Saturday, January 13th, 1866

To day I am at work at the store house. The train from Beaumont brought over the lumber to build the Cotton shed, and in the evening the wagons hauled it down to the river. Frank Stewart and Roberta [Downes Halyard nee Hall] are both quite sick, do not improve any. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] drove up town after a few articles. Mrs. Lund came over and spent the evening with the little woman. I purchased two shoats, for which I paid 5$ specie. Weather changeable with drizzling rain.

Monday, March 20th, 1865

To day I made John drive up some wild shoats, which I marked. Hicks ground 8 bushels of wheat. Mr. Hester & William Long stopped with me for the night. Weather cloudy & cool with an exceedingly hard rain at night which raised the Elkhart creek very high or full.

Friday, February 12th, 1864

To day the boys are still at work plowing in the bottom field. Hicks is still at work on the hen house. I sent over for Mr. Keen who came and examined a sow & some shoats. The sow is in my mark but strange to say the shoats are in the mark of J.H. Leaverton. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] & children drove down to Mothers [Mahala Sharp Hall nee Roberts] and spent the day there. I ground 5 bushels of corn. Weather clear and pleasant.

Friday, January 22nd, 1864

To day the boys are at work covering in the stables. The little woman [Margaret Hall Stewart nee Sharp] is gardening. Mother [Mahala* Sharp Hall nee Roberts] sent the little woman two shoats & 3 turkeys. I let Mother have 30 lbs of lint cotton. I ground 23½ bushels of corn & 3 bushels of wheat. Weather clear & warm for the season, quite another spring day.

*This Mahala is a 3rd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog, and is mother-in-law as well as step-mother to JMH.