All,
I just finished leafing thru (again) an old ledger that I acquired with a group of tools 20-odd years ago. This is an account book of a rural woodworker in Ohio, and the dates range from 1877-1882.
I find it an interesting read, and open it up from time to time. Most of this fellow’s customers came to him for repairs to their wagons and buggies. There is a lot of wheel-work, and repairs to wagon beds. He also sharpened a lot of saws “guaged, set and filed” for .25 ea.
He repaired a lot more furniture than he built, although there are entries for building tables and stands, a bed or two. And there is one entry for building a turning lathe, and another for a workbench, a few ramprods, and the odd gunstock or two.
Along with the grim, (he built coffins, and conducted funerals- many for children- funeral accounts are kept separately, in the back of the book), there is the frivolous; repairing a “redbird cage”, building a frame for a butterfly collection, a stand for a cactus. He repairs a “Herbies little wagon”, numerous times. I’m thinking Herbie must have been a little hellion, with an indulgent parent.
Though many of the payments are made as cash, many are in kind. He had a running account with someone who was apparently a butcher, for whom he sharpened meatsaws and choppers, grinder blades; and received beef, pork and veal in return. A farmer for whom he did wagon repairs paid him months later, with peaches, apples and plums. In addition to the cash one customer paid him for many, many, pick and sladge handles, he received a set of stone steps, and use of wagons for hauling lumber.
Some customers are credited with so many feet of planks, or for providing him with dozens of spokes, apparently worked out for him over the winter, when farm work was slow. A cobbler is credited with soling two pair of shoes and “making a pair of boots, bad fid”.
One may surmise that at least some of the book-keeping was done by another person, a wife(?), from changes page to page in penmanship, as well as one entry, billing a customer .20, for “I don’t know what”!
All in all, it is a slice of life, viewed thru a business’ give and take, of another time and place.
Ray
Replies
It sure is interesting to have that type of window to the past. Cash was a rare commodity. If you barter today, the IRS wants it's cut and they want cash, not potatoes! I don't think money has been a good thing for mankind.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Well, I don't know about that. I make implantable microchips, and I think I'd have a hard time getting Mr. Lie-Nielsen to trade me one of everything in his catalog for one of my implants. Money's a pretty good thing. That said I have some very close friends from growing up in upstate NH who do a fair amount of barter. It's not at all uncommon for them to receive payment in kind for an excavation job or septic work or in some cases get paid with a rifle for someone's collection.
Thanks for sharing, Ray. What a fascinating picture of an incredibly interconnected and interdependent community. I don't doubt that there were many struggles and hardships they had to deal with that we couldn't possibly understand today. But part of me feels nostalgic for a simpler way of life, and a more tightly knit community.
You should consider scanning the document and placing it on one of the hand tool related websites (toolmera?).
RAY
GREAT POST!
All in all, it is a slice of life, viewed thru a business' give and take, of another time and place.
All the same for these days but we no not keep records.. IRS can look at them!
I have no problem with taxes.. However I heard one of my kin was shot for drinkin' bootleg Tea way back!
Is this old ledger available for public viewing?
I'd think a GREAT thing to sell to Finewoodworking for a Mag...!
Something I for sure would like to read!
Will, and Houston,
I'd not be averse to sharing somehow. It'd be a challenge to scan with my scanner, due to the fragility of the book. I'd be scared of causing further damage; it is already coming apart near the front and back.
Ray
Ray,
If you know someone with a digital camera that works well if you can take the pics outside w/out a flash. The flash can cause glaring on the subject. If you don't know someone maybe I can take a week off and come down there with mine! :-)
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,
Good idea. I don't have a good digital camera, just the one in my phone. I'll look into that option.
Here's a taste:
Ray
Ray,
That's warm man. I used to say that every time I heard someone say, Cool man. Yeah, I walk to a different beat.
Salivating for more pics o' that journal.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
That's warm man. My Wife told me that when she caught me is a LITTLLE lie!
Thanks for the reply.. I was not trying to put you on the spot..I was just asking! I did that to my wife OFTEN and she just smiled at me wit 'that' smile so I backed off! LOL..Maybe it could be taken to some place they keep them Dino bones.. I never learnt' to spells Museium! Or is that Museum? I have no idea!I for one think you should.. May get lost FOREVER if you do not.. iF ONLY FOR THE the rest of us that wonder what the 'old' folks did and cared about.I remembers my GrandPa.. WWI Artillery.. He had these old field glasses.. I think he was a 'Field Officer Spotter?} As I remember..He handed them to me and told me to take a 'LOOK'.. I hardly saw anything.. And then I looked and wiped off all the OLD mud on the lens.. HE slapped me upside the head and yelled That I WAS LOOKING through and YOU ruined it!
Ray,
From another lifetime, wicked cool man!
On our property there was an old sawmill dating back to around 1900. I've looked all over the place to hopefully find something like that, or anything for that matter. I have tracked down a previous owners son who has pictures which I'm after as we speak.
Great find.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob that would be a rare record and I'd like to read some of it if it becomes available.
On a visit to Middlebury a few years back I was just in awe of the water flowing right thru the town. A couple of the town folks directed me to the local library to read about the history of the timber business in the town in earlier days. Tons of records like Ray mentioned.
Lots of clever little Yankees in the early 1800's. After they harnessed the water power for a large blade, they built gang blades and cut logs end to end with 6 blades in something like a framesaw going up and down with a drive system from an undershod wheel. The water was flowing so fast at some points that they had to cut into the night. That is rare indeed.
Reading some of the records from the late 1790-1840, I found the vast majority of the wood was moved across land during the winter months on sled type vehicles not with wheeled carts. Heavy timbers were floated in the river but pulled and run across the frozen ground because they were too heavy for the soft mud in spring.
do what you gotta do
dan
Hi dan,
Bob that would be a rare record and I'd like to read some of it if it becomes available.
I am headed to the library after work today to see what I can find. I'm told there is goodly collection of old history books about town. It's really amazing what you can find if you simply do a title search of properties.
Lots of clever little Yankees in the early 1800's. After they harnessed the water power for a large blade, they built gang blades and cut logs end to end with 6 blades in something like a framesaw going up and down with a drive system from an undershod wheel.
This sparks some interest in that in the historians documentation he mentions several houses in town that have beams, not hewn, but with interesting sawcut marks that would suggest a bandsaw of some sort. I imediately thought of a pit saw but your comment might be closer to the truth on those beams....... Certainly food for thought
Reading some of the records from the late 1790-1840, I found the vast majority of the wood was moved across land during the winter months on sled type vehicles not with wheeled carts. Heavy timbers were floated in the river but pulled and run across the frozen ground because they were too heavy for the soft mud in spring.
Water was harnessed in some of the most inventive ways regarding processing wood from trees. From water to steam to diesel engines to electricity. My whole family comes from a long history of woodworkers, mostly logging and a few carpenters.
My grandfather used to tell us stories,years ago in our hunting camp,about the days he spent in the woods. His woods experiences date to the early 1920s into the 50s. The old time loggers used to fell trees in the winter that were near streams and they would pile the logs in the streams on the ice in winter. When the spring thaw came about the water would carry the logs down from the mountains.
His job was to break up the inevitable jams that were frequent. He would carry a 16' pole with a stick of dynamite on the end, and run out onto the jam and ram the pole into the logjam. The fuse was lit on shore just before he skidaddled out on the jam! It was more than a skidaddle to make it back!
Here are some pics of the remnants of the old sawmill that used to be on our property. The first dam/mill was destroyed in a flood in 1929. A new dam and sawmill was erected in its place in the early 30s and this is what is left.
This is what is left of the dam built in the 30s.
View Image
Here you can see parts of the old sawmill foundation from the 30s. In amongst the growth is a large concrete block that the waterwheel was mounted on.
View Image
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
As they say:
Do what you gotta do to get it done
dan
Bob, I see you have the snow, GOOD.If in your reading you come across the name Carlton would you let me know.Stay warmRon in Peabody ps. The Golden Banana has reopened, just in case you happen by and get thirsty.
Hi Ron,
There is a road up here called Carlton Hill Rd. As most roads up here are named after a person(s) there is a possibility. I have heard the name more than once. One end of this road ends in a suburb of town that was once called Factory Village!
Great news about the Banana being opened, but I remember more gawking than drinking in there! Ever been to Sweeneys Gay Nineties in Rowley? Great place and a lot of atmosphere. Red plaid checkerboard tablecloths, sawdust on the floor and shell peanuts free from the bar.
There used to be a sign on the wall that said, "If ya wanna get to know someone, through a peanut at them". This often led to a rather rowdy situation but all in good fun.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Ray,
Is there no body around there who is a book binder- I am thinking that it may be an idea to have it suitably rebinded (?) re-bound to preserve it. Time you got yourself a nice digital camera, for workshop use ofcourse, then you could let us see selected extracts....
philip,
Yes, I need to get a digital camera. As my son told me, it's time I entered the 20th century. I said, but it's now the 21st. He said, I know, Dad.
I'm reluctant to have any restoration done to the ledger. It is not generally used, or handled, and its condition remains stable while on the shelf.
Ray
I have the original diary kept by my great-grandmother when she was 16 in 1864. It is now in a safe deposit box - but, so that others could share in her comments, I typed up the entire book. Now it is easy to hit the copy machine and circulate to the 'expanding' future generations.Her favorite saying, concerning the trips to school was : "It is sunny overhead, and muddy underfoot."Frosty"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922
Ray,
That is a totally awesome find. I do not claim to know a lot about antiques but I do know you want to be careful taking pictures as the flash can degrade the ink. (Found that out in a museum here in DC). Also that the oil from your fingers can do the same, that's why the curators were gloves.
Anyway, I thought you may like the tip. It is a priceless piece of history. Thanks for sharing.
Nate
nate,
Thanks for your interest, and the tips. I'm tryng to be a good steward.
Ray
If you ever decide to get rid of the ledger just contact the Ohio Historical Society and set the price you want, and they will buy it. I would think its probably worth $500.00 to $1500.00, perhaps more. I'm a woodworker, and a book dealer on the side.
After seeing the picture of one of the pages my rough estimate is much higher. No need to rebind as the buyer wants the article as is. They make the decision to rebind if they see fit.
Edited 2/28/2008 6:47 am ET by 9michael9
Edited 2/28/2008 6:48 am ET by 9michael9
9michael,
Interesting. I guess I will keep it for now, as it doesn't eat a lot, so cheap to maintain :-) I had no idea that it would have any significant (dollar) value, other than as a sociological artifact.
Ray
It is an important part of your States history. They have people who link all these things together and arrive at a whole of what occurred at this time in history.
Thanks for sharing this piece of history. We look back at the great furniture makers of the past but sometimes fail to honor those unknown woodworkers that filled the needs of everyday life. I have ledger from my wife’s great-great grandfather who was a woodworker and live in Tennessee. He had a farm next to Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage. The ledger covers a time period from the 1820s through the early 1840s. The ledger indicates work from coffins to bookcases, plow stocks and wagon wheels as well as some work done for General Jackson. Thanks to my wife’s family I also have some of his tools. Thanks again for taking time to tell the story.
Ray,
This is kind of close to home. I volunteer at a living history park which re-creates the life on an 1880's working farm.
http://www.metroparks.org/_carriageHill/isrc/parkOverview.aspx
As you might have guessed I work in the woodshop (I plowed one furrow and knew farming wasn't for me, although I do love the mule). The park has a pretty extensive set of diaries of the people who lived there from c.1830 to 1913. It makes for some interesting reading. Just like yours, these show how profitable death was for woodworkers.
Rob Millard
"...although I do love the mule."
Does the mule love you back, or is this unrequited love?
Enquiring minds want to know.
-Steve
Steve,
I do believe he does, or it may be the treats I give him. I tell the Rangers, if he is ever missing, to look in my back yard, because I have taken him home with me.
He is almost 27 years old, and I have known him for most of that time. He had a female partner named Jill, but she got out and wandered onto the road and was killed a few years ago. Jack took the loss very hard. He kept to himself and didn't "work the fence" with the visitors for over a month.
Rob Millard
http://www.americanfederalperiod.com
Rob,
I didn't know you are in OH. How far are you from Bern township? or Lancaster?
Ever been to Gnadenhutten? My wife has relatives there.
Is that you with the gouge and sugar scoop on the park's homepage?
Ray
Ray,
I'm in Dayton. I've been to Lancaster once, but I've not heard of the other places you mentioned.
No that is not me on the home page. I refuse to be photographed.
Rob Millard
"I refuse to be photographed."
Witness Protection Program?
Gnadenhutten is in east-central Ohio, just off I-77. I only know that because I drive by the exit when I go up to Cleveland, and it's hard to ignore a sign that says "Gnadenhutten" on it.
Not surprisingly, you can go to Mapquest or Google Maps and type in "Gnadenhutten," without the state, and there is only one match.
-Steve
I've been to Lancaster once..MY KIN FROM THERE.. All they talked about was how bad the Boney? Pits smelled?
Hi Ray,
Your discussion prompted me to look into my property as I knew that it was once a sawmill. I phone call to the local historian revealed that recorded deeds lists it as a sawmill dated back to 1835. As a part of the historians research it also shows that my parents property was once part of the first sawmill in my hometown! Their property dates back to somewhere between 1795 and 1800.
A visit produced several documents about local sawmills over the years listing both properties and some snippets of history about them. A new adventure has been born for me.
Years ago I used to fish both of these millponds on what became our properties many years later. I remember when I was living with my parents as a youth when in winter we used to skate on the millpond in back of my parents house. Another part of that adventure was skating up the pond as far as we could go. The water used to back up quite a ways into the brood feeding the pond creating paths of water up into the low lying land. Skating at night was only possible when the moon was full and the sky was clear.
A little inventiveness and perhaps a bit of youthful exhuberance led to fashioning torches out of catails soaked in kerosene and placed along the pathways back up the brook. We had a great time until the local fire department appeared on the scene determined to extinguish all our hard work. Later I learned that dad had gone out to the shed to fetch some kerosene to light woodstove and found the tank empty. On his way back to the house he spotted the glow from our torches and promptly called the fire department, thinking the woods was on fire!
I guess I really never gave it a whole lot of thought till your discussion here so I wanted to thank you for kinda turning over a rock for me. A new adventure for me. Just a few local phone calls and I have unearthed numerous photos of what once was here/there and a lot of names for more.
Guess I never realized there is so much sawdust in me veins.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,
As a kid, I used to visit a buddy who lived on a farm that had an old gristmill on it. The mill pond was at the edge of their front yard, and in winter we'd go out and play on the ice, after his dad had checked it for thickness.
It is possible, by careful pedalling, to get enough traction to ride a bicycle on ice. The lightest touch on the coaster brake however, puts it down sideways instantaneously! damhikt
We had some wonderful times hunting and fishing along the creek. Charlie had a collie who accompanied us wherever we went, warning squirrels far and wide we were on the way.
Ray
Its great to hear of folks horse tradin' to get it done. I wish we could do a bit more and keep Uncle Sam in his office.
dan
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