The words below, represent the content of the journal written by Paul Yeaton, born 1803, who constructed the Inn in 1826,
Entries beginning in 1830 (when Paul was about 27 years old and was yet unmarried) continue until 1890.
Paul married Lydia Anne Yeaton in about 1843. Their son Edwin was born in 1845. Edwin appears in the journal with his own entries as the tale unfolds. The story told in this journal, explains key activities of Paul Yeaton during his very long and illustrious life of work. The final entry dated 1890, describes apple sales during that year.
The beauty of Paul's penmanship and careful columns of costs and charges cannot be seen in this typed version.
It is our hope that the information below will richly contribute to our understanding of the remarkable life Paul Yeaton set before us as one of our great early American ancestors.
There is an exceptional amount of specific information about Early Belgrade building and working relationships between men. Thank you Dan Casavant!
1840s
1850s
1870s
1880s
Journal sized about 6 inches by about 8 inches (approximately)
with a worn dark cover.
It contains exceedingly beautiful quill penmanship on most pages by Paul Yeaton born 1803.
Many of the pencil entries throughout the journal were done by Edwin Yeaton, born 1845, the son of Paul Yeaton. (Edwins obituary appears elsewhere on this website.)
The entries are not all chronological. They are transcribed here in the sequence of appearance in the journal. The spellings and punctuation follow that used in the journal.
THE JOURNAL BEGINS HERE:
Inside front cover: flyleaf
in quill penmanship:
Belgrade 1829
Paul Yeaton Jr.
his property twice fifty cents
Paul Yeaton Jr.
born April 3rd 1803
There is miscellaneous calligraphy OCY and the names Paul, Richard, Bety, Belgrade and some financial addiitions on this page. A later addition of a pencil price 235.00 is in the upper right hand corner in pencil.
page 4:
in quill penmanship is the name Joseph
first right hand page which remains:
This is the heading on the page.
Joseph Chandler. Dr. (Dr. may mean debtor), then heading a column of numbers to the right which may mean dollars and cents the letters D. C.
June 1831 to myself five days work. 5.00
to Andrew Yeaton five days 2.50
June 1831 to myself five days and three quarters 5.75
to Andrew Yeaton five days and three quarters 2.88
August 1831 to myself three days and a half 3.50
to myself one day and three quarters 1.75
to Andrew Yeaton four days 2.00
August 1831 to myself five days 5.00
to Andrew Yeaton six days 3.00
Aug. 1831 to myself five days work 5.00
to Andrew Yeaton four days work 2.00
page 6: these entries continue on the next page with the heading :
Joseph Chandler. Dr. D. C,
vertically written on this page as a later addition in large letters is the name E.F. Yeaton.
Sept. 1831 to myself six days work 6.00
to Andrew Yeaton five days work 2.50
Sept. 1831 to myself five days work 5.00
to Andrew Yeaton five days work 2.50
Sept. 1831 to myself four days 4.00
to Andrew Yeaton fourdays wrok 2.00
Oct 1-1831 to myself three days and a halfs work 3.50
to Andrew three days 1.50
Nov. 1831 to Andrew Yeaton four days and one half 3.00
at four Shilling per day
page 7:
these entries continue on the next page with the heading :
Joseph Chandler. Dr. D. C,
Nov. 1831 to Andrew Yeaton five days and a half at 4 shillins. per day 3.61
Nov. 1831 to Andrew Yeaton six days work at 4s. per day 4.00
Nov. 1831 to Andrew Yeaton two days at four s per day 1.33
to myself two days work 2.00
Dec. 1831 to myself one days work 1.00
to andrew yeaton one days work 00.67
Dec 1831 to myself six days work 6.00
to Andrew Yeaton six days work 4.00
________________
Oct 1831 Philip Yeaton Dr.
to myself three days work fraiming 3.00
page 8:
heading: Nathaniel Gubtail Dr. D.C.
1831 to makeing fifty four lights of sash 2.8
1832 to one days work 1.00
to makeing one bedstid 3.00
________________
Aug. 1832 Hiram Rockwood Dr.,
Aug 27 to my self six days work 7.00
Sept. to my self six days work 7.00
Sept. to my self four days work 4.67
Sept to myself six days work 7.00
Sept. to myself five days work 5.83
Oct 1st to myself five and a half days work 6.49
Oct to myself five days and three quarters work 6.70
Oct to myself four days and three quarters 4.54
Nov. to myself five days work 5.83
Nov. to myself siex days work 7.00
Nov to two days work 2.25
page 9:
Heading:
Hiram Mills Dr. D. C,
1833 Nov. to one bedstid 4.00
June 1834 to eight lbs. of iron 00.48
____________
Philip Yeaton Dr.
Oct 1833 to one bedstid 4.00
—————————————
Hiram Mills Dr.
Aug. 1834 to twenty eight lbs. of iron at six cts. 1.70
to makeing a traugh .13
Nov 1834 to four days work 4.00
to thirty six lights of sash stuf 00.36
Jan. 1835 to mending D. Smithes sleight 00.75
May 4, 1835 to a saw handle 00.25
Oct to makeing a cofin 00.50
page 10:
June A 1835 $ C
June 1—1835 to work on N. Halls. House
to myself five days work
to Andrew Yeaton five days work—
June to myself six days work
to Andrew six days work
June to myself six days work
to Andrew Yeaton six days work
tomyself six days work
to Andrew Yeaton six days work
to myself four and a half days
to Andrew Yeaton six days
to myself six days work
to Andrew six days work
to myself two days work
to Andrew two days work—
Aug to myself two and a half days
To Andrew four days
page 11:
August A 1835
to myself five days work
to Andrew five days work
to myself five days work
to Andrew five days work
to msyelf six days wors (sic)
to Andrew six days work
to myself five days work
to Andrew five days work
to myself four days work
to Andrew four days work
——————————
Jan 1836 to work on my house
to Levi Gubtil five days
to Levi Gubtil six days
to Levi two days.
page 12
Jan. 1836 to work on Daniel Steavinses house
to myself three days 3
to Levi Gubtil three days 3
Feb. to myself six days work 6
to Levi six days work 6
to myself four days work 4
to Levi six days work 6
Feb. to myself six days work 6
to Levi six days work 6
Feb to myself six days work 6
to Levi six days work 6
March to myself six days work 6
to Levi six days work 6
to myself five days work 5
to Levi five days work 5
to myself six days work 6
to Levi six days work 6
April 1836 to myself five days 5
to Levi five days work 5
to myself six days work 6
to Levi six days work 6
running vertically on the page
to myself three and half days work 3-1/2
Settled
page 13
March 1836 to work on Towles house $ C
to myself sic days 6.00
to Levi six days 2.31
to myself six days 6.00
to Levi six days 2.31
_____
16.62
_______________
April 1836
Samuel Austin Dr.
to myself one day freuming on your barn 1.00
to birch board for 00.75
to repairs on a saw 00.50
1837 to fremeing on Whittens shed 2.00
1839 to fremeing your house four days and three quarters 5.93
Oct 1839 to one day work frameing 1.25
to seting and fileing saw 00.75
________
(somewhat unclear)
Cr. by four and half days work thowing selled October 4—1845
page 14:
May 18th 1836 $ C
Samuel Page Dr
to Paul Yeaton Jr.
to myself two days
and a half work 3.33
to myself six days work 8.00
to myself two days work 2.67
________
14.00
_______________
June 1836
John Yeaton 2nd Dr.
to one note given to Wm Hunt
for a coat and vest amounting to (unclear) dollars and (unclear) cts. 18.50
to one pare of boots 3.75
to one hat 00.25
Nov 1 to seven dollars cash 7.00
________
29.50
5.67
_________
35.17
page 15
June 1836 D. C.
Jonathan Yeaton Dr.
to one dollar and sixty seven cts payed to Richard Yeaton 2nd. 1.67
July 1836 to three dollars cash 3.00
Nov 23 to one dollar 1
Settled in full 5.67
________
Script lettering underneath: 14.00
PSH
PD and in pencil EF Yeaton. (the diary continues in a right hand column)
page 16
May A 1836
Andrew Yeaton Dr
to myself six days work
plowing and sowing
and repairing fence
July to myself one day howing
page 17
June 1836
to work on John Spauldings Barn
to myself six days work
to Andrew six days work
to Reuben H Yeaton one day
to John Yeaton one day
to myself four days and one quarter
to Andrew five days
to Reuben one day
to Henry one day
to myself four days
to Andrew four days
to myself five days
to Andrew five days
to myself one quarter of day
to Andrew one quarter day
to myself six days work
to Andrew six days work
to John Yeaton one day
page 17
August 1836
to work on friends house
to myself six days
to Andrew six days
to myself six days
to Andrew six days
to myself four days
to Andrew four day
to myself five days work
to Andrew four days work
to myself five days work
to Andrew five days wrok
to myself three and half days
to Andrew three days work
to Myself six days work
to Andrew six days work
to myself five days
to Andrew five days
page 18
April 1837 Robert Whitten Dr. $ C
April to myself five days work 6.25
May 1837 to five days work 6.25
to five days and one half 6.27-1/2
May 1837 to five daysand one half 6.87
May to six days work 7.50
June to six days work 7.50
June to four days work 5.00
June to five days work 6.15
to six days work 7.50
June to four days and three quarters 5.93
_______
65.93
Aug. 1837 Robert Whitten Dr.
to five days and one half 6.87
to six days work 7.50
_______
14.37
65.93
_______
80.30
There is a significant amount of interpretation made by the transcriber, as the information is translated from quill penmanship into digital letters for display here on the web.
One questionable choice is making judgement calls on certain letters and words. One which seems to vary from page to page is the heading at the top of the dollars and cents columns.
In some cases, it may be a D (I'm assuming for dollars); in other cases it is clearly a $; and still other cases, it appears to be an S (perhaps to refer to shillings which are mentioned in the text).
For historians, a careful examination of the journal needs to be made on this point. Please contact the Inn directly, if you need to personally examine this important record.
The original journal is in archival storage at this time.
