Amanuensis Monday (Addendum) 2016 August 29: A Review of J.P.McPherson's Diary, April 1 through June 30, 1855

 

JAMES P. McPHERSON FAMILY 

 AS  SEEN IN THE  DIARY ENTRIES  

FROM APRIL 1 THROUGH JUNE 30, 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 afte her maternal grandmother, Elizabeth Spink of Arbroath, Scotland.  Elizabeth's first name was also that of her maternal grandmother (Elizabeth Horrok Burns.)  Baby Mary Jane carried the name of her mother, as well as her maternal great grandmother, Mary Burn(s) who had lived in Lancashire, England.

HOME AND FAMILY LIFE

 April is a time that teases farmers with
it's sunshine, warm days, and green grass.  a time to get ready for planting.  James P. McPherson's activities in April 1855 were in tune with the season.  He hauled straw for bedding and mulch, "layed up fence" and commenced ploughing, sowing, and dragging his wheat.  He evidently got wheat and potato seed from John Beat, and later he appeared to need more potato seed which he got from James P. Beard.

Planting of wheat continued until it was time to start planting potatos, followed by planting oats, onions, and corn.  Later, they planted carrots, beets, parsnips, more peas, "salads" and melons.  They also set out cucumbers, planted beans and set out cabbage.  By mid June, McPherson and his sons had planted the crops they would need to sustain the family throughout the coming year.  This is the first year that we have seen their sons, Billy (12), James(10), and Jabez (8) take such an active part in the planting of the crops.  After the planting was finished, the the garden and row crops required hoeing and weeding, which a tedious but necessary job.

As I transcribed these entries, I am in awe of the wide variety of food that would be coming from their fields and garden.  They ate well; meals of good healthy food left little need of a grocery store, as we know it in our day and age.

James P. McPherson made use of the rainy days to sew for the boys, such as on 2 May, he cut pants for his three sons,  Billy, James, and Jabez. Later, on 5 June, he cut a vest for George Searle.  On 16 June, he started a coat for John Beat, which he finished and the coat was picked up on 16 June.

McPherson still held Sundays as days spent at home, although there were a few days that he traveled back home from Madison on a Sunday.  He visited and was visited by friends on Sundays, as well as throughout the week.  These folks included William Henderson, John McCaughey, J. Connor, Thomas Miles, M. L. Curtis, Furman Housel, Mr. and Mrs. Pickett, Wilhelm Menzie, and William Cairncross and family.  James P.'s friend, William Cairncross, arrived in Springdale on 11 May.  After that the two friends helped one another with farming and visited back and forth.

CORRESPONDENCE

As usual, his correspondence was a mix of personal letters and communications related to positions he held in Springdale and Dane County.  In the following list, it appeared that only McPherson's letters to and from Anne Adamson and William Davidson were of personal nature.  Most of the remainder appeared to be related to his positions  as Superintendent of the Poor, Town Clerk, or Justice of the Peace.  The letter to W. C. Bryant & Co. was most likely farm related.   As for the letters to the newspapers,  those may have been related to subscriptions, but the manner in which he made the entries lead me to believe that these were public notices.  He often put notices in the papers which related to his positions in Springdale and Dane County.  

The following is a list of James P. McPherson's  correspondence for this quarter of 1855:

4/4 Rec'd compendium of Census from Ben C. Eastman

4/4 Rec'd letter from William Davidson, Rockford, Illinois.

4/13 Posted letter to William Davidson

5/16 Rec'd letter from William Davidson

4/13 Posted letter to Ann Adamson

4/13 Posted letter to G. B. Smith

4/18 Rec'd letter from G. B. Smith

4/13 Posted letter to J. P. Atwood

4/18 Rec'd letter from Judge J. P. Atwood

4/13 Posted letter William Menzie

4/20 Posted letter W. C. Bryant & Co., with $2

4/27 Posted letter L. Inglasby

6/6 Rec'd letter from L. Ingalsby with $20 (paid to McCaughey)

5/4 Posted letter to John Beath

5/4 Posted letter toF.H. Firman

5/18 Posted letter F.H.Firman

6/6 Rec'd letter from Land Office with town platt

6/15 Posted letter to Argus

6/15 Posted letter to Evening Journal

6/15 Posted letter to Patriot

6/20 Rec'd letter from R & H. Radcliff

6/29 Posted letter to R. Radcliff 

COMMUNITY AND POLITICAL LIFE
In these days of 1855, James P. McPherson was in his prime years.  Strong enough to take on the hard day to day farming, as well as, the jobs and positions that he appeared to love, public service positions which required his intellect and education.  I am reminded  of a bit of history that was submitted for inclusion to the book put together for the 1948 Centennial of Springdale.  William A. Housel, one of the neighboring Housels, wrote that  

Old Mac was not very strong on farm work in fact I never saw him

 put his hand to the plow or bind a bundle of golden grain.

I am thinking that Mr. Housel did not know or remember the James P. McPherson of 1855, but was remembering  "Old Mac" when he was much older.  In these days of 1855, James P. was a very energetic fellow in every segment of his life, farm, home, community and political.

James P. also drew a mortgage for J. Bunnell: made out road notice for Mr. McLean: made report to County Judge of proceedings on claims against estate of R. Wright; and received notice from Axium Malone of stray horses.

McPherson was elected Town Clerk at the 3 April town meeting.  It may have been within this position, as well as the previous, Assistant Town Clerk, that he qualified elected and appointed persons.  During this quarter, he qualified "messers McCord, North, and Halversen on 4 April.  Later, on 10 April, he qualified Gilbert Oleson.  There was no indication as to which positions they were being qualified.  However, on 23 April, McPherson qualified John I. Berges for Justice of the Peace.


He also received the compendium of census for the town, as well as the town platt from the Land Office.  On 23 April he was making out tax lists with Axium Malone and Halverson.  

In June, on 1 and 2 of June, he was busy taking the census in the NE quarter of Cross Plains.  He said that it rained all day and he "stopt" all night with T. Blackburn.  He took the census of Springdale on 18 June and on 28 June.

Then there was the situation of Mrs. Wallace.  In the previous quarter, near the end of March, the diary carried the notation "Mrs. Wallace delivered a daughter."  Then, in this quarter, on 12 April, James P. "took Mrs. Wallaces adffidavit," but there was no indication as to why he took the affidavit.  Then on 18 May, Mrs. Wallace "visited" McPherson.  Nearly a month later, on 10 June, James P. McPherson married Robert Craig and Mrs. Wallace.  It appeared that McPherson had some connection with the Craigs, as he then "went home with the party to Mr. Craigs."  

The Craigs apparently did not stay long in Springdale as there is no record of them in the 1850 or 1860 Dane County census reports.
 There are a few Robert Craigs in 1870 Census Reports (not in Springdale)  that might be possibilities, but without Mrs. Wallace/Craigs first name it is not possible to rule in or out any of the listings as the Robert Craig and Mrs. Wallace. So the story behind the birth, affidavit, and marriage will remain a mystery – for now.  

In mid June, McPherson had a serious situation arise, which may have been related to the Poor Farm.  Earlier in March, the diary had a notation that he "bound out children."  Then on 19 June, he was at the villiage of Wista with Evor Thorson.  On the next day, he and Evor were at Ole Anderson's house to demand that Anderson give up Evor Thorson's boy.  Anderson refused, unless he was paid “$900 or $150 per year for his support.” McPherson then rode to Shullsburgh to engage L.P. Higge, Esq., to "sue out writ of Habeaus Corpus" which McPherson then served on Ole Anderson. On 25 June, McPherson rode back out to Shullsburgh and returned and answer to Writ of Habeaus Corpus made before Judge Marvin, who adjourned the case for two weeks.

It is not clear whether the activity surrounding Evor Thorson's boy was related to the previous "bound out children" or not, but it was clear that James P. McPherson was actively pursuing justice in this case.  It will be interesting to follow this case in the succeeding months.

FOLKS MENTIONED IN  APRIL-JUNE 1855 DIARY ENTRIES 

Anne Adamson

Ole Anderson

J. P. Atwood, Judge

James P. Beard

David Beat

William Beat

John Beath

T. Blackburnn

Blake

Thomas Bently 

John I. Berge, J.P.

Blake

Jim Blower

Mr. Brown & wife

John Bunnell

William Cairncross & wife

S. Cairncross

J. Connor 

Robert Craig

M. L. Curtis

William Davidson

Douglas

Mr. Dow

Ben C. Eastman

F. H. Firman

John Edi

Halverson

William Henderson

L. P. Higge, Esq. (attorney)

L. Ingalsby

Layton

H. Lewis

Furman Housel & wife

Samuel Lamount

Judge Marvin

J. McCaughey

McCord

McLean

Billy McPherson

James B. McPherson

Jabez McPherson

Axium Malone

Wilhelm Menzie

Thomas B. Miles & wife

Morrison & wife

William Morich

North

John Oleg

D. Pickett & wife

H. Radcliff

R. Radcliff

George Searle

S. Shumway

G.B. Smith

E. Terry

Evor Thorson

Ivor Thoreson 

Mrs. Wallace (Mrs. Craig)

R. Wright (deceased), Cross Plains

Wright, Cross Plains 

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