Heading West On The Erie Canal Again
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Thursday, August 19, 1847: I this forenoon took my one horse wagon and went to Lebanon and carried five pounds and 14 ounces of butter to N. Nichols Store at 15 cents per. This afternoon I worked at the wall at my celler door. Today while I was to Lebanon I helped put out the fire on Pool Hill, it partly burned up the brick house of Henry Hulls.
Friday: This morning I took my one horse wagon and fetched Elisha Clark and he patched the barn roof on my Rodgers barn and John F. gathered apples for market. Tonight Eunice Dailey stayed with us on a visit, she teaches school in our district.
Saturday: Today I stoned up the celler way on the west side of the door way and repaired the door in the celler way. Geo P. went in the north part of the town picking blackberries.
Monday: Today Mr. John Hull laid up stone wall for us by the day at one dollar per day, and on this evening Smith and Taylor left 125 dol with me to put into Commercial Bank of Troy for them and interest one dol 50 cts.
Tuesday: This morning at two o’clock Geo P. took our two horse wagon and I and my wife and Sarah and we rode to Troy, and I paid 25 cts for us four, tea to the widow Kilmer’s and the two half tolls gates both ways which was twenty five cts. We got to Troy at half past nine this morning and we sold four bushels of apples. I could not find Smith and Taylor’s note in none of the banks in Troy and I returned the money to them by my son. We called to Bacon’s boosum store and got work and sent home by Geo P. and I paid to Wm. Dhapman for beer and Geo P. dinner 28 cts. I gave Geo P. ten dol and he paid four dol for a pair boots and 3 dol for a hat, and Geo P. returned home with these articles and left Troy at 3 o’clock, and at five o’clock I and my wife and Sarah we went on to a Line Boat Benj. and Capt. W. L. Babcock and agreed to pay one ½ cent per mile and board a piece. We left East Troy nearly sun set and went over into West Troy up the canal and lay up all night for the locks were crowded of boats.
Wednesday: We got to Schenectady at four o’clock pm and left at sun set.
Thursday: Today the boat continues onward and this afternoon we stopped to Sprakers Bason and I paid six cts for beer.