J.P. did, however, have his priorities. The next day, October 7th, there was no mention of the accident, but he did note that there was “no paper.” As you might remember that he ordered the newspaper, Wisconsin Argus, on September 20th. Newspapers had long been important to McPherson and it worth noting that his order of the newspaper subscription was the first non-necessity item that was noted in the diary.
In conjunction with the interest in the news of the day, McPherson's involvement in the village politics was becoming apparent. On September 29th, he was appointed Town Clerk, Pro Tem by M.L. Curtis, Clerk of Election. The next day, he commenced his appointment by tracking down the “town box.” J.P. posted a notice of a General Meeting and Special Election for the town of Springdale on October 18th and the meeting was held on the next day. Then on October 30th J.P. was visited by the Hon, Mr. Bird, with whom he had been in correspondence over the past year. It is not clear why McPherson contacted the Hon. A.A. Bird, nor the content of their subsequent letters, but it does seem to be important, whether the reason was political or business related. Hopefully, future entries will provide more clues.
During this period, J. P. “bot. a red heifer for $11,” to add to their two pigs from Mrs. Thomson and he went to the John Beats house raising. The major endeavor of the last 10 days in October was raising and hauling stone, and then building the chimney for their cabin. When I read this series of entries about the fireplace and chimney, I realized that the McPherson family had spent the first year in 15' x15' log cabin with only means of cooking and heat had been a fire in a pit in the dirt floor.
That realization made the winter storm when the thatch roof blow off even more harrowing for the family. They really had to be strong and determined to hew out a home on that western frontier.
As usual, McPherson was actively corresponding with friends and other persons. Apparently he was trying to convince Ann Adamson and John Brown, both in New York, to move to Wisconsin because he sent Statistics of Dane County to each of them at least once, and possibly twice. He also wrote to the Land Office, as well as Mr. Crawford, S. Westwood, R. Brand and A. A. Bird. Hopefully, as the diary unfolds we well find out the relationship between McPherson and these folks.
The last item of interest, at least to me, is the Sunday activities of the McPherson family. The day appears to be set aside for family and visits to and from neighbors. Only once did J.P. note that a couple came visiting, i.e., Mr. and Mrs. Jackman. It also appears that Mary did not accompany J.P. on his visits with neighbors, nor is there an indication whether Mary attended the funeral for the Christian Morich's child. The diary tells the reader much, but leaves so many questions unanswered.
Journal Entries for
September 1, 1851 through November 1, 1851
Sept 1st Mon Forenoon
howing. Afternoon at Messers.Childs & Wrights. Bot Red Heifer
for $11.
" 2nd Tues.
" 3rd Wed. Mowing.
" 4th Thurs. DO
" 3rd Wed. Mowing.
" 4th Thurs. DO
" 5th Fri. Raining.
Posted letter to R. Brand.
" 6th Sat. Mowing in
the forenoon for Mr. Anderson.
" 7th Sun. At home – not very much. Had calls from J McDonald and G. Davidison.
" 7th Sun. At home – not very much. Had calls from J McDonald and G. Davidison.
" 8th Mon Making Hay
" 9th Tues. DO DO
" 10th Wed. DO DO
" 10th Wed. DO DO
" 11th Thurs. DO Do and thashing
half-a-day with A. Davidson
" 12th Fri. Thrashing for A. Davidson.
" 13th Sat. " " " "
" 14th Sun. At Lesters
and Bairds.
" 15th Mon. Hauling my
hay forenoon – Mr. Andersons with Mr. Bairds team and waggon.
" 16th Tues. At Patons
and fixing fence.
" 17th ed. Making hay
for Mr Anderson. Recd letter from R. Grant.
" 18th Thurs At Mr.
Wrights, Davidson and LaMonts.
" 19th Fri. Mowing
forenoon. Raining afternoon. Posted letter to S. Westwood.
" 20th Sat. At Madison.
Ordered “W. Argus”.
" 21st Sun Raining. At
Lesters in the morning. Mary sick.
" 22nd Mon. Raining.
Mary still sick.
" 23rd Tues Fixed
Chicken House. Mary better.
" 24th Wed. Cutting
Corn.
" 25th Thurs DO DO
forenoon. Hauling hay for Mr.Anderson P.M.
" 26th Fri. Raining. At
home.
" 27th Sat. Thrashing
for Mr. Paton.
" 28th Sun. At Messers.
Bairds and Beats.
" 29th Mon. At M.L.
Curtis' – Clerk of Election. Appointed T.C.ProTem.
" 30th Tues. Went to Mr.
A. Whytes; to get town box & from Mr. Munger. Got them at Mr.
Whalleys. Afternoon hauling hay with Mr. Lester.
Octr 1st Wed Digging
potatoes forenoon – thrashing for Mr. Cummings
afternoon. Mr. Anderson went to the Cat Fish. Recd letters from John Brown & R. Brand.
" 2nd Thurs. Thrashing
for Mr. Cummings.
" 3rd Fri. Do " " "
" 4th Sat. Do " " " ¾
of the day Mr. Anderson
returned.
returned.
" 5th Sun. At Mr.
Childs with Mr. Anderson for his steers. Visited by Messers. Brown &
Findley, and Mr. and Mrs. Jackman.
" 6th Mon. Husking and
hauling my corn.
" 7th Tues. Husking for
Mr. Lester – in the afternoon fell across the tumbling rod – got
caught by the coupling pin and was carried around the roll 2 or 3
times. Escaped with bruises on my legs and side and the tops of my
pants & drawers.
" 8th Wed. Husking
corn. No paper.
" 9th Thurs. Do Do
" 10th Fri. Thrashing
for Mr. Anderson and Self. Had 6 ½ bushels of wheat. Posted letters
to J. Brown, M Crawford and Land Office.
" 11th Sat. Thrashing
for Mr. Anderson til 10 o'clock. Husking corn.
" 12th Sun. At Mr. Jackmans.
" 13th Mon. Walked to
Madison with John Eadie. Rode back to Flicks with John Thornton. John
Beats house raised.
" 14th Tues. Husking corn.
" 14th Tues. Husking corn.
" 15th Wed. Do Do and lifted the balance of my potatoes.
" 16th Thurs. Mary at Mr.
Stewarts. Thrashing for Mr. Lamonth from 3 o'clock.
" 17th Fri. Thrashing
for Mr. Lamont til 3 o'clock. Posted Statistics of Dane Co to Ann.
Adamson & J. Brown.
" 18th Sat. Posting
Notice of General Election & Special T. Meeting.
" 19th Sun. At funeral
for Christian Morok's child, and Meeting.
" 20th Mon. Raising
stone for chimney. Cold winds – some hail fell.
" 21st Tues. DO DO
DO Still cold with a little hail.
" 22nd Wed. Hauling
straw and sand with D. Lesters team.
" 23rd Thurs. Raising
stone.
" 24th Fri. Hauling
stone, assisted by Mr. Jackman. Posted Statistics of Dane Co. to Ann
Adamson & J. Brown.
" 25th Sat. Hauling
stone and commenced building my chimney. Assisted by Mr. Jackman.
Mr. Js corn husker
away.
" 26th Sun At home.
" 27th Mon. Building Chimney.
" 28th Tues. Do Do
" 29th Wed. Do Do
" 30th Thurs. Do Do visted by Mr. Bird.
" 31st Fri. Do Do
Novr 1st Sat. Do Do
End of September, October, and November 1, 1851, diary entries.
Note: Yellow highlighted words mean that this is my best guess as to the word.//JGH
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© Joan G. Hill, Roots'n'Leaves
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