A Journey To the West
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Thursday, September 26, 1844: This morning I and my wife started on a visit to the west in company with brother Simeon Wylie. Geo P. carried us to Troy with our one horse wagon and brother Wylie went to Troy with their one horse team. On the way to Troy we bated at the Widow Kilmer’s Tavern in Sand Lake and I paid six cts for a bottle beer and then we went into Troy and called to Pearl’s tavern in Congress Street and I paid six cents for my wife a cup tea and we had our own victuals. This afternoon we started on our journey. At four o’clock we went on board of a line boat, Capt. J.A. Jones, and name of the boat was Geo A Avery. I bargained for our fare to Rome and board at one dol and 75 cents apiece and tonight we came eight miles up through the locks.
Friday, Sept 27: Today we passed through Schenectady and I paid three cents for a drink gin and two cts for a melon.
Saturday: The boat continues onward. I paid six cents for gin. At two o’clock this afternoon we were stopped at a break in a lock. Nearly 100 boats were detained by the break and we were detained until two o’clock in the morning and the lock was mended. This was 18 miles below Utica.
Sunday: This morning at nine o’clock we passed through Utica and passed on to Rome and left the Canal. We called to Mr. Leynard’s in Rome Village and stayed until brother Simeon Wylie walked to brother Reuben Morton’s and had his two sons Elisha and Jay come with their teams and carry us home with them.
Wednesday: This morning I walked from brother Morton’s to New London and cousin Elisha Morton took his one horse wagon and carried his mother and my wife to New London and there we three took a line boat, Capt. R.T. Palmer and name of boat Theodore Chapin and paid 12 cents apiece and went to Canastota to Clarks and stayed there on a visit.
Thursday: On this morning at ten o’clock we returned from Canastota from cousin Clark’s and went on board a boat, Robert Allen and paid our fare, 14 cts apiece and we got to New London at five o’clock this afternoon and we went to Adin Swan and stayed.
Friday: This morning I walked from New London to Rome, quite rainy, and Elisha Morton took his team and went to New London and fetched my wife and sister Morton to Rome and we all continued to brother Reuben Morton’s, today and night.
Saturday: Today the son of Samuel Morton took his two horse team and fetched us four brothers Simeon and wife and my wife and myself to New Hartford and we stopped at Hampton Village to the widow Crosby’s a few minutes, we got to brother John Camel’s at New Hartford the sun one hour high, and the son of said Morton stayed tonight with us to brother Camel’s.