Anti-Rent Agitation; A New Schoolhouse
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Thursday, December 19, 1844: I drew a load of apple tree wood from Harvy Patchings orchard and let him have the ox team to draw another load of wood from the same place. At night I took my pung and fetched my wife from Calvin Jones where I left her this morning on a visit.
Friday: Today I took my pung and carried my wife to Jerry Vary’s on a visit and then I walked down to the anti-rent meeting at the Presbyterian meeting house. The Indians chose a new chief that is Blackhawk and two Chiefs addressed the meeting. I paid in my penny on the acre, that is 91 cents to the Anti-Rent Society, and I paid 37 cents to James M. Glass to take an anti-rent paper with him and I returned to said Vary’s with him and took tea.
Sunday: today I received an order from the Mr. Lucius E. Gibbs to give up his horse to Mr. Jeremiah Marks and I likewise delivered his horse to said Marks.
Tuesday, Dec. 24: Today I tended to my cheese.
Wednesday, Dec 25: We drew a load of hay from the barracks to the barn and this afternoon I took my pung and went to Mr. John Wylie and took tea and fetched my wife home.
Thursday: Today I took my pung and carried a grist of corn to Adams Mill and got ground and I walked up to Howard’s Post Office and got my Budget papers and today I got the first paper of the Guardian of the Soil which is an anti-rent paper. I paid two cts for two papers and then a new quarter commences.
Wednesday, January 1, 1845: Today I chopped wood in my Rodgers swamp and my son John F went with the ox team and drew out a load to the road and then drew another load home.
Thursday: I chopped and drew a load of wood from the swamp. On this evening I went to school meeting and voted 210 dollars to build a school house and to buy the ground to stand on and fence it.
Friday: Today I took my cutter and carried my daughter Charlotte to Nathan Howard’s and left her there on a visit and to visit other places and I took my papers out of the post office and advanced quarterly pay for the Budget and the anti-rent paper both. I paid 26 cts and I paid five cts for the January Boston Repository and paid it into the hand of Elijah Howard, and my wife being with me, we then rode to Gilbert Green’s and took dinner and my wife stayed there on a visit and I went to the Presbyterian meeting house to an anti-rent meeting.