Search

This commonplace book, produced by an anonymous farmer from the Bucks County, Pennsylvania, region primarily contains passages relating to farming and husbandry. Along with farming accounts and documentation of livestock, agriculture, and dairy production, the commonplace book also features material on the Agricultural Society of Bath. Newspaper clippings comment on medicine, recipes, and farming. Illustrations of fences, sheep, floor plans, property drawings, and a detailed diagram of the "cropping plan" for 1826 appear in the volume.

The creator of the volume references European agricultural societies, data and agricultural systems, and popular agriculturalists, such as George Culley (1735-1813) and Charles de Lasteyrie (1759-1849). The volume provides detailed information on growing crops, managing soil, and tending to livestock.

A Philadelphia surveyor recorded methodological information, distances, and other measurements pertaining to the city's streets in this 176-page volume, dated 1795-1802.

A Philadelphia surveyor recorded methodological information, distances, and other measurements pertaining to the city's streets in this 176-page volume, dated 1795-1802.

The surveyor typically recorded distances from a specified starting point, usually an existing street. Many of the entries adhere to the following form: "From [street] along [street or direction] to [location or street] is [number] feet." The volume also includes tables of distances and several maps.

The surveyor sometimes noted the dates on which he took his measurements, and occasionally shared the names of his fellow surveyors. Entries often include lot and house owners' names, or identify commercial properties, such as the "Survey of the Brew House" (p. 38). Measurements related to waste disposal include "field notes of a Survey of the natural chanel of Peggs Run as it appears at the present time" (1798, pp. 59-61a) and a description of the "common sewer" (62a).

The author also occasionally wrote about his methodology; in one entry, he noted, "In order to set the two pair of sights to my surveying instruments at right angles to each other the Meridian of the Box or Card plate makes an angle to the right hand of the Meridian of the Index plate of 7½ minutes" (December 3, 1799, p. 13a). The notebook contains 1 personal entry; on September 24, 1795, the author "Paid to Mrs. Lehnyder 6 Dollars to give to my Wash woman for a Quarter's washing" (p. 1).

• Brooke, Robert, 1770-1821
• Forepaugh, [George?]
• Huston, [John?]
• Kessler, John
• Miller
• Sowder
• Story