Spring of 1844
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Monday April 1: today Westalo Rodgers moves out of my house. Daniel Brady hired to him one year ago and said Brady has bargained for said house and garden for this year for 20 dollars to be paid by the first day of Sept. next to be cash and I do agree to find shingle and nails and he is to repair the roof to said house, we to call all former deal even, excepting the back rent for the house.
Tuesday: This morning I took my cutter and carried my wife and daughter Charlotte to Lebanon to Doctor Bates for Charlotte’s health remains feeble. He gave a few pills and prescribed some other things. We then returned home. I and my two sons walked to Town Meeting at Ferdinand Curtis Brown’s, the Democratic ticket won. I paid six cts for a lemon and two small cakes maple sugar and I gave 12 cts to help pay for printing tickets.
Thursday: We chopped wood to the door and Henry Lyons helped us chop in the way of changing works, I had drawn wood for him.
Monday, April 15: Today new set the fence above the orchard. I called to Mr. Daniel Brady’s and his wife paid me the last three dollars for last year’s house rent.
Saturday: We new set fence on my Rodgers farm and towards night John F. took the single wagon and went after his mother and sister Charlotte for John Broad carried them to Elisha Broad’s this forenoon, to the funeral of said Elisha Broad’s infant child.
Sunday, April 28: I drove my young cattle onto my Rodgers farm to pasture. Tonight Russel Palmer butchered two calves and had a forequarter to pay him.
Tuesday: Today we overhauled the cheese and rubbed up some for market, and this morning Geo P. fetched Henry Lyons wife from Russel Pierce’s to help us whitewash and clean house.
Wednesday, May 1: Today I took my one horse wagon and carried twenty dollars worth cheese to Troy but I sold one third of it on the road. I got to Troy at sunset. I called and took dinner at Chauncy Row’s. I stayed at the foot of Tibbets Hill in Congress Street on the south side of the road. The name I do not recollect.
Thursday: This morning I paid my bill to said tavern, horsekeeping, lodging and bitters 34 cts, and this forenoon quite rainy. While I was in Troy I called on Lawyer H. Everts in Fourth St and counciled him concerning my Fairbanks lot. He told me I must close up the mortgage that Samuel Holcomb gave Nathan Howard and then I would come in full possession of said lot of land that said Howard gave me a quit claim deed of. I called to the Budget office (the Troy newspaper) and paid two dollars and took a receit paid up to this April of 1845, and then I called to the Court House and said Lawyer Everts went to my wagon and got a cheese, 15 pounds at six cts per and credit me the same for council. I then sold out the remainder of my cheese at different prices from four to six cts per. I paid four dollars and 50 cts for 75 pounds steel for springs and I paid 20 cts for one hundred clams and at 4 o’clock I left Troy. I got home at 12 o’clock this evening.