Ledger Post # 11

Surnames also Blacksmitthing

Bottom of Page 5, April 28 & 30, 1830

Yep, we are still on page 5, there are some interesting Black Smithing details I want my readers to understand. if you enlarge the scan picture you will see that the earth digging contractors "Edward and Wm. Fare" purchased 2 new picks from the Blacksmith Shop for $3.00, what is interesting is on the next line down; there you will see that the Fare's paid .50 (cents) for "Steeling Pick". I can't tell if they only had one pick steeled, or both of them, it doesn't seem reasonable that since they were in the excavating business that they would have had only one pick steeled. What Steeling means is that a thin strip of steel was welded onto the end, or ends of a pick to make it last longer; this Steeling procedure was also used on shovels, axes and the bottoms of Farmers plows. At this time in the 1800's steel making was still in it's infancy, it was hard to make and therefore expensive. There is something else interesting in that same section, a Mr. Michael Noland paid $1.00 to have one pick steeled, that's twice what the Fare's paid to have their steeling done, maybe since the Fare's were major contractors on the job they got a discount at the Blacksmith Shop. We will probably have a lot more information concerning the Blacksmith Shop as we get further into the ledger. 

The amount of beef being purchased is going up, E & G bought 209 lbs of beef from Mr. Wonder; 4 3/4 cents a pound, must be more people working at the site now. In the top box, under House charge, John Meas bought "2 Pair Pantaloons  $1.32". 

New Surnames  -  Bottom of Page 5

Michael Noland

Laurence Shouiper,   ???

Peter Millage

Peter Weil

Hopefully some of surnames will turn up again later on in the ledger and be a little easier to read.