Robert, James, William, Adam, Thomas and Sarah were brothers and sister to Mr. Patterson's wife who was Agnes Clow. All were the children of the Mr. Clow mentioned occasionally.
A few explanations about people and places mentioned in this diary. Durant's place was where Mrs. Robert C. Clow (Maud) now lives. (1977) The quarry was in the field across the road and
is now on the property formerly owned by Sterling Patterson.
The building being done as recorded here was on the farm now being subdivided by Fry, Meisinger's live in the farm-house.
Apparently the process of getting established was one of helping each other, and it is assumed that after the Mungo Patterson house was completed the digging of a second cellar was on the Clow farm (where Bill now lives).
The Patterson’s and Clows lived in Naperville about a year until living quarters could be built.
The Browns lived on what is now the Frank Grommon farm. Canfields lived the first place north of the subdivided farm, Earl Kemmerer did own it.
June 1845
Mon. 9th. Forenoon levelling earth around cellar. Afternoon laid foundation.
Tues. 10. Got 15 bushel lime at Durants. Thomas and I riddling sand, made a wood riddle. ( riddle--to sift)
Wed. 11. Riddled lime and commenced building.
Thurs. 12. Heavy rain last night, 2 or 3 inches of water in cellar. Thomas and I mixed lime. Afternoon building. William breaking south of dooryard.
Mon. 16. Thomas and I building. Robert bought a yoke of cattle for $44. I drawing stone, brot 16 bu. lime from Durant.
Tues. 17. Mixing mortar, building. Adam and William plowing.
Sat. 21. Drawing stone, cellar wall 3 ft. 10 in. high, or level with the surface of the ground. Stair-case finished. Prairie looks fine; new settlers coming in, breaking teams all over the prairies. Wild roses in bloom.
Mon. 23. Thomas and James building. William and I drawing 100 bu. lime for granary. Adam plowing corn.
Tues. 24. William drew 5 load stone for cellar East corners at the height.
Wed 25. Thomas and I building. Colonel Wentworth and Capt. Naper here.
Thurs. 26. All the corners at the height. Robert at Plainfield, bought a pig.
Fri. 27. Building. James and William breaking. Robert and Adam gone to Chicago. William drew 3 loads stone.
Mon. 30. James and Robert mowing. Adam and William plowing. Thomas and I building.
Tues. July 1, 1945, Thomas and I leveled north wall.
Wed. 2. Thomas and I mixing mortar, building, boys making wagon rack. Potatoes in full bloom.
Thurs. 3. Finished cellar wall. Boys plowing and mowing.
Fri. 4. Cleared out cellar. Thomas under-pinning the front addition. At Naperville bought a cradle for $4.25, 2 hay forks 7 shillings each, 2 rakes, 2 s. each. Celebration at the forks.
Sat. 5. Finished under-pinning. Afternoon I went to the preparatory lecture. Subject "Ye are temples etc." The cellar has taken Thomas and I 20 days to build. We mixed the mortar and served ourselves.
Mon. 7. Very warm, Therm. 96 in the shade. Lyman's boy here with lumber.
Tues. 8. James, Robert, and Adam mowing, William and I working
hay. Very hot 97.
Wed. 9. Mowing and working hay. I at Durants last night, Durant sick. Hottest day we have yet seen. Therm. ranged from 96 to 100 before 3 p.m. It stood 103 at 4 o tclock.
Thurs. 10. Therm. 101 at noon, in shade. Mowing and working hay.
Fri. 11. Drawing hay, finished stack 12 by 30, about 15 tons in it. Temp. 98 .
Mon. 14. July 1845. Lyman came to put up our house. Drawing in hay. Hot.
Tues. 15. Adam cutting wheat at Durants. Mowing and working hay. Frame of house all up and part of the siding on.
Thurs. 17. Working hay and mowing. Adam cut 25 stooks (shocks) wheat p.m.
Fri. 18. Drawing in hay. Lyman and the little man working at the house.
Sat. 19. Mowing. Adam and Robert cutting oats; afternoon cradling wheat. About 50 stooks. Lyman has the house sided and shingled. Temp. 92 at noon.
Tues. 22. Adam, Robert, James, William, Thomas and I cradled and set up 4.5 acres of wheat. Fair crop, crossplow land a third better than sod wheat. No rust. (rust is a disease)
Thurs. 24. Adam and Robert cradling sod oats and wheat, light crop, forenoon tied oats, afternoon followed cradles.
Wed. 30. Drew in wheat, 2 stacks and finished hay stack. Thurs. 31. Drew in oats--l stack a.m. quarrying p.m. and drawing. Lyman and the little man working at the house.
Aug. 1, 1845. Robert and Thomas digging cellar and James and I quarrying.
Sat. 2. Got out 40 bu. sand for plaster. Mixed mortar for building chimney.
Sabbath 3. Mr. Clow and I at meeting. Text Psalm 84:11, the Lord
our God is a sun etc., also II Tim. 3:5 having a form of godliness.
Mon. 4. Adam at Naperville for brick, got 250 for 10 shillings. James, Thomas and I quarrying.
Tues. Aug. 5, 1845. Building chimney. Boys quarrying and drawing. Lyman lathing.
Wed. 6. Finished chimney, pointing around house.
Fri. 8. Forenoon quarrying and drawing. P.m. binding oats. Finished cradling. Lyman finished our house, and we settled with him. The original contract was $174.41. The addition in front cost for material $10.50, for work $7. Other extra work, cellar windows $1 each, box for chimney $3. The way
up to the garret and other little fixings 50c. The whole amounts to $187.20.
Aug. 12. Quarrying. Adam plowing for winter wheat.
Fri. 15. Mixing plaster, about 38 bu. sand to 17 of lime, 11.5 bu. Of hair. Robert and Thomas mowing. James making door and window frames.
Sat. 16. Adam and I at Naperville getting groceries, flour, etc. Bought a pig from Lyman for 3 shillings. Borrowed the Brewers trowel--will try plastering myself next week.
Mon. 18. Laying door step. Robert, Thomas and I laid foundation of cellar.
Tues. 19. Commenced plastering, like to be a slow job. James and Thomas building cellar.
Sat. 23. Finished plastering our house. William and Mr. Clow at Mr. Grangers getting 40 bu. of seed wheat, paid 64c per bu.
Mon. 26. At Naperville with the sieve and trowel. Started sowing wheat. Building and sowing.
Mon. Sept. 1, 1845. Building, sowing, harrowing and plowing.
Sat. 6. Adam at Plainfield, got 20 bu. lime. Building. Finished sowing winter wheat. 40 bu--26 acres.
Tues. 9. At the woods getting beams for granary. Thomas and James building.
Wed. 10. Boys at woods for plates, etc. James hewing timbers. Thomas and I building.
Fri. 12. Boys drawing firewood.
Sat. 13. James and Thomas hewing doorstep and corners. I white- washing house p.m.
Sabbath 14. Mr. Clow and I at meeting. A stranger preached.
Mon. 15. Sarah cleaned the woodwork in our house.
Wed. 17. Adam brought fire wood. William drawing stone. Paid Durant for stone.
Thurs. 18. Sarah, Adam and Robert gone to Chicago. Thomas and William gone to Plainfield for joists. James and I building.
Fri. 19. Boys and Sarah got home from Chicago, brought stuff for the granary, shingles, flooring, etc. Brought 6 chairs for us. Five common ones 50c each, and one rocking chair, a pail and a bucket. $4.50. William drew 3 loads of stone for our well. Building.
Thurs. 25. At Mr. Scarritts getting the deed for the 20 acres I bought from Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown having got money from his brother-in-law Sam Whallon, to deed the land with. Mr. W. came here at this time to get Mr. B. to deed the land to him on condition that he would give me a deed for the 20 acres I bought from him. Supposing he could not prevail on me to give up the bargain and take the money back, which thing I would not consent to do, having broke about 12 acres of the land. Mr. Whallon was very unwilling to give the deed for it. Mr. Brown said his bargain with me must be fulfilled, and thus proved himself an honest man. But from what I have seen of and had to do with Mr. S. Whallon I cannot say so much. After much haggling I got the deed from him.
Fri. Sept. 26, 1845. Moved into our new house, bag and baggage. Building. William and Adam at the woods for fire wood.
Mon. Oct. 6. At Naperville for Dr. Hess, Mrs. Brown has a lassie. Got haws and basket stuff at the forks.
Tues. 7. Put haws beneath a furrow. Getting scull stuff at river.
Fri. 9 & Mon. 13. Getting scull stuff. (For making baskets)
Wed. 15. Got haws at the forks. Prairie fire.
Thurs. 16. Prairie burning on east side of river. Quarrying stone for well.
Mon. 20. Adam and I at school meeting night. Appointed Mr. Johnston, Waite & Boughton for school directors. Adam Clow Clerk. Subscribed $130.00 for a school house to be built in this district.
Sat. 25. Building. Adam plowing, William drawing stone for our well and office. Mr. Clow and James put rafters in the granary.
Tues. 28. Finished house a.m. Robert and James building stair- case and laying foundation of our office (out-house) Adam at Naperville, got 10 bu. lime for office, and paint and oil to paint our house. Cost $4.25.
Wed. 29. James, Thomas and William sheeting the granary. Robert and I quarrying for the office and well.
Thurs. 30. Commenced building office. Adam plowing. Boys shingling.
Mon. Nov. 3, 1845. Robert and I building. William drew 2 load stone for office. Took up 13 bu. of carrots.
Tues. 4. Forenoon dressing corners and flagging office. Robert and James building. Boys husked 30 bu corn. Adam plowing. The office took 10 bu. lime, 1.25 cord of stone. Sixdays building for two of us.
Mon. 10. Done husking all but sod corn, will average 55 bu. to acre.
Fri. 14. Finished husking, 13 acres. Started painting our house.
Mon. 17. Digging well. Tues., 18. Digging well, Robert helping me, 9 feet deep.
Wed. 19. Robert and I digging well, 15 feet deep, some water. Adam and Thomas at Naperville, got salt, shingles for office, hinges for door. William brought the windlass from Durants, also a load of stone.
Thurs. 20. Digging Blue Clay, 18.5 feet deep.
Fri. 21. Finished digging well, whole depth from the surface of the ground 21.5 feet, there is 14 inches of water in the well.
Sat. 22. Robert letting down stone, self walling, have stoned up 8 ft. 2 in.
Mon. 24. Robert and I stoning well. Adam drew 6 load of stone. 13 stoned up. Depth of well 21 ft. 6 in. Width at top 6 ft. 2 in., width at bottom 5 ft. 8 in. Width when stoned up 3 ft. 2 in. Right width to dig a well 5.5 ft.
Tues. Nov. 25. Threshed a wheat stack, 118 bu. in it.
Wed. 26. Snow, 1 to 2 inches. Thomas, James and I made a door for the cellar and one for the office.
Sat. 29. Threshed 246 bu. oats.
Mon. Dec. 1. Therm. -7.
Tues. 2. Adam and I to Naperville, took grist to Hobsons, cannot grind for want of water. Got $3.20 from Adam, bought 20 yds. of factory at 20c a yd. Wood for a table frame.
Wed. 3. Cold James making stair for granary. Adam and Robert got flour at Aurora.
Sat. 6. James making sleigh. Robert and Adam brot us a load of wood.
Mon. 8. James and Thomas making sled. I sawing out frame for table. Planed buttery (pantry) shelves.
Tues. 9. Cold day. Boys cleaning wheat. James at sled.
Wed. 10. Themometer -14ø, Thomas and I turning sled pins.
Thurs. 11. Robert and Adam at Naperville after grist, etc. Mill froze up, cannot grind. Thomas and James turning pins for bookease.
Sat. 13. Forenoon shingled east side of office. Afternoon got ridge boards eavetrough for the front addition. Adam and Thomas at Aurora for sled shoes.
Mon. 15. James and I hanging granary door. Making table frame.
Tues. 16. Fixing up granary stair. James and I hanging office door. Put on ridge boards and-put on water spouts.
Wed. 17. James and boys making potato cutter. Mr Boughtons folks here.
Mon. 22. Helping Brown set up the windlass.
Tues. 23. Robert and I helping Brown dig his well. Plenty of good water.
Mon 29. Adam drew us 2 loads of wood. James making table.
Wed. 31. William, Thomas and I helping stone well. James making our table.
Fri. Jan. 2, 1846, Robert and Adam looking at the river, snow about gone. James making a bedstead. Stoning well, river flooded.
Sat. 3. Finished stoning well. Robert at election for school trustees. James making bedstead.
Tues. 6. William drew 4 load of stone. Set up the bedstead.
Wed. 7. Ground covered with snow this morning. Adam hunting rabbits got three.
Mon. 12. James, Thomas, Adam and William at the woods putting up shanty. Got slabs at Cloughs
Wed. 14. Finished shanty. William and Thomas split posts and rails.
Fri. 16. Getting posts and rails. James, William, Thomas and I staid in shanty.
Sat. 17. Chopping, splitting posts and rails. Two inches snow fell last night. Came home tonight.
Mon. 19. Ad, James, William, Thomas and I at woods. Adam drew a load of posts with the wagon. Split 130 rails.
Wed. 21. Six or 8 in. of new snow. Sledding.
Sat. 24. Came home from woods, got over 80 rails. Adam brot a load of posts to Smith and 48 rails home.
Tues. Went to the woods.
Thurs. Wet day. Shanty good.
Sat. 31. Storm last night, 3 or 4 in. snow. Started home at 2 o'clock with 91 rails and 11 posts, got home at 1/2 past 4. In all we have 1200 rails and 350 posts.
Mon. 20. James, Tom, Robert and I put up 42 lengths of fence. Spring wheat looks thin.
Tues. 21. Adam at woods getting posts and rails. We put up 42 lengths of fence.
Wed. 22. Thomas, James and I mortised 20 posts for our fence forenoon. P.m. put up 20 lengths fence. Saw first rattlesnake.
Thurs. 23. Finished putting up fence.
Fri. 24. Commenced our east ditch.
Sat. 25. Ditching myself, put up 34 yds.
Mon. 27. Ditching, 38 yds. Tues & Wed. rain.
Thurs. Planted row of locusts west side of dooryard and the north dyke, 13 yds. apart. Afternoon ditching 23 yds. Prairie grass growing fast. Winter wheat looks good. Spring wheat thin.
Fri. May 1. Before breakfast put a sod along the bottom of north dyke, took sod of 150 yds of ditch. Ditching p.m.
Sat. 2. Ditching. Adam and William breaking.
Mon. & Tues. Ditching and plowing.
Thurs. 7. Adam and William plowing. Afternoon ditching. I have done a little over 100 yds. at each end of the east dyke, middle too wet.
Sat. 9. Finished plowing east side of field. Planting corn myself.
Mon. 11. Planting sod corn. 1 acre.
Tues. 12. Planting corn. Agnes whitewashing kitchen.
Sat. 16. Planted 22 rows sod. Robert hunting wolves. The transplanted trees all growing.
Mon. 18. Finished planting sod corn. Prepared ground and sowed locust seed. Robert gone to Chicago.
Wed. 19. Planting potatoes. Helping Clows plant corn, finished planting 6 acres. Sod corn up. Robert not home yet.
Sat. 23. Planted potatoes. Hoeing corn.
Mon. 25. Ditching and hoeing corn. Heavy rains 28-29-and 31st.
June 1. Digging for hedge by west fence. Putting up clothes poles.
June 2 and 3. More rain, potatoes worth less than nothing.
Wed. 3. At Naperville looking out for cattle. Sloughs full of water, bad walking.
Sabbath 7. Mr. Clow, Thomas and I at meeting. Text 1 John 5 vs. 5, Who is he that overcometh etc. 1 John 5-21, Keep yourselves from idols.
Mon. Hoeing corn and garden. Put stone around foundation of cellar.
Wed. 17. Put sods on ~dyke rack. Heavy rain laid down spring wheat.
Thurs. 25. Forenoon mowing. Afternoon coiling hay. Boys plowing. Adam brot a load of rails, grist etc.
Fri. 26. Showery all day. Made haystack bottom. Boys finished dyking in pasture field joined to the locust side of our field. Got five soverigns from James to buy a cow.
Sat. 27. At Mr. Grahams looking at cows, he asks 14 and 15 dollars. 3600 sheep on the prairie.
Mon. 29. Bought a heifer and calf from Mr. Birkett. Adam, Sarah, Robert, Agnes, Johnny and Robert, and Alvin at Joliet and Lockport seeing the country.
July 1, 1846. Coiled hay, hoeing corn and making a pig pen.
Mon. 6. Cradling winter wheat at Clows, heavy good crop and ripe. At night brot deer from Catchpoles.
Tues. 7. Cut 100 stooks.
Wed. 8. Cradling. Hot day, therm. 100 in the shade at noon. Cut about 3 A.
Tues. 14. Finished cutting winter wheat, heavy good crop and mostly well filled out. The stooks (shocks) stand like men and horses. A little over 26 acres cut. China wheat.
Wed. 15. Commenced drawing in, put up 2 stacks north of house and began one at the south end.
Thurs. 16. Drew in all day. Put in 2 stacks and a half, make stacks about 16 ft. by 30 or 33. Six stooks make a good load. 100 stooks make anything but a small stack.
Fri. 17. Finished drawing in, have 6 stacks. Boys topped off stacks with slough hay.
Mon. 20. Commenced cutting our wheat, find it too green, cut 6 stooks here and 10 at Clows. Adam and William at Plainfield, brot a load of slabs for my pig pen.
Wed. July 29. Robert and I went at noon and saw Mr. Boardman's reaping machine work at Mr. Thomas'. Cuts well, but raking of sheaves a hard job.
Thurs. 30. Cut 78 stooks, over 3 acres.
Fri. 31. Cut 80 stooks, heavy crop but hure with the blight.
Mon. Aug. 3. Finished cradling our wheat over 300 stooks-14 A.
Tues. 4. Cradling & binding oats, 3 cradles.
Tues. 25. Plowed with the new cattle. Clows inning hay.
Wed. 26. William plowing for me with the cattle. James plowing with horses.
Fri. 28. Finished threshing seed wheat, 94 bu. Boys harrowing. I building granary step.
Tues. Sept. 8. Adam gone to Chicago with Durants team and a load of wheat for him. Brot me 530 feet of fencing, 12 feet boards, #8.50 per 1000 ft.
Thurs. 17. Threshing Broomcorn. James, Robert, Thomas and I putting stake and rail on my fence.
Fri. 18. Finished fence. Brot chips from fence. Mowed some green corn for fodder.
Sept. 21, 1846. At Naperville with a load of watermelons.
Sold 100 for $3.34. Left 40 with Seth to sell out, dull sale, too late cool weather. The first money got from my farm.
Sept. 22. Forenoon Adam, James and I working at roads, forcing at Springbrook. Afternoon setting up cornstalks. Threshing beans.
Wed. 23. Mowing slough for thatch. Boys plowing.
Fri. 25. Wet forenoon. Made two brooms. Finished making well curb and set it up.
Mon. 28. At Canfields inning hay.
Tues. 29. Threshing, stack very wet, north side grown.
Sat. 3. Tried Browns oxen, don't like them. Cut basket stuff. Boys plowing.
Tues. 6. William and I drew in 3 loads of slough stuff for my byre. (cow barn or shed)
Wed. 7. Commenced raising (digging) potatoes.
Thurs. 8. Raising potatoes. James came from Chicago yesterday, took in a load of wheat, price 58c per bu.
Fri. Oct. 9. James gone to Chicago with load wheat. Thomas making basket. Willlam at the woods. Raising potatoes.
Sat. 10. William plowing for me. Self husking sod corn, about 32 bu.
Mon. 19. Plowing for corn and potatoes.
Wed. 21. Threshing Clows winter wheat.
Thurs. & Fri. Threshing at Clows. Fri. p.m. started threshing stack for us.
Sat. 24. Finished our stack, 140 bu. Afternoon William and I drew in our potatoes. Clark did the threshing, we pay 5c per bu. I owe Clark $277.
Tues. 26. Robert, Adam, Thomas, William & I working at roads near Sheldons.
Wed. 28. Threshing Clows oats, 286 bu. pay 21/2c per bu.
Fri. 30. All working at roads near Sheldons again.
Mon. 2. Husked 50 bu. corn. Wolves last night.
Thurs. 5. Husking. Adam gone to Chicago with load of wheat.
Fri. 6. Adam came home, wheat 51c . (winter wheat) Husking.
Tues. 10. Finished husking corn.
Wed. 11. Cutting and burning cornstalks. Adam & Robert at Naperville, brot us a load of firewood. Boys plowing.
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