1850: US Agricultural Census, New York: Portion of the Town of Delhi  (Morris L. Farrington, A [] Hale, Samuel Sealey, David S. Brown, Aaron Roberts, Geo Pease, [] W. Andrews, Thomas Myers, Albert Flint, Josiah Hunt, Thomas Dibble, John Shaw Jr., Walter Forest, James W. Terry, Matthew Wight, Alexander Mable, Robert Paterson, Samuel Robinson, Ebenezer Flower, John Hobbie, Ephraim G. Hobbs, William Hammond, Nathan Oliver, David McFarland, John Ath[], Lorin Hammond, William Bennett, David N. Arbuckle, Samuel Gordon, John Murray, Nath. Arbuckle)

Main Characters

Nathanial Arbuckle, Delhi farmer, born in Paisley, Scotland, June 22, 1800. Came to Delhi in 1817.
Agnes Arbuckle, wife of Nathanial (seldom mentioned: her maiden name was Adnes Blair)
Daniel Arbuckle, his father
Mary Arbuckle, his mother
William, son
Thomas, son whose full name was Daniel Thomas Arbuckle
James,  son
Charles, son
Peter, son
Margaret, daughter
Henry Rice, son-in-law
 

Excerpts: Click on link to go to entire page of diary

1852  January 1: Beautyful Clear Day  Quite Mild  Snow All Gone  Looks like Spring

1852  January 8: "Went Down to See Orlando Mitchell before he Started for Calefornia   Gave him a leter for Robert in New York"

1852  January 29 : "Started for New York with William to go to Calafornia Got to New York at nine oClock at night"

1852  January 30: "Went to the office Got a Ticket Paid one hundred and Eighty Dollars"

1852  February 9:  "Left New York for home at five oClock in the Evening Got to Hancock ten Minutes Past twelve"

1852  February 21: "Dark and Cloudy looks like a Storm Wind South East Snow Aproaching went to Delhi no Account of the Vessele that William Sailed in yet"

1852  February 24:  "Very fine Day Good Sleighing went to Bloomville Got fourteen firkins at Fields & Brownell 6/6 Each Paid five Dollars an fifty Cents Ballance unpaid five Dollars Eighty Eight Cents"

1852  March 7:  "Beautyful Sabath Morning Sun Shineing Clean and Bright Looks Like Spring went to Meeting Good wagoning Sleighing all Gone Except on the Mountain roads"

1852  March 16: "Pleasant no Sugar wether yet nor any Signs of a leter yet"

1852  March 17:  "went to Delhi with the wagon Very Bad Roads Got a Leter from William Dated Panama well and in Good health"

1852  March 18:  "Last night Snow fell ten inches and to Day it is Going off again quite a Sloppy time Bought one Barrel of oat Meel for Robert 234 lbs $3 and fifty Cents per hundred to Start for the Railroad next Monday"

1852  April 10:  "Clear and Bright But a Very Cold North west wind. Drawing manure from the Lower Barn"

1852  April 12:  "Wind South East Looks like a thaw Snow Going Dome Raining a litel Finished Drawing Stable timber with Smiths Oxen"

1852  April 26:  "Beautyful Growing Day the only one we have had this Spring Plough is Going Ground in fine order for Ploughing on Side Hill"

1852  May 3: "Fine Clear Day went to Delhi Sent one tub of Butter of to Robert in New York Price in Delhi 18 cts per pound Bought a Barrel for flour Price $5.75"

1852  May 6:  "Sun Shineing Bright and very warm Grass Growing Some Sowed five and one half Bushels oats for the first Begins to Look like Spring Snow Still on the North Side yet"

1852  May 7:  "Excessively warm Day the Snow on the North side river went till this Day Ploughed the Garden this morning"

1852  May 14:  "Fine warm Growing Day Ground to wet to Plough After the rain fine for Grafting which we are Doing now and then Dandy lions first Seen in Blosom this Day Yesterday Drawed from A&J Mable Mill 904 feet of Boards and Scantlin"

1852  May 17: "Warm and Sultry Some thunder but no Rain finished Planting Potatoes Planted Eleven and one half Bushels"

1852  May 26: "Dark and Cloudy  Looks like rain although it is very warm and Sultry   Expect to raise the Stable tomorow"

1852  June 5:  "Clean and Bright    there was Quite a frost last night   it is Suposed that the Aples are all Distroyed   the air is Cool and Braceing   Corn is niped  wife and Mary went to Delhi in waggon then to Scotch Mountain"

1852  June 16:  "Still Continues Very warm yet Expect to Send a Leter to Wm. this Day went to Delhi heard from Wm. dated 26 May working in the Mines Sent a leter"

1852  June 18:  "Fine Growing Day fresh Breezes from the North west Since the rain the fields Looks fresh and Gay Drawed all the Manure from the wagon house the Day Finished Sowing Buckwheat"

1852  June 19:   "Pleasant Sumer weather Crops Growing finely Since the rain Hoeing Potatoes in the Garden"

1852  June 27:  "Beautyful Sabath Morning this is the Comunion Sabath at the Meeting house and a fine Day it is for it"

1852  July 10:  "The Drought is very Sevier   our Pastures in turned [] Cows is failing in there Milk   unles rain Comes Soon we will be bad off  heat very Greate   five firkins of Butter full this Day"

1852  July 24:   "This is now Six Days of Good weather we have had for Makeing hay a  Great lot of hay has been cut"

1852  July 28: "Beautiful Growing  Sabath Morning    After the rain the Pastures is Beginning to look Green again and the Meadows to Spring up with the Apearance of More rain"

1852  August 24:   "All our Apearances of rain is Blown Over and it is as Dry and warm as Ever it Looks as if the Grasshopers will Eat up Every Green thing for in Spots the Ground is Covered with them"

1852  August 27:   "Excessively warm Drawing Stones at noon there was a fine thunder Shower which will Cool the air Some Killed a hog for Mr Fitch in Delhi"

1852  September 4:  "heard from William in CA Foots leter but no leter for us yet"

1852  September 5:   "Preparing to Go to Meeting Charles got Kicked with the horse in bed Ever Since Very Sick"

1852  September 6:   "Beautyful Day Thomas is Ploughing Charles in no Beter yet Choping a Litle Sent for the Doctor for Charles"

1852  September 7:  "The Doctor was here Again to See Charles he is a Good Deal Beter than he was Still Dry and Warm"

1852  September 9:   "Still Continues warm and Dry no rain for a long time Pasture and Meadows is Dryed up Cattle Can Scarcly live what there is Green the Grasshopers is Eating up the times look Serious"

1852  September 16:   "Last night there was a very heavey frost for the Second this Season it will Kill of the Grasshopers which is all that it Can Kill"

1852  October 1:   "Commenced working on the Roads fine for that Busness"

1852  October 3:  "Fine Sabath Morning the Birds is Singing like a Morning in the Spring"

1852  October 5:   "Thomas and Me Dug forty Bushells of Potatoes this Day we have a fine Crop this year   School Meeting this night   Cool North West wind"

1852  October 7:   "Went to Delhi to Atend the fair their was a Greate Display of Cattle and Every thing Else with any Quantity of People"

1852  October 8:   "a Letter from William Dated Grey Eagle August 15"

1852  October 16:  "Ground all Covered with Snow  Keen North west wind   heavy frost  Very Cold and winter like    our Aples is not Gathered yea and Many has not Got there Potatoes up yet."

1852  October 30:   "Warm but raining all Day Came home by Delhi Sold Thomas one firkin of Buter price 25 cts per pound"

1852  October 31:   "Very warm and Pleasent Grass looks Green and fine Shaurney all to Meeting Drawed home from Thos Midelmast Mill 1008 feet two inch plank"

1852  November 2:   "This is Election Day Cold rainy Disagreeable Day Greate turn out of People"

1852  November 4:   "Commenced hewing timber for Stable very Cold with Showers of Snow"

1852  November 11:  "Ground white with Snow Quite Cold we have taken one load of Aples to the Mill and to Morrow we intend to Make the Cider Yesterday we Commenced feeding our Catle hay for the first time this Season"

1852  November 25:   "Very Cold Morning   Still hard frost   Lewis Dibble and John S Murry Assisted to Kill a fat Cow for me  Sold one Quarter and Keept three at home   Thanksgiving Day"

1852  December 3:   "Hard frost last night  went to Bovina Ceter with the waggon to Get it Mended    heard from William as late as the 27 of October by Elisha Light who has Just Returned from Callafornia"

1852  December 6:  "This is one of the Most Beautiful Days that I Ever Say at this Season of the year    the Ploughs are Going all around and I think I Shall Start one Myself"

1852  December 14:  "Fine Clear Day  went to Delhi with the Sleigh   Sleighing very bad on the Turnpike    Callifornia Mail Came in But no Leter from William Yet"

1852  December 24:   "I  have this Day Commenced feeding on the Midle Peice of the hay Bay    I hope that with the Straw it will last till the first of March   if it will Do that I will have Plenty"

1852  December 25:   "Chrisamas Morning   wind North west   Chilley and Cold   Ground all Bare  Looks More like March than Chrisamas   James finished working for John Wight Yesterday"

1852  December 26:  "Mild Sabath Morning   Snowing and Raining   Alternately  the road is Quite Disagreeable   Thomas went to Church horseBack"

1852  December 31:   "Dark and Cloudy inclining to thaw  Quite Mild and warm  This is the Last Day of the Old Year and Many Changes have taken Place Since it Commenced and those that will Befall us in the Preasant Year is hiden in the Breast of him who Knoweth all things   it is Good for us  it is So"

1853  December 31:  "Came home by Delhi Expecting to Get a leter from Wm but was Disapointed     this is the Last Day of the year    1853 has Pased away and Many has been Called to there last Acount and we are Still Spared in health and Strength and in the injoyment of Plenty for which I know we are not as thankful as we ought to be     but let us try to be Better for the year to Come  So farewell Old Year"

1854  December 31:  "This is the Last Day of the year 1854 and a Beautyful Sabbath it is    It has Been a Very Dry warm Summer with Light Crops Making Provision high    the Sufferings of the Poor very Greate     but we who till the Soil for a Living   whose heards give Milk  whose fields Give bread   whose flockes Suply us with Atire   whose trees in Summer yeald us Shade + in winter fire  have no reason to Complain but have Cause for thankfulness that we are as well Provided for as we are     therefore let us be thankful"

1855  December 31 a:  "This is the last Day of the Old Year and a Beautyful Day it is Clear and Bright but the air is quite [froty] and keen   the Past ...

1855  December 31 b: "...year has Been one of uncomon fruitfulness   the Crops of Every thing was Bountyful   we had a wet and warm Sumer yet the Prices of Provisions is Exceedingly high   flour $12 the Barrel Pork 9 dollars per C[]  Butter 25cts the Pound  Corn $1.00  Rye the Same   Oats 371/2 the Bushell   we are will Provided our Selves with food and Plenty for our Cattle   our winter has been Mild So far  there has not been three Days Sleighing this Season yet nor no Apearance of any but Good roads for the waggon    tomorrow Comences the New Year"

December 28, 1857:  "This is the anual Church Meeting  Atended  Got the Same Seat we had last year  Price $10"

December 29, 1857:  "Wife and myself went to Delhi in the waggon   Paid our tax $7.93  Militia tax 50 cents  $8.43"

December 31, 1857:  "This is the last Day of the year and a Very Stormy one it is   Snow Enough for Sleighing   wind very High an Cold   16 head of Cattle an 3 horses to the big bey at the Lower Barn is up to the beam with Some an the Scaffold below the rye with a Good quantity"

October 1858: Cow List for 1858: Black nose...Topsie...Roxie...Lucy...

December 31, 1858:  This is the last Day of the old year   it is now about to be numbered with those before the flood   Greate Changes have taken Place Since it Commenced   Millions has been Born into it and millions has Died an yet [] one left no Doubt for Some wise Purpose although hidden from us   we are now about to Commence another year    who will live to See the end of it we know not _ _ _ _ _

July 4, 1859:  "This is the Glorious old forth    the Cannon is roaring all around us   we had quite a smart frost last night  Something I niver Saw before on the forth   Charles is gone to Delhi   there is an old fashoned Cleabration there and I Supose there will be Greate Gathering of People as there ought on Such a Day    for it is one long to be remembered   but I cannot go this Day"

December 31, 1859:  "This is the Last Day of the old year and it is Very Cold  the Mercury is 4 Deggrees above Zero all Day with high North winds"

January 1, 1860:  "The New Year has Come upon us with the Mercury 10 Degrees below Zero which is Bitting Cold but at noon it was up to 20 above which was a Suden Change    all at Church  me and Charles who Came home from Oxford last night with 20 Cwt of Plaster   we begin this year with 19 head of Cattle and 3 horses   the Barn and the waggon house  one Bath nearly full yet our Stock is most Done it will last Perhaps two Days  I Expect we wont feed all we have Got but there will be Plenty to buy the Plaster  Cost at Oxford $4. Dollars Per ton   it is worth 38 Cents Per 100 lbs freight from there to Delhi."

December 31, 1860:  "This is the last Day of the old year   quite mild  Snow fell last night  Perhaps 5 inches  the Sleighing will be Good again.   the Past year has been one of uncomon Productiveness   the labor of the husbandman has been amply rewarded  we have a Great Plenty of food for man and beast  but the troubles in the Southern States has made money very scarce  Many are Suffering for the want of it   thousands are out of imployment    the manufactories are mostly Stoped Causing People to Suffer for want of Provision although in the Middle of Plenty"