Amanuensis Monday, 2016 August 22: J.P.McPherson's Diary, January 1 through March 31, 1855

Diary entries for January 1 through March 31, 1855

JANUARY, 1855

Diary of James P. McPherson,
January 1 through March 31, 1855
Courtesy of the Margaret Burns McPherson Burmeister
Family Archives

1^st Mon. At Mount Vernon forenoon. At Mr. Miles, P.M. & evening.

2^nd Tues. Hauling wood. Started for Madison. Stopt at Poor house all night.

3^rd to 6^th At Madison, acting as assistant Clerk of County Board of Supervisors, and attending to Poor house business.

7^th Sun. Left Madison. Stopt at Poor house at noon. Rode home with Dd Bright.

8^th Mon. At Hendersons for waggon – hauling wood.

9^th Tues. Hauling wood for Morrison forenoon. At Mount Vernon, afternoon, with Mr. & Mrs. Miles.

10^th Wed. Chopping and Splitting rails.

11^th Thurs. DO DO Mary sick all night

12^th Fri. At Dr. Rowleys forenoon – did not find him.

13^th Sat. Making vest for Self.

14^th Sun. At home. Visited by Mrs Morrison & Miles.

15^th Mon. Splitting rails and hauling wood till noon when it began to snow.

16^th Tues. At Poor house with Messers Dow & Taylor. Called upon Dr. Rowley in the evening.

17^th Wed. Left Poor house at 10 o'clock A.M. At Mass's Store. Paid S. Lamont $29, on acct. – of Pork for Poor house. Recd letter from Cairncross.

18^th Thurs. Cut coat for Billy.

19^th Fri. Sewing. Hauling wood. Posted letters to Layton and Cairncross.

20^th Sat. Chopping. Hauling wood & rails. Drew Chattel Mortgage for John Bartell. Wiese & Wm. Morich finished 1000 rails for me for which I paid them $11.25.

21^st Sun. Very Stormy – Snowing with high winds and cold.

22^nd Mon. Hauling rails.

23^rd Tues. DO DO Paid $1.34 to J. Salamanson Daughter.

24^th Wed. Drew road Petition and notices for J. Connor. Iver Thoreson requested me to write to New York about land.

25^th Thurs. Hauling rails, fixing fence round hay

26^th Fri. Made Jacket for Jabez. Posted letter to Cronkite, N.Y.

27^th Sat. Hauling wood for Self and Morrison. Mary had a daughter about 7 o'clock evening.

27^th Sat. Qualified S. Wheeler and J. Flick, as appraisers of R. Menzies property.

28^th Sun. At home. Visited by Mrs. McGregor & Mr. & Mrs. Beard.

29^th Mon. At C. Morich's, Marquarett's (“&” lined out //JGH) H. Bolands and Chandlers. Made out remonstrance for Mr Lyle against Alteration of ridge road.

30^th Tues. Hauled rails and ice.

31^st Wed. DO DO and wood for Self and Morrison.

FEBRUARY, 1855

1^st Thurs. DO DO

2^nd Fri. Killed hog weighing 120 lbs, assisted by Mr. Miles. Writing for Malone.

3^rd Sat. Salted hog, etc.

4^th Sun. At home. Visited by Mr. & Mrs. Lamont & Malone.

5^th Mon. Fixing Sled. Very cold.

6^th Tues. DO DO Left for Madison afternoon. Stopt at Poor house all night.

7^th Wed. Rode into Madison with D. Picket. Met with Messers Taylor and Dow on Poor house business. At Theatre in the evening. Posted letter to Cairncross.

8^th Thurs. At Madison with Messers Dow & Taylor.

9^th Fri; DO DO

10^th Sat. DO Mr. DO Posted letters to Mallette, D. Williams and E. Richardson. Sent letters to J. Beath, and C. Watkins. Returned home.

11^th Sun. At home. At Miles in the evening.

12^th Mon. Cut vest for Mr. Miles.

13^th Tues. Cut vest for Wm. Beat. Hauled wood.

14^th Wed. Working about the house – no mail.

15^th Thurs. Hauled wood. Visited by S. Lamont. Mail came today.

16^th Fri. At Madison & Poor house. Posted letter to J. P. Walker & B. C. Eastman.

17^th Sat. DO DO Bound out Children. Returned home in the evening.

18^th Sun. At home. Visited by J. Beat, Beards, and Mr. & Mrs. Housel.

19^th Mon. At home. First visit from Dr. Rowley.

20^th Tues. At Mr. Housels for (bottom of page not shown in photocopy //JGH)

21^st Wed. Recd letters from A., W. & Mrs. Cairncross. Visited by J. Connor. Cleaning wheat.

22^nd Thurs. Started for Wheeler & Galts Mill with Mr. Beard.

23^rd Fri. Returned home form Mill. Cow Bass had a heifer calf. Posted letters to Taylor, Dow, and Senator Giles.

24^th Sat. At Poor Farm for my sheep, 9 in number.

25^th Sun. At home. These last 4 days very cold.

26^th Mon. Hauled wood – Sewing.

27^th Tues. Sewing at W. Beats Vest.

28^th Wed. DO DO Recd. letters from Taylor, Dow, Giles and W. Cairncross.

MARCH, 1855

1^st Thurs. Hauled wood. At Ivor Thorsons & Blackburns.

2^nd Fri. Posted letter to W. R. Taylor. Hauled wood. Barnet, Brink commenced suit against D. Bright.

3^rd Sat. Finished and took home Wm. Beats vest. .Bot. Yoke of oxen from I. Thorson for Poor Farm.

4^th Sun. At home. Mary at Miles. First lamb came. Made out notes of Town History for H. A. Tenney.

5^th Mon. Hauled wood forenoon. Started for Madison afternoon – water very high – got wet between Lamonts and Menzies and returned home.

6^th Tues. Doing very little all day.

7^th Wed. Issued warrant for Dd & Anthony Bright on complaint of Barnet, Brink. Suit between the above parties removed from before me to Squire Shumway, and decided against Brink on defective process.

8^th Thurs. Working about the house

9^th Fri. At Poor Farm & Madison – road heavy.

10^th Sat. At Madison. Stopt all night with G. Bjornson.

11^th Sun. Returned home. Called at D. Beats.

12^th Mon. Hauling wood.

13^th Tues. Altered Wm. Beats vest and cut Jacket for James.

Snowing.

14^th Wed. Went to Madison with D. & J. Beat, and J. Morrison. Called upon Mr. Brill, with Mr. Taylor, in referance to Tresspassers on County land. Stopt with Mr. Taylor all night.

15^th Thurs. Called upon Mr. Brill who was from home. Made arrangements to meet with him tomorrow morning.

16^th Fri. At County land with Mr. Brill. Consulted W. H. Orton, Dist. Atty on prosecution.

17^th Sat. Mr. Orton drew complaint, to which I made affidavit before Squire Braley. Took out warrant which I placed in hands of Sheriff.

18^th Sun. At home.

19^th Mon. At Poor house and Madison. Very stormy day. At Theatre in the evening.

20^th Tues. At County land, Ulmars, Kanouses & with Mr. Brill. Found a German hauling wood off the land.

21^st Wed. Engage Mr. Drake to Survey Co. land, and Mr. Brill & German to assist on Saturday first. Took out warrant against Abram Wolfe. Met with Mr. Menzies and German who had been trespassing. Returned home in the evening with D. McDonald. Recd. letters from A. Adamson & A. Cairncross, junior.

22^nd Thurs. At Mt. Vernon with D. Beat and J. Morison.

23^rd Fri. At Poor house and Madison.

24^th Sat. At Co. Land with Mr. Drake and at Mr. Gallaghers & C. Ulmars.

25^th Sun. In Madison

26^th Mon. In Madison at trial of Wallbridge. Left Madison for home at 8 P.M. Walked all the way.

27^th Tues. At meeting of Town Board at M. L. Curtis'. Whigs and pretended Democracts made nominations of town officers.

28^th Wed. Writing Minutes of Town Board, etc. Recd letter from A. Adamson.

29^th Thurs. Cut Pants and vest for R. Lamont. Writing.

30^th Fri. Hauling rails assisted by S. Lamont. Posted letter to W. R. Taylor.

31^st Sat. Hauling rails assisted by S. Lamont. Mrs. Wallace delivered of a daughter.

End of diary entries for January 1 through  
March 31, 1855

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