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Sunday, October 3, 2010

Journal, 1847-1849

[My great-grandfather continued to live in the Council Bluffs area and attend the various meetings and conferences of the Mormons as the days and years go by.]

1847:
Jan - Weather intensely cold then warmed up.
Jan 23 - Walked nine miles to Winter Quarters with a friend. [Winter Quarters was across the Missouri River in Nebraska, part of Omaha today.]
Jan 24: Attended meeting.
Jan 25: Returned home.
Jan 31: Back to Winter Quarters.
Feb 1:  Meeting cancelled due to bad weather. Returned home.
Mar: Wants to head for the Rockies, but has no team to pull a wagon.
Apr: Decided to clear field for crops.
May: Brigham Young and company have already left for the Rockies. Another company leaving soon.
        Cleared and ploughed [his spelling] with borrowed team six acres of land and fenced it off with split-rails.
Jun:  Finished planting corn.
       Cut oak and black walnut logs for twelve and a half cents each for a neighbor.
Jul:  Hoed weeds in corn, weeds plentiful. No horse to plough with.
Aug: Cleared one and a half acres and planted turnips.
Sep:  Worked for father-in-law.
Nov:  Added room to house for brother-in-law to use, he returned from the Mormon Battalion a company of which  had gone to Salt Lake. More turnips than I can take care of, 300 bushel so far. [He now had a total of three acres of turnips.]
Dec 31: Thankful for the 250 bushels of corn and the 300 of turnips. Have not suffered for food and clothing.

1848:   
Jan 9: Taken sick.
Jan 24: Finally able to get around a little. Lost memory.
Jan 29: Daughter born.
Mar 12: Able to do a little work.
Mar 26: Daughter got sick and died.
Sep: Worked all summer. Got 16 acres ready for planting. Built a grist mill with a couple of friends.

1849:
Worked in mill.
May: Gold discovered in California. Many people leaving. Sold a lot of grain.
Dec 31: Cholera raged this year with many dying. Gave thanks for escaping it and for a prosperous year.

12 comments:

  1. I love this post...feel almost like talking to the man.

    Hawk

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  2. I'm sure he would talk to you and do a little proselytizing, if he were still around.

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  3. Oscar,

    What I'd give to have that chat!

    Hawk

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  4. Hawk, I wish I could arrange it, but it's a little late. He would've undoubtedly liked to have a chat with you, too.

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  5. Oscar!

    LOL, I'm sure he would have thought I was a woman with too much of a mind of her own.

    Now I just noticed you've got a book out! OMG, Why didn't you tell me about this...??? How about we do a shout out about it on my blog...we could also do an interview about you and the book. Are you interested? Let me know! I'd love to do a piece on you.

    Hugs
    Hawk

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  6. Hawk, I think that's exactly what he would have thought, but it was a different age then.

    I'm pondering your offer and will let you know soon. My third book will be coming out before long if all goes well.

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  7. Oscar,

    Yes, sometimes I wonder if it wasn't a better age to live in...hard work was all in a day but ways were simpler then...I wish for the simplicity of those days...

    That's fine my friend...I'm here and open to it if ever you decide you'd like to do it and if not, it's o.k....

    Have a great night!
    Many hugs
    Hawk

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  8. Those days are gone forever with all the technology taking over the world.

    I've finished the pondering and would enjoy doing the interview, I think, if it can be done by e-mail. I'm not a very outgoing type and get flustered easy when I'm asked questions without a chance to think about them.

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  9. Good Morning!

    Wonderful news on the interview...o.k., let's take this private...go to my blog. Under the header you'll see a tag that says "Contact Me" drop me an e at that addie and that'll give me your private e so I can then communicate with you about the interview!

    Not to worry...it's all done by e and you'll have lots of time to think of your answers.

    Hugs
    Hawk

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  10. All good stuff again Oscar. Touching too.

    (Go ahead and do the interview with Hawk. You'll enjoy it. She won't bite - Leastways I don't think she will.)

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  11. Speaking of interview Valance I'm still waiting for yours!

    I tend to bite when someone is supposed to get his interview back to me and hasn't ...yet....still waiting.

    Hugs
    Hawk

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