A New Road In Stephentown
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Thursday, May 23, 1846: I and John F. we with our plow and oxen and wagon worked on the highway and our pathmaster Merrils credited me four days works and today Geo P. worked his day on the highway.
Friday: We three of us and team and plow worked on the highway and had five more days credited and one day remains yet to work.
Monday, June 1: Today we washed our sheep up near the Douglas bridge. I put them into the water and Geo P. and John F washed them, one hundred and 15 of them, and finished at noon. Aaron Merrils altered the lambs at B. Nichols barn and we left them until we returned from washing, and then the boys put ashes and plaster on our corn.
Tuesday: Today Geo P. took the two horse team and carried his two sisters to Troy and they traded to Baker’s boosum store, and then they returned to cousin Chauncy
Rows and stayed tonight.
Wednesday: I made fence on my Rodgers farm round a potato ground down near the swamp and John hoed in the garden and Geo P. part of the day after he returned from Troy.
Tuesday, June 9: Today I and John F. went this afternoon to the raising of the Baptist meeting house in this town. I went with my one horse wagon and carried my wife and Jerry Vary’s wife to Nicholas Gardner’s on a visit and I paid N. Gardner 75 cts cash which pays him up for the pine boards I had of him to make a wagon box.
Wednesday: I this forenoon hoed corn and on this forenoon Geo P. went and helped finishing raise the Baptist meeting house, and on this afternoon I took my one horse wagon and rode up to Nicholas Gardner’s and Mr. John Russel with me and we were summoned there by Mr. Ralph Chapman on the highway commissioner and we twelve in all laid out a new road to come into the turnpike on the west side of the Chapel, and to shut up the old road from Nicholas Gardner’s up to the hill near the burying ground, that is to the road that runs north from Hosea Brown’s house and to shut up the road from Franklin Bull’s running north to the turnpike near Mr. Doty’s, no opposition.