2015 May 25, Amanuensis Monday: J.P.McPherson's Diary, November 11,1850 through November 30, 1850

      According to the diary, as the harvest work came to an end, James P. McPherson's work on his house ramped up.  William Beats helped him haul the last of the logs for his cabin;  Thomas Miles helped with the logs;  Mr. Anderson hewed the wall plates and John Eadie fitted the joists.   Then on November 26th, the men of the community assisted in the "raising" of  the house.  On the following Saturday, November 30th, J.P. participated in the Miles' "raising."  After the "raising" of the McPherson house, Mr. Anderson helped with the getting the house ready, and Mr. Cummings helped chink.

      I have often read about house and barn raisings and it always seemed like a party  -- and perhaps it was.  However in reading the diary, one gets the feel that the raising of a house or barn was just one of the necessities that was done in the course of life, like digging potatoes, cutting hay, thrashing, planting.

     To me, one of the most notable parts of daily life in 1850s Springdale, Wisconsin, was the strong sense of community and neighbor helping neighbor,  which was indeed a necessity in that time and place.  Nonetheless, in my heart of hearts,  I believe that  it would have  been nice to live in 1850s Springdale.

Journal Entries for

November 11, 1850 through November 30, 1850

Novr   11  Monday        Thrashing for Mr. Paton.

   "     12  Tuesday             "           "    "      "

   "    13  Wednesday          "           "    "      "  & Daniel Lester

   "    14  Thursday            "           "    "      "   & John Eadie.  Received letter from Ann Adamson.

   "    15  Friday      Working at my house – logs. Posted letters to Ann Adamson & Robt Brand.

   "    16  Saturday   Working at my house – logs.

   "    17  Sunday     At Mssers Paton and Beats.

    "       18  Monday    Working at my house – logs.

   "    19  Tuesday     Wm. Beats with his own & Mr. Lamonts oxen hauled the balance of my logs.

   "   20  Wednesday  Working at my house - logs.

   "   21  Thursday       DO     “    “    “         “

   "   22  Friday           DO     “    “    “         “ & Mr. Miles.

   "   23  Saturday       DO     “    “    “         “ 

   "   24  Sunday     Called on Brown and Rutherford to come to my raising.

   "   25  Monday    Mr. Anderson hewed my wall plates in forenoon

Mr. John Eadie fitted joist in afternoon.

   "   26  Tuesday    Raised my house, assisted by Messers Anderson, Miles, Menzies, John & James Eadie, Mitchell, Dd. Beat, G. Davidson, J. McDonald Jr., Dan Lester, Wm. Thomson, and Mr. Lamont and his oxen.

   "   27  Wednesday  Working at my house.

   "   28  Thursday       DO       DO    Assisted by Mr. Anderson in the forenoon.

   "   29  Friday     At the saw mill for lumber. Mr. Cummings chinked the lower part of my house. 

   "   30  Saturday  At Mr. Miles raising forenoon. Working at my house afternoon.

Note: For  McPherson family members, or other interested parties,  who have asked how to know when there are new posts of James Peter McPherson's diary, you can enter your email address in the block at the upper right-hand corner of the blog, labeled  "Follow by email."

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 © Joan G. Hill, Roots'n'Leaves Publications