Letter from Joseph to Joel regarding building a gristmill
Entry/Object ID
2000.FIC.02.210
Scope and Content
Letter from Joseph Cahoon to Joel Butler Cahoon where he chastises the recipients for not responding to previous letters. Instructs recipients to forward a release form. Provides information regarding the gristmill and asks for a loan.
Dover August 6, 1836
Dear Children
Two letters I have wrote you and have recd no answer and waited aa long time in hopes and I do not know but I should have been aware of the third time had not my feelings and your Intents I regained it which I shall show you by and by. I received a letter from Daniel on Lords day after the 20th June which date it bears it in which he informs me that you was to send me a lease in a letter in waiting for this and calling at the post office has kept me from writing until the present time and will not do it just off any longer without letting you know the state of things I do not know that I told you that there was a mill built between ours and the first Ridge mound which uses more than dubble the water we use so when we run both mills one third of the water runs by and is lost to us and when he stops we must to remedy this we offered to build a dam to hold the water and use it as pleasure which in the article with the Boys to pay parts part of their ment it was late when this took they did not build it that fall in the spring they began at the west bank near where the water was taken through the dams they built a wooden culvert under the dam and set the gate at the opened built with dirt and a few bricks on each side and over it and left it open up to the gate and laid timbers for the tumbling way. In the fall I planked the tumbling way and brought on dirt from bank to bank about two feet above the way but the land rising so fast above the dam the pond sat back but a small distance and when his pond was full in a freshet it is just as much water over the dam as if it had not been there then the water
[p. 2]
to turn the mill added to the natural stream my pond being so short it raised a current across me only one foot higher than the pond in the fall freshet the current beat through the dam and across the bottom for the tumbling way and breast of the gate to the place where the water abuted I obtained help and repaired it with brush and dirt higher then before but we had a very hard winter and much snow the springet fresh was very high it swept the dirt down to the brush but soon released as soon as it sloughed round the gate way the water went through into the race and broke down the bank of the race at least in 4 places and the water made its way to the stream I got help and hatched up the race so that the gristmill [smeared word] and passes of the time both again as soon as the water went through the gateway I got all the help I could on pay on credit and repaired against the June freshet but it come in may and it not being setled and said to the highest ever known without ice and swept off of as before between the equadock and tumbling way down to the top of the former my placing in brush and stone up to the top of the penstock it did not remove but the front so loosening the dirt on the top and west did of floom and made its way across and down of the west side let in the hole grain into the race and engorged it worse than ever in one place it cut it out two or three feet below the bottom of the race to the rock to the stream I had a broken down ??? the more close to the dam when the bank was low and found the water into the stream so that we rejoined the race below by putting timbers across and letting? plank to bond in ways in bottom timber
[p. 3]
the place where the bottom of the race was cut so deep we adjust the water upon it four times before we could make it stand and all gave it up but my ? I told them if they did make it stand I would pay them all damage forward of board altho two them had bonns? and ? on the mill for it stood and did good business but those breaches are all to be repaired before the winter and I am not able to repair them as to bodily strength can do nothing but look and advise praying of Benjamins left one broken it took the last work that I made last year to pay him beside I was bale for Jack you know for whose sake and the debts and amounts to 44-40 cents the only I have I have been to Leonard Case and borrowed the money and the letters is for me and I don't know how I am going to pay him before my Taxes are coming on and I learned I have to pay two or three Dollars forward tax on your Avon lot all those things and me worse than ever I was in life & let abbie have it. I let out the Mills the winter to Benjamin and the man that lived in the house Benjamin was Marrieng and his partner was poor and they had poor attendance in may and have done more with them since then from Jan till middle may I had my tender to thine and to encounter all evil, no one in the house but myself Amos is folh? see to my washing and what I need I call them anytime by alto them And I just for your sake I do it that things may not go until you can come and see them one gleam of hope that you was coming to Ohio next spring when your job is done you see how thing is with us & you Could lend us $100 to make repairs and a new dam it would be $500 to the field
Your Friend forever J. Cahoon
J.B.Cahoon
Addressed to:
Dover, O [Two letters crossed out]
August 8 18 3/4
Mr. Joel B. Cahoon Cold Spring
Washington Co.
Md
