Notes on the 1880 Journal

Authors

Rankin MacMillan

Files

Journal Date

1880

Transcription

Notes on the 1880 Diary, made by Rankin MacMillan, March 1969

A good account of daily life on the farm of James and Martha McMillan. The 3 older children, Fannie, Fred, and Harlan are in school, however, it seemed a custom to keep one or all out of school whenever certain chores in the house or on the farm needed to be done.

The winter of 1880 was very mild and very little snow. An early spring - corn all planted by May 20th. Early wheat harvest, started cutting wheat on June 20th.

On March 20th new baby arrived, named Clayton (this baby will be my father, who at the time I am reading and making these notes, has been deceased since 1947. I might add that this year as I am reading these diaries of my grandmother Martha, I am 58 years old. I was only 2 3/4 years old when grandmother died, so I don't really remember her. Grandfather James died before grandmother so I did not know him at all.

As I read these diaries I learn that he (James) seemed to spend most of his time with the sheep, or in buying wool and trading in other livestock in a radius of about ten to 15 miles. As you will learn in other diaries, he would have as many as 1000 sheep in any one year. He was a noted raiser of good stock - sometimes was called "Sheep" Jim McMillan to distinguish him from another James.

"Real" winter set in, in November - as you will see in the 1881 book.

Digitization Date

September 16, 2015

Source

University Archives

Archives Collection

Martha McMillan Journal Collection

Archives Accession Number

01-129

Archives Container Number

SF-101B

Archives Identification Number

RG 16/46

Keywords

Martha McMillan, Cedarville, diaries, journals

Disciplines

Agriculture | Animal Sciences | Christianity | Civic and Community Engagement | Education | Family, Life Course, and Society

Comments

Notes compiled in March 1969.

Recommended Citation

MacMillan, Rankin, "Notes on the 1880 Journal" (1880). Rankin MacMillan’s Notes on Each Journal. 36.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/mcmillan_notes/36