Fenton Historical Society
John Barron Diary 1879
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Originally Transcribed by: Eileen Roddy
Digitally Transcribed by: Denise Vickers

DIARY OF JOHN BARRON

Mondy Feb 24th 1879

Nice day good wheeling

Price of produce at this date

Wheat per bush 88 cts

Corn 40

Oats 25

Barly one 100 lb 1.25

Clover Seed 3.60

Potatoes per lb .45

Butter per lb .13

Eggs per doz. .13

Ann Hoagland went home. Done all the chores to day.

Feb 25

Went to Argentine with load of feed. Snowed.

Feb 26

I went to Linden with a law log. Good sleighing.

Feb27

I went to Linden with saw log. Good sleighing and very cold. Bought two plank for stone boat.

Feb 28

Went to Linden with load of wheat.

March 1

I went to Linden with load of wheat with sleigh. When I come back it was bare ground.

March 2

Sunday. Quite cold. Lewis Lahring was here, Mr. Wykes & Mrs Wykes come here this afternoon, staid in the evening, we had a tirkey for dinner.

March 3

I went to Linden with 2 load of wheat to day & it is thawing. Wheat is worth 92 ct.

March 4

I went to Linden with 2 loads of wheat with the waging. Thawing fast.

March 5

I went to Linden with 2 loads wheat. Very muddy.

March 6

Lewis Lahring & Ralph Collins & myself went to Howell to a cattle auction. One bull calf sold for two hundred dollars.

March 7

I went to Linden with my apples, 68 barrels at $1.45 ct. per barrel.

March 8

I went Linden & Fentonville. Mud deep and thawing fast.

March 9

Sunday. Took one shoulder, 1/ a busher potatoes, fue apples to John Wises family which is very destitute & wife & 2 dauthers, sick. Stopt to Lewis Lahring & get dinner & raining & muddy.

March 10

I took one of the fich over to Slates this morning. My buisnss was doing chores. Dolg Johnson came here to day to work for the summer. Raining to night & warm.

March 11

I took Marry over to George Hoagland to visit Thomas School. Muddy.

March 12

I was round home all day. I sold five hams to Lewis Buck of Linden for 7 ct a pound. Commenced building cow stable. Mr Walters throwed Buddle of paper of the cars. Quite warm to night.

March 13

Nothing of note to day. Cool, no freezing.

March 18

Lewis Lahring & I started for Porthurn. Got off to Thornton Station in Saint Clair County to see some cattle to Mr Bairds. Stayed all night, he had some good cattle.

March 19

Went from Beards to Porthurn. Saw Murphy & Avery cattle. They were as good as could be made. We saw his eighteen thousand dollars bull & his Duches cow 25 thousand.

Same day: Saw Sanburn sock (Stock?), they were splendid cattle indeed.

March 20

Staid in Porthurn all night. Looke round town, went up to the fort had long talk with soilders. Started for home by way of Rigeway Macomb Co. Come to Pontiac, hired Rig to Whitfields, saw his cattle. Eat super there, started Waterford Station & o clock for home, cars stopt to let us off satfied.

March 21

I went to Linden with a load of wheat. Good wheeling.

March 22

I went to Linden with load of wheat. 40 bush. Price 95 cents per bush.

April 1, 1879

Dolf Johnson commenced work to day. Very plesant & warm.

April 2, 1879

Very fine day. But cool.

April 3 1879

Cold blustry & sowey & ruff

April 4

John Baird & wife come here to day from Flushing. Very blustry & ruff wheeling.

April 5

John Baird & wife went home this after noon. More pleasant. Drawed two loads of hay from the Baird Barn. Nice day.

April 9, 1879

I took Mary to Hammilton Station. She went Begole visiting. On my way home I bught cake of maple sugar 12 ct a pund.

April 12, 1879

We went to Frank Hoaglands child funeral. Beried in Tyrone. Thirty five yers to day since we moved on this farm. It was very warm and cattle could live on grass.

April 15 1879

I sold 200 bush of wheat, price 95 ct. Roads good & dry.

April 21 1879

Commenced plowing for oats.

" 22

Sowed the 3 acr lot west of the house.

" 23

Plowing for oats on the Baird 50. Wheat worth 90 ct to day.

April 30, 1879

Drilled in oats to day on the Baird 50 the growing (?) in good order.

May 1st 1879

Finished sowing oats in the 50 this fore noon on the field south of the barn. Big white frost last night. Sheep can get good living on grass. Cowes can t.

May 3, 1879

Finished sowing oats. Sowed 20 acrs. Price of wheat to day 94 ct, pototeos 50 ct.

May 9, 1879

Finished plowing for core. Quite dry not much grass.

May 10

Went Linden. Glover boys raised them new elavator.

May 14

I planted a fue erely potatoes this fore noon. Corn ground all ploughed & draged. Very warm & dry.

May 14

Traded 80 bushels of to Linden, price one dollars.

May 20

Finished planting corn. Very dry.

May23

Drawing manure on summer follow. Wheat 97 cts bush.

May 27

We went to Harvy Whiteheads babys furnarl. Commenced plowing summer follow. Jonson painting my 2 lumber wagons & it is very dry.

June 2

Commenced plouging west of the 8 acre lot on the rize. I soeded beests to day. Sat out cabbage plants, tomatoes & squaches. Washed the bugby ready for painting. Good rain yesterday.

June 6

Went to Sam Atherton funaral. Baried in Gains.

June 14

I went to Byron. Rained a Shower. The were paying 33 cents for wooll. I hung two gates one by the road (?) front of the barn, the other between the house & barn. Wheat one dollars bush. Very dry.

June 18

We went to Detroit & down the river 20 miles to Sugar Island.

June 20

Wheat worth one dollars.

June 21

I sold my wool to Brown Hyatt for 33 cents a lb, 747 lb.

June 24

I went to Wm. Whitfield of Waterford.

June 25

Comenced haying to day.

July 9

Finished haying to day.

July 10

Commenced harvesting. Singes of rain.

Sept 8

Commenced sowing to day and finished the 20th.

Oct 9

Commenced thrashing to day.

Oct 10

Finished to day, had ten hundred & 3 bushels wheat, nine hundred bushels of oats.

Nov 4

Finished husking corn, 600 bush.

Nov 5

Snowed all this after noon, Drawed corn stalks the forenoon.

1880

1880 Feb 28

Warm as summer.

Feb 29

Cold & windy. Wheat $1.22.

Any future Diaries of John Barron will be added to this page.

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