Pearl's Day Books

The Face of Genealogy

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline) — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 20:10:00 +0000

Ah. The face of genealogy? Nothing is better than this pic, the author of Pearl's Day Books, Pearl (Williams) Pointer herself:

~Caroline

Mmmoooving Around

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline) — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 18:35:00 +0000

p. 10 Cows.

Put 2 heifers in Livings pasture May 13, 1916

Took roan cow out Aug. 14

Put one bull in Livings pasture June 25, 1916

(took him out Aug. 24)

[A line is drawn here.]

Put four horses in Tom Eliotts pasture May 19th 1916

Put one horse in Eliotts pasture June 4, 1916

Took one horse out of pasture and paid $7.00 July 14

Put 2 horses in Good's pasture July 27, 1916

[A line is drawn here.]

Took one cow from Hez Eliotts pasture and paid $10 June 13, 1920

Boar out Nov. 25, 1922

[A circle is drawn around the boar entry above.]

Put cattle in Schmidtz pasture May 11, 1924

$25.50

[The word "Paid" is written on top of this last entry.]

Wikipedia Route11

My Thoughts

These look to be Pearl's bovine/equine/swine notes on whose pasture the Pointer's livestock were being kept in at the time. These types of entries are plentiful throughout the Day Books. Seems it was common to "rent" out your pasture land to those who needed it.

~Caroline

Loads of Work

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:20:00 +0000

p.9

Road Work    1924

Sept. 2     1/2 day                              $2.50
"    8 1 day, 19 loads gravel
"    9 1/2 day
"    16        1 day 16 loads, Hands pit
"    17        1 day 16     "          "       "
                                Jay's poll tax worked
"    22    1 day
"    25        1 day 18 loads
"    29    1 day
Oct    1    1 day 14 loads Stevens
                                Stevens
   "      2        1 day 24 loads
Goodmans
   "    3    1 day 8 loads Jones pit
   "      7        1 day   "

13 da.
$65

[The word "Paid" is written over the above entries, and a line has been drawn beneath the above entries.]

June 13th, -1927-
3 horses in Dan's pasture
$15.00

[The word "Paid" is written over above the entry, and a line has been drawn underneath the entry.]

2 horses in Meyers pasture May 20, 1928
$12.00

[The word "Paid" is written above the entry.]

WikiMedia Commons

My Thoughts
A part of Interstate 45 here in Texas has been under some type of construction since the 1960's, or thereabouts. It can be frustrating at times, and other times, annoying. I think the only good thing about it is that I don't have to do the work. I pay taxes for someone else to do all the work.

This was not so in Pearl's time. It seems they worked on the roads just as much as they worked in the fields. Though Pearl does not tell us the details of their road work, it still sounds like a lot of hard work. Could you imagine after it rained? Yikes!

In these entries, she does indicate names. I'm guessing here, but with a quick look at the 1919 Collins Township, Story County, IA map that I found on historicmapworks.com yesterday, these names are Harve's & Pearl's neighbors that share a road with the Pointer farm. And the "loads" that she refers to are probably loads of dirt. She also refers to loads of gravel and 2 pits that belonged to Hand and Jones (both nearby neighbors).

Below is a photo of the Pointer farm with the road in front of it. It was probably taken in the 40s or 50s, and, of course, it's from Great-Uncle Donald.

The Pointer Farm showing the road in front. Courtesy of Great-Uncle Donald.

~Caroline

Odds & Ends

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 15:05:00 +0000

p.8

(Eggs - 1922)

Feb. 3     10 doz. 4        .30 cts     $3.10

[Lots of blank space in the middle of the page. Then a line was drawn.]

Sim 1/2 da, took load home

Mon. & Tues
Put in fence.

July 18 1 da, (both)
"    20     1 "       "

My Notes
This appears to be where Pearl started to notate the eggs produced on the farm in 1922. There will be more egg notations later for different years. Therefore, we'll have to see if this egg accounting for 1922 is continued elsewhere.

Also, the notations on the bottom of the page look to be the continuation of the hay accounting from the previous page as well as a notation of putting in a fence. It looks like Uncle Sim helped with both tasks in approximately 1916 or 1917.

So, just odds & ends. Nothing "earth shattering". However, we are approximately 7 pages away from the actual day-to-day listing of expenses on the Pointer farm beginning with 1918. This is where, in my opinion, you really get a sense of what life was like on the farm.   Since there wasn't much writing today, I thought I'd add to the story with some of Great-Uncle Donald's family photos of the farm as well as images of the Pointer family farm mortgage from 1912. [I told you Great-Uncle Donald is awesome.]


The old Pointer home taken from the east.

Pointer barn & corn crib from house.

1912 Mortgage for Pointer farm. (outside)

1912 Mortgage for Pointer farm. Paid in full in 1915. (inside)

~Caroline

Hay, Hay, Hay!

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:33:00 +0000

Page 7

1916-1917

Sold     4 sheep     $35.30
" 1 cow 50.00
"         1 bull            60.00
" 1 " 25.00
"         1 horse   $120.00
"         1 mule     $125.
rec'd check for $115 and service
fees of colt $10 for balance.

Sold 4 sheep May 21, 1917 for
$102.95. Paid $20 on them
$ 20.00
$ 82.95 - due on sheep
$ 25.00 - paid May 31st 1917
$ 57.95
$ 35.00 paid June 17th 1917

Sold 2 hogs          $50.40

Put 3 horses in Yorks pasture
May 2, 1926

2 horses in Hale's pasture
July 13, 1926

   $10.50

[The pasture information above has a square around it, & the word "Paid" is written over the 2nd entry concerning the horses placed in Hale's pasture.]

" [July] 15     make hay (1/2 day Sim took hay home)
July   14 1 day both
June 14           1 da.
June 15    1 da.
July    11          1/2 " put hay rope on
July    12    1    " made hay (both)
July    13          3/4 " "     "    "        "
   took load home

Wow. Sounds like a lot of fun on the farm doesn't it? [Snort.] More like, a LOT of work.

Image via WikipediaLooks like Sim helped out with the making of hay. There are a couple of references to "both" kinds of hay. Huh. Who knew there were different kinds of hay to be made? Makes sense now that I think about it. Different kinds of grass. Different kinds of hay. For all you ever wanted to know about hay and more, click here.

Image via WikipediaIn Google Books, I found on pp.853-854 of Iowa: Its History and Its Foremost Citizens, Volume 2 by Johnson Brigham that Iowa ranked first in hog farms, first in "proportion of land in farms", and second in value of crops in 1917.   Additionally, Iowa was on top in total livestock in the early 1900s and "headed the long list of hay and forage states in 1909."

Old Heintz Barn courtesy of Donald Pointer.

Seems the Pointer's were in the thick of the growth of the agricultural industry in Iowa. But they weren't the only ones. Pearl makes references on this page of using other farmers' pasture lands. Why would they need to do this? Perhaps the Pointer farm left something to be desired. Perhaps it didn't have a water source. I found a map/atlas on historicmapworks.com of Collins, Story Co, IA of where the Pointer farm was located in 1919, approximately 2 years after these entries. I located Harve and Pearl's farm. [How lucky can we get, right?] Just click here to view the map and zoom in to locate the farm. It's in the top right hand corner in section 12 (right underneath section 1), and on 2 sides of the Pointer farm were 2 Heintz farms. And lucky for you, I know the relationship. Harve's maternal grandmother was Mary Ann Heintz. And because Great-Uncle Donald is so awesome, I'm able to share a picture of their old Heintz barn. [Cool, huh?]

Now getting back to these other farmers' pastures. When you look at the map closely, you can find both the Hale farm and the Teed farm that she refers to. Notice how there's a water source on their land? However, this map doesn't show the marsh on Pointer land. And I do remember Great-Uncle Donald talking about a swimming hole. However, maybe it wasn't enough or perhaps the pasture wasn't enough or I don't know. [I didn't grow up on a farm.] But I love when I can find a map like this where I can "place" them in it, so to speak. Don't you?

~Caroline

Speaking of Bacon...

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 17:28:00 +0000

Page 6

Hogs Sold

11 hogs Feb. 26 1917
   $174.75
1 hog    20.35
5 " 68.85
12 " 154.75
19 " 205.30
1 " 18.80
12 " 221.85
Jun 3rd 36 hogs 190.50

[Line drawn beneath the above entries.]

Road Drag (1924)
Sept. 13 5 3/4 miles
   "    30 2 1/2 miles
Oct 6 7 1/4 "
" 10 5 3/4 "
Nov 5 3/4 "

[Line drawn beneath the above entries.]

Nov. 16    5 3/4 mi. $22.92

[Line drawn beneath the above entry, and the word, "Paid" is written across both of the above 2 Road Drag entries.]

Plant Corn

Sim
Tues. 1/2 da
Wed.    1   "
Thurs.        A.O.         1   "
Fri. 1/2 day rain 1/2   "
Sat.    made well       1   "

Fence
Out     Wed.              1/2 day
   Thurs.    1   "
           Fri.                     1   "
In        Mon.                   1   "
" Tues.    1/2 " sheer shee[t??]

My Thoughts

Image via Wikipedia

Marion Co, IA Farm Boy Riding Hog (Not the Pointer's)

My parents had a hog farm way before I was even a thought in their minds. [But that's a story for another time and blog. ;) ] Now, the Pointer farm was not a hog farm, but, apparently, they did dabble in swine. The money that Pearl received from the sale of their hogs seems a little inconsistent in the last entry where she records the sale of 36 hogs for $190.50. By June, were they just trying to get rid of them?

More road work in 1924. All that road work must have been a drag. [Sorry. Couldn't resist.]

Because of Great-Uncle Donald, I do know they grew and sold corn (and other crops) when he was growing up because he worked the farm with his brothers. [And, hey, this is Iowa. Of course, they grew corn.] However, it's unclear what year this crop was planted. There are 2 words in this entry that, at first glance, no one would know what Pearl was talking about except a few Pointer family members [myself included] ~ "Sim" and "A.O"

You are so very lucky that I know what a "Sim" and an "A.O." are. Actually they are a "who". And before I start sounding like a Dr. Seuss book, I'll tell you who they are. A.O. was Alvis Oliver Williams, Pearl's father, and Sim was William Simeon Williams [or Uncle Sim], Pearl's uncle and A.O.'s brother.

So, it looks like Uncle Sim [with help on one day from A.O., her father] helped Pearl [and Harve] out with planting corn. And quite possibly he helped with the fence. The writing and the writing instrument [pencil] used seem very similar. The weight with which she wrote and the sharpening of the pencil of both entries seem very similar as well.

Image by The Library of Congress via Flickr

Corn Planting, Jasper Co, IA (Not the Pointer's)

Further, considering the type of relationship they had, it doesn't surprise me that Sim and A.O. only worked together 1 day planting the corn. In fact, as I read that entry, I could almost hear them bickering. [Snort.] I bet when they walked home that day, they didn't even walk on the same side of the road. How would I know? 'Cause of Great-Uncle Donald. That's how. [Wink.] Read about what Great-Uncle Donald had to say about their relationship here. I also blogged a little more about them here and here.

~Caroline

Hazard: Road Work

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 22:02:00 +0000

Note

Image via Wikipedia

King Rd. Drag in Operation

The 2 Day Books (which are really farm account books) of Pearl's have mostly all their pages. The oldest one has the 1st four pages missing and some pages missing from the back. They are mostly in chronological order, especially when expenses are listed. However, road work, culvert work, egg accountability, loan information, farm animal placement, and the like are scattered throughout, which leads me to the first page that is intact.

Page 5, Road 1924

Put 2 horses in Teed's pasture May 5th 1915

[Line drawn underneath the above entry.]

Work in 1922
Aug 15 worked 1/2 day at school
   " 16 worked 1/2 day at school
$5.30
[The word "Paid" is written on top of the listing of work above & a line is drawn underneath this entry.]

Twship 1 Road Drag 1924

Mch. 12     2 3/4 mi.
   "     13     4 3/4 "
"       27    7 1/2 "
Apr.   4      8         "
"       14   5 3/4 1 1/4 " [mi.]
" 28 6 "
May   22   5
"       26   9 1/2
June 6     5 3/4
"       9     7 1/4
[The word, "Paid" is written across the above writing and a line was drawn underneath the above last entry.]

June 23 7 3/4 mi.
"      30     6 1/4 "
July 15    11 1/2 "
"      22     5 3/4 "
"      25     5 3/4 "
Aug    1      6 3/4 "
"       5      5 3/4 "
"       9      5 3/4 "
"     29      5 3/4 "
Sept 2      5 3/4 "

$46.72

[The word, 'Paid" is written across the above entries.]

My Thoughts

Image via Wikipedia

Road before King Rd. Drag

Image via Wikipedia

Crowned Center After Use if King Rd. Drag

Now that was a pain in the butt to copy and type, but it's not even in the same ballpark as the work it took to clear the roads and make them passable for the wagons, horses, and cars back in the early 1920's in rural Iowa. The farms were responsible for road work near their farms unlike today where the county takes care of them.

I was very privileged this past summer to visit where the Pointer farm once stood. We took some back roads to get there. And you know what? These back roads are still dirt roads. In later posts, I'll share more about what Great-Uncle Donald had to say about the roads, and I'll share my photos of the area as well as Great-Uncle Donald's photos of the area. [Folks, do I need to even tell you how lucky we are to have so much about this farm? Soon we'll be smellin' fresh eggs fryin', hearin' the bacon sizzle, and smellin' horse, cow, and goat poo. That's right. They had 2 goats. And Great-Uncle Donald has some stories about 'em. Hilarious ones.]

Below is a map of Collins, Story Co, Iowa & the surrounding area. I've placed a marker at approximately where the Pointer farm once was, which is outside of Collins proper on the way to Rhodes.

View Pointer Farm in a larger map

~Caroline

Image by justmakeit via Flickr

Purple Iowa Sky

The "Why" Behind This Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 21:10:00 +0000

When I mentioned on my main blog, Family Stories, [in my Life's Not Fair post] that my father-in-law had shared his grandmother's (Pearl Williams Pointer's) day books from the farm in Iowa that spanned from approximately 1916 to about 1943 with me, Nancy commented if I had any plans to transcribe and post them on the internet. She went on to say that her ancestors had had a farm in Pennsylvania, and that the business end of the Pointer farm in Iowa had to have been similar to her ancestor's farm in Pennsylvania from the same time period.

"Huh," I thought to myself. Nancy had a very good point. It'd be kind of selfish of me to keep it and not share it. So, this is why I started this blog. A blog about Pearl Williams Pointer's farm's Day Books. The business end of the farm. [I wasn't lucky enough to get her personal journal. That is, if she had one.] I'm going to try to post a page a day. [Notice I wrote, "try".] Not only will I post the page, I'll try to post pictures of the people mentioned, applicable excerpts from Great Uncle Donald's memoirs [one of her sons], and my own personal comments from my research of the family wherever appropriate to make the story come alive. Yes, you read correctly. The story. Indeed, her Day Books cover the business end of the Pointer farm, but they still tell a story. Or maybe I'm biased and I try to find a story in everything. [Shrug.]

Anywho, I find them interesting, and I think the family historians out there will find them interesting as well.

~Caroline