George Holcomb

Monday, March 1, 1824: This morning about 1 o’clock Father waked me and sent me after Wm and he came and father set him to read his will. He likewise did and Father told Wm in the morning he must go after Wm Bailey, for he wants to make some alterations and this forenoon Wm went and got Mr. Bailey, and he came and drew a will according to Father’s directions. Today we chopped to the door and tended to chores. Father is getting quite unwell.
[Read more…] about The Life Of George Holcomb – Father Is Very Ill

Thursday, Jan 29, 1824: Today I got Mr. Danford’s wagon and went to Lebanon. I called down to the wagon maker Wadoms to see the Wheeler woman about coming to work for us. She agreed to come Sunday next. I called to Mr. Gay’s and told him to sell Wm’s cutter if he can get thirty dollars in cash. This evening I walked down and Julia Morey came and watched with my wife and child.
[Read more…] about The Life Of George Holcomb – Father’s Will

At the end of the last installment, Holcomb’s second daughter Lucinda Angeline was dangerously ill.
January 20, 1824, Monday: Doctor Graves came and concluded the complaint was in my child’s head and there was no cure. Last night said Right gave nine portions of Markery injections and draughts and today said Graves draws blisters ointing the head with salt. This afternoon brother Wm took my sorrel mare and cutter and rode to Richmond after Dr. Merryman to come and see my child. He agreed to come tomorrow. This evening I borrowed John Wylie’s cutter and went after widow Lucy Rowley to watch, but she could not come and I stopped and got the widow Earlebel Campbell to come and watch.
[Read more…] about The Life Of George Holcomb – Winter – Illness in the Family

September 10, 1823, Wednesday: Today Squire E. F. Booge called to our house and left a mortgage of Brother Sylvester’s property to be signed into my hands to secure me my pay what he was owing me and to keep others from getting it where some had got him into debt dishonestly.
September 11, Thursday: I took the covered wagon and carried my wife and children and Mother Spring to Richmond on a visit to Jay Wylie’s and we called to the Shakers and visited their school to see my cousins Orsula and Eleanor Potter.
[Read more…] about The Life Of George Holcomb – George’s Baby Is Sick

June 13, 1823, Friday: We plastered corn and at night I rode over to H. Platt’s store and paid 1/9 pence for ¼ pound of wrought nails. Tonight kept an essence peddler from Northampton. His name I did not learn. This day I am 32 years of age.
June 16, Monday: In the middle of the day I rode after Doctor Graves to come and bleed my wife, but he was not to home and did not come.
[Read more…] about The Life Of George Holcomb – George’s Daughter Angeline Is Born

by Alex Brooks

For most of the spring of 1823, the diary entries are about the routine tasks of planting the crop and running the farm, but then re-appears in the narrative a fellow we’ve met before, one Zachariah Chapman. The last time we heard that name, it was because Holcomb got into a fight with him and then took him to court for assault. Mr. Chapman appears to be a rather ornery character.
[Read more…] about The Life Of George Holcomb – A Spell as Pathmaster – And a Fight

Friday, April 4, 1823: I took the horses and wagon and went to Pittsfield to one Robert Stanton’s to get an old lady to come and take care of brother Wm’s wife, but I could not get her. She said she would come in two weeks. I called in Pittsfield Village to Bissel’s store and sold one bushel of apples for 34 cents. I bought three skeins of cotton floss, nine cents, and I paid 25 cts for opium that Father sent for Sylvester’s wife, and I sold a pair of socks for 25 cts worth of opium for Mrs. Newton.
[Read more…] about The Life Of George Holcomb – Sylvester Returns

Monday, March 24, 1823: Today I rode our bay colt to Hoosic Falls to David Barnhart’s, distance about 30 miles. I got there about four o’clock in the afternoon. I went after Barnhart to come to Stephentown to Brother Wm for his wife remains quite sick yet. Today Wm rode to Richmond after Doctor Merryman again. Today brother Sylvester got to our house with his family. He moved from the westward again.
[Read more…] about The Life Of George Holcomb – Sylvester’s Wife Has Fits

Saturday, February 22, 1823: Today I received a line from the Deputy to appear to Troy on Monday next for a petty jury.
Sunday, February 23: This evening I started for Troy. Wm took the cutter and carried me about four miles, and then I walked on to the Town of Sand Lake to a tavern keeper by the name of Blewer and stayed. I got there about ten o’clock this evening.
[Read more…] about The Life Of George Holcomb – George On Jury Duty

Wednesday, October 23, 1822: This evening I walked to Mr. John Russel’s and Ephraim Pierce’s and to others to know their minds about having the school house drawn to the centre of the district.
[Read more…] about The Life Of George Holcomb – Pumpkins For Pantaloons