January 3, 1907. Sawing at the mill. Frank turned logs, Whitt offbarrowed and Will Sims fired, and Ernest and George hauled logs. We sawed some for Mr. C.L. Kennedy. He is going to build his mother's house, and we also sawed some for Mr. Tommy Ervin. He is fixing to build. And sawed some for James Rankin.
Jan 6. Sunday. I went up to Mr. Wyatt's and stayed until after dinner. Then came home and put up my horse, and went down to Mr. F.A. Henderson's to prayer meeting, and went on over the river and stayed a while, and then come home. Sure had a nice time.
Jan 13. Sunday. I went to preaching and taken Miss Bessie Cartwright. (Collins later married Miss Cartwright. This entry apparently records the beginning of the courtship. -ed.)
Went home with Lonnie Kerr and taken dinner. Lonnie Hunter and I went to Vanderburg to preaching.
Jan 14. Cutting and hauling logs, and we fixed a road this morning. We cut the biggest poplar in the county today and hauled two cuts of it. All of the hands made 8 hours but George. He made 4 hours.
Jan 20. Sunday. I and Florida went to Sunday School. Went by Mr. Wyatt's, and Miss Bessie Cartwright went with us. The Cline girls came home with the girls, and taken dinner with them. After dinner I went over the river to see a girl, and got back about 1 o'clock.
Jan 25. Mr. Joe Thompson was around collecting our special school taxes.
Jan 26. Papa, Will Sims and I put up some piping at the mill, and Ernest and George Putnam hauled logs. After noon Will and I hauled some wood and cut up some for the woodpile. Papa paid Will $1.62 and Frank Young $1.00. We went to a pound party at Mr. P.M. Cline's. Had a fine time.
Jan 27. Sunday. I taken Miss Bessie Cartwright to Doolie to preaching. There was a small crowd. After preaching we went to Mr. W.J. Wyatt, and taken dinner, and I spent the evening there.
Jan 31. We all went to Statesville to hear the Negroes tried for killing the Lillie family, but they could they could not get anything against them. The judge thought best to turn them loose, so he did so. I bought a saw and paid $9.75 and two files, $.40. Paid Ernest and Will Sims $1.00 each, and I get $1.35.
February 2, 1907 Went to the mill to put in our saw and fill up the boiler, and there was a valve frozen and busted, and we also broke our saw wrench and Papa went to Mooresville to get it fixed. It costs us nine dollars. I went to Uncle Jim Ervin's after the school librarian. It has been Groundhog Day, and he saw his shadow.
Feb 3. Sunday. The children (brothers & sisters?-ed.) and I went to Sunday School. Miss Bessie Cartwright came home with me and spent the evening.
Feb 4. Worked at the mill after we got the boiler in. This has been the worst day we have had all winter. It has sleeted and rained all day.
Feb 7. Went to the mill to stack lumber, but it was so cold that we came home and killed a hog. It was so cold, that we could not stand it. This has been the coldest day that we have had this winter.
Feb 9. Taken Ernest and David Nesbitt down to the river. They were going over to Hamp's to see them. Elmore has got the measles. I wanted to see R...L..., but when we got to the river, both boats was on the other side, and we could not get across. Ernest and David went down to the ferry and I came home. Lloyd Cloninger came over here and brought some puppies, and he and I went hunting.
Feb 10. Sunday. Went to Rocky Mount to preaching, and we did not have any preaching, but a Japanese made a lecture. I came home and went to Will Bass' and Lillie Cline's wedding. Went to Troutman. They got married, and then we drove back to Mr. Lee Cline's and taken supper, and after supper I went to W.D. Clodfelter's to set up with the sick. I stayed until one o'clock.
Feb 14. We had a pound party at George's tonight, and we sure had a fine time.
Feb 17. Sunday. This morning I am at Hamp's, and I came to the river to meet Katie, and taken her to Hamp's to stay a while with them. When I got back to Hamp's, Levada and I came home. Elmore came with us. We got home about 12 o'clock. After noon I went to Vanderburg to preaching, and taken Miss Bessie Cartwright, and had a fine time.
Feb 23. Stacking lumber. Frank Young and I stacked lumber and Papa and Ernest hauled logs until noon, and after noon Papa went to the mill, and I cut up some wood. Late this evening we went up to the store. I owed Mr. Sherrill $.85 for a pair of overshoes. Mr. B... Mill died this morning. He fell yesterday and thought he broke his leg, and lay all day on the floor before he could get anyone any word. Today the people are making up money to bury him.Feb 24. Sunday. This morning it is raining, sleeting, and snowing nearly all day. It has been the worst day we have had all week. I went to Arthur Sims' and stayed for dinner, and then went up to Mr. W.J. Wyatt and spent the evening.
Photo by Duane Bristow, fromDuane and Eva's Farm Page
Feb 25. George and I went to Uncle Jim Ervin's to get him to come up here and thrash some peas for us. We made 30 bushels. I hired Andy Young to help in my place, and went over to see Lloyd Cloninger and others on some business. Come back about lunch and taken the pea thrasher home.
Mar 2, 1907. Went up to the mill. Ernest and I carried some crossties and stacked some lumber, and I hauled some strips home to put on the barn lot, and taken a load of lumber to the road. After noon I worked on the barn lot and cut up some wood to do over Sunday. Papa and Ernest barked some ties. Tonight the girls and I went to the schoolhouse to practice for the last day of school, and went to O.O. Harwell's and got him to write me a road order for which we had furnished some lumber for the public road.
Mar 3. Sunday. I went up to Mr. W.J. Wyatt's and Miss Bessie Cartwright and I went to Vanderburg to preaching, but there wasn't any, and we came back to Mr. Wyatt's and taken dinner and stayed all evening. George Rogers and one of Wash M...'s girls got married at O.O. Harwell's.
Mar 5. Went to Statesville. Sheriff wanted me to collect taxes for him and Arthur Cloninger met me there and turned the books over to me. Will Sims went with me. Lonnie Freeze and Inez Loftin got married.
Mar 7. This morning I hauled some wood before noon, and after noon I went down to Uncle Jim Ervin's to get him to go on my bond for sheriff, and he did. It is $5.00. Papa and Mother went to Statesville to tend to some land business.
Mar 14. After noon I went to the schoolhouse and fixed up a stage for the last day. Papa went to the mill in Mooresville and he bought 1000 pounds of flour and paid $2.00 per hundred for it.
Mar 16. School went out at the Kennedy Schoolhouse, and we all went except Papa, and he went to Statesville. We sure had a fine time. The exercise was good, and the day was beautiful and warm. The old maids had a convention that night.
Mar 24. Sunday. I went home this morning and went over to Doolie to preaching, and come back to Uncle Jim Ervin's and stayed all evening. We went up to Mr. Jack Ervin's and stayed a while.
Mar 25. Conway and I plowed below Uncle Bill's for oats. This is the first day plowing we have done this spring, and it has been a model day, except the wind blowed some.
Mar 26. I plowed up the Godson's this morning, and then I drilled some oats. Drilled five acres, and then Conway and I plowed some with the two-horse plow. Plowed my colt some this evening. Papa went to Statesville today, to see something about the old Bass land. The day has been a model day. We paid Mr. Allison today for 81 crossties. The amount of money was $7.25.
Mar 29. Hauling out some manure and fixing garden. Planted three bushels of potatoes and set out some cabbage plants.
Mar 30. This morning Conway and I sowed some oats until noon, and after noon Conway went to the mill and I went to Troutman after some fish, but didn't get any. They were all gone, but I some cabbage plants from J.M. Putnam, and come home and set them out. Papa and Mother went over to Hamp's and to the Old Soldiers' reunion.
Mar 31. Sunday. Went up to see Lonnie Kerr and come back home and stayed all day. Will Bass and Lillie are here. It has rained all day. So they could not go home. They had to stay all night. Papa and Mother had to stay at Hamp's all night. It has been so bad they could not get home.
Apr 20, 1907. Went to Statesville and paid the sheriff some tax money, $39.46, and then I drove 20 miles above Statesville and spent the night at James Cartwright. I sure had a fine time. They were all so kind to me. I got there about 3 o'clock. Papa taken Uncle Davis to the train to go to Salisbury, to make out some bills for a house.
Apr 21. Sunday. This morning finds me in North Iredell at Mr. Cartwright's. Bessie and I went to preaching at Zion. Got back about 1 o'clock and taken dinner, and I started home at four o'clock and got home at 8.
Apr 23. Went to Mooresville to take butter and to collect taxes. Taken some taxes.Apr 26. This morning we run off some ditches and plowed them out. After noon we fixed up some cotton land. Ernest helped us after noon. Mr. A.S. Alley has had our cow, hauling out some logs and one of them dropped dead to the cart today.
Avery Sidney Alley ("A.S. Alley") and Mary Carsie Collins Alley,
photographed in 1891 (photo courtesy of Robert Alley)
Apr 27. Papa went to Mooresville to take a cow hide.
May 8, 1907. I plowed until noon. After noon we went to Troutman to load a set of switch ties, but the inspector did not come. We came home and it drizzled rain all evening. I spent the night with Ernest.
May 9. This morning we got word that the inspector had come. So we went to Troutman and loaded our ties. Ernest, Frank, Whitt, and myself loaded them and we got done about 12 o'clock, and after noon I run the smoothing harrow over some cotton. The amount of feet in the ties we loaded today is 7146 feet.
May 11. It rained last night and the corn is too wet to plow. I am sick. Conway helped George and Ernest plow in the newground. I haven't done anything today except make a couple of singletrees. Papa and Mother went to Mooresville.
May 12. Sunday. I went to preaching at Rocky Mount. After noon Lonnie Kerr and I went to Vanderburg. The day has been beautiful, and I have had a very good time.
May 14. Putting up some wire fences. Frank Young helped us. We got done at noon, and after noon I fixed a pair of plow handles on the two-horse plow, and got things ready to go to the river to fix our land.
May 26. Sunday. This morning finds me at James Cartwright's house having a fine time and am certainly enjoying myself. I started home at 5 o'clock and got home about 10 o'clock. It rained some on me after I left Statesville. The road was muddy.
May 27. This morning it is too wet to plow. Conway broke up some land for peas, and he and I harrowed some cotton here at home, and in the evening I taken sick, throwing up and was sick all night.
May 29. This morning I taken Papa to the train to go to Richmond to the Old Soldiers' Reunion, and after noon I harrowed cotton. Conway harrowed cotton and the girls hoed. Carrie helped them.
May 30. Plowing corn. Conway and I plowed corn below Uncle Bill's and the girls finished thinning cotton and hoed for Mr. Tommie Ervin after noon.
May 31. This morning it is raining --and rained all day, but not hard. After noon, I went over to Mr. A.S. Alley's to see him about some corn.
Jun 3, 1907. It is too wet to plow and we haven't done anything, and I went to Uncle Jim Ervin's to see him about cutting wheat, but he was in Statesville.
Jun 7. Cultivating cotton in the big field. Conway and I plowed and the girls hoed corn in the branch bottoms. Papa and Ernest ground the sickle to cut the meadow, but it looked so much like rain, they did not go.
Jun 23. Sunday. Went to Sunday School this morning, and after noon David Nesbitt and I went to Uncle Jim Ervin's.
Jun 26. Fed Nesbitt of Mooresville died today.
Jul 6, 1907. This morning I went to Statesville and went on to see a girl. Papa stayed with the boy, and they harrowed cotton and laid by the watermelon patch.
Jul 7. Sunday. This morning finds me at Mr. Jim Cartwright's in North Iredell. Stayed there all day until I started home about half past five o'clock.
Jul 11. Cutting oats. Ernest and I cut this morning and after noon we finished cutting. The girls helped tie them up and Papa and I shocked them.
Jul 13. Plowing in peas. Avery Ervin, Frank Young, Conway and Homer and I plowed in peas, but I went to Mooresville and bought some ice cream home, and we made ice cream.
Jul 14. Sunday. I went to preaching at Rocky Mount and taken the girls. After noon, I went to Mr. Kennedy's and stayed a while, and then I went to Uncle Jim Ervin's and Carl and I went up to the church, to fix the lamps for preaching, as the meeting started there today.
Jul 17. Plowing corn below Uncle Bill's. Avery Ervin and Conway and I plowed, and we are laying by corn. We went to preaching tonight, and Prof. Hinshaw came home with me.
Jul 20. Plowing. Avery Ervin, Conway and I plowed cotton till noon, and after noon we didn't do anything. I went to the river and washed off my horse and buggy.
Jul 24. This morning we hauled up some oats and after noon I went to see wheat thrashers. They are in Ervintown. I went to preaching tonight. The meeting broke up tonight.
Jul 25. We all went to the picnic in Mooresville. I taken Gussie Ervin. There was such a large crowd, and the day was warm, and everything went off well.
Jul 27. We went to Statesville. Papa and I went. We went in the buggy. We went to sell our lumber. Sold it to the Kincaid Furniture Co. for $16. a thousand down at Troutman. We also went to see about a saw we had Charley Turner order for us, and to see John Elmore about our trade with Mr. Allison.
Jul 30. Digging potatoes. All of us worked at the potatoes and got done before noon, and then went to Vanderburg to preaching. We made 42 bushels of potatoes.
Jul 31. This morning I plowed the late corn patch and then went to Troutman to a show. I stayed for the night show. Papa and the little boy worked on the turnip patch.
August 1, 1907. Papa and Ernest went to Statesville with a load of lumber, and I helped them load it, and stayed around home until the late afternoon. Went up to Mr. Wyatt's and Avery Brawley and ... Sherrill come to get married. After the ceremony they asked Sherrill and myself to go with them, and we went. After supper a crowd of us went to Mooresville to a show. I sure had a fine time.
Aug 7. I hauled lumber this morning, and Ernest hoed his corn patch, and after noon, Ernest hauled lumber, and I made up an ice cream supper for Saturday. Papa went to Statesville on some business, but didn't get it tended to, as all the lawyers were busy.
Aug 8. Papa hauled lumber to Troutman, and before noon I plowed our late corn patch, and after noon Papa brought the well cap, and I helped them put it on.
Aug 9. Papa hauled lumber this morning, and Will Sims and I fixed up about the mill, and tried the new saw. It sure is nice. About noon, there came up a big cloud and rained a good rain. After noon, we went up to the mill and loaded up the wagon, but it looked so much like rain we didn't do anything.
Aug 10. I went to Troutman with a load of lumber. Conway went with me. Ernest was sick. He taken Ether to the river. We had an ice cream supper here at home, and we sure had a fine time and a large crowd.
Aug 17. This morning Papa and I went to Statesville and went on to Salisbury, and contracted to build two houses for Mrs. Allison for her home, the old Allison Place. Mr. John Allison went with us. We went to Statesville in a buggy, and then went on the train. Got back home about 2 o'clock. Ernest taken a load of lumber to town and got some corn.
Aug 21. This morning Ernest helped Papa start to the mountains, and I helped get up a load of watermelons to go to Statesville. Will Sims and Conway taken them, and after they got gone, Ernest and I stacked lumber till noon, and after noon we hauled logs.
Aug 22. This morning I filed a saw for Arthur Sims, and after noon filed one for myself, and then Ernest and I hauled logs, and Ernest went to the depot this morning to get a pair of grabs fixed, but didn't get it done.
Aug 31. Went to Statesville to Everybody's Day, and to get a load of corn. Papa drawed a check for $100, and bought 12 bushels of corn. There was a large crowd in town. We got home after dark and John Sherrill was here.
September 1, 1907. Sunday. I went to Sunday School this morning and went to Mr. Jack Ervin's and taken dinner, and John Freeze went with me, and tonight we went to McKendree to preaching.
Sep 5. Putting down the sawmill. Ernest and I hauled some rock this morning, and Papa has been putting the brick in the furnace. Will Sims helped after noon. We raised the stack late this evening. Arthur Sims and Ike Ingle helped us.
Sep 8. Went to preaching at Rocky Mount. And after noon William Kennedy and I went over the river. Had a nice time.
Sep 9. Pulling fodder. Will Sims and Arthur helped us. They owed us 1 1/2 days for the girls picking peas for them.
Sep 11. Sawing at the mill. Will Sims and Arthur helped, and Ernest and I, we sawed framing for the houses we are to build in Salisbury.
Sep 14. I went to Statesville to take up my list of involvement of tax for the year, and after I got my business taken care of, I went up to North Iredell to see a girl. I sure had a fine time, and on my way I had some trouble about crossing the river. The bridge had fallen in.
Sep 15. Sunday. This morning finds me in North Iredell. I came home this evening. Got here about nine o'clock.
Sep 28. This morning it is raining, commenced raining last night about 1 o'clock, and rained steady all day and all night. Tonight I spent with Mr. Wyatt.
Sep 29. Sunday. This morning finds me at Mr. Wyatt's, and I went to Sunday School and the Rankin girls come home with us, spent the evening with us and went down to Ervin Town, and went over to Mr. Walter Clodfelter's and got with Uncle Davis Collins, and he come home with me and spent the night, as to get a soon start to Salisbury tomorrow. He is going for us.
October 1, 1907. Pulling fodder in the creek bottoms. Will Sims, and John Young, and Conway, and I pulled all day. We got done about an acre. Ernest and Frank Young pulled in Frank's, for Ernest.
Oct 2. This morning we hauled tops, and after noon Papa and I finished up the dry kiln. Ernest hauled up his pea hay. The children picked cotton.
Oct 3. Papa and I filled the kiln full of lumber and after noon Ernest and I finished it, and fired it, and Papa went to Barium Springs with a load of lumber.
Oct 4. Papa went with a load of lumber, and Ernest and I cut some logs and fired the kiln. It looked like rain, and Ernest and I come home and I hauled up some cotton and unloaded some cotton seed. Mr. Josey sent me a warrant for William and Margaret Kennedy, and I went and arrested them. They give bond and the trial is set for Saturday, Oct. 12.
Oct 8. Cutting and hauling logs. Ernest and I cut and hauled logs, and Conway helped us. About 11 o'clock, I went to summon William Kennedy to go to O.O. Harwell's as a witness against G.M. Josey for fighting him. Josey submitted to his cost, and paid a fine of $3 and cost, which made $4.30. After the trial was over, I went back to the mill and went to work.
Oct 12. Papa and I cut and hauled some wood for the dry kiln and stacked some lumber and hauled up a load of hay, and after noon I went to attend a trial at O.O. Harwell's, and after it was over William Kennedy and I went over the river to preaching, and after preaching we went to Jim Gilleland's and spent the night.
Oct 14. This morning we had our first frost. The little boy and I hauled up a load of green corn, and then I went to the saw mill, and then went to help Ernest pick cotton, and Ernest and I hauled some sills to the place, and after noon we cut some logs. Uncle Davis started to cut the frame for one of the houses we are to build in Salisbury.
Oct 26. Went to Statesville, and tended to some business. After noon drove out to Mr. Cartwright's to see Bessie. Spent Saturday night and Sunday with her.
November 16, 1907. Hauling corn from the creek bottoms. Papa was at home, and we hauled with two wagons and got our corn here. Hamp come over here today and got some wheat and helped George kill his hog. A.S. Alley came over tonight and we settled. Mr. Alley was due us $21.11 and did not pay it. I went to a singing at Mr. A.L. Kennedy's tonight.
Nov 22. I went to Troutman to meet Professor Barron, but he did not come. I went on to Statesville and come back on the eleven, and taken dinner at Mr. Croker's, and come and served a summons on Mr. McDaniel, and come on home. Papa and Conway got home at sunset.
Nov 24. Sunday. Mr. Barron is here, and he and I stayed home all day until late in the evening. We then went up to Mr. Wyatt's to attend a marriage. They were from Amity Hill.
Nov 25. This morning we pulled and hauled corn. Willis and I pulled and Papa hauled. Our school started this morning. Mr. J.R. Barron is the teacher.
December 7, 1907. Sawing at the mill. Ernest, Willis, Conway and I sawed some plastering lathes and we got done a while before night. I come home and we had some company tonight-- Miss Allison and Bessie Cline and some boys come tonight, and we had some fun.
Dec 11. This morning I went to Mooresville in a buggy, and taken David Nesbitt to go to Salisbury, to put on plastering lathes. All of our horses are in Salisbury: two of the mares, a colt, and an old mule. So we chose the old mule, and I got a pair of fine shoes. Paid $4.50 for them, and a shirt, and got a pair of coarse shoes on time for $1.50.
Dec 23. Went up to Statesville. Went to Troutman in the buggy and went from there on the train. Will Sims went with me and got my license today to get married (To Bessie Cartwright...-ed). I got back home about one o'clock and went and rounded up some hands to work tomorrow.
Dec 24. This morning I went and taken a team and plowed and worked the road, and after noon went up to the store, and went from there on to Rocky Mount to the Christmas Tree. Got home about....o'clock.
Dec 25. This morning I went to get married to Bessie Cartwright and gotmarried. Rev. Wyatt and James Rankin went with me. I hired Mr. George Bass' surrey. Went to Statesville and taken dinner, and went on twenty miles above to Mr. Cartwright's and got there about five o'clock, and married at that time.
Dec 26. This morning we intended to come home but Bessie was sick and her and I stayed, and I sent the surrey on home. Bessie was sure bad off, but is some better this afternoon. We went for Dr. Nicholson and he come. Will Sims and Florida Collins got married.
Dec 28. This morning we started for home. Mr. Cartwright and Blaine brought us to Statesville, and I hired a turnabout to bring us on home.
