10 July 21. Started hauling bundles of wheat to the barn to be threshed later from the barn. August 10. Spring and summer up to August 10th was wetter than usual. October 2. Jason baptized. November 26. First snow November 28/29. Threshed the wheat out of the barn. Had 17 men to dinner. 1883 The family in 1883: James 49 yrs. old, Martha 430 yrs. old. Daughter Frances (Fannie)-15 years. Son Fred-13 years, son Harlan-11 years, son Homer-9 years, daughter Clara-7 years, son Clayton-3 years, son Jason-1 year old on April 8th, wt. 22 lbs. March 12. Clara was seven years old yesterday–so she went to school today. (The custom seemed to be that you started school when you became sever, no matter what time of year.) April. No plowing done until middle of April; March had been cold and wet, April continued wet. May 9. Corn planting began. May 21. Had a snow May 30. Finished corn planting June. Sheared sheep July 12. Started wheat harvest (cut and shocked). Made hay the last two weeks in July. August. The first part of August, hauled wheat into the barn to be threshed later (wheat threshed out of barn Sept. 18th) September 19. Began corn cutting. October 1. McMillan school house opened. (School in Cedarville opened early in September). The MacMillan school board (trustees) were James MacMillan, Henry Kyle, and Joe Barber. Fall. Wonderful Fall weather, all of October, November and first two weeks of December. No snow until Dec. 16. December 5. Butchered nine hogs–and cured for food. 1884 James - 50 years old Martha - 40 years old Daughter Frances (Fannie) - 16 yrs. son Fred - 14 yrs. son Harlan - 12 yrs. son Homer - 10 yrs. daughter Clara - 8 yrs. son Clayton - 4 yrs. son Jason - 2 yrs. January 1. New Years Day - snow–continued cold the first 3 weeks. Temperature as low as 20 degrees below zero some mornings. January thaw the last week. April 4/5. Threshed clover seed and the rest of last years wheat out of the barn. May 16-30. Planted corn. June 5-13. Sheared sheep.
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