Box 1, Folder 4: Diary 1811-1832

[Left Page] 40 Proprietor of the Western Museum Mr. [Donfurle?] some specimens from Louisville. Remained in the City 5th Stared in the stage for Chillicothe rode to Williamsburgh (28 miles) — 6th Drove to Chillicothe (72 miles) via Hillsborough & Bainbridge. 7th Found Darius this morning. Spent the time with him at the Stone quarry — 8th At noon Father came from the job (which is 10 mile [miles] above Chillicothe) with some horses for us to ride. Rode up home — found some of the small children shaking with the ague. 9th Sunday — Stayed at home 10th Darius returned to Chillicothe & I spent my time in making a table & laying out a grindstone. 11th Assisted William cuting [cutting] his grind-stone. 12th November. Father went to a canal letting at Lancaster Ohio. — finished the grind-stone. Went up the crick in search of shells. 13 — Went to the river — saw a large ancient artificial [tumulus?]. Snow — first in the season 14 — My trunk came up from Chillicothe — Stayed at home 15th Stayed most of the time at home. Darius came up from Chillicothe. 16th Sunday — Walked up to the "bluffs" with Darius Father returned got no job. 17 — Stayed with father on the job. Darius returned. 18 Drew a plan of the aqueduct which father is now building over the Yellow [Bud?] Creek [Right Page] 41 19th November — Stayed about home to-day — 20th — Not much occurred — 21 Got Darius' trunk from Chillicothe, spent most of the time in reading and writing — he returned home in the evening. 22d A snowy day — stayed at home. 23d Sunday —. Took a walk in the afternoon to see a quarry of pudding stone in the bank of the creek, below the house. 24th. Stayed at home — Darius went down to Chillicothe and brought me a letter from Dr [Hildreth?] of Marietta, Ohio. 25th. Darius and myself procured horses and went to Circleville (about 8 miles above where we lived). We went around the ancient "forts" and to the summit of the mound which Caleb Atwater says is 90 feet high; but we supposed this estimate somewhat exagerated [exaggerated]. We went up on the west side of the river but returned on the east side and pafsed [passed] over the celebrated "Pickaway plains." 26th Went down towards Chillicothe about 5 miles where the Engineers were locating the canal to see Judge Bates. Spent an hour in very agreeable conversation respecting the [S?] & P. canal and other matters. 27th Rode to Chillicothe this afternoon with [Darius?] on my return to Louisville. Rainy. In the evening I visited Juge Bates in his room. He gave me a letter for Mr. Henry & one for Mr. [Goodwin?]. I agreed to take charge of his land & which

[Left Page] 42 was at Louisville. Settled with him for my services as Rodman on the Louisville canal from Feb 8, 1827 to July 1, 1828 and found a balance due me of $4.66 which was not paid. Left Chillicothe at 11 o'clock at night for Cincinnati traveled all night. 28 November — Breakfasted at Hillsborough, and stayed at Williamsburgh. 29th Got under way at 3 o'clock but the driver had left the mail & was obliged to return for it after we had got 3 miles. There was also some further delay in consequence of some difficulty between the drivers. Got to Cincinnati at 1 o'clock. Left a small package at [Sodurski's?] store from Mr. Moon, of Chillicothe. Went to the "Western Tiller" printing office to see Parri, left one Vol. of Silliman's Journal to be bound. At night I got under way in the steam boat [sheppandefs?] for Louisville where we arrived on the 30th Sunday at 11 o'clock having been absent exactly four weeks. Went to Shippingport in a [hack?] 1 December. Went to Louisville this morning to deliver to Mr. Goodwin his letter & to get some papers from the Post Office. Remained the rest of the day at home or [Detiste's?] [illegible] Shippingport. 2d Mr. Henry went to Frankford to attend the sitting of the Legislature while they are acting on the bill to extend the charter of the Canal company he will probably return within two weeks 3d — Mr. Caney gave me some money to purchase a pair of dividers for one which he had lost [Right Page] 43 of mine, and I went to Louisville & got them. After which I commenced drawing a plan of the locks for him. 4th Wrote a letter to Darius, and also one to a Mr. Eckstein Agent for the Cincinnati Academy of fine arts, offering him drawings of our locks & for the benefit of that Institution. 6th December Wrote a letter to Mr. Henry at Frankfort and one to Parri — went to Louisville to put them in the Post Office. 7th Sunday — Went to Church in the morning and on Rock Island in search of specimens of minerals [etc?] in the afternoon. 9th Wrote a letter to David [S?]. Bates Esq — 10 Went to Louisville this morning to put it in to the post office & got a newspaper containing a description of the Welland Canal by Darius Lapham Esq — Mr. Henry returned from Frankford the charter being extended two years — 19th Got a letter from Parri of the 13th in which he says that he has been sick but is recovering 25th Christmas — Went over to Gravel island with a number of people from the town on a fox hunt but had poor luck — In the afterrnoon I went to Louisville to see the [Solar?] Microscopes whcih magnifies a million [of?] times. It was in a dark room — small worms in vinegar were seen 2 feet in length 26 Mr. [Canvafs?] White and [Lady?] arrived at Louisville.

[Left Page] 44 31 December — Commenced locating a proposed alteration in the canal near the upper end — Mr. White was with us. 1829 1st January. Assisted in taking levels & boring to ascertain the depth of rock excavation on the altered route. 5th Received a letter from Darius in which he says that he has got a letter from my cousin Phebe Allen for me. He also requests a leveling instrument which is here belonging to the State of Ohio and 3 barrels of Water [illegible] for the Yellow Bud job. 6th Wrote to Phebe — had a ball at our inn this evening 10th Wrote to New Harmony Ind. for [Jays?] conc= hology (it was not published.) 12th Wrote to Darius sent a copy of the report of the Directors of the L&P Canal Co. 17th Got Silliman's Journal. 19th Mr. White & lady left here for New Orleans & Mr. Henry is to accompany them as far as the mouth of the Ohio where he is to see about some Cyprefs [Cypress] timber for the lock gates. Mr. W made me a present of a fine drawing pencil.

The canal was let on the 17th. [Right Page] 45 Ives & Baldwin. The plan for the bridge over the canal was altered by Mr. White. 20th Shipped the leveling instrument & water line in the steam boat Aurora for Portsmouth The river rose 25 feet. 22 Gen. [Jackson?] passed, on his way to Washington. Sent a letter to Parri. 24th Wrote a letter to Judge Bates giving a description and drawing of the new plan of the bridge — Was introduced to Mr. Beauford one of the U.S. Engineers. 31 Recd. $[2?]0 on account of services. 2d February Mr. Henry returned 9th Received $[7?]0 being the amount of my wages up to the 1st [inst.?] Went to Mr. Goodwin's house Mrs. G. gave me some sea shells. 11th Wrote to Prof. Silliman enclg $10. got letters from Darius & Parri 12 Wrote to Darius. 3 March Mr. White returns from N. Orleans 5th Addrefsed [Addressed] him a letter requesting that he would pay my expenses at some college which I would return afterwards. Gave him a set of Muscle shells which I had collected for him. He makes favourable promises. 7th Eighteen years old to day 10 Mr. White left here — Wrote to Dr. [Hildreth?] 16th [Ives?] commenced work on the canal 19 Set stakes for the [Oqu?] at the head of the basin near the guard lock. Weighed

[Left Page] 46 Some lock irons for [scogle?] & Scot & then commenced a plan of the locks to for Mr Beauford the Engineer. 20th March Cold weather played the game of Chefs [Chess] with Mr. Ives —— got a letter from Parri — also drew some. 21st Finished plan of locks for Beauford Mr. Henry went to Court as a wittnefs [witness] 22 Sunday Went to Louisville to hear Mr. [Bascom?] preach — Read in Pope. 23d Wrote a letter to Parri and at night I went to Louisville — Supper with Dr. Fitch at Allans Hotel & then went to hear a discourse on African Colonization by the Rev. Mr. Bascom. 24th Went to see the steam boat "Uncle Sam" just on its first trip. It is of the largest kind Then went through the old fields on commons in search of shells found several new ones. Commenced laying stone on the bridge. River falling. 25 Worked for the canal setting stakes on the [road?] and laying out pattern for the [ringstone?] of the elliptical arch for the bridge. 26th Went up the canal. At the head of it I found some new shells — boiled them to get the animal out. 27th Took measurements of the rock to be excavated near the lower end of the canal — in the afternoon made calculations of the quantity

[Left Page] 48 Got a letter from Prof. Sillliman mentioning a box of minerals which he had sent me but was returned to him by mistake. 4th April — Went to Louisville to see Mr. [Buttar?] concerning Silliman's Journal which he had subscribed for. did not find him — Divided a new rod 5th Sunday — Went to church — Dined with Mr. Buller and then returned to Shippingport. 6th Worked on the canal then went to Louisville to get some figures marked on the rod I had been making. Dr. Fitch lent me a Medical work conting Dr. Short's [Florida Lexing-?] [toniensi's"?] Returned by the woods. 7th Done some work at the Bridge & then went to Louisville. Mr. Goodwin brought to Mr. [H?] a letter from Judge Bates requesting his leveling instrument & he sent to Mr. White to get another. I got a letter also from the Judge requesting me to receive the level & send it to Father in Ohio, where he has made arrangements to have it sent to his residence near Rochester New York — A load of Cyprefs [Cypress] timber came from the mouth of the Ohio for the lock gates 8 Stayed in my room. 9 Went in search of flowers to the woods, & also up the canal between two showers of rain. 10 Mr. H made his reports earlier than usual to attend court & I wrote a letter to Judge Bates River high & rising [Right Page] 49 11th April Worked at the Bridge & drew a plan for the "exchange" a publishing house proposed to be built at Louisville. 12th Sunday. Rainy — stayed in the office which is in [Detists?] tavern. 13 Done some work & then went to the woods for flowers — came on a shower of rain got wet 14 Went to Louisville & also along Bear Grafs [Grass] creek for flowers. 15 Frost — Got a letter from Parri 16 Measured a load of Cyprefs (Cypress) timber & took some levels at the Bridge 17 Assisted in making the weekly estimates & then got Malt Brun's Geography & read in it. 18 Drew another plan for the Exchange for which a premium of $50 is offered 19 Sunday. Took a walk botanizing — very hot weather — At night a very severe storm of Raine, Wind, Thunder and Lightning — Destroyed a temporary [illegible] erected near my window. But done no material damage otherwise. 20th Made some alterations in the plan of the Exchange & took it to town in the Evening. 21 — Worked on the canal 22 Worked at the bridge — Carney [Sayre?] to begin to lay stone at the locks. Mr [Perrone?] an Engineer formerly on the [Champfering?]