6 1873 The family at this time: James McMillan, now 39. Martha, now 29. Fannie, 5 yrs., Fred, 3 yrs., Harlan, 1 year. Then at the end of the year, December 20, Homer is born. Not too much to note–mostly a busy daily life on the farm, in the church, and in the community. March-early May. Were wet and cold. No corn planted until June. Wages on the farm at that time were room and board plus $80.00 for six months work. 4000 lbs. of wool were sold for .60 cents a pound. Hogs sold for 4 to 4 ½ cents a lb. There were a number of people to be fed 3 meals a day, because it took more labor (hired help) to accomplish all the farm work. Also, people (friends, neighbors, and relatives) all seemed to visit near meal time, and of course were invited to eat with the family. November. If anyone reading this remembers the old storage cave in the backyard; it was constructed in November of 1873. This was a cool place to keep some of the foods. There seemed to be numerous case of typhoid fever in the summer and fall of 1873. 1874 At the beginning of this year: James was 40 years old. Martha was 30 years old. Daughter Fannie was 6 yrs., son Fred was 4 yrs., son Harlan was 2 yrs., and baby Harlan [sic. Homer] was 2 weeks. This is a good diary to read if you want to know what “the good old days” were like in the 1870's. On the entry for September 3, you will read how discouraged Martha (my grandmother) was. Good help was as hard to get as it is now. [Note: the following entry was not included in the notes] “I have been feeling very much discouraged for the last few days. ? with work neither the help nor ability to do one half that is to do–farm men to be waited on at morning, noon and night–four children to be attended to with only a little girl to depend upon to help my ? certainly a very ? And ? more grace bear up this last week or so than I sometimes had, but this afternoon there seemed to be a break in the clouds, and I felt that the burden would drop off, ? to have to be taken up again. ...And if we put our trust in the ?, why there will certainly be another way provided for us to get along without such a taxation on our time strength and patience.” November 2. James took the train to Pennsylvania on a sheep buying trip. Returned Nov. 13. December 11. James became sick with a very strange illness; was not our of bed till December 30th. (Later they said it was typhoid fever.) 1875 January 25. James who became will with typhoid fever on Dec. 11, 1874 was not able to get out of the house until January 25, 1975. April Fannie started school, she was 7 years old. (Note that a school was built on the corner of the farm at Columbus Pike and McMillan Road; not far from the homestead; school continued in this building till around 1917.) The diary again records the busy farm life–and church and family activities. July/August. Most of July and early part of August was very wet. They were unable to get hay made, or thresh wheat. September 22. A heavy frost came.
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