1825-1844 Tygart Valley Day Book of John Wood (1770-1864)

by Betty Wood Houghton

 

 

This Day Book tells of twenty years of barter, labor, crops and materials that were important in Tygart Valley, West Virginia.

Here are listed the needs of these pioneer farmers, who in their near isolation and cashless society bartered and made it work.

Their labor and skills had established cash values. They are shown in the Day Book in pounds, shillings and pence:

ie:"to hooping and bottoming a crout tub, two pounds, six pence."

Many of the tools and skills mentioned are not known in our century. This is also true of many of the words, the spelling of which was still in one of the European languages.

John Wood was my great, great, grand father who lived in the Tygart Valley from 1799 to 1844.  Son of immigrants,Isaac and Rachel Ramey Wood, John was perhaps born in this valley in 1770. Indian attacks in upper Tygart Valley could have prompted the family's return east to Pendleton County (then Rockingham) by 1779. John grew to maturity on a homestead between Brushy Run and Timber Ridge near Seneca Rocks.

June 4, 1793 John married Elizabeth Harper. With children Absalom, Henry, and Phoebe, they moved to Tygart Valley in 1799. Other children born in the Valley were Solomon, Enoch, John Jr., Zebulon, Jacob, Caleb and Joshua, twins, Noah, and David. In 1817 John's wife and son David died.

The following year John married Mary "Polly" Hornbeck, daughter of Benjamin and Lydia Currence Hornbeck. To them were born the following children:Daniel, Martha, Ambrose, Joel, Mary, and Elizabeth. 

When John and Mary moved to Vermilion county, Illinois in 1844 this Day Book went with them. A copy of it came to me in 1992 from my cousin Glen Crane. His mother, Jessie M. Wood Crane, had done much family research in the 1930's. The Day Book had been sent to her to copy by John H. Wood, son of Ambrose(John and Mary's son).

Following is a list of John's sons whose western destinations are known to me at this writing:

Absalom-to Clark Co. and to Crawford Co., Indiana

Henry-to Ohio and to Vermilion Co., Illinois

Solomon-to Ohio and to Crawford Co., Missouri

John Jr.-to Montgomery Co., Ohio

Jacob-to Darke Co., Ohio and to Jasper Co., Indiana

Noah-to Indiana to Ohio to Indiana to Champaign Co.,Il

Daniel-to Vermilion Co., Illinois

Ambrose-to Vermilion Co., Illinois

Joel-to Vermilion Co., Illinois

The above Noah Wood was my great grandfather. His son Robert, my grandfather, and Robert's son Dewey, my father, and myself were all born in Champaign Co., Illinois.

Further information about this family may be found in History of Isaac, John, and Noah Wood Family compiled and published in 1990 by this writer, Betty Wood Houghton. The book also lists some 800 descendants of Isaac and Rachel Wood. My current address is 640 Holly Springs Estates Rd., Franklin, NC 28734. e-mail houg@dnet.net.

Tygart Valley Surname Index

Jacob HaglerŠDtrŠfebruary 15th 1825 £ S D
to putting a heel on a Sythe 0 1 9
to 5 dollars in cash 1 10 0
to one butt plough stockd 0 5 0
to a horse shod all round for Ely 0 2 0
to sharping plough iorns 0 0 9
to sharping 2 pare plough iorns 0 1 6
to hooping and bottoming a crout tub 0 2 6
to sharping plough iorns 0 0 9
to triming a coal tee 0 0 6
to one bar shave and one bull shave sharpt 0 1 6
to one clip made his iorn 0 0 9
to sharping plough iorns 0 0 9
to sharping and welding plough iorns 0 6 9
2 8 6
0 15 0
3 3 6
August the 30th 1825
James CarrŠDtrŠ to John Wood on settlement ten dollars and a half, received
5 dollars and 50 cents of the above.
£ S D
Hagler to three bushels of rye october 24 1827 0 6 0
to making three pair of shoes and mending 2 pair 0 9 0
[this account was never crossed out]
Credit for McCall £ S D
to two shilings and 4 pence for weaving 0 2 4
to 4 Dollars and a half for husking and weaving 1 7 0
to 4 days work planting corn Elick and James 0 9 0
to one days work by James 0 1 6
to one days hoeing corn Elc June 4th 0 1 6
to two days hoeing corn Elc and James 0 9 0
to one days reeping July 1825 in wheat 0 3 0
to 5 days work at the hay Aug the first by James 0 7 6
to 1 day by Elick at the hay August 1st 0 3 0
to 3 days and a half by Elick at hay 0 10 6
to two day and a half by Elick and a half a day by James 0 8
3
to part of aday thrashing 0 2 0
to one day in the flat at the corn 0 3 0
to James one day in the swamp meadow 0 1 6
to James another day in the swamp meadow 0 1 6
to James thrashing flax one day 0 1 6
to one day thrashing wheat 0 3 0
to ninety three yards of weaving 3 2 0
to Ditching in the old meadow 2 8 0
account settled January the 25th 1825 10 15 7
[this account was crossed out]
Elizander McCallŠDtrŠ January 20th 1826 £ S P
to three bushels of rye 0 9 0
to two milk coolers 0 4 0
to seting bottoming and bailing a bucket 0 2 0
to one gallon of whiskey 0 4 6
to sole leather for too pare of shoes 0 6 0
to hang a grind stone 0 1 3
to mending a slech in March 14th 0 1 3
to one hay stack 1 19 0
to 16 b of corn 2 0 0
to one plough stockd 0 4 6
to 2 and a half of rye 0 7 6
to 3 bushels of rye 0 9 0
Credit for McCall January the 20th 1826 £ S D
to six shillings and four pence by settlement 0 6 4
to one days work making a bear trap 0 3 0
to one day covering corn 0 2 0
to one day fetching stonecoal 0 1 6
to one day hoeing corn James 0 1 6
May 3 to three day hoeing corn 0 6 6
June to one day hoeing corn James 0 2 0
July 5 to weaving 40 yards of linning 1 0 0
Elick and James one half day each 0 2 6
Elick and James two days each 0 5 0
to spinning nine dozen 0 9 0
to 2 days at the corn October Elick 0 6 0
to one day at the corn James 0 2 0
to one day thrashing buckwheat Elick October 0 3 0
to one day threshing rye 0 3 0
to weaving 50 yards 1 13 4
to two months pastureing a horse 0 9 0
to one day breaking flax
November the 25 1826 settlement made all even
(this account crossed out)
PoundsŠShillingsŠPence
Moses ChannelŠDtrŠ February the 13 1826 £ S D
to four bushel of corn for miles 0 8 0
to half soles for shoes 0 1 6
to making frock and overalls 0 3 0
Credit forChannel Febr 1826 £ S D
to ten days work 1 10 0
to 4 hundred rails 2 dollars and making one pare shoes 0 15 0
(in one accountŠDtrŠ side this item to 5 days going to Morgantown)
Elizander McCall Dtr April 22 1826 £ S D
to one bushel of flax seed 0 4 6
to iorning and making a single tree mending clip 0 1 3
to one bushel of seed corn and two for break 0 9 0
to two bushel of wheat June 1 0 9 0
to sharping plough iorns June the 8th 0 0 9
to five pecks of chopt rye June 0 .4 0
to one day hewing 0 3 0
to nine pounds of pickled pork and a half 0 5 0
to old ned one day 0 1 6
to two bushel of corn October 0 6 0
to two bushel of rye for bread 0 6 0
to 8 pounds of pork S 0 1 6
[this account crossed out]
Van Sky(Scoy) Jonas Dtr January 8 l827
£ S D
to twenty five cents borrowed money 0 1 6
to two bushel of seed wheat 0 9 0
to pasture for a horse creature for two months 0 12 0
to one pot and mending of it 4 shillings another mended 0 6 0
to one dollar on Karrs account 0 6 0
to half a day drawing logs 0 3 0
to one dollar worth of beef 0 6 0
to one dollar to McCrums 0 6 0
Credit for Van Sky January 8th 1827 £ S D
to one day halling wood and fodder 0 3 0
to one day halling and choping wood 0 3 0
Credit for McCall January 1827
to two days breaking flax 0 6 0
to 1 day thrashing wheat 0 3 0
to 1 day thrashing wheat with Jonas February 1 0 3 0
to 1 day thrashing rye with Jonas 0 3 0
to one pare of horse shoes 0 3 0
to one pare shoes made by Crain for Sally 0 6 0
to 2 days grubing Elick 0 6 0
to 1 day thrashing April 1828 0 3 0
to 1 day and a half ploughing May 1828 0 3 0
Elixander Mc Call Dtr March 13, 1827
to one coat 1 16 0
to one pound tobacco 0 10 6
to 139 lb beef 1 10 0
to three bushel of rye 0 9 0
to three bushel of rye 0 9 0
to making single trees 0 0 6
to two bushel rye by Robert April 0 6 0
to two bushel rye by Robert August 0 6 0
to one spaid 0 4 0
to horse pasture three months lacking 4 days 0 18 0
to 3 days horse hire halling house logs for Henry Corrick 0 4
6
to two bushel of Corn September 0 6 0
to one gallon of honey 0 5 0
to one pare of hames 0 1 6
to two bushels of corn 0 6 0
to two bushels of rye 0 6 0
Norman Isaac Dtr March 1827 £ S D
to two bushel of corn and taking it to mill and back 0 8 0
to one dollar by Hagler 0 6 0
to 19 pound of baken at 6 pence pr pound 0 9 0
to one vinegar cag 0 6 0
to twelve pound and three quarters of meat 0 6 4
to two bushel flax seed at 1-4-6 per bushel 0 9 0
to 7 pounds of salt at cents and a half paid 0 x 0
to 22 pounds of baken at 6 pence a pound 0 11 0
to one bushel of corn and took to mill 0 3 0
to two bushel of rye by Noah 0 6 0
to one bushel of rye by himself 0 3 0
to four bushels of rye by Hagler 0 12 0
to nine pounds and a half of baken 0 4 9
Credit for Norman March 1827
to seven days work at one dollar per day 2 2 0
to two days work at laying a floor 0 12 0
to one day and pece making a door 0 8 0
to 7 pounds of sault paid 0 1 0
to two hands 4 days choping 8 days 1 4 0
Credit for Van Sky October 1827 £ S D
one day choping rail timber 0 3 0
to one day ditching and one day malling rails 0 6 0
to one day threshing wheat with Ab Stalnaker 0 3 0
two days halling rails 0 6 0
one day tending Corrick 0 3 0
to one pare of spurs 0 6 0
to two days and a half flax braking 0 7 6
to one day husking corn November 1827 0 3 0
to one day halling corn 0 3 0
to one day choping firewood 0 3 0
to one day killing hogs 0 3 0
to one day thrashing wheat 0 3 0
to one day thrashing wheat January last 0 3 0
to one day thrashing rye with Elick 0 3 0
to half a day cleaning rye 0 1 6
Elicsander McCall Settlement January 9th 1828
to 19s, 3Pence due 0 19 3
to soleing sled 0 2 6
to 2 bushel rye James 0 6 0
to 2 bushel rye for horse fied James 0 6 0
to 2 bushel rye by James 0 6 0
to 2 bushel rye by James February 28,1828 0 6 0
to 2 bushel rye by Robert March 0 6 0
to 1 bushel corn and 2 of rye by Robert March 0 9 0
to one load of hay and 2 and a half bushel of rye 0 13 6
to 2 bushel of rye by Robert 0 6 0
to 2 bushel of rye by Elic 0 6 0
Credit for McCall £ S D
to ten bushel of rye paid for 1 10 0
to husking 12 stacks of corn 0 5 0
to 1 day at the corn James finnyshed 0 2 0
to two days husking corn Elic 0 6 0
to 1 day flax breaking 0 3 0
to 2 days hoeing corn June 4, 1827 James 0 4 0
to 3 days hoeing corn James 0 6 0
to 6 days at the hay and one half Elick 0 19 0
to James 3 days 0 6 0
to Elick 4 days and a half 0 13 0
to weaving 30 yards of toe linning 0 15 0
to James 1 day drawing hay cocks 0 2 0
to James 2 days and a half at the corn cutting and Elick one half day 0
5 6
to James one day husking corn November 1827 0 2 0
to a breakfast spell at husking corn James 0 0 9
to 2 days breaking flax 0 6 0
to one day reaping rye 0 3 0
McCrum Dtr 1829
to ten bushel of turnips and 8 of potatoes 1 11 0
to one pare of socks one bushel dried apples and Lincy 1 1 0
Credit for Crum 3 small hats 0 13 0
to mrgs crum schooling 2 months and boarding two weeks 0 9 0
Norman Isaac Dtr 1829
to pork 127 pounds at 2 cents a pound 0 15 0
to 19 pounds of baken at 6 pence pr pound 0 9 6
to order on Balis butcher 0 9 0
to four bushels and a half of turnips 0 6 9
Credit for Norman March 1829 £ S D
to three days grubing Elders 0 9 0
credit for Basil to 4 days covering corn 0 10 0
to mowing 1829 0 9 0
William B. Currence Dtr to W
for one hay stack 1 16 0
to 2 pound and a half iron 0 1 6
to half a pound steel 0 0 9
Credit for Currence
paid by making a coat for Daniel 0 6 0
paid by James Carr three days work 0 9 0
to 2 days by James Karr for Van Scoy 0 6 0
to 2 days work reaping and husking corn 0 6 0
to 8 bushels of potatoes 0 12 0
Van Scoy Dtr August 1829 2 9 0
to one bushel sault 0 7 6
August 12, 1830 to seven days work 1 1 0
Bazel Norman Dtr to Wood three dollars
paid 2 days work 0 6 0
paid in Smithwork to Solomon 1826 0 2 6
August paid in Smithwork to John 0 2 6
to horse shewing for Enoch 0 2 6
to two brooms 0 2 0
(crossed out)
Bought of Morison £ S D
to three Spelling books 0 3 4
to one curry comb 0 0 9
2 dozen white plates 0 6 0
31 1/2 yds of cotton cloth at 20 cents a yard 0 18 0
one paper of pins 0 0 9
to six ---(could not make this word out) 0 6 0
to two dishes
Slagle George
to one sharping plow irons 0 1 0
to one bucket 0 2 6
to 4 pounds of fat 0 2 0
to half a dozen chickens 0 3 0
to 80 lbs. of pork 0 12 9
to one fat tub 0 3 0
to one half bushel 0 3 0
to 4 pounds of sugar 0 3 0
to 2 pounds of tobacco 0 3 0
to one dollar in cash 0 6 0
to 5 pounds of sugar 0 3 0
to bottoming and hooping a churn September 1832 0 2 0
to 3 chickens 0 1 6
Elixander McCall Dtr 1830 September £ S D
to 14 pounds of pork 0 2 6
to 29 pounds of beef 0 5 3
to 134 pounds of pork 1 4 0
to one load of hay 1831 0 9 0
to one load of hay 0 7 6
to a waggon load of hay 0 9 6
to one pound and a half of tobacco 0 2 3
to one load of hay April 0 7 6
to one load of hay 5th of May 0 7 6
to mending a clip and sharping a colter 0 0 9
to one load of hay 0 7 6
to one bucket half bushel 0 3 0
to sharping plow iron July 28 0 0 9
to me and Noah one day reeping 0 4 6
to one churn 0 6 0
to eleven pound of pickle pork 0 5 6
to halling corn 1 4 0
to one clock case 0 6 0
to half pound of tobacco 0 0 9
to one day halling bark 0 9 0
to a pound tobacco by James 0 1 0
to one pound and a half of tobacco 0 2 3
to 2 bushel of rye 0 7 6
to 62 pound of beef 0 9 4
to 127 pounds of beef and 60 pound of neck 1 1 9
to halling firewood half a day James 0 4 6
to one meet tub 0 12 0
to one meet tub 0 12 0
to one bucket 3 shillings and one fat tub bottomed 0 4 0
Credit for McCall 1830 September £ S D
to swingling 13 pounds of flax 0 2 4
to one day halling wood with James 0 2 4
to weaving 11 yards of lincy 0 7 4
to one day and a half breaking flax 0 4 6
to 2 bushels and a half of stone coal 0 3 9
to 23 yards of flannel weaving February 22, 1831 1 3 0
to one bushel of wheat and one a half of rye 0 9 0
to 40 feet of oak plank 0 2 6
to James and Charles malling rails one hundred and 50 redy
chopt March 1, 1831 75 chopt and malled 0 4 6
to weaving 25 yards of Lincy 0 16 8
to 2 days hoeing corn 0 6 0
to 2 days reeping July 1831 0 6 0
Septm. to 6 days mowing and hay making Elick 0 18 0
to 3 days and a half mowing James 0 10 6
to 3 days and a half mowing Elick 0 10 6
to one day and a half of work at the corn Oct. 1831 0 4 6
to 4 days and a half husking corn 0 13 6
to weaving 45 yards of Lincy 1 10 0
to half a day setting up fodder James 0 1 6
Credit for McCall January 1832 £ S D
to one day choping wood 0 3 0
to one day choping wood with Charley Corrick 0 3 0
to one day thrashing wheat 0 3 0
to 2 bushels of corn 0 6 0
to one bushel of seed corn 0 3 0
to 2 days replanting corn 0 6 0
to Ab ans wash 4 days husking corn 0 6 0
to weaving at the Lincy November 6, 1832 0 10 6
to 5 dollars for weaving December 1833 1 10 0
to one day husking and 6 days grubing Absalome 0 8 0
Losh Stephen Dtr 1835 February
to horse feed 0 9 0
to two pound of fat 0 1 0
to two meals and horse feed 0 7 6
March 1835 to your Bill Due 0 6 0
July the 4th to your Bill of this date 0 7 6
__ __ __
1 11 0
Credit for Losh 1835
to 8 pound of coffee 0 9 7
to 4 pound of peper 0 6 0
July the 4th l835 cr by 8 lb of coffy at 20 0 9 7
to balance due of this date 1 5 3
0 5 9
1 11 0s
Nathaniel Dtr to Wood year January 5, 1838 £ S D
by bushel and a half of corn 0 4 6
by 16 gallons of cider 0 12 0
by house rent from the first of December l838 till the first of
March 1839 at 50 cents a month 0 3 9
by one bed cord 82 1/ cents 0 3 9
by 2 gallons of cider 0 1 6
by 2 gallons of cider 0 1 6
to Ambrose halling firewood 0 4 0
to January 6 gallons of cider 0 4 6
to 2 gallons of cider 0 1 6
to 2 gallons of cider 0 1 6
to 2 gallons of cider 0 1 6
to 2 gallons of cider 21st of January 0 1 6
to 2 gallons of cider 25 cents and wood halling 50 cents 0 4
6
to 2 gallons of cider 0 1 6
to 2 gallons of cider and 2 pounds of tobacco 0 3 9
to 2 gallons of cider by ganvil lamb 0 1 6
to 2 gallons of cider 0 1 6
to 2 gallons of cider 0 1 6
to 2 gallons of cider 0 1 6
to 2 gallons of cider by Sarah and 2 gallons by Nathan 0 3 0
to 2 gallons of cider by Nathan March 12 0 1 6
Nathaniel Credit for year January 5, 1838 £ S D
to 8 days work 1 4 0
to making 4 pair of shoes 0 12 0
to 4 pair of shoes half soald 0 3 0
to one pair of shoes half soled 0 0 9
to one pair of shoes made for Martha 0 3 0
to one pair of shoes for myself 0 3 0
to mending shoes for Joel and Betsy 0 1 9
to one day threshing oats 0 3 0
to one day choping firewood 0 3 0
to half soling Daniel and Betsy's shoes 0 1 4
to mending Ambe's shoes 0 1 6
to making shugar trough 0 2 0
to half day shelling corn at Mr. Long's 0 1 6
to shoes made for Daniel March 12 0 4 6
(in John Wood's hand writing)
Wm. Currens to Dbt Wood
June 10th 1843 to sharping plough iron 12 1/2 cents
July 4, 1844 to sharping iorns 12 1/2 cents

Comments regarding this page to: Deborah Johnson.