JAMES
P. McPHERSON FAMILY
AS
SEEN IN THE DIARY ENTRIES
FROM
JANUARY
1 THROUGH MARCH
31, 1855
In
1855, the family of James P. McPherson and family increased by one,
with the birth on 27 January, of Mary Jane McPherson. The family was
still living in the small log cabin he built in 1850. James P.
McPherson was 38 years of age and would turned 39 late in the year,
on 14 November. Mary turned 33 just three days after the birth of
baby Mary Jane. The new baby then made a family of eight; the
parents, and six children, William, age 12; James, age 10; Jabez, age
8; Anne, age 5; and Elizabeth, age 3, and newborn Mary Jane.
As
you may remember, the boys all had their mother's maiden name of
Burns as their middle name. Anne's middle name was Adamson, the
last name of her aunt and uncle, Anne and Thomas Adamson.
Elizabeth Spink McPherson was named after her paternal grandmother,
Elizabeth Spink of Arbroath, Scotland. Her maternal
grandmother's first name was also Elizabeth (Elizabeth Horrock
Burns). Baby Mary Jane carried the name of her mother as well
as of her great grandmother Mary Burn(s), who had lived in
Lancashire, England.
HOME
AND FARM
Winter
in Wisconsin is cold and snowy, so it is not surprising that much of
James P.'s time around the farm was devoted to chopping wood and
hauling wood, which included fire wood and rails for fencing. As we
have seen in the past year, McPherson's income had increased well
past the barter only stage. He also paid Weise and William Morich
$11.75 for finishing a 1000 rails. Then he used, at least, some of
the rails to fix a fence around the hay.
He
also fixed his sled. It would seem that this would be an ox-drawn
sled by which he could haul wood in the snow. In addition to
hauling wood and rails, he also hauled ice for himself and Mr.
Morrison.
His
livestock increased, as Cow Bass had a heifer calf, and the first
lamb was born of his sheep that he brought home from the Poor Farm.
At the first of February, he also killed, butchered, and salted a 120
lb. hog. As we have seen before, he was helped in this endeavor by
his neighbor, Thomas Miles.
His
wife Mary was ill on 11 January. In fact she was so ill that James
P. went to Dr. Rowley, but he was not home. A few days later, on 14
January, Mrs. Morrison and Mrs. Miles visited. Two days later, James
P. again went to see Dr. Rowley. Then on 27 January, “about 7
o'clock in the evening,” Mary had a daughter.
Our
diary writer, tacked on the news of a daughter's birth after noting
that he had haul wood with Mr. Morrison, and before he wrote
that he had Qualified Wheeler and Flick as appraisers of R. Menzies's
land. He also paid Salamanson's daughter in the amount of $1.34.
Although, he did not say
why he paid her, it would seem likely, with Mary being ill and
pregnant, they hired Salamanson's daughter help Mary with the
household chores and children, especially the two younger girls, Anne
and Elizabeth.
On
19 February, James P. noted
that he was at home, and they had the “first” visit from Dr.
Rowley. James P. tended to be spare with his words, so when he wrote
first
visit,
he was drawing attention to the incident. He might have been
impressed that Dr. Rowley visited, but I think it more likely that he
was indicating
that Dr. Rowley did not follow up with his patients like James P.
thought he should. Putting feelings into a diary entry is not
something that I usually do, but here the first
visit
sounded odd.
On
the 31st,
McPherson wrote
that “Mrs. Wallace delivered of a baby.” An odd notation, in
that there had been no mention of Mrs. Wallace, or a
Mr.
Wallace. Perhaps Mary assisted in the delivery, or perhaps there was
some other reason this birth was mentioned.
Even
through the snowy winter, Springdale folks found time to visit one
another. During this quarter, more couples visited the McPhersons
than in the past; these included, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Lamount, Mr.
and Mrs. John Beat, Mr. and Mrs. James Beard, Mr. and Mrs. Furman
Housel. Other visitors included Mrs. McGregor, Mrs. Morrison, and
David Bright. James P. McPherson often visited these same folks, and
after the birth of baby Mary Jane, Mary McPherson visited the Miles
family.
As
for his sewing endeavors, McPherson
also made a vest for himself, cut a coat for Billy, made a jacket
for Jabez, and cut a jacket for James. In addition, he sewed for a
number of his neighbors and friends; vests for Thomas Miles, William
Beats (which he had to alter), and pants & vest for R. Lamount.
CORRESPONDENCE
On
a personal level, he received and posted a several letters to
Alexander and William Cairncross, and Anne Adamson. He also received
a letter late in March from Alexander Cairncross, Jr.
He
also wrote and received several letters relating to County and Poor
Farm business; to and from J. P. Walker, Ben C. Eastman, W. R.
Taylor, Mr. Dow, and Senator Giles. He also sent letters to Layton,
Mallette, D. Williams, E. Richardson, J. Beath and C. Watkins. At
this time, there is no indication of the intent of these letters.
James P. also wrote to “Cronkite, NY” on Ivor Thoreson's request
to inquire about of land.
COMMUNITY
AND POLITICS
During
this quarter, McPherson still wore several “community hats;”
Town Clerk, Justice of the Peace, Superintendent for the County Poor
Farm, and Assistance Clerk of the County Board of Supervisors.
He
started out the year, 2 January, by stopping over night at the Poor
house on his way to Madison. When in Madison, he spent the next four
days, “attending to Poor house business” and acting as assistant
Clerk of the County Board of Supervisors. He left Madison on 7
January, a Sunday, and “stopt”
at the Poor house at noon, while on his way home.
The
next week, 16 January, he met Mr. W.R. Taylor and Mr. Dow at the Poor
house. He left the next day around 10 AM and went to Mass's store.
He also “paid Samuel Lamount $24 on account of Pork for Poor
house.”
The
diary also reflects that James P. was busy with Poor house business
during the second and third weeks of February. He was in Madison and
stopped
at the Poor house on the way to and or from. He met twice with W. R.
Taylor and Mr. Dow. The
diary reflected that
on 17 February
“bound out children.”
In
that era “bound out” meant that orphan children or children whose
parents were unable to care for them, were apprenticed or “bound
out” for a trade or as a “servant.” The person taking on the
children as an apprentice or servant were to provide for their
shelter, food and clothing. The
children were to obey the person until the age of 21, which
was the end of the apprenticeship or job as servant.
]
On
3 March, McPherson “bot” a yoke of oxen from I. Thorenson for the
Poor Farm. Later that month, on 19 March, he stopped at the Poor
house when he went on
to
Madison. He also took in the theatre on that night in Madison. He
was also at the Poor house and Madison on 19
March when it was very snowy and then again on 23
March.
James
P.'s position as assistant County Clerk also consumed a significant
portion of his time. He was in Madison from 2 January through 6
January, during which time he was acting in his position as assistant
Clerk of the County Board of Supervisors.
Between
14 March and 25 March, a great amount of McPherson's time was spent
on an issue of trespass upon county lands. It is not clear whether
this activity was related to his position as Superintendent of the
Poor or his position as assistant Clerk of the County Board of
Supervisors, or both. However,
based on the folks involved, it appears that the trespass may have
been on the County's Poor Farm lands.
The situation came to the fore
on 14 March when he went to Madison and “called upon Mr. Brill and
Mr. Taylor, in reference to Tresspassers on County land.” The next
day he tried to meet with Mr. Brill, who was away, but did meet with
Mr. Brill on 16 March. He then consulted with W. H. Orton, District
Attorney
on prosecution.
Mr.
Orton drew up a complaint “to which I made affidavit before Squire
Braley.” McPherson then took the warrant to the Sheriff. Then on
20 March he was at the county land with Mr. Brill, C. Ulmars, and
Kanouses. They found a “German hauling wood off of the land.”
It appears that the “German” thought the land was his because on
21 March, James P. “engaged Mr. Drake to survey county land, and
Mr. Brill and German to assist on Saturday first.” He then took
out a warrant against Abram Wolfe (the “German”???). He later
met with Mr. Menzies and German who had been trespassing (possibly
using his friend Menzies as a translator????).
On
24 March, McPherson is again at County land with Mr. Drake and
“Messers Gallagher and C. Ulmars.” When
he
was in Madison on the 25 and 26 of March, he attended the trial of
Wallbridge. He left Madison at 8 pm. and said
that he walked
all the way back to Springdale, which was at least twenty miles.
Also
during this first quarter of 1855, McPherson performed the following
tasks;
Drew
up Chattel Mortgage for John Bartell;
Drew
up road Petition and notices for J. Connor;
Qualified
S. Wheeler and J. Flick as appraisers of R. Menzies property;
Made
out remonstrance from Mr. Lyle against Alteration of ridge road;
Writing
for Axium
Malone; and
Writing
to Cronkite about land for Ivor Thoreson.
In
addition, he wrote notes about the history of Springdale for Mr.Teeney.
McPherson's
community and political activities for
this first quarter of 1855
ended when
he returned from
from Madison and
on 27 March,
attended
the town meeting at M. L. Curtis. His diary had this cryptic
notation, “Whigs and pretended Democrats made nominations of town
officers.” The next day he was “writing the minutes of the Town
Meeting, etc.”
FOLKS
MENTIONED IN THE DIARY
Anne
Adamson
Barnert
John
Bartwell
James
P. Beard
Salome
(Newell)Beard
David
Beat
James
Beat
William
Beat
Henry
Boland
Braley
Brill
Drake
J.
Beath
Anthony
Bright
David
Bright
Brink
Richard
Blackburn
Alexander
Cairncross
Alexander
Cairncross, Jr.
William
Cairncross & wife
Hall
Chase Chandler
J.
Connor
M.
L. Curtis
Mr.
Dow
J.
Flick
James
Lyle
Gallagher
Senator
Giles
Furman
Housel & wife
Samuel
Lamount
R.
Lamount
D.
McDonald
Mrs.
McGregor
Billy
McPherson
Jabez
McPherson
James
McPherson
Christian
Morich
Mallette
Axium
Malone
Marquarette
William
Menzies
Thomas
B. Miles
Miles
(wife)
Morrison
& wife
William
Morich
W.
A Orton (Dane
Co. Dist. Atty)
D.
Pickett
E.
Richardson
Dr.
Rowley
J.
Salamanson & daughter
S.
Shumway
W.
R. Taylor
H.
A. Teeney
Ivor
Thoreson
C.
Ulmars
J.
P. Walker
Mrs.
Wallace
C.
Watkins
Weise
D.
Williams
Abram
Wolfe
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©
Joan G. Hill, Roots'n'Leaves
Publications
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