Tuesday, May 27, 1851: Today Geo P. went to Windsor to collect money where he had sold apple trees, and he carried his two sisters to Pittsfield. They went to their uncle F. Jay Wylie’s and took dinner and then said Wylie carried them to their cousin Rufus Kendall’s and left them on a visit. Today John Bassett ditched to put lead pipe for water.
Wednesday: This forenoon I mended fence on the line joining J. B. Maxon near the river, and this afternoon I dug in the ditch to lay lead pipe and J. Basset and Celinbaum ditched, and John F. worked in the ditch part of the forenoon. Tonight Geo P. and his two sisters returned home from Pittsfield. I sent by him to Pittsfield and paid 66 cts for ten feet lead pipe, one inch pipe to begin the waterworks.
Friday: This forenoon Edwin Leonard worked on the highway with ox team and had it credited to Geo P. for the Wm B. Maxon farm. This afternoon I and my two sons worked at the ditch for the water works.
Saturday: I carried two chestnut sticks and Walker began to bore one of them for my lead pipe to come up out of the ground but gave it up and could not bore them. I got N. Nichols long auger I fetched John Mantle home with me and he laid down my lead pipe and soldered it together and made a copper strainer and found the copper, and I paid him 75 cents for the whole, and I took my one horse wagon and carried John Mantle home again, he was here nearly three hours. Today my two sons worked digging and covering up lead pipe and stoning up the spring.
Monday: Some showery. I am some unwell. I worked a spell at the spring at the head of our water works banking and making a cover. Geo P. and hired man John Basset stoned up a spell and then we all hoed potatoes. John F. hoed a spell after he returned from Nathan Beers, he went after the remainder of his school money.
Wednesday: I this morning rode over to Simeon Wylie’s and fetched his daughter Deborah to make dresses for my people and then I took my one horse wagon and carried my wife to Doctor Bates, she was lame. Today one Mr. Butler that lives on the Hancock Shaker farm came and paid me seven dollars for five pigs.