Sawmill ledger / diary of Charles Hart, Hornellsville NY Justice of Peace and Saw Mill Owner
Sawmill ledger / diary of Charles Hart, Hornellsville NY Justice of Peace and Saw Mill Owner
Journal/Diary attributed to Charles Hart of Hormelsville NY, Nov. 1833-June 1834. Hart was elected Justice of Peace in 1833 and thus included are references to legal proceedings-law suits-arbitration-summons -replevin- assault and battery throughout out the diary. He was active in town affairs. There are numerous references to the lives of his family and offers a much fuller view of the life of a Justice of Peace. Hart owned a sawmill which burned down, and he writes about the neighbors, both men and women coming out at night to help rescue lumber from the blaze. Of special importance are the dates of November 1833 – June 1834 which document sawmilling in late winter and early spring, when rural mills were busiest as that was when waterpower was most abundant and the demands of farming were less pressing. Indeed a wonderful occupational diary of a saw mill owner in the early half of the 19th century. Many individuals names are mentioned, along with the cost of lumber, cattle, labor and related everyday expenditures.
From the diary:
Nov. 15th 1833 “…..I went to the Village for B. Cory and Miller in the Assault & Battery Suit was Setled today J.D. A.S. & C. Hendershot is to pay me one Dollar for Arbitrating….”
Jan 2 “…. I went to bed between 9 and ten oclock at night looked over to the Mill no light to be Seen then, the boys and girls went up to Seanders on a Visit they came holm about midnight no appearance of fiar then about one oclock my wife was awakened by the light that Shone into the window behold the new Sawmill was all on fire it was a hard Seen to me, to See my hand Labor $1000.00 there wasted in the flames in a Short time & no help for it my wife and the girls went into the water and worked with all there strength 2 to 3 hours. Very Cold night it was. The neighbors both men and women strove hard against the fiar and Saved boards and plank that would of burnt up to the amount of 4 or 5 Hundred Dollars. I felt bad you may expect at that time. Now the work of my hard labor & could not Stop it from going Sawmill Turning lathe and my Logway & Lumber all on fiar at once $1000.00 would not make up the lofs to me by feelings I cannot Describe to none but those that have experienced Something of the Same nature.”
Feby. 4th “I went to the Village to audit the town accounts.”
Feby. 16th “was Sunday we all went to the Village to Meeting. Methodist in the forenoon & ___ Baptist in the Meeting house in the afternoon. No presbyterian Meeting in the School house….”
March 10th 1834 “is Monday the boys and girls went to School. Bill and me halled the plates & beams of the Mill in the forenoon R. Killbury Came to frame the mill at noon – worked Some in the afternoon Morce helped a little Clark Sawed in the afternoon & till midnight then Allis Sawed & Pettis came back from holm at night here to work on the running gears & C. I lent Razy two Sider Barrels to hall Sap &c. J. Jimes was here to buy hay agreed to give $12.00 for the Stack & c. it is warm & muddy at this time good Sawing now.”
A scarce and fascinating account of the daily life of a sawmill owner before and after his $1000.00 mill burned and the help he received from neighbors both during the fire and through the rebuilding process.
Heavy paper covers of which the bottom half of each is missing. 44 pgs., very readable and in vg cond.