George Holcomb

Wednesday, February 1, 1832: I chopped wood to the door and mended a hovel that had blown part of the boards off.

Thursday: Today I took the cutter and carried my wife to John Wylie’s to see their child that is dangerous sick.  I then went to Hancock and carried one bushel and 13 qts of corn to Wm Hadsell’s store and sold it at 63 cts per bushel.  I returned from Hancock to John Wylie’s and carried my wife home and about sunset the child of John Wylie died. It is a daughter about six months old.  On this evening I went to Harvy Wheeler’s and today James Chapman was married to Miss Philena Rodgers by Elder Jones.

Saturday, Feb. 4: Today I took the cutter and carried my wife and Lucinda Morton to the funeral of John Wylie’s child at the house of the widow Margaret Douglass. Elder Jones preached.

Sunday: On this day Mr. Harvy Wheeler came and doctored a cow that had calved yesterday and last night cast her wethers. I stand indebted to him for the same.

Thursday, Feb 9: Today quite a snow storm and big winds and roads drifted. We only tended to chores

Friday: We shoveled out the snow on the highway. I chopped to the door.

Saturday: On this morning at four o’clock Mr. Edmund Cherevoy had his factory burned down. The loss he sustained, I am informed, is over six thousand dollars. This afternoon I took the cutter and my wife and I went to the southwest part of town in the neighborhood of Squ Thomas’. We went in search to hire a girl but did not find any.  We called and took tea with Mrs. Fanny Roberts, and then we returned towards home.

Sunday: A thaw and rainy.

Monday: My children are having the measles. My two oldest daughters are now coming down sick and Sylvester Swan is sick and broke out with said measles.

Tuesday: I chopped wood to the door. Today I signed three dollars for Edmund Cherevoy to assist him for the loss by fire on Saturday last.

Thursday: I went up to Squ Nathan Howard’s and complained of Wm Post’s dog disturbing me and frightening my team on the highway.

Saturday: I went to Mr. Daboll’s to see if he meant to make my sap pails, but he would not promise certain.  I went to Samuel Holcomb’s to inquire after Larry Watson but I went up to Mr. Watson’s the girl was to Sylvester Gardner’s. I went there, but she was engaged.

Thursday, December 29, 1831: I and my wife and Mother Holcomb and sister Eleanor we went with sister Wylie and her son Moses, we all went to brother Wm in a visit.  Mr. Wm Post’s dog chased and frightened my horses and followed us to my brother’s; we armed ourselves and returned by said Post’s and the dog came to us as we was passing, jumping and biting my team and Moses Wylie shot and it went under the dog and he ran away.  I then called on said Post to kill his dog or I would complain of him. He would not, and I entered complaint to Squ Nathan Howard and I paid brothers Wm which was three dol and 55 cts.  Wm and Moses went with me.  We went in to Edmond Cherevoy’s woods and fetched brother Wm’s broken down sled home for him.

Wed, January 4: Today I took my cutter and my wife went with me to the north part of Hancock and we bargained with Lydia Green at one dollar per week to come make our cheese this season and to milk and wash and do any other work.

Monday, January 16, 1832: I chopped in my Rodgers swamp and Samuel sledded home. We drew three loads home and one load to the school house.

Wednesday: I chopped and drew two loads of wood in the swamp. A thaw we lost the best of the sleighing.

Thursday: I chopped and drew one load of wood and today I cut down and pressed out cider and tonight I cut my foot splitting wood.

Friday: My foot is lame and sore where I cut it last night.

Saturday: I went to Lebanon to a vendue near the Shaker Mill, but I did not bid off anything.  On this evening as I was returning from Lebanon I met with a man by the name of Paine, I bargained with him to come a week and shoemake. He agreed to make thick boots at 88 cts per pair and women’s shoes or boots at 44 cts per pair.

Wednesday: I carried my children to school and today I went to H. Platt’s mill with a grist of rye. I carried two bushels of oats to H. Platt’s store at 37 cts per. Today quite snowy and blustering.

Thursday: I took the cutter to the vendue of Nathaniel Niles. I bought a cow at public vendue at 13 dollars and seventy five cts.

Friday: My wife and I went round by Mr Nathaniel Niles for the cow I bid off yesterday and I paid 15 dol for another cow that his wife and his son-in-law Harris sold to me and John Dean drove said cows home for me.  I and my wife went on to Randal Brown’s to see a Roberts girl if she would work for us this season.  We did not get an answer. Then we went to Mr. Chittendon’s to see if we could hire a girl but could not.

Saturday, Jan 29: Tonight a snow storm and high wind and snow drifts up the roads.

Monday: Today the storm continued. We only tended to our chores.

Tuesday: We shoveled roads on the highway. Snow had drifted badly.

Friday, December 7, 1831: Today Mr. John Dean butchered three shoats and I paid him in apples.  Sylvester Swan helped.

Saturday: I carried leather to Amos Chapman to make Mother a pair of shoes, and I fetched the Widow Ryan to our house and she cut out Samuel a coat and Sylvester Swan a coat and vest, and I paid her the cash 31 cts.  I went to H. Platt’s store and paid 25 cts for one pound pepper and 12 cts for a knife and fork.  The reason I bought them I broke the knife trying it, a seeing if it would bend. Tonight my wife and I rode over to Amos Chapman’s and we had our babe’s foot measured for a pair of shoes, and I agreed to fetch a barrel of flour from the river for making them. I paid him the cash for making Mother’s 75 cts, and 33 cts for mending.  Said Chapman handed me six dol for flour. Tonight we made sausages

Sunday: This evening I took the cutter and rode to Lebanon to N. Nichols and got six billious pills that I stand indebted for. I came home by I Newton’s and got my borrowed salt, nine quarts.  I got said pills for Samuel, he is taken quite unwell.

Tuesday, December 20: I tended to my chores and mended my stable floors. Tonight I am quite unwell with a cold and I took a sweat.

Wednesday: Today I did nothing and kept in the house, on the account my hands being sore and I took cold in them and today sister Eleanor had a bee drawing wood. She had four teams each got a load. Sylvester Swan went with my team and drew one of the loads.

Thursday: Today I took the cutter and rode to Lebanon. Sylvester Swan went with me and drove. We called to David Gilbert’s and I paid nine cts for half a pound of salt peter, then we called up to N. Nichols store. I paid said Nichols six cts for Porter’s six billious pills I got the other evening and I paid ten cents for Porter’s health almanack, to said Nichols. Today quite cold.

Saturday: Today I am quite unwell and my hands very sore with the salt rime on them. Today a moderate thaw and a little rain.

Sunday: My hands a little better. On this evening my sister Lucretia Wylie, a widow, and her son Moses D. Wylie came here from the west in Lebanon, Madison County.

Tuesday: I did not do much on account of the sore hands. We cut a walnut on the hill for ax handles for cousin Moses Wylie. On this evening sister Wylie and son and my wife and sister Eleanor went to Thomas G. Carpenters on a visit.

Wednesday, Dec 28: Today my wife and I and sister Wylie and son we went to brother Sylvester’s on a visit.

Friday, November 11: Today Mr. John Smith came to build me a chimney in my cheese house. I tended mason, and took the wagon and horses to Doctor Cuyler Tanners and paid him one dol.

Saturday: I returned the mantle tree and got a shorter and smaller one

Monday: Today I went to Albany with a load of apples and a barrel of cider. I started in the night, it was dark and rainy. I went on the South Road. I called in Nassau to a temperate tavern and bated. I paid three cts for beer. Rensselaer Sheldon went with me and we called again to Brockways. We had brandy and coffee.

Tuesday: We started out of Albany at three this afternoon and came the way of Sand Lake. We got home about eleven this evening. Today Mr. John Smith returned to work masoning building my chimney in my cheese house. My hired boy Sylvester Swan tended mason.

Wednesday: I tended mason and said Smith worked at my chimney towards night I walked to Lebanon. I paid Luther Rich two cts for a handful hair for plastering. This evening I tended mason and said Smith plastered our bedroom in spots where it was off.

Thursday: I tended mason and this evening said Smith laid my hearth in my cheese house, and tonight I started for Pittsfield after brick and lime.

Friday: This morning I got to Pittsfield and I bought 450 bricks of one Mr. Morton and paid him 37 cts per hundred and on the way going over I called to Sylvester Smith and paid 25 cts for two bushels lime. I got home about eleven and I tended mason. Said Smith coated my oven this evening, and it makes out six days work said Smith did building my chimney. Four days he owed me and the other two days I paid him the cash, two dol and 50 cts and one dol I paid him for what he did evenings.

Saturday: I cleared out the cheese house where we built the chimney and I painted the foundation of my chimney and this evening I put up the stoves.

Sunday: on this evening I rode to Pittsfield and partly bargained with the drover Mr. Foot to buy my fat cattle. I agreed to drive my beef to Lebanon on Tuesday and we would try to bargain when he passed with his drove.

Tuesday: I drove my three beef cows to Lebanon and there I met Mr. Foot and bargained and sold them at 15 dol each and took my cash.

Thursday, December 8, 1831: Today I went to Richmond with the sleigh and horses visiting to brother F. Jay Wylie’s. My wife and Lucinda Morton and Eliza Wylie went with me. I paid said Wylie 21 dollars interest money on a three hundred dollar note and on the way I stopped to the Shaker village and sold a bull’s hide at six cts per pound, weight 75 pounds.  I bought in exchange a S— shoe leather at 25 cts per pound, weight 7 pounds.

Friday: I was unwell and sore eye. I stayed in the house and chopped sausage meat.

Sunday, October 16, 1831: Today my wife went to the Baptist meeting house to meeting. My two oldest daughters and Lucinda Morton went, but when they started to come home the fills broke and the horse got loose and ran. My wife fell out and hurt her bad all over, and Lucinda Morton got some hurt. I put my horse to Platt Wylie’s wagon and fetched my folks from Simeon Wylie’s.

Monday: Today I gathered apples and this evening I took my wagon and horses and went to Hancock, near the Baptist meeting house and got my single wagon that broke down yesterday with wife and children. Grinman Stafford rode with me from Hancock and helped me getting my single wagon home.

Tuesday: We cut up and drew in corn and pumpkins.

Saturday: Today Wm Lapum came and bargained for my cheese at six dollars per cwt and he agreed that if I would come up to his store this evening he would advance me three hundred dollars, and I agreed to pay him back five dollars for paying before I delivered the cheese, and I went to said Lapum’s and he handed me the three hundred dollars, and I went with said money this evening and took up a three hundred dollar note to Robert Stanton, and gave a note for the interest eleven dol and 11 cts, payable the 31st day March next with out interest and I bargained with said Lapum today for my pork at five dollars per cwt pork to weight what they would.

Monday: Today quite rainy. We tended to chores and today I paid my summer’s schooling, which was three dollars and 64 cts, part the time a man’s school by the name of Henry Douglass and part of the time Harriot Doulittle.

Monday, October 31: Today I wagoned up two loads of cheese to Lapum’s, weighing twenty six hundred and 44 pounds, delivered according to contract the 22nd this month.  On the way home I called up to Joel Goodrich’s and paid one dol for twenty bushels of coal, and I bargained for the rest at the same price, take them away next spring as I wanted them.

Thursday November 3, 1831: We gathered apples, and at night I took my wagon and carried Mrs. Harriot Dean to Squ Nathan Howard’s and she entered complaint that Mrs. Lucinda Clark had threatened her life.

Saturday: Today I went to Squ Nathan Howard’s to Mrs. Lucinda Clark’s trial for threatening Mrs. Dean’s life.  The said Mrs. Clark pled guilty and the court let her go on these conditions – she promised to quit the state in four days.

Saturday, August 20, 1831: This morning I took the single wagon and carried Mother Holcomb and my wife over to I Newton’s on a visit and at night I went after them.  On this evening my hired girl Fanny Roberts rode my bay mare home on a visit.

Wednesday: Today I had Platt Wylie’s single wagon and rode to Canaan to what is called Whiting’s Pond and took dinner with Munson. I then tried to bargain for a chance to peddle to camp meeting but I did not find a place.  This morning my wife was going to Canaan with me, she got ready but she was taken unwell. I fetched up old Mrs. Morey, she told her her journey was too hard.

Wednesday, September 7: Today I went to Williamstown to commencement peddling. I cleared six dol and twenty five cts and John Dean went with me and peddled to the halves.  He got for me one dol and ten cts and Sylvester went with me and he got for me one dol and seven cts. I Newton went with me but he peddled for himself.

Thursday: I took the covered wagon and carried my wife and daughter Charlotte and hired girl Martha Kittle to camp meeting to Canaan on the bank of Whiting’s Pond. I paid six cts for cake.

Friday: We gathered apples.  On this evening I put up apples into bags for market.

Saturday I went to Pittsfield with apples and two small kegs of cider. I got four dol and 50 cts.

Sunday: Today I took the covered wagon and carried my wife and two daughters Charlotte and Angeline and cousin Aseneth Newton and my two hired girls Fanny Roberts & Martha Kittle to Camp meeting to Canaan at the before-mentioned place.

Friday, September 16: This evening I rode over to Doc Elijah Graves and he gave me a certificate to clear me from Military duty, and I carried it to Capt. Johnson Brown and he signed it.

Saturday: We gathered apples and I made cider, and said John Dean helped which pays up for his rent. I Newton helped and I am to let him have cider to peddle and carry him to training.

Sunday: This evening at nine I started for old Hoosic.

Monday: This morning I got to Hoosic Four Corners where I continued through the day peddling to training.  Asa Sheldon went with me and peddled to the halves, and I carried John Dean and a barrel of cider for him that he agrees to give me one dol for   and I carried I Newton and two kegs cider for him. Tonight we came on towards home and stayed on the river near the narrows to one Gary Forks. I paid 25 cts for my horse keeping and lodging.

Tuesday we came on to Petersburgh and their training was again we peddled tonight we came home by eleven o’clock, and I found that I had got seventeen dols for the two days works.

Wednesday I went to training in our own town to S. Cranston’s. I made about four dols and John Dean peddled on shares, I got ninety cts for my share.

Sunday, June 26, 1831: Today our hired girl Fanny Roberts rode one of my horses and went home. I paid her two dollars in cash.

Monday: We hoed in the garden and piled wood in the wood house. Today I sent thirty dollars by Ephraim Pierce to Stephen Van Rensselaer to pay rent.  Some rainy today.

Tuesday, June 28: Today I reckoned with Rachel Hall and she quit.  I paid her up at 62 days per.

Wednesday: This afternoon I took the wagon and my wife rode with me. We went to see Esther Sheldon and to Mr. Nilses to get his daughter but not made a bargain with none.

Saturday, July 2: This morning I walked to Lebanon and engaged cake of Squ John Bull for Brother Sylvester to peddle to Independence.  From there I went to John Smith’s to see when he would come and build the chimney in my cheese house.  He would not agree to come certain. We drew stone for the foundation.

Sunday: Today I took the single wagon and carried my wife and two eldest daughters to a Universalist meeting at the Select School house near Doc Elijah Graves.  We came home by the way of Isaac Newtons and took tea. I called up to Grindman Stafford’s and bargained with Martha Kittle to come and work for us.

Monday: We began to hay, and Asa Sheldon began his month’s work for his rent.

Thursday: We worked at our hay drying and got in two loads and some showery.  Said Sheldon worked in the forenoon and this afternoon Row Danford took said Sheldon with an assault and battery pretending said Sheldon struck Harriot Carr, but said Danford and Sheldon settled their difficulty by said Sheldon’s paying the cost, which was two dol and fifty cts.

Wednesday, August 3: Today my wife started for Rome.  Andrew Clark carried my wife to Troy and I paid him 59 cts and then she took passage in the canal boat with her brother Simeon and wife.

Monday: We hayed on my Rodgers farm and finished mowing but we did not get it in. It was rainy and tonight high wind, it blew off fruit.

Saturday: We hayed and open and spread spring rye to dry that was wet last Tuesday.

Sunday: I was necessitated to bibe my rye and get it into the barn for fear it would take damage again.

Thursday: We hayed it.  This evening my wife returned home, her journey from Rome. She came from Troy in the Lebanon Stage, and her expenses was five dollars.

Friday: This evening I took the single wagon and rode to Lebanon to Amos Broad’s and got my wife’s baggage that she left the stage returning home from her journey.

Tuesday, June 1, 1831: This morning about eleven o’clock we got into Troy. (He describes the details of the trading he did in Troy)

Wednesday: This morning at six o’clock we got home from Troy by traveling all night.  I took breakfast with brother Wm and then he fetched me and my load home.

Thursday: We worked on the highway, I and my Swan boy, two days worked and Samuel worked his day. Today Mr. Harvy Wheeler’s oldest son died, age six years, name Harvy Augusta, only three days sick with a coramorbos.

Friday we worked on the highway, three of us and my team, and I am credited four days works more.

Saturday: This morning I took my two year old colt to Lebanon to have him altered, but Mr. Allen Spencer was not to home and I returned with said colt without having him altered.  Today I had Doctor Right call from Mr. Harvy Wheeler’s to my house and bled my wife and leave some medicine.  Today I took my mares up to brother Wm’s and had them shod.  While he was shoeing one I put the other in his wagon and rode to Hancock.  I returned to brother Wm and took dinner and then I changed my horse and went to the southwest part of this town near Squ Thomas’ and hired old Mr. Robbard’s daughter Fanny and fetched her home with me, no bargain made, the widow Wheeler rode with me to see Fanny and persuade her to come and make my cheese.

Sunday: On this day Mr. Harvy Wheeler’s second son died age three years, named Dwight, with the same complaint as his brother last week.  Today I took my single wagon and carried my wife to said Wheeler’s.  The child was alive when we left there, but died in a few minutes after we came home.

Monday: Today Mr. Eber Moffitt came and altered my two year old colt and I paid him 50 cts for it.  This afternoon I went to the funeral of said Harvy Wheeler’s child at the schoolhouse in Goodrich Hollow.  I took the single wagon and carried my wife and Hulda Smalley. I left said Hulda, she quits working for us, her health is very poor.  Elder Jones preached.

Tuesday: today I worked on the highway half a day and Samuel half a day and my hired boy all day, which makes three days, which is all my highway tax now worked out, nine days in all.  On the afternoon I went on to the hill to look for stone for chimney in my cheese house.

Saturday, April 16, 1831: Today quite rainy. This afternoon I walked to Lebanon to Lias Dike’s to have him come and bargain for my calves.

Sunday: Today said Dike looked at my calves and said they would do a part for veal and agreed to come tomorrow and get them, seven in all, the remainder on Wednesday, and pay me fifteen dol and fifty cts and four runnets.

Monday: This afternoon I and my wife walked over across the hill to cousin Jessey Eggleston’s on a visit and I went down to what is called Norton’s Mill to see if the Griffin girl would work for us as I had talked to her at Guy Moffitt’s a few weeks past but got no answer for certain.

Tuesday: Towards night I got Harvy Wheeler’s single wagon and went after Hulda Smalley up on Hancock mountain to Mr. Sylvester Smith’s to work for us in our dairy, as I have before bargained with her on the 5th of Jan.

Wednesday: This forenoon I and my wife walked over to see Mr. Newton and family.  He is considered dangerous by the doctors.

Sunday: Towards night I walked over to my Rodgers Farm and I called to see I Newton and family that was sick, and this evening I walked over to Mr. Guy Moffitt’s to see if the said Griffin girl had left word that she would work for us, but I did not hear from her and I gave up trying to hire her.

Monday, April 25:  Today my wife went to Hancock with butter and eggs.  She fetched home a girl by the name of Rachel Hall on trial to work for us, price not agreed on.

Friday May 6: Today Doctor Tanner called to my house and I had him draw two teeth for me and I paid him 12½ cts.

Monday: Snow squalls all day.

Tuesday: We plowed manure on a piece in the meadow for corn and potatoes.  Today I sent my hired boy Swan after Doctor Tanner for Hulda Smalley. She had a tooth drawn yesterday by Doctor King and broke said tooth before he got it out.

Friday, May 13: Today hired girl Hulda Smalley quit work and went to Dr. Tanner’s to be doctored.

Wednesday, March 30, 1831: This morning I borrowed E. Pierce’s cheese press of Harry Wheeler to pattern after, and then I drew two loads of rails off the hill and it was quite a rainy day.

Thursday: This forenoon F. Buten came and sawed out the timber for my two cheese presses. This afternoon I went to Brother Wm to have him come and get measure to make irons to my cheese presses.

Friday, April 1: Today we tended to trying getting a cow up, she got cast calving.  I went and got Mr. Harry Wheeler to tend to said cow and other neighbors. I borrowed Barnum Clark’s ox slings, but we could not get said cow to stand. I got trusted to Henry Platt’s store 30 cts for cheese press rope.  Today said Buten and brother Sylvester worked for me at my cheese presses. At night I walked to Simeon Wylie’s to get him to turn me four pulley blocks for my cheese press.

Saturday: Today F. Buten and his hired man worked for me at my cheese presses. We tended to our cow today a-nursing her.

Sunday: On this evening I took the single wagon and went to Hancock on the Car Briggs farm after Cynthia Gardner to work for us. She came, she was contented as we were satisfied.

Monday: I tended to my lame cow and underpinned my cheese house. Today some rainy.

Thursday, April 7: I wagoned one load of boards home from E. Goodrich’s sawmill.  Today noon I bargained with Sylvester Swan to live with me one year and I am to school him four days in each week for four months, and I am to let him have July and August to work for himself and I am to pay him 20 dollars.

Saturday, April 9, 1831: I carried Brother Sylvester work bench to him. He moved out of my house on the sixth of the month into Henry Stanton’s house up Goodrich Hollow in Hancock

Sunday: I paid Cynthia Gardner for her week’s work 75 cts and I sent a boy home with her. On this day I walked up to  cousin Samuel Holcomb and I called up to Mr. Watson’s to see if I could hire a girl but I could not.  I called to Mr Dabolls to see if I could hire a girl but the Griffin girl was not there

Wednesday: This forenoon Peres Swan came to my house and took breakfast with us and then he helped make a windlass, and we sewed two bags together and we slung up our lame cow, but she could not stand, and we let her down again. I told said P. Swan the bargain I made with his son Sylvester and he consented to it and told me that I must pay him one-half of the boy’s wages.

Friday: Today we tried to raise our cow by digging a pit and a windlass but to no use.  This evening I went to my Rodgers barn to tend to my cows that was calving, and I called to Mr. Newton, he is failing fast.