Prior (1848)
Next (1850)
For the year 1849
Prior (1848)
Next (1850)
15 Dec "Elder Richard & Edw. Fowler came soon/after breakfast. Had
wanted FSW to assist them. Their case had gone against them.
The judge pronounced the indentures illegal, etc. CC got up
a team & took them a]I to Albany.
18 Two brethren went after pipe stems.
19 Two brethren went over the river for broom handle plank.
31 "Pleasant. Some 15 or 20 brethren & sisters attend public
meeting by request as the families are quite out of health.
2d Order (NF) came also."
1849
3 Jan "This morning there were two sun dogs all beams to be seen--
said to be a sign of a bad storm."
4 Catherine & Moriah started weaving carpeting for Office.
5 One of Witbecks came to tell Stanton that barn at River/Farm
had caught fire from locomotive and, with much difficulty, had
been put out after burning through the roof. Henry Sr. went
up thru the burning roof and threw wafer on, to the surprise
of all. Stanton and 4 others went down with load of planks
and boards to mend barn. Got home 9 p.m.
6 Stanton went to Troy to see railroad company about fire.
8 Mercy Everett d i ed at Wf\ 7/-t/~i/
9 Catherine & Moriah finish carpets.
10 SB went and paid taxes - $325.62.
19 Bought 5 loads of basswood plank.
20 Legislators came to meeting; Peavy spoke nearly 2 hours, BS
Youngs spoke also. 42 had dinner at Office.
24 Finish picking husks - all the Society. WF had 300 Ibs.
25 Deacons of all families have meeting in evening about building
Meeting House shed.
28 CC started western journey, after unpacking his sleigh and
putting his load on a wagon.
29 NF and SF have been hauling sand around Meeting House - 10 or
11 teams - over 400 Iaods in 2 days.
2 Feb Get request from CC for his sleigh. CF & NF befltinue hauling
3wajid^--j^_Q_r_se Jeam-s, 6-7 .ox _tearns . "Good whe^e.l j-ng- -a-r-o.und
here . "
3 Take CC' s sleigh to Schenectady and put on train for Rome.
Still hauling sand. "Ephraim came home last evening."
5 Feb Bought 200 Ibs. fresh cod for both families.
8 "Frederick went to Albany to see the Legislature and stayed
all night. They are carrying on strangely about the Shakers.
W. Pillow, G. Clark & others."
9 CMiller took a load of dock'to Albany. Frederick came home in
a.m., with Elder Bro went down again in p.m., expecting to stay
all night "but things turned more favourably and they got home
before 9 o'clock. The Legislature are sick of such stuff and
will hear no more of their lies."
11 (Sat) Senator Hall and 3 men from NYC came and had dinner.
14 Fred went to see railroad co. to recover damages to River Farm
barn. "They gave him $25, all he demanded."
Gov. Young's wife, sister & some more, Ford & family from Albany, came for dinner
16 "Taylor and Dr. Button came, had dinner and then went to school
to see the little girls, then back to the Office where a company
of brethren & sisters were assembled in the visitors1 room to
be inspected if they desired. Accordingly Elder Bro & Fred
took them- upstairs, stayed about an hour, appeared much satis-
fied and left."
19 Another load of dock taken to Albany. Jesse went to Lansingburgh
on foot to see the butchers.
22 SF sisters came to see the Meeting House.
23 Loren & CM went to Ida Mi I Is and made arrangements to have cloth
made for Canterbury & Enfield.
24 Eight of NF and SF sisters came to clean the Meeting House.
25 About all the Watervlfet singers assemble in MH to practice
songs to be sung at dedication.
26 & 27 Sisters came to clean MH.
1 Mar All Society (285) assemble in new Meeting House at 9 a.m.
Had meeting until 1 p.m.
2 CC came home from trip, gone 32 days and had hard time, Wi I l a r d
having been sick.
4 Had 31 of Legislature and staff to dinner.
5 CC loading up for his northern journey. Returned 9th.
12 Shipped brooms &'"brushes to Saratoga from Schenectady.
13 Took Ransomto his mother.
15 Two murderers,
^ Hall & Barna O'DonneM, hung fn Troy.
17 Man came for hen dung, got wagon box fulI. CC cut some fans
for LA (Lyd i a Annas).
19 Mar Shipped brooms to Oswego from Schenectady. "Elder Bro & Fred
went to Albany to see about the report that is going on in the
Leg is I a t u r e . "
20 CM and 2 sisters went to Troy & Albany for a cook stove.
22 CChelped Clarissa & Lydia divide the cotton cloth & yarn and
CP'' took NFs home with him and bbl. salmon trout.
24 In Albany got 3 bbls. flour, keg molasses,100 Ibs. cotton yarn.
26 Family has spoon cakes for dinner.
27 Charles Shute & Emerson Sprague taken to Albany and "left to
try their fortunes in the world."
"James Grey, the Scotchman, returned this afternoon after an
absence of 3 weeks on a visit to Delhi; about 8 p.m. unbeknownst
to anyone he took his trunk & clothing all & c I eared, ., I eav I ng
a letter on the bed stating the cause of his strange conduct
(as he termed it)."
28 Sarah Van Slack taken to Albany. Elder Bro & Fred "went to
Albany again about the Shaker report the committee were to make
but came home without anything being done as usual."
30 Thomas Dudley came as a hired man.
31 Fred went^to Albany
MjVxVx^'j^-'
again to get the report. "Noah B i^
qelow
& A I bert l)erum let it be known they wanted to leave the Shakers."
Noah was taken to Albany to go to Delhi in Delaware County,
and Albert was put on railroad for Rochester where his mother
I i ved.
2 Apr Union meeting and report concerning Shakers written by Taylor
was read. Fred went to Albany; report passed House.
(The NY Assembly Journal for April 2, 1849 reads, "Mr. Taylor,
from the se I ect r comm i ttee, to whichjwas referred a resolution
inquiring into the propriety of rescinding certain trusts held
by the U.S. of the people commonly called Shakers, under a law
of this State passed April 15, 1839, reported against the pro-
propriety of any action on the subject and asked to be dis-
charged of further consideration of the same.") ;
(The Journal entry for February 13, 1849 reads: "Mr. Cross
presented the memorial of William H. Pillow in relation to
alleged abuses of Shaker's which was read and referred to select
committee on certain trusts.")
George Dunford began to work here. 106 suckers bought from
W i tbeck.
4 6 doz. brooms taken to Troy to go to Schaghticoke.
Tom W. cut down the BaImof Gilead tree south of new MH.
6 "WB & Fred sawed thru the cookroom floor at the Office & found
a hen almost dead that had made a strange noise for 2 weeks
or more.
8 Sun. Had 34 people connected to Legislature (women, chjldren, drivers)
for dinner.
9 Apr Went to French's Mill & brought home our pressed cloth.
Three men brought loads of elecampane.
11 Fred went to Albany; this is the last day for the Legislature
th is season.
12 CC stayed home & helped the sisters - washed the wall in bre-
thren's front room & whitewashed sisters' 2 rooms twice.
2-3 men brought roots.
13 Samantha's father came to see her.
14 Sat Cold, freezing, 8-10 below freezing. CC, Jesse & some more
after supper went & pulled up the cabbage set out for seed on
Tuesday, put it in heaps & covered.
18(AIfred Lya I & Nathan Wood, both 21-22 years old, brought up by Shakers
from children, taken to Troy "and left them in pursuit of happi-
ness as they were not able to find it here among Believers."
"CF & fami ly brethren, alI that could, came & worked on MH yard,
turfing & leveling, etc."
19 "We are all very tired (clean, clean all the time)."
Two boys brought roots.
21 Hannah McDowell came to get a few seeds & appeared very strange.
The school inspector came, "he seemed quite inquisitive yet
friendly." Saw DAB, Aurelia from CF & Delina Hutchinson from
WF. A deaf man came, said he was a teacher in the Asylum at
NY, -had a little leisure & came to see us; he had supper before
he left."
22 S u n . "The staff of love was read in the morning service."
A young man with Ex-Gov. Marcy's little boy had some dinner.
23 Elder Hawkins went to Lansingburgh for the man who is making
pickets for MH yard to come & see about gates.
Went after John Edict & crew of 6 (masons), making 13 who have
been h i red .
24 Two men came for grafts, 5 with roofs, all have dinner. A tin
pedlar came, abought $2.75.
25 Wed Tilla the cat had 5 kittens, all very pretty.
"Thus far this week have about 58 meals each day."
27 Calked & pitched the scow and went to Island for first time.
28 Channing went to Greenbush for white leather, CC to Albany for
1 bbl. beef and 2 of mackeral.
31 CM went to Albany, ".had some bad luck, broke a demijohn of
rosewater. "
2 May Shipped brooms to Buffalo.
4 Got cloth from Ida Mills--600 yds. for Union Village.
5 May Sarah Simons covered 16 doz. long baskets for Randall in NYC.
The baskets were made at Lebanon.
7 CC trying to get someone to help him on the Island but could
get no one to fake the cows so he went alone.
8 Shipped cloth to Ohio.
9 Three sisters from NF and 3 from WF came to varnish in MH.
11 Sisters come again to varnish, have dinner.
12 " " " " "
Witbeck's broom shop caught fire & SB helped put it out. (He
was at River Farm.) Jannet Angus received a letter that her
mother had died.
14 Ministry began to move into new MH.
15 Shipped box of bonnets to Harvard.
One brother & 2 sisters from 2d & SF came to paint window blinds.
Work in Old Meeting House.
16 Our beloved Ministry slept in new MH for first time, the
youngest one is 70 years old.
17 Commenced raising little buildings to go with MH.
Fifteen sisters clean MH floor on their hands & knees (some get
blisters on knees). Almira Teachout & her girls move into the
0 Id Meet i ng House.
20 Sun. Ministry and whole CF had meeting from 1 to 2:45 p.m.; WF & SF
came at 3 p.m. & had meeting to 4:45.
21 PIenty of beggars .
24 John Hobert from Whitewater came on a visit.
Emily Conkling left Deaconess order to fake charge of weaving.
28 Ship 8 doz. brooms to Gouverneur.
29 The sisters over 30 were assembled in Elders' shop.
1 June Family brethren washed their sheep. Joel Smith & a number more
came very near drowning when plank came loose. Some could not
swim & held onto those that could & kept them from swimming.
Joel stayed at WF infirmary all night.
2 CM brought 5 doz. spit boxes from Schenectady for MH.
Orin Haskins came to each the brethren how to put cloth on the
roof of buildings.
3 First public meeting in new MH. 2d Order also came.
"The first- born blessed the brethren & sisters being the first
Sabbath in June. "
5 Went to Albany to pay for Camp farm. Dr. Knapp & his family came
from Albany, took tea & we gave him one of TMIa's kittens.
8 June Brethren went after butternut bark for coloring wool.
11 Oliver & the rest of the group working on the MH shed began to
boaRD AT Office. AM the brethren that use a scythe & could
get one to use mowed in the dooryard before breakfast.
Lydia in the linter chamber bottoming chairs.
15 Betsy Hawkins helped C I ar'rssa bottoming chairs.
Garret Witbeck's funeral.
16 Brought load of butter nut bark from River Farm.
17 "Have public meeting. They let the world through on the white
f I o o r ."
18 CF & Lydia "caked white wa, a great quantity of it."
21 Friend Humphrey & family came, had dinner & supper.
22 "Bible man came,, stayed over night, CC bought 7 Bibles and
12 testaments."
26 "Two men came nearly this morning to forbid our paying the man
for pickets they engaged to make as he has failed etc."
AB and Lydia were taken to Island to help with cooking as they
were raising a house. Had 18 for breakfast, 27 for dinner,
44 for supper.
30 Ex-Gov. Marcy and company came & stayed a short time.
MorrelI bleached basket stuff.
2 July Took Ring, the kitten, to Chas. Van Benthuysen.
"Coon, the one engaged to make the pickets, came & concluded
to have the fence carried back & another one made of better wood."
3 Men mending plasted in Ministry Shop, took down overhead plaster
in both rooms & patched.
4 Elder Brother thought New or South or Camp farm might be called
PIeasant Hill.
5 Two brethren went after cicuta .
6 Drew two loads of basswood plank from Vischers Ferry.
17 Went to Lansingburgh'after MH fence, Coon & another came to
put it up. Began to lath the privies for the MH.
23 A company of Notts from Schenectady came, called for dinner,
broke a large sugar bowl.
25 Brethren went near Bennington for wormwood.
26 Maria began to quilt on a comforter for "old house."
27 Fred & 3 sisters went to Roots wool factory in Albany & home
via cemetery (Albany Rural).
Judge Harris and family came for dinner.
29 July A great many came to meeting in a.m. "There was a message-
Sun, read from Holy Mother given the 15th at Holy Mount.11 2d Order
came in p.m.
30 Judge Parker, wife & 9 (?) children came.
1-2 Aug Cradling barley & oats at Pleasant HIM.
3 "This day is appointed by the President as a day of fasting &
prayer." We assembled in the Dwelling House with the good Min-
istry (except Elder Ebenezer who is sick), had a very good &
appropriate meeting above 2 horus. Our hired men suspend work
today. In p.m. all went at their employment."
Maria & company have finished two quilts.
4 Have brought 120 large I^a)p)dsof hay home from River Farm.
8 In Albany got 1600 cabbage plants.
Went to Schenectady for henbane (stfnkweed).
9 Emeline Ellen Ward and a girl came to reel their silk.
11 Thos. Dudley came to help CM - that makes 9 hired men here.
"SB and CC both stay home (remarkable)."
12 Sun. "After the world was dismissed, the ministry went & stayed with
our ministry through a meeting. All attended our meeting in p.m.
After the meeting was nearly through, Elder Bro gave Joseph
T I iberty to speak what he felt. Accordingly al I under 20
years seated themselves on the floor around him, the rest of
the assembly on the seats, when he spoke very feelingly to the
y o u n g ."
14 SB took very broom available to Waterford.
17 At Pleasant Hi I I have harvested 1000 sheaves spring wheat, y
2800 of rye, 4000 of oats, 40 bu. barley. Also 240 bu. oats
on R i ver Farm.
24 CC about 4:30 went looking for group who had gone berrying.
He could not find anything of them*for a long time; they came
home at 10 p.m.
Got a box of swifts from Hancock.
25 Four men carne, had dinner and went to school . "They al ! had some
h i gh off i ce, I be I i eve. "
Hayden Treadway came, had dinner, bought $25 of seeds, herbs,
bas kets, etc .
The brethren let SF have 4 tons of hay from River Farm.
END OF BOOK 2.
27 Aug Elmore German died at WF on Sat., Aug. 25.&t W~d~/$
FuneraI toda y.
29 Eleanor Vedder of 2d Family slipped on an apple skin, fell on
pummel of a chair and hurt herself "very much."
30 CC went to Island to take man that makes mortar, Daniel went
to Island with stone to cover the well, Loren went to fix the
sink, and Jesse to fix the well.
1 Sept SB has bought 26,000 ears of sweet corn to dry for $95.50.
Had some things stolen from mill--new surtout, shovel, wash
dish, 4-5 garden sheets, etc.
4 One brother and 2 sisters went after elderberries "to make
some wine."
5 Catharine Smith came to see Philip & Lucretia.
6 Morrell went to Albany with CC "and had a chance to see the
Pres i dent."
7 Mary Edwards decided to stay with her relation.
12 Maria went to SF with 2 pair of swifts sent by Hancock Ministry.
15 Stephen Wells came to have some of our folk sign the Covenant.
19 Jos. Brown and Chas. White went to their relatives.
22 "This is Warring day. We arose at 4, meetin at 4:30, commenced
the work of the day at 5:00.... After supper each cleansed
their own apartment, then all or nearly all went in the kitchen,
then in the meeting room, had a sharp testimony. Quite a number
spoke the ir fa i th."
25 "Willard concluded to go, the fire grew so hot. SB took him
to'Albany. Brother & 2 si'sfers went to Hoosick to take Sarah
Simons to find a home for her. Back on 26th.
27 The Ayers boys brought back the things they stole from the mill.
28 Finished harvesting broom corn--90 loads.
2 Oct Harr.fet Ingham came to see her children.
3 In Albany bought some chairs for new house on Island.
4 "SB began hosuekeeping at Pleasant Hill in the forlorn build-
ing, Tom & George sleep there."
5 Rebecca Carter & Robert White's daughter came on a visit.
A women with 2 children came to join but we sent back to Troy.
9 Eliza Golden informed the Elder yesterday that she wanted to
leave; accordingly she was taken to Lansingburgh.
10 Oct Messenger came with news that Elder Ebenefcer had died at Lebanon and Elder
Joseph and Elder Freegift were to attend the funerah at 1 p.m.Thursday.
13 Just as we were going to meeting, Theodore Agnew came and informed Stanton
Buckingham that he was going to leave us.
18 CV finished off the draw baskets made by A. Train - 52'of them.
21 Sab. "This is the day we fast and pray. We attend to the gift the same as usual
of late years."
23 CC went with Tom (Walde) to look for a team for h i m ; theycame home with
one poor little black thing with one eye..
Charlotte Youngs came with a cousin; stopped a short time.
2 Nov Martin'& Dennis Brainard [eft to look for a place to work this winter.
They have worked for us ever since they came to this country.
6 J.Whitehead, her step-father, came to see Jane Leonard and wanted her to
go to live with her mother near Utica and she concluded to go.
7 CC took Jane and her step-father to Schenectady to take the train and took
the "antirenter horse" along and sold h i m .
Charles H. Rosier let- it''~be' knownthat he had made up his mind to leave;
went with SB to Albany,"then took the cars east to go to mama as soon as
possib!e."
Thomas Edwards returned from NY this morning, came to see the boys and
came again in the afternoonand informed the Elders he was leaving and
taking the boys with h i m .
8 Richard Dean came with Thomas Edwards, the boys had their things packed
"even to the old quilt," left about 11 a.m. "Thus one more family is
extinguished among Shakers."
12 Rain, rain. Visit Island and, found wafer almost up to new house. Witbeck
folks went and secured the scow or it would have been lost. Also they went
on the Island and swam off some of the'Shaker cattle. One of the steers
swam down river a mile below Vischers Ferry and finally made it to shore.
They put him in a stable, blanketed and rubbed him down and let'Shakers
know where he was.
"George Hair came to see Ephraim in consequence of past treatment."
13 DAB went to the SF for Ransom Guilford who is to Live in this family.
16 A man came with a load of poke root and CVtlent CM $7.75 to pay for it.
19 Did the two east chambers (in Office) with pink composition, the walls
never had anything done to them before.
21 Took their cloth to Lebanon "to be pressed."
24 CC got some flag carpeting^"a little damaged" for dining room.
26 Two brothers went after pipe stems near Fonda.
Luther Wells earner^ tohelp Frederick cut some coats.
28 CC got 25 Ibs. feathers for ministry and 15 Ibs. of cotton twine for family.
Judge Parker, wife & 3 children came, had dinner, bought a cheese for $4.50.
30 Nov To Ida M i l l s
and got cloth for Union Village.
1 Dec Have had a hired hand. Popjoy, digging a well at Pleasant H i l l . Have got
down to hard pan with no sign of water, quite discouraged.
5 SB "burning out" the chimneys.
Maria finished a cloth partition in the east room, with two brethren fixing
the wood and hooks.
6 Get a tierce of rice (tierce - equal to 42 wine gal., Webster)
7 John Ingham came to see his children.
11 Charles Brackett to Lebanon "to show them some about making brooms."
13 CC got 2'gaI. of extra molasses to eat on pancakes.
14 Richard Dean came from SF to say that Alexander Youngs came home from NYC
yesterday with $700-800, put it on a desk in their room, and it is taken
"by whom they could give no guess but think it is their own folks."
15 Elder Brother, CC & Frederick and some from WF go to South Family. Males
all called in one at a time and examined. No clues and no money found.
16 A colored man, a previous visitor, came to ask for money to help Negroes.
Was to lecture in Methodist Meeting House in evening.
18 Simon Atherton and Laban Babbit came from Harvard. Paid CV $34 for 70
bonnets they have sold for her.
21 "Finally hit water in welI at Pleasant Hi I I .One man worked 80 days, think-
ing it would take 4 weeks before it w i l lbe finished.
23 Caroline Downs came out of "physician's lot" and Matilda Wells went in.
25 "Christmas day, we keep it the same as usual, no company except an aged
man near 84 years, he stayed all day and night, is very cold."
26 Two brothers from Tyringham came to learn something about making brooms
and obtain some broom corn. (Aaron Manchester and Richard Van )
1850
2 Jan CC and Loren came home (from Lebanon) soon after dinner, informed the folks
the Ministry were on thef^ay. l*The sisters flew hither and yon as there was
no fire at Meeting House. They came in about an hour. It was quite warm
and comfortable by then"
5 Sat. "The elders, deacons, farmers had a meeting this morning about building the
barn etc. and all cannot think alike about it."
6 "Just as we are going to meeting a poor man came to get something to eat.
CC stopped to attend to him a few moments and got fastened out of the
Meeting House and by that means lost his meeting with the Ministry (not a
very comfortable feeling)."
10 SB went to WEst Troy to pay the taxes $295.66. CV lent money to pay the
Island tax of $25.75.
For the year 1849
Prior (1848)
Next (1850)