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This diary chronicles the daily activities of Archibald Rhind, a Scottish immigrant, from March 17, 1834-July 31, 1839. Rhind owned and operated a farm in Sugar Grove, Pennsylvania, throughout most of the 1830s, and produced goods such as barley, potatoes, syrup, and alcohol.

This diary (approximately 300 pages) chronicles the daily activities of Archibald Rhind, a Scottish immigrant, from March 17, 1834-July 31, 1839.

The first 11 pages are manuscript copies of 4 letters that Archibald Rhind wrote in early September 1833, shortly after his arrival in Warren County, Pennsylvania. Rhind described his journey from Scotland to New York, his route from New York City to Northern Pennsylvania, and his first few weeks in North America. He also shared his impressions of the Erie Canal, American farms and laborers, and American notions of freedom (page 11).

Rhind began his diary (pp. 12-306) as he left Warren, Pennsylvania, for Sugar Grove, Pennsylvania. After establishing his farm, he frequently wrote about the weather and the progress of his crops and livestock, which included barley, wheat, potatoes, and sheep. He also remarked on tapping trees and refining the sap, distilling alcohol, and employing laborers, who included at least one Scottish immigrant and one African American. Though he focused on his farm work, Rhind occasionally described his travels, local events, and social activities. On January 29, 1839, for example, he remarked on hostilities between the local Congregationalists and Presbyterians. From February 15, 1837, to April 18, 1838, he recorded the birth, illness, death, and burial of his daughter Margaret.

The volume concludes with 8 pages of financial accounts (pp. 307-314) concerning Archibald Rhind's crops and payments to hired hands.

The Nathan H. Sharples journal contains daily entries and additional financial accounts concerning the author's agricultural pursuits in West Chester, Pennsylvania, during the early 1800s. He grew apples, corn, barley, and other crops, and attempted to run a brickmaking business in 1823.

The Nathan H. Sharples journal (8" x 13", 279 pages) contains daily entries and additional financial accounts concerning the author's agricultural pursuits in West Chester, Pennsylvania, during the early 1800s. He began the diary portion of the volume on January 1, 1821, and composed brief daily entries, usually noting the weather and remarking on the day's labor, until his death in March 1838. He also maintained records about his hired hands, who included several women, and mentioned the progress of his apple orchards and crops of other fruits and grains. Agricultural notes are occasionally interspersed with more personal remarks, often related to deaths, illnesses, and the Sharples' numerous visits to Philadelphia. The final note is a declaration that Sharples made shortly before his death in March 1838, in which he affirmed his faith and anticipated "spiritual promises" in death (p. 209). Several pages near the back of the volume track laborers' attendance, business agreements, and financial accounts related to brickmaking (April 1823-July 1823). The inside back cover also has a pasted-in drawing of an orchard and additional financial records.