve bushels salt and two cwt codfish at Malory and Hunter’s and two barrels of whiskey. I came out of Troy at ten this evening and traveled all night.  I came and went by the new road by Nassau Meeting House, and I got to Lebanon Tuesday morning to Edwin A. Griggs, I delivered my load and he credited four dol and fifty cts.

Wednesday: This morning I rode down after said Doc Right, for my child continues more unwell with a fever and severe pain in the bowels.

Thursday: I cut and put up stalks. The said Doctor Right tended to my child every day.

Friday: I rode to N. Nichols Store, my two sons rode with me. We went by way of Dr. Right’s to let him know the operation of the medicine. The child puked it up. The Doc gave orders not to give so large doses.

Saturday: I worked on the highway and finished working out my assessment.

Sunday: Today said Doc Right tended to my child and a little better.

Friday, August 15, 1834: This forenoon Tacy’s Father (Tacy Hinkley is working for George making cheese) came after her and carried her home on account of her sick sister.

Sunday: Today I and my wife rode to Lebanon to cousin Josiah Egleston’s and took tea and his daughter Eliza came home with us to work for us one week. Quite rainy this afternoon.

Wednesday: We hayed on said Rodgers farm. Today John Wylie’s son died, about two years old.

Thursday: Today Tacy Hinkley called and I paid her for the four days works fifty cts.

Friday, Aug 22: Tonight brother Wm and Joseph Barnhart stayed with us. They had been to Hudson to carry brother Wm’s wife and put her into the mad house by paying fifty dollars for three months, and this evening brother Wm had a severe spell of the colic.

Monday: Today we hayed it. Henry Ostrander helped towards his rent. Today my son Geo P rode to Pittsfield with Platt Wylie to the Caravan Shows.

Sunday: Today I rode to the west part of the town to Tabor Roberts and fetched his sister Fanna home with me to stay a few days and help us.

Wednesday, September 3: On this evening I took my covered wagon and carried my family over to the select school house to a Universalist meeting but the preacher did not come, and after waiting a spell we came home.

Saturday: I and my wife rode to the south part of Lebanon and got a girl by the name of Margaret Ann White to come and work for us and we got home at dusk.

Sunday: Today I took my covered wagon and carried Fanna Roberts home. I paid her seventy five cts for her week’s work.

Monday: Today some rainy. I nailed up the barn doors and mended brush fence and went to Nathaniel Bishop’s to have him take his horses out of my meadow.

Tuesday: Two men from Williamstown stayed with us, their names are Mills and Tower. They came to bargain for my cheese.

Wednesday, September 10: This morning I engaged my cheese to the before-mentioned Mills and Tower at seven dollars per cwt and a priviledge to deliver said cheese to Troy for twenty five cts per cwt, if I can conveniently, by going to Williamstown after the casks. They paid me five dollars to bind the bargain and agreed to take the cheese by the 16 October and pay the cash at that time and take what was dry and take the remainder of my cheese as soon as it was dry after we had done making. Today I picked corn where my cows had broken into my corn field and broke down my corn.

Thursday, July 10, 1834: I tended to chores and some rainy. I helped my wife and we trimmed our covered wagon. On this afternoon our cheeses girl Eunice Watson was taken unwell. She had my horse and rode home. Today Mr. Ostrander worked repairing my single harness.

Saturday: We hoed corn. This afternoon I took the single wagon and my wife rode with me to the west part of town to see if Fanna Roberts would make our cheese a spell, but she could not leave home.  We called to the widow Worden’s but could not find a girl that would answer to our purpose. We got home at eleven this evening.

Sunday: Today Mr. Henry Ostrander took my single wagon and went to look for us for a hired girl but did not get any.

Monday, July 14: On this week Mr. Thayer works towards his rent, today he mows.  This morning brother Beriah wife came here from the westward and this afternoon I took my wagon and carried sister Sally Holcomb and my wife to James Adams to see sister Eleanor, she was there to work.  I went on to the north part of town to get a hired girl but could not get any. Tuesday: This afternoon quite a hard shower.  On this morning the woman that is called the widow Belcher died, said to be poisoned by John Eldridge by taking medicine to rid herself of a child.

Wednesday: This evening I rode over to Hancock mountain to Mr. Smith’s to see Miss Hulda Smalley to see if she would come and make our cheese but she could not for her health was quite poorly.

Thursday: This afternoon I took the single wagon and carried my wife to Mr. Amis Chapman’s and we engaged Garruitt Chapman to come and work for us. She agreed to come two weeks or more. We took tea to said Chapmans. My wife and Mrs. Chapman rode to Mr. Holliday’s to see if we could get some person to come and make our cheese, but she could not find anyone.

Friday: On this evening I took the single wagon and carried my wife to Judah Rowley’s to inquire where we could get a girl to come and make our cheese but we could not hear of any.

Saturday: This forenoon we mowed and spread hay and this afternoon we hoed corn and finished hilling. This afternoon my wife took the single wagon and rode up to Nicholas Gardner’s and engaged a girl by the name of Hinkley to come in three weeks to work for us.

Sunday: Today I took my covered wagon and carried my wife and daughter and Eliza and James Wylie and Nathaniel Wylie all to the Shakers to meeting.

For the rest of July and the first week of August George spent almost all of his time haying. 

Saturday, August 9: We hayed on said Rodgers Farm. Today my wife rode up to Nicholas Gardner’s after a girl by the name of Tacy Hinkley and fetched her home to work for us.  On Tuesday last Harriott Chapman went home. My wife carried said Harriot to Hancock to Wm Hadsell and payed her one dollar and forty one cents and had it charged to my account and we payed said Harriot twenty two cts cash, which was 75 cts per week.