May 1910



Above: Page from Joesf’s journal: “Graded” May 4, 1910

We used to walk to town and drag our little brothers.  It was seldom when we walked both ways, but we had done it.  We had our grandmother at the end of the line and we stayed overnight or as long as we wanted or as long as we could.  She was a wonderful lady and loved all of her grandchildren but I loved grandfather best.  You could “work” him a little bit.  Grandmother was stricter and more careful of what we did.  We kids were a little bit afraid of her.  We didn’t want to do anything that we thought grandfather would disapprove of.  You see, we tried to please him – just carry wood like mad you know, and . . . what brats!  Get on the good side of him, then get our own way in everything.
At home we were always keeping a few cats because of the chipmunks and different things that roamed the woods  We were in the habit of keeping cats and couldn’t live without them.

We had just a few steps to school.  Well it was a quarter of a mile but that was just a few steps.  We had shoes for school but they hurt our feet like mad and we didn’t wear them on the trail.  We were all crazy about going to school.  We went joyfully and usually liked our teachers very much because they were always nice.  A girl would come out and teach.  Sometimes Mama would keep them for a day or two until they could find some place where they could stay.  But Mama couldn’t keep them really because she had too much with all the kids.

In the garden Emma and I would lay down and put our feet under each other’s skirt to keep our toes warm.  Mama should have paddled us for that because I guess our clothes were dirty.  Poor Mama.  And Mama was naturally a very fussy, clean woman.  Boy she had to drop that all to put up with us, and that place with all the mud.  And Dad you know would make the biggest fuss about something that wasn't quite right, and how could you ever get everything right.  How terrible in those days because there was Dad, a gentleman who was never supposed to be messing [helping] with such stuff as laundry.

We washed outside by the spring where we had the water, and there was a stove to heat the water.  We used to love to do that you know and Mama would kind of direct it.  And we felt like we accomplished something.  There was a lot of lye in the soap and you had to be careful or it would eat everything up.  Mama always used a soap powder when she could get it.

Mama used to make beautiful little dresses for us – awful nice – and she was a really good seamstress.  And while I guess we were very old-fashioned looking, why we were along with the rest of them.  And May (Morris) always had nicer clothes than the rest of us, or so we thought because hers she bought.

They (Morris family) lived way off on the other side, and to visit – Dad would never let us go there you know.  We wanted to go and they wanted us to come over too.  But Dad would never let us because he kind of hated them.  I don’t know why.  I think they kind of insulted Dad a little because he didn’t always understand the language and things and they made something of it that let him know that.  And oh, he just couldn’t take that – it hurt his pride so he wouldn’t have anything to do with them or let us.  And that was an awful thing because of course at school we were chummy.  An awful thing, and no way to keep in touch except at school.  May and I always seemed to understand each other and whenever we did get together everything was all right – even to our old days.  Wonderful May.  She used to write, bless her heart.  She was always my friend.”

Ina’s memories of Doraville country life ~ related to niece Carol in 1986

“I came from the heart of Oregon – a dear little town named Rainier and the outlying district.  Of course I didn’t like Rainier, but the outlying district, how lovely.  It was a real wild part of Oregon really.That old house, that was the most wonderful . . . see we had to climb all the hills to get to it.  It sat on a kind of embankment.  It was a beautiful place, it really was beautiful.  So far from the water made it awfully hard on everybody.  So we used to have to carry the water in pails – it was almost a quarter of a mile to go – way down to the spring and it was a trail, a rough trail that went down.  We used to walk down there and take the empty pails and carry them back as full as we could.  And the water was really lovely in those springs, it was awful nice.  Some of the men – I don’t know who it was – put some kind of a wooden box in there and so there would be clean spring water.  And that water was the best in the world.  The reason Dad built the other house was because of the good water supply.

“Cherry Trees by Otto Hackenberg”

The following undated article was submitted for this family project by Eleanor Abraham, Rainier historian and member of the garden club, who had asked Otto to write about trees.  It is an interesting insight into the “multi-tasking” cherry tree in the family orchard that always mystified Josef’s grandchildren.*

“Cherry Trees by Otto Hackenberg”

“. . . On the farm where I was born dad had homesteaded in 1886, and government rules required a house to be built, a certain amount of land to be cleared, and a certain amount of fruit trees to be planted each year in order to hold on to the homestead.  The size of dad’s orchard that I can remember as far back as 1911, I am convinced that he planted, and in some cases grafted fruit trees on wild ones.

He had a larger orchard than the government required him to have.  By 1911 some of the cherry trees had grown quite large, the trunks were at least a foot or more in diameter and the trees over 20 feet high.

There were three large Black Republicans, one large May Duke.  The May Duke tree was usually loaded with cherries, but it was an early variety and the birds would start in on them as soon as they started to turn red, and the birds usually won out.  Those we got to eat were far from being ripe.  The same for Governor Wood, also an early cherry.  *Perhaps about in the year of 1900 two native wild choke cherries came up and dad had a Bing graft from somewhere, and he grafted one of the trees to Bing and the other to Royal Ann, both grew, and nearly always they both had a good crop of cherries.  Perhaps the two varieties were good for pollination for each other.  The trees were pruned so that they resembled one tree.

About 1912 a seedling cherry came up in the yard.  Dad told my older brother Bill to get a Bing graft, and graft the tree.  He did.  But some years later when the tree started to bear, it had Royal Anns on it.  Dad wrote him about it, and my brother wrote back, “If you want Bing cherries from that tree, pick them in a milk pan, and they will go Bing!”

Christmas Toast

This was a special treat Josef’s children remembered from their childhood.  Josef sent the following recipe to granddaughters Dora and Evelyn, Ina’s daughters. 

Property Dispute

Two buyers from out of state showed interest in buying the homestead, but Josef decided to keep it in the family and sold to Joe Jr. and Pearl. The relationship between buyer and seller was not good to begin with and only became worse as time went on.  Two lawsuits were filed by Josef over the matter; the first when Joe Jr. was married to Pearl, the second lawsuit mentioned below when Joe Jr. was married to Wilma.

Josef’s letter to Ina, dated July 20, 1935: “. . .Our trouble with Joe is far from being settled.  When Joe would not give us the back pay we filed suit for foreclousre, and instead of an answer his lawyer filed a demurrer, and when the matter came before the judge, he said that no demurrer could be filed in a foreclosure suit and gave Joe another 10 days to file an answer, and that is where the matter stands now.  His lawyer made the proposition to pay all the mortgage off if we pay the costs, and this we refused to do as the mortgage should have been all paid last year.  Our attorney told us that we have nothing to fear, Joe will either have to pay all of it or get off, and under the circumstances either one will suit us. . .”

(The undated Rainier Review article below should have correctly stated “Joe Jr. and Wilma”, “Jos. Hackenberg Sr. and wife Carrie”)

 

Rainier Review, February 28, 1930

Joseph Hackenberg Sr. and wife (Carrie) have sold their home farm of 160 acreas to Joseph Hackenberg Jr. and wife (Pearl).  The elder Hackenbergs reserve two acres where the house and buildings stand to be occupied by them for their natural life.  Mr. Hackenberg is declining in health, which made the sale a matter of necessity.

1929-Married Again

Journal Entries:
Married Carrie May 22, 1929 –

Otto left Oct 1929: Sold place to Joe Feb 26, 1930

Rainier Review, August 28, 1925 -Mail Order Wife Leaves

Wedded Bliss Soon Fades – Patronize Home Industry. Mail Order wives like mail order goods are apparently not durable and are likely to prove a “dud” or something similar.  If the reader is in doubt,  just let him ask Joe Hackenberg of Doraville – he knows. . .

Rainier Review, August 14, 1925 ~ HACKENBERG TAKES WIFE

Was Married to Mrs. Alice Smith Monday ~ Joseph Hackenberg and Mrs. Alice Smith of Indianapolis, Indiana, were married at St. Helens last Monday.  Mrs. Smith arrived Friday from Indianapolis and spent a few days at the Hackenberg home after which the nuptial knot was tied. . . (See Otto’s “Review of the Review” for details of the following weeks as the marriage was discussed in the local paper)

1920 and 1921

The year 1921 brought tragedy with the suicide by hanging of the children’s beloved “Mamma” Dora on November 11th.  She had been in declining health and there are many 1920 – 1921 journal notations such as “Dora sick.  Did housework.”  Otto was 12 years old at the time and the only one still at home with his parents. Emma was married and close by in Rainier.  She often came out to check on her mother, or took Dora home with her for a few days.  Joe Jr. “left for good” according to Josef’s sendoff for 1919 and only occasionally back to visit, Rudy lived in Underwood, and Bill and Ina were both in California.
Josef’s end of the year journal summaries:

“Sendoff for the year 1920:  The year 1920, the year of worry, trouble and expenses, was financially fair, very wet in spring and fall.  Repaired fences extensively, seeded 25 acres to pasture, cut out part of north fencerow, lost much time through fire and wife’s sickness; bought 22 Victor records and a small drugstore (?).  Farewell rotten year 1920!”

“Sendoff for 1921:  The year 1921 has been the worst year since 1886 for me; financially poor, lost wife by death, much time and money through her sickness, in fact the last half was a time of worry and trouble.  Finished fencerow, bought wire and 8 Victor records.  Farewell rotten year 1921!”

“Sendoff for 1922:  The year 1922 has been one of the worst I have lived through.  Financially very poor, extreme in cold and drought, dust, smoke and fire.  All crops were good except summer grain, hay and pasture.  Lost heifer; lost shingle shed and much fence by fire.  Laid new floor, built granary; had many aggravations through gossiop;  joined Correspondence Club and corresponded with 20.  Farewell rotten year 1922.”

Josef’s Work Schedule for the new house

August 1905 – hewed timbers for house, posts under house, sills and joist, divided space, boarded walls.September 1905 – outside walls, shingles, upstairs windows
October 1905 – painted roof, worked on staircase
November 1905 – planed floor
December 1905 – chimney, began cupboards

1902

Of note is Josef’s work on the foundation and floor of their family home.  Perhaps in the initial construction he had used whatever lumber was available to get the house finished and qualify for the deed to his claim.  Evidently he had no idea he would soon be making plans to build a new home located over the bank and closer to a more reliable source of water.

He continued to work on the county road and at various neighboring homesteads.  Work at home also continued: “Slashed, made shingles”, “bored stumps”, “cleared”.  Hay and grain crops were grown and harvested.

May 31: “Hoed potatoes, 3.2 o’clock p.m. Joseph born.” Note for August: “hot and smoky, much timber fire”.  And the weather didn’t help: “hellish hot”, “infernally hot”.

During the year there appeared to be a good harvest of berries, cherries, prunes, apples and pears.  He noted “roued with Dad” a couple of times, but did many chores there during the year.

“Went to Kilby’s about signboards”.  Then “cut out and painted fingerboards”, “lettered fingerboards”. 
“Sendoff for the year 1902.  The year 1902 (the year of worry) has been financially good, extreme in rain and fire.  Fine crops of hay, grain, fruit and vegetables were raised.  Slashed brush on 5 acres for pasture; cut down 20 snags, fenced clearing east of the house, cleared ½ acre of an acre; grubbed ½ of an acre, made shingleroad; took observing station, got rid of 6 acres of timber.”

1901

The work continued as he “grubbed”, hewed timbers, made shakes and built or repaired tools and homestead items.  In March he “went to Rainier with Mike and got smelts”, then “cleaned and smoked smelts”.  Josef was also busy pruning his own orchard and pruning or cutting brush for  “Dad”, Malcolm, Parcher, Lohman, Fletcher, S.M. Rice. 
In April and May he spent considerable time working on the county road at Thompson’s, and Beaver Valley road near Rainier.  In June he “got rid of bull devil Billy”.  More splitting and laying corduroy on county road, and later worked on Hudson bridge.  And work with the grain crops: cutting, threashing and cleaning wheat, rye, China peas, flax, barley.  Went to Lovelace’s for flour.

In September the “kitchen got afire”.  Later in the fall he harvested his winter crops: rutabagas, beets, cabbage, potatoes, picked Northern Spy and Stark apples, made sauerkraut.  October: tore up old floor, put posts under house and laid new floor sills. On November 23 he sold his timber and that week “went to Portland with Doan (Yeon)”.  Worked for Rice and “got bitten by horse”.  During the year the “boys” went to Rainier and back several times by themselves.

Sendoff for the year 1901.  The year 1901 has been extreme in rain and drought.  Crops except hay and vegetables were fair; finances good.  Built the roothouse, fenced north side of clearing, cleared 1/3 acre near the road, grubbed 1/3 acre new ground and ¼ acre meadow; removed old shop; closed trail to Morris place, sold timber.

1900

The year began with much the same homestead routine, and pruning trees at Nelson’s, W.G. Kyser’s, Winchester’s, Franz Olson’s along with working in his own orchard.  There is a notation in April “boys went to Rainier alone” [Rudy was 8 and Willie 4].  Josef worked for Star Logging Company from May 1 to June 2, coming home each week on Saturday and on Sunday “rested”.  During June there were visits from the “Assessor” and “Enumerator” and he made three trips to Petersen camp but they evidently weren’t hiring.

In the fall Josef spent time clearing his land, and making “corderoy” to plank cowpath by the barn, and barnlot.  On Thanksgiving he noted “having a  toothache” and a few days later “Had a tooth ground to hell in Portland.”

“Sendoff for the year 1900.  The year 1900 has been everything concerned good, extreme in rain.  Good crops were raised.  Fell about 30 trees, corderoyed and fenced cowtrail and barnlot, fenced west of house, made ½ mile cowtrails.  Cleared 1/3  acre, grubbed ¼ acre new ground, grubbed ¼ acre meadow.”

Carol’s observations from Josef’s journal of the 1890’s

It appears the children, one at a time, commonly stayed in Rainier, often weeks at a time, with their Winchester grandparents.  Josef was very industrious and within the first five years after his marriage, had put finishing touches on his house and outbuildings.  With the growing family, he must have needed more income so started working more at neighboring homesteads.  1899 marked the beginning of Josef’s extended work at the various lumber camps where he would carry his blankets and stay to work the week.  He continually went around looking for outside work and there are many notations of “went to. . . for nothing”.  Whether he was paid is not mentioned, but he spent considerable time building his father-in-law’s new house and walk in Rainier, and is continually “cutting wood for Dad”. 

Josef no longer is obtaining flour at various neighbors, but purchasing it in Portland on his Iralda trips.  There was a severe shortage of household water nearly every summer, lasting until November; and as Josef never mentions carrying water, it is likely Dora and the children were assigned that task.  Dora had a sewing machine, and there is a good supply of fruit jars.  Perhaps some of the kitchen fires so often mentioned were caused by having to keep a roaring hot fire in the wood stove during the canning season.

The young orchard which is poled, pruned, and grafted on schedule is just starting to produce, and they also have strawberries for a change of diet from the many blackberries that are available.

1899

Josef began the new year with a larger diary with columns for the weather and correspondence. January 1899:  “Worked on horsepower.”  Repaired the fanning mill.  Trashed and cleaned flax.  Went to Rainier, “came from Rainier with a heavy load.”  Cleaned toolbox, filed handsaw, cut roots.  Fixed sled.  Made a rake and ladder.  “Cut hair.”  Made a brakeblock, repaired tongue holder.  Made a trail to spring, dug velvet grass, set out new trees.  Put window in barn, made a stool.  Worked on the county road.  Took Ina to Rainier, and went smelt fishing with Bob.  “Came home with heavy load.”  Cut wood for Holsapple.  School ended on January 28.  Cow had a calf.  Correspondence during the month with:  Albertine, Risher, and Mrs. Beusch.

February 1899:  Trashed and cleaned garden seeds.  Cut wood for Holsapple and Dad.  Worked on county road at school house.  Made a cow trail on the hill.  Carried blankets to C. Snyder’s mill, cut shinglebolts [two weeks work].  Weather notations of “Devilish cold” “Creeks very high” and “Farewell you rotten month!”  Letters from:  Albertine and home.

March 1899:  Another two weeks during the month were spent working off and on at Snyder’s, then he quit and “settled with Snyder.”  “Went to Hogtown pruned Huffmann’s orchard.”  He also pruned trees at Johnson’s, and Malcom’s.  Cut wood for Dad.  Went to Rainier with Rudy, “came home with Ina”.  Went to McKee’s for flour with Mike, exchanged calves.

April 1899:  Hauled manure and wood.  Sowed pasture.  Went to Kilby’s, got a cat and artichokes.  Plowed and sowed peas, vetch, barley, and clover.  Turned “Billy” out for first time.  Finished and put up windmill.  Made a barrel cover.  Grubbed on the hill, and south of the house.  Cut wood for Dad, brought Rudy home.  Went to McKee’s for flour.  Dora went to Rainier, “went with Rudy for Dora and children.”  Made garden in hollow.  Went to McKee’s for a stove.  There was an inch of snow on April 30. “Farewell you mean stinker of an April!”

May 1899:  Made a cow trail on the hill, “connected 2 cowtrail on North line (Braddock)”.  Grubbed south of the house.  Sprayed.  Braced shrubs.  Fell timber and cut bolts for Snyder, and also worked at Peterson’s camp during the month.  “You glorious May, full rain and hell, get!”

June 1899:  Fell timber and cut bolts at Snyder’s.  Oiled clock.  Went to Rainier, cut wood for Dad.  Grubbed south of the house on the new patch, plowed.  “Hung transmission wheel.”  Went to Morris’s and Headlee’s.  Worked with Headlee on school ground.  Hung bull wheel, split timbers.  Kitchen “got a fire.”  “Hauled and placed horsepower timbers, cleaned stovepipe.”  “Finished horsepower.”  Worked for C. Snyder, put up frame of mill building at the Washburn place.  Fixed hay wagon, mowed meadow, got in first hay.  Split flooring.  “This has been the first good month this year.”

Letters were from Whiteheads, and home.

July 1899:  Emma’s first birthday.  Josef spent most of his time harvesting hay, then “Went to Snyder’s and Holsapple’s for nothing.” After that he got a  week’s work at Peterson’s.  He also went into Rainier twice, leaving Ina and coming home with Willie.  “Big fire at Peterson’s.”  Cut thistles, cleaned grain barn.  And, he did his own burning “Set out fire.”

The weather notation indicates “This month has been very dry.”

August 1899:  The first week was “hot” and Josef “set out fires”, then made a trip into town to “cut wood for Dad”.  After that the weather rapidly deteriorated as indicated by numerous notations of “Heavy Showers”, and the extra steps he took to harvest his grain “dried wheat” “turned wheat and rye”, “turned grain”.  A horsepowered device aided his harvest efforts as he again went to Rainier and “came home with the belts, put on one”, “worked on the horsepower, Mike rheumatic.”  During the month, Bob and Annie came for an overnight stay and that evening the “kitchen caught fire.”  Dora made a trip to town with Rudy, and two days later “Dora came with Ina and Rudy.”  Weather notation: “The foulest August that ever was in Oregon.”

Correspondence: Mrs. Whitehead, Risher.  Mentioned contacts: Art Snyder, Holsapples, Nelsons.
September 1899:  The weather improved and there was more thrashing, cleaning , and fanning of grain.  First Ina was sick with “measles”, and two weeks later “Dora, Willie, and Emma having measles”  Once again Josef did the  “housework” four consecutive days.  During the interval between family bouts with measles, Josef left Rudy in Rainier and “went to Portland and back on Iralda.  Hauled flour to Dad:”  The next day he “went to Rainier with Mike and back” [to pick up the supply of flour?]  Dug potatoes, plowed at the barn, grubbed.  Hauled first manure on hill.  There were also two more trips into Rainier, one with Mike.  “This month has been very fair.”  Contacts: Will Snyder, George Moeck, W.H. Kyser, Morris.  Correspondence: Home, Risher, Mrs. Beusch, Mrs. Hawkins, Kyser

October 1899:  Sowed wheat and rye, and cleared east of the barn the first week.  The rest of October was spent working at Snyder’s where he “cut bolts”, ran the “cut off saw” and “cut roads”.  He did have time for a visit to the neighbor “Rowed with old Headlee”.  “This month has been tolerably fair.” Correspondence:  Dad, Mrs. Hawkins, Peterson, home

November 1899:  Starting out the month, he first “cut bolts for Snyder” for four days, then “quit”, and “came home with blankets”.  He worked in town the next week “cut wood for Dad, “hauled Dad’s freight”, “dug thistles”, “came home with heavy load.”  The next day he went back to Rainier with Ina and Mike, and again “Came home with heavy load.”  Fixed Mike’s bell, made sauerkraut, threshed vetch and peas, hauled in rutabagas.  Cut and hauled in wood. “This month has been very warm and rainy.”  Correspondence: Dad, Lohmann, Hawkins, Albertine. 

December 1899:  Cut and hauled wood.  Cleared east and below the barn; cleared below the house.  Raked and grubbed on the new patch.  “Made timbers for horsepower.”  “Hewed timbers for horsepower.”  “House got badly on fire, repaired roof.”  There were two trips to Rainier, one with the horse.  He visited Gallien’s. December 28:  “Birthday the 40th, rested.” “This month has been tolerable fair.”  Correspondence:  Risher, Mrs. Beusch, Schroth.

“Sendoff for the year 1899.  The year 1899 has been every thing concerned tolerable good, extreme in rain and cold.  Good crops, except fruit, were raised everywhere.  Made a windmill, made a failure on treadpower.  Grubbed ½ acre new ground, 1/8 acre meadow, cleared 1/3 acre.”

1898

January: Worked on road at Stuart’s, worked at Beusch’s.  Went to school board meeting, made and painted a blackboard for the school.  Ollie Rice came to board January 2 - 28.  Notation of “night of weeping women” on January 25th. and later Josef “went to Rice’s for meat”.

February 1898 :  Dora made a trip to Rainier the first week and “came home with Willie.”  Worked on wagon, harrowed meadow, cleared below barn.  Trashed and cleaned peas and clover seed.  Poled, pruned and set out orchard trees, hauled logs with Mike.  Finished garden markers and stepladder.  Made the trial trip with the new wagon.  Repaired stove.  Grubbed at Beusch’s.  Ollie Rice came for a visit.

March 1898:  Josef worked at Beusch’s, grubbed and grafted trees there for 6 days.  He was reelected director at the school meeting, and painted the blackboard.  Plowed garden, planted some potatoes, sowed oats in front of the house, and oats, barley and clover west of the house.  On the hill, he sowed veatch, and flax, and south of the house he put in China peas.  Cut down two trees for fence, split stakes and rails, and fenced on the hill.  Went to Rainier with Rudy, cut wood for Dad.  Worked on new Stehman road.

April 1898:  “Sowed and harrowed in clover seed on new patch below barn.”  Went to Rainier and worked for Dad, spaded at Bob’s.  Made fence below barn, spaded hog lot.  Planted garden seeds, which included celeriac.  Worked at spring west of house [to ensure a summer water supply?]  Went to Peterson’s camp, worked there 3 days, and “worked for old man Meserve” a couple of days.  Filed saw, made a sledge handle, made railroad ties.  Dora and Ina made a visit to Rainier, and the last day of the month Josef went to Rainier and brought back Rudy.

May 1898:  Worked at Peterson’s camp the first half of the month.  “Blazed and swamped a trail on the hill for hauling fence rails.”  Hoed garden, made bean poles, cut logs in the new trail on hill.  Made table boards, improved table.  Sprayed “a few trees”.  Went to Portland on the Iralda, and on the way back “came home with R. Lovelace” [a teamster].  Hoed Dad’s garden.

June 1898:  Cut out and graded road.  Hauled fence timbers with Mike, cut and split rail timbers.  Filed saw, cleaned shop, fixed cowstand, repaired cow’s bellstrap.  Hoed potatoes.  Fixed hay wagon, mowed and hauled in first grass hay.  Cut down a cedar, made rails and stakes, and cut logs in the fence road, made fence.  Went to Rainier, came back with Rudy.  Mrs. Beusch visited during the month.  June 3:  Josef and Dora’s 7th wedding anniversary. 

July 1898:  “Nice day, mowed and hauled in hay – at 10 o’clock P.M. Emma born” July 2.  Josef is again doing “housework” with “Dora resuming her old post” 10 days later.  [Rudy is 6, Willie 4, and Ina about to turn 3 years old.]

Canned raspberries, picked blackberries, went to Morris’ for beef.  “At 6 o’clock in the evening kitchen got badly on fire.”  Fenced spring, cut thistles, cut and trashed rye, cut wheat.  Mrs. Morris visited, there was also a visit from the assessor.  Went to Rainier, cut wood for Dad, came home with Willie.

August 1898:  “Devilish hot”, “Hellroaring hot”, cut wheat, oats, rye and barley; trashed and cleaned grain.  Set fire on hill, grubbed.  “Bob, Annie, Mr. and Mrs. Lohmann visiting, hauled Mrs. Lohmann to Larson’s place, came home late, had a bull fight.  Bob and Annie with Rudy went back.”  Fixed wagon’s harness, went to Rainier, came home with flour and pears.  Dora and Ina went to Rainier with baby Emma on a visit.  Pulled last of flax.  Finished the big stump south of house, split railroad ties for Peterson.

September 1898:  The first week of September “worked for Peterson”.  Then on the 10th ,“worked in the mud hole of a chute in forenoon, got fired for refusing to work on Sunday at noon, went to Rainier in afternoon” and brought home glass jars.  He returned to Petersons’ camp for his blankets, going “through Peterson’s chute to Rainier.”  Cut wood for Dad.  Back at home again he picked Bartlett pears, and the Italian and French prunes; then went to Petersons for “time check, thence to Rainier”.  On that trip he went to Portland and back on the Iralda, and came home with more fruit jars.  Hauled big roots with Mike, fixed wagon for manure, plowed, grubbed, and trashed grain.

October 1898:  Josef started out the month with a trip to Rainier, and the next day “came home with Rudy.”  Trashed last peas, sowed rye and wheat, picked fall Pepins.  Made a hay rack for “Bullil”.  There were two trips to town and back with “Mike”; and two family trips on wheels - “hauled Dora and children to Larsen’s place.”  Sawed stumps, made pickets.  “Made a bed for the boys.”  Visited Mr. Kilby. 

November 1898:  Tore old hen house down, made and raised rafters, shingled and finished new hen house.  Made a new wheelbarrow, fixed axe handle.  Worked at Holsapple’s, came home with meat.  Cut wood for Dad.  Went to school board meeting.  Picked some Stark apples, dug rutabagas.  Went with William Holsapple to visit Mr. and Mrs. Washburn.  Another long dry summer, as first water in the well on November 18.

December 1898:  Plowed rutabaga ground.  Cut and hauled in wood.  Made chicken lot fence.  Moved hog barn and fence.  Dug on barn lot.  Made timbers, hauled and spread manure.  Fired two stumps, grubbed east of the barn.  Cut wood for Dad.  Fixed Daisy’s stand.  Prepared for calf stand, fixed singletree, repaired Mike’s harness.  “Worked on horsepower.”

“The year 1898 has been everything concerned tolerably good; splendid crops of hay, grain and fruit were raised.  Moved hen house and hog barn.  Cleared 1/6 of an acre, grubbed ½ of an acre new ground and ½ acre meadow.  Fenced ground on hill, made ½ mile cow trail.  Work simplyfied by the use of a small waggon instead of the cart.”

1897

“Ina commenced to walk” on January 8.  Josef was in Rainier that week working for the Winchesters grubbing and cutting staves and wood.  He and Rudy, now about 5 years old, went to Rainier for another few days at the end of the month.  This time Josef built a fence for the Winchester’s.  The usual winter chores went on during January 1897:  Grubbed, went to McKee’s for flour, worked on horsepower wheels, filed handsaw, cut and hauled in stovewood, made a new hayrack for wagon.  Held school board meeting, hauled in split blocks, cleaned clock and sewing machine.

February 1897:  Ploughed, grubbed, made a manure shovel and brake lever.  Went to Rainier, “got smelts, heavy load.  Smoked smelts.”  Trashed oats, cleaned peas, cut wood.  “Severe west-northwest storm, filed saw, cleaned trees out of meadow.”  Hauled maple for cart tongues.  Visited Nelson’s.  The last week of February was spent in Rainier, “Made fence and pruned trees for Dady.”

March 1897:  Ploughed, planted potatoes.  Pruned and grafted orchard trees.  “Hauled the children on the cart to Larsen’s place, went to Beusch’s, left the ox there, Dora went to Rainier.  Hauled potatoes from Beusch’s with Mike.”  On Dora’s trip back home several days later, Josef “carried Ina from Larsen’s” indicating a possible problem with the road version of the ox and cart.  On March 25, it was “rainy, terrific wind, thousands of trees fell, cleaned out meadow on hill, cut trees out of the cow trail, cut logs out of the road.”

April 1897:  Cut logs on trail.  Ploughed, sowed and harrowed in peas, clover, and timothy seed, planted potatoes.  Went to S. M. Rice’s for chicken feed and provisions.  Cleaned moss off roof, whitewashed trees.  Josef made several trips into Rainier “and worked for Dad on new house and garden.”  On April 18 “Went to Rainier with Willie” and two days later “Raised Dad’s house.”
May 1897:  Josef “worked for Dad”, “worked for Dad”, “worked for Dad”, and finally on May 17, “Dad moved in the new house, river raising”.  On one trip back home for a couple of days, Annie Johnson [sister-in-law] came from Rainier with him to visit the homestead.  The last 10 days of the month were spent catching up home chores: hoed potatoes, worked on county road, made a timber sled, hauled planks, put in blocks and posts for grain barn.  There were also visits to Beusch’s, Lohman’s, and Nelsons.  Dora and Rudy went to Rainier.

June 1897:  “Worked for Dad.  Worked at Beusch’s.”  Hauled planks, mowed orchard and meadow, “made together some hay”, hauled in hay.  Dug out the road on the hill, worked on grain barn.  Fixed bull harness and bell strap, harnessed bull calf for first time.  “Visit of the assessor.”  “Made petition about road plank to County Court.”  Fixed timbers/got some rafters ready at Alley’s mill.  Put up studding for grain barn.  Josef took Rudy to Rainier once, and later “went to Portland with Rudy on the Iralda.”  The notation on June 30 of “Farewell you rotten hay month!” sums up his struggle with the weather to save his supply of winter hay.

July 1897:  While in Portland, Josef and Rudy had their picture taken.  Once back from the big city, it was more of the same “Worked for Dad, cut wood and built a walk to his house.”  “Quarreled with J. Wilson.”  Worked on grain barn, made shakes, mowed at Beusch’s, mowed hay on the hill, hauled in hay.  Hauled rafter lumber from Alley’s mill.  Picked blackberries.  “Mother came” and stayed a couple days at the end of the month.

August 1897:  Picked blackberries, mowed wheat, china peas, timothy, and oats; made shakes, finished roofing grain barn, finished flooring.  “Wrote a letter home and prepared pictures to send.”  Went to the investigation at Alley’s mill, worked for Dad painting house, picking apples.  Got in wheat and oats, “felt all worn out, rested.”  Dug potoatoes.  Dora went with Willie and Ina to Rainier for a 3-day stay.  It was “hot” and “smoky” “big fire”.  “Changed carts, went with Mike to Rainier for Apples and pears.”  Trashed and cleaned wheat, cleaned chicken house.

September 1897:  Grubbed by the well house and in meadow, trashed and cleaned peas and wheat.  Cut down a big tree below the barn.  Split stumps.  “Tremendous showers”, “big hailstorm”, “thunder and showers”, “terrible days for fruit.”  The weather wasn’t the only problem, “got hell from yellowjackets”.  “Picked Bartlett pears and Petit’s [prunes], ate loads of fruit, rested.”  Ploughed, sowed wheat and rye, harvested clover seed.  Cow had a calf.

October 1897:  Went to Rainier with Willie [who stayed for 2 weeks], cut stovewood for Dad, came home with heavy load.  Worked at Beusch’s.  Picked “Fall Peppins” “Seckel” pears.  Made a feed rack and cowstand.  At the end of the month, “Mother came out and went home with Rudy” [who stayed in town for about 3 weeks.]  During the month there were visits from F. Kilby and Ollie Rice.
November 1897:  Another long, dry summer “first water in well” on November 7th.  Went to McKee’s for flour and apples with Mike.  Cut wood and ditched at Beusch’s, went to Headlee’s about hogs.  Filed saw, cut and hauled in wood.  Went to Rainier, cut wood for Dad, visited Bob.  Hauled potatoes into grain barn, trashed peas, stored rutabagas.  “House got a fire at 5 o’clock in evening.”

December 1897:  Hauled manure, cut and hauled in wood.  “Very rainy” “Much thunder and showery, creeks very high”.  “Made a truss for Rudy” who, now 5 ½ years old, was apparently still having a problem with the “rupture” mentioned much earlier.  Trashed and cleaned barley and peas, “fixed cart up.”  He then went to Rainier and back with Mike three times, and on one trip brought home flour.  Went to Beusch’s about meat.  “Visited the school, looked about fencing on the hill.”  Repaired the rutabaga cutter, fixed stovepipes on house and kitchen.  On the last day of the year “All of us suffering with a bad cold.”

“The year 1897 has been financially better than the previous 5 years, extreme in wind and rain, splendid crops of grain, hay, vegetables and fruit were raised everywhere.  Built a grain barn, cleared 1/8 acre, grubbed 1 acre, grubbed ½ acre meadow.  Farewell glorious year of 1897!”

1896

Josef started the year with vigor:  Made a bridle chain, hauled manure on sled, worked on new harness.  Helped Dora getting in vegetables.  Dug velvet grass, harrowed meadow.  Cut logs on hill.  Worked at Rishers.  Repaired shoes.  Went to Beusch’s for apples, visited the school.  Made a churn machine and tree pruner.  “Had a bad trial with churning machine.”  Finished cylinder for threshing machine, started baskets.  Went to Rishers with Rudy.  Pulled logs and roots with Mike on hill.  December 16: Decennial anniversary of arrival in Oregon.

February 1896:  Finished threshing machine.  Went to Rishers with Mike [old horse or ox] for flour and salt.  Hauled in wood, cut logs out of trail on hill.  Laid porch floor.  Hauled smelts from Rishers.  Cleaned and smoked smelts.  Made a ladder.  Dug around and poled the orchard trees.  Fixed Risher’s saw, pruned their trees.  Went to Beusch’s for grafts, “Mr. Beusch very low.” 

Harrowed in clover seed, plowed and grubbed garden, “plowed in potatoes.”  Moved work bench out of house.  Went to Rishers with family.  “Grafted trees at Beusch’s, went to Rainier, got very wet.  Hunted for work.”

March 1896:  Repaired the accordion and boots.  Elected director at school meeting.  Made a barn window and new door.  Made a fence and bars and a box with lock for school house utensils.  Cut down a tree with Braddock.  Went to Rishers with Mike, changed ox harness.  Made a door for chicken lot.  Went to Headlee’s and Beusch’s for eggs.  Went to Rainier with Rudy and Willie, looked for work.  Spaded W.F. Deitz’s garden.  Worked for Nels Nelson at Doan’s place.

April 1896:  Cleared a garden spot in the hollow by the spring.  Hauled manure, grafted trees, burned some stumps south of house.  Went to Rishers for plants with Mike, filed big saw, sawed a log and cut down a snag.  Split and shaved cedar boards.  Wrote some family history, and wrote a letter to Europe.  Made a cow trail on hill and hunted up a new cow trail north of house.  “Went to Mr Beusch’s funeral with Rudy, went to Rainier.”  [It is interesting that the only Columbia County obituary record of Mr. Beusch is from Josef’s journal.  See page 69 of Columbia County, Oregon Cemetery Records, published by Genealogical Forum of Oregon.]  Josef brought Willie home after a 6-week stay in Rainier.

The month ended with this notation, “This rotten month of April beats for rain and cold the one of 1893.”

May 1896:  The weather had not improved on May 1:  “One inch snow in morning, rainy all day, went to Rainier and back.”  On another trip to Rainier he hauled manure at Bob’s place, and went to Schmit’s mill.  Bored trees and cut logs on hill.  Split and “dressed” barn timbers.  Dora went to Rainier with baby Ina, and while they were gone a few days, Josef “went to Rishers with Willie, rested, played cards”.  He then “went with Willie to meet Dora.”  Ploughed in potatoes at Doan’s.  Went to Rainier about cutting cordwood on S. Kistner’s place.  Worked on the road for tax. 
June 1896:  Voted at Apiary, carried blankets [for overnight boarding?] and tools to S. Kistner’s place, cut cordwood.  Went with Lohmann and Morden to Rainier, went home with some flour.  Mowed grass in Bob’s lot.  Went to Portland.  Mowed, hauled in hay. 

July 1896:  It was good haying weather, “confounded hot”, “hellroaring hot”, and he got in 30 cart loads of hay the first week.  He then went haying at Beusch’s, and “went to Rainier for chipmunk medium 8” [rodent bait?]. “Mother came out” and took Rudy home with her for a month’s stay.  “Went to Rainier for a scythe” seems to be noted after the hay has all been cut.  He cleared land, repaired the washtub, hauled in wheat, and picked blackberries.  “Went to Beusch’s for sugar.” 
August 1896:  Hauled in oats and wheat.  Picked blackberries.  Went with the cow to Beusch’s, thence to Apiary.”  “Fixed cart for road, went with Mike to Rainier”, and he brought home a supply of salt and flour.  The other trips into Rainier must have been on foot.  During the month he also spent several days working at the Beusch farm.  The “stove fell over.”

September 1896:  Worked at Beusch barn, grubbed in meadow, raked trash in clearing on hill, set slashing below barn afire, trashed oats.  Grandmother Winchester brought Rudy home and stayed overnight.  And during the month Dora went for an overnight visit in Rainier.

October 1896:  Trashed wheat, fanned wheat, oats and barley; then he “sowed, harrowed, rolled and raked.”  Made a chain, raked on hill.  Split logs for burning stumps south of house.  Went to Harry Doan’s about a cow.  Butchered the calf, cut up meat.  “Made a handle for grubbing hoe and cleared south of house in afternoon.”  More cat trouble “kitten fell in the well in evening.  Got cat out of the well.”  Brought home a calf and repaired Mike’s harness, then went to McKee’s for flour with Mike.  “Went to Rainier, worked for Daddy at the old place.”  Filed Saw, cut stovewood.

November 1896:  Made a feed rack in the barn, an ax handle, repaired ox harness, finished hay rake, and made a new bridle chain..  “Went to Rainier, voted for Bryan, cut wood for Dad.”  The November rains came, “rained infernally all night, creeks very high, first water in well.  Rained all day and night.”  Sawed, hauled in wood.  “Went to Jake Beusch’s place with the cow for nothing.” Worked “ditching” at Beusch’s.  The weather turned cold and it was “devilish cold”, “hellroaring cold”, “infernally cold”.  He was busy hauling in stove wood, and fixed the heating stove.  Thrashed and cleaned clover seed.

December 1896:  Made a new harrow, finished rakes, worked on horsepower wheels.  Cut maple on the Beaver, hauled maple and timbers.  Spread manure, got in rutabagas, dug last potatoes, ploughed garden, dug velvet grass.  Got apples from Beusch’s.  Sawed wood, grubbed.  Another trip to Beusch’s place “with the cow.  Went to Rainier with Rudy, worked for Daddy.”  When he and Rudy were back, Dora and Willie went to Rainier for a few days [perhaps little Ina was left with neighbors.]

“The year 1896 has been financially poor, extreme in heat and cold, rain and high water.  Fenced barnlot, cleared 1 ½ acre, grubbed ¾ acre new ground, and ¼ acre meadow, made timbers and boards for a grain barn, laid porch floor.”

1895

In January it “rained terrible, highest water on record.”  Josef continued to add to his equipment; finished work bench and rutabaga cutter, worked on thrashing machine wheel, made a wagon.  Went to surprise party at Graham’s.

February 1895:  Dora had a week’s stay in Rainier.  Meanwhile in her absence, Josef made a grindstone trough and “baked grindstone bread”.  During the month he finished shingling the front of the house, smoked “smelts” and set out orchard trees.  Slight earthquake.  February 17: “Mr. Morris having a bad visit at my place.”  Two days later his wife visited, possibly to patch things up??  This is the second notation of a disagreement with Mr. Morris, and as time went on their relationship did not improve. Seven years later Josef “closed off trail to Morris”.

March 1895:  Grafted trees, ploughed, grubbed, sowed oats, barley, and peas. Planted potatoes, smoked sturgeon, made Rudy a cart and a chair. Defeated as clerk at school meeting.  Made a road to shingle timber, made bolts and shingles.  Snowed several times during the month.

April 1895:  Went with road surveying party to the Beaver.  Planted trees, poled orchard trees, fixed bank below chicken house.  Spaded garden, worked on road west of house, and road to hill.  Cow had a calf.  Split flooring for porch.  On jobs during the month went to Harry Doan’s, Risher’s,  and Nelson’s.

May 1895:  Spaded garden, planted onions, set out rutabagas.  Dora went to Nelson’s.  Bob Johnson visited for two days.  Grubbed a stump in front of the house, worked on road, split rails and made a fence.  Made a seat for Rudy in the water closet [outside toilet].  Rudy first time in pants.  Made wagon ready for hay.  Killed the cats.

June 1895:  Cut wood on school ground.  4^th wedding anniversary.  Shingled west gable, looked for a cowtrail, made cowtrails.  Mowed, made hay, hauled in hay.  Hauled hay at Nelson’s and Parcher’s.  Bored some snags on the hill and cleared.  Kitchen caught fire.  First strawberries ripe on June 18.

July 1895:  Cleared on the hill, got cats from Banzer.  Walked with Rudy to town.  Eleven days later “Dora went to Rainier for Rudy”, “Dora went with the church around the cross coming home with Rudy”.  Hauled shingle bolts to shed, made shingles.  Hauled Risher’s hay at Charley Doan’s place with ox.  “Cut bolts for Harry Doan, a piece of steel struck me above the eye.”  Picked blackberries.

August 1895:  Picked blackberries for wine.  “Hot, mowed wheat, fought fire  - tremendous fire on hill west of house.”  Josef fought fires for the next several days and noted  it was “smoky” for about a week.  Went to Harry Doan’s with the cow.  Trashed and cleaned peas, barley, and dug potatoes.  Went to Harry Doan’s and Brant’s, got flour.  Hauled in last of the hay, bored and burned logs.

September 1895:  On the lst there was a belated dinner party for Dora and notation that day “got a cat from Risher’s”.  During the month Josef made a new truss for Rudy then took him to Rainier for a 6-week stay, presumably to the Winchester grandparents.  He also visited his friend “sick Mr. Beusch.”  On September 22 Dora had a bad toothache, and the next day September 23, “At 12:45 o’clock a.m., Ina born, went to Rishers, ploughed ½ acre west of the house.”  Josef is again doing “housework” for about 10 days while Dora recuperates.  During this time the kitten fell in the well.  Josef is also working out in the field sowing wheat, oats, and barley.  There is no mention of Willie, the toddler now nearly 1 ½ years old, who perhaps was helping his mother care for the new baby.  The next week Dora had a busy day with visits from Lottie Nelson, Mrs. Parcher, Mrs. Risher, and Mrs. Graham. 

October 1895:  Put up the clothesline.  Raked and burned the trash on the hill. Dug on barn lot, cut and hauled shingle bolts.  Held school meeting.  Worked for Risher, went to Wilsons.

November 1895:  Hauled manure on strawberries, onion bed, wheat ground.  Picked Seckel pears.  Dora went to Rainier with the baby.  Cut and hauled wood, burned out a stump.  Cut down a tree and made shingle timber.  Built a shingle shed.  Broke the froh, got a froh from Grahams.  Julia, Cora Bailey, Lottie Nelson, and Mr. & Mrs. Braddock all visited the same day.

Boarded cellar part of barn.  On Thanksgiving Day:  “Went to Rishers, set a tree in road afire, rested.”  The last day of the month “First water in the well since June.”

December 1895:  Harvested rutabagas, carrots, sawed wood.  “Went with Braddock for dogsalmon to Lady Creek, heavy load.”  Smoked dog salmon.  Made a halter chain for the ox.  Helped Braddock on chimney.  Went to Beusch’s for apples.  Put new maple tongue on wagon.  Risher butchered the calf.  Cut up meat and helped Dora can meat.  Hauled a dogwood tree from the other side of the hill.  Worked on new sled.  On December 31, Josef “finished sled, had a quick ride.”

Josef turned 36 years old on December 28.

“The year 1895 (the year of disappointments) has been financially very poor, extremely dry in summer and fall, extreme in thunder, high water and fire.  Road on hill completed, cow path fenced, cleared ½ acre, grubbed ¼ acre new ground, and ¼ acre meadow, shingled house.”

1894

Another year of hard work on the county roads, “helped Graham lay planks on long bridge at Wilson’s mill; measured planks at Alley’s mill & gave county orders, started 1:30 o’clock in the morning for St. Helens, made road supervisor report”; laid planks on bridges below school.

Apparently there was much county road work to accomplish as the January 2 journal entry indicates “Dora came home, got lost.”  A journal entry of December 31 noted she had gone to Rainier for Rudolf, and presumably stayed with her Winchester family a few days before returning home.  Did Dora, pregnant with William and accompanied by young Rudolf, get a ride to a neighboring homestead then lose the trail home in the receding daylight??

Dora was continually plagued with dental problems and during the year made another trip into Rainier to have a tooth extracted.  She and Josef added a second son to their family evidently tending to the birth themselves: On May 2 “At 11:15 o’clock p.m. William born.”  Josef took over the household chores during that week while Dora recuperated as evidenced by his journal entries of “done housework” until May 12th when it is noted  “Dora resuming business.”  On May 8, “Mother came out.”  Grandmother Winchester must have thought mother and baby were fine and the domestic duties in order, as she only stayed overnight. 

As road conditions improved, it appears the neighboring women began to venture from home in search of companionship.  During the year Dora was visited at different times by Mrs. Wilson, Mrs. Bailey, Mrs. Washburn, and Carrie Kilby, first indication of women traveling alone. 

In the spring there is mention of an ox which Josef “broke”, and used to harrow his clearings and do some hauling with the aid of the newly completed cart/wagon.  Perhaps the ox was the yearling calf from the previous spring.

Josef went to great effort to ensure a supply of fresh milk and butter as he “went with the cow” to neighboring homesteads on three separate trips during May and June.  

Ora Gillham was the school teacher and came to board during the school term of September 1 – November 23.  It is noted that the “well play out” on July 11 and remained dry until September 25.  September must have been an especially trying time for Dora with insufficient water to meet the needs of her household which included she and Josef, their two small children and the teacher.
“The year 1894 was financially poor, extreme in cold, heat, thunder and snow, high water and fire; good crops were harvested everywhere.  Barn completed, ¾ acre grubbed, ¼ acre cleared.  Work very much eased by the use of an ox and cart.”