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.

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.