William Brown’s Diary
By
Ray F. Brown
December of 1969
William’s diary was a most
interesting part of William’s daily activities. He made his own tables for his
records and having spaced them, he then allotted one space daily in which he
recorded the weather, his activities and important events. He evidently made
his own ink and feather pen and wrote rather fine so he was able to get a lot
of words in small spaces. Even though some of this writing is now 146 years old
and too fragile for general reading, yet is still legible and his ink has stood
the test of time. In reading of his many activities I noted they were so often
spent in a spirit of helpfulness and charity and this has led me to have a high
regard for this noble pioneer relative, and I do feel that I have been somewhat
selfish in not sharing it more with others.
To ease my conscience, I decided to
try the method of the Reader’s Digest, whose authors condense a lengthy book or
any other article into a short snappy one that the reader can enjoy in a few
minutes and understand better than if they had read the original. By this
method, they have increased their circulation to 28,000,000 copies monthly.
In my case, I kept looking for a time
in which I could condense Grandfather’s diary into a modern readable book. The
opportunity came last May when there was a long period of cold wet weather. I
got all the diary tablets out and scanned and skimmed each page hastily in
order to get a bird’s eye view of his 30 years of farm life after his father’s
death. I then made a booklet using heavy paper and bound it with aluminum
hoping it will last through the ages.
When I got in the condensing spirit I
believe I have been more radical than the Reader’s Digest condensers for my booklet
can be read completely through in twelve minutes! Some who have read it have asked for a copy
and so I decided to make it a part of this annual letter and have it placed in
such a manner that it can be cut out and retained for any who may wish to do
so.
I don’t feel that I could be doing
justice to my history, if I didn’t connect it with another pioneer in the
person of Dr. John Metz who had a farm in Kishacoquillas Valley a few miles
east of Grandfather’s farm. These two pioneers were very good friends and
cooperative neighbors. Grandfather mentions many times, in his diary, about
doing farm work for Dr. Metz and he never recorded having any other than Dr.
Metz for his large family.
SOME FACTS AND LEGENDS RELATING TO THE LIFE OF WILLIAM
BROWN
By Grandson Ray F. Brown
At two years of age, in 1790, his
pioneer father, John Brown and his mother, Janet Wiley Livingston Brown were
coming by horseback from Berks County, Pa. to a new home in West Kishacoquillas
Valley formerly occupied by his mother and her first husband, Duncan
Livingston. In crossing a stream, little William slipped from his mother’s arms
and only by the heroic efforts of his father he was saved from drowning.
He kept a diary from young manhood to
almost the time of his death in 1851. Unfortunately, after his death, his home
made diary books, having been stored in the attic, were partially destroyed by
mice, but we still have all beginning with 1822 excepting 1827-28 are missing.
It is not recorded in his diary, but legend has been faithful in keeping alive
the story that he was unmarried at age 41. When he and some other young men
were walking behind a group of young ladies and all were on their way to a
church that was located near the entrance to the Mill Creek Valley road, Mercy
McCoy’s ground length skirt had picked up a brier, the gallant William moved
forward, stepped on the briar, Mercy pulled loose, smiled, thanked him, they
got acquainted, fell in love, got married and had a family of 11 children.
It is interesting to note that Mercy,
who lived on the farm in Kishacoquillas Valley, that later came in possession
of James Huey, had made a round walking trip of eight miles that day to attend
church. She inadvertently found a good husband and it would seem fair to assume
that William was so impressed by her religious zeal and physical stamina that
he was convinced she would make him an excellent wife.
It is almost unbelievable, yet is a
fact, that for a nine month period, between the birth of the last child,
William Jr. on November 26th 1850 and the death of his father
William Sr. on August 26th 1951, his wife Mercy, and eleven children
Mary, John, Martha, James, Elizabeth, Samuel, Sarah, Anna, Eleanor, Cyrus and
William were all living at the same time.
It is almost as significant that 11 out
of the 13 were gathered back to the family cemetery(Brown Cemetery) . Anna was
buried in the original Presbyterian Cemetery near White Hall in Mifflin County.
William Jr. is buried in a Hollidaysburg Cemetery.
William Brown was a patriot, having
enlisted in the war of 1812 and walked from Huntingdon to Niagara Falls with
Capt. Allison’s unit to take part in the war. He continued his interest in
later years by attending battalion meetings in Huntingdon. He frequently served
as a juror and sometimes served as an arbitrator between neighbors who were
having a disagreement. He seemed to attend every election and served on the
election board most every time. Through the years he served as township auditor
or school director.
His diary records that, periodically,
he went to a local still for whisky. However, after his marriage in 1829 he
never again visited the still. It is legendary that he became a teetotaler and
would not provide any whisky for harvesting. His neighbors said it couldn’t be
done without. His line a day diary did record some long harvests but no un-harvested
grain and his posterity should be everlastingly thankful that he set this good
example for it is now entering the fifth generation and there is still a
distinctive trend against the use of both tobacco and alcoholic beverages.
He was an outstanding churchman
attending with any denomination that came within reach. He usually went to Huntingdon
but also to Lewistown and all places between. He does not reveal in his diary
in which denomination he held membership but presumably it was United
Presbyterian for his sisters had gone to live in Mercersburg, Pa. and when
visiting them, he always reported going to their United Presbyterian church.
Often, he recorded going to a church across the mountain, which must have been
the United Presbyterian Church at McAlevy’s Fort.
He was the ideal pioneer neighbor,
always helping someone in the many ways by which he was talented. He made
coffins for his relatives and neighbors through a period of seven years. The
first recorded was for his 15 year old nephew in1824 and this grave of William
Huston was the first in the family cemetery. The last recorded was for C.
Ireland on March 7, 1831. He made shoes for his family and other relatives for
28 years. He always helped with stone picking and barn raising parties. At this
period of history, doctors thought that adults who didn’t feel well were suffering
from too much blood and should be relieved of some. He became the good neighbor
substitute doctor and made this standard recording: Bled Parker or Bled Greene.
Not having the part of his diary
relative to his school years, we can only assume that his education was self-made.
The orthography, as used in his diary, is very much lacking in accuracy but he
was qualified and did teach Roxbury School for several winter terms.
He was a very practical farmer and
raised more different crops then modern farmers. In addition to the usual grain
crops raised in Kishacoquillas Valley now, he raised rye, buckwheat and flax.
He had a process called breaking in which the flax was prepared for weaving in
a special building for that purpose. He butchered his hogs and beeves and
reports frequently going to Jackstown (now Mt. Union) with pork products. The
beef hides he took to a tannery and had leather made for cobbling. It is
doubtful if he had any bought farm machinery. He likely did have to buy a
scythe for cutting grass and a cradle for harvesting grain. He threshed his rye
and buckwheat with a flail but the wheat was stored in the barn till the winter
months and then layers of sheaves were placed on the barn floor and the grain
was tramped out with horses. This was a tedious job and required a great many
days to complete the threshing. He made his own wagons, sleds, plows harrows
and other items needed on the farm and home. Certainly, he had to buy the steel
or metal parts needed for some of these items. He made his own bake oven and
the many home buildings that were required for a large family. After making a
new building it was always followed by a process he called daubing. It seems in
those pioneer days they selected a certain kind of clay and with water and
other ingredients, made a mortar and applying this to the inside of the
building, was called daubing. This was for the same purpose as in our own time
we call plastering.
From young manhood till his latter
days, he entered the item of hewing as his day’s work, sometimes in almost
every year. This, of course meant he was preparing timber with his axe and
broad axe for building. The crowning work of all his building activity was the
permanent barn which he built by degrees, through several years, and now is
still standing and meeting all the needs of the farm after 125 years.
We believe he was happy and contented
through all his lifetime, though he never traveled faster than horseback, never
rode on a railroad car, visited the canal but doesn’t mention traveling on it.
Neither he nor any member of his family were ever in a hospital or had an
operation. His medical attention was needed except an occasional visit by Dr.
Metz. He attended all the farm sales he called vendues. He seemed to enjoy all
his varied work. He went to singing school and debating societies and
thoroughly enjoyed his many church contacts, his annual 120 mile round trip horseback
ride to visit his sisters at Mercersburg, their frequent visits to the McCoys
and also the Robb relatives in Hartslog Valley. He loved to hunt and usually
came home with a buck. He loved the birds and recorded many times hearing the
first whippoorwill. He exemplified the happy contented life. Can any of his
progeny, in this modern space age, do any better?
