LEDGER: Notes From Grandaddy Sullivan's Ledger - Graves, Carlisle, & Ballard Counties Submitted by: "Terry Smith" NOTES FROM THE LEDGER OF WILLIAM HOWARD “BID” SULLIVAN : 1892-1915 Recently found in my dad's papers was his dad's Farm Ledger containing stock, crop & labor prices as well as other family & local information covering the years 1892-1915. Grandad was William Howard "BID" Sullivan (1869-1946) who lived & farmed in Graves, Ballard & Carlile Co, KY. He & Grannie Sullivan (Emily Jane Fields) raised 8 children - 6 boys & 2 girls. Most of the children ventured out of the area to make their places in the world. Yet, none of them ever lost their love of Kentucky & home. To their everlasting credit, they also instilled this love into their children & grandchildren - a living legacy for generations to come. Grandad & Grannie Sullivan passed away in 1946 when I was only 2. Having never really known either of them, I feel as though this Ledger gives just a little glimpse into their everyday lives & the events that shaped them. I've left words & phrases just as written over 100 years ago.There are no apologies for spelling or other grammatical errors. All are noted by (SIC) meaning spelled or worded as found. Grandad wasn't an educated man in the sense that it's spoken of today. He didn't have much formal edu- cation, yet a world of true wisdom seems to have been his. As we stand on the brink of the new century & the new millennium, I hope that this little bit of insight into the lives of family who lived in the last century might act as a bridge connecting us all -- Past, Present & Future...... Regards, Martha Smith NOTE: The ledger that these notes were written in must’ve belonged to Grandaddy “Bid’s” father-in-law, Samuel A. Fields of Ballard Co,KY. Gt.Grandaddy Fields was evidently an active member of the Farmer’s Alliance & Industrial Union, a farmer & laborer controlled alliance in many states east of the Mississippi River. Leonidas L. Polk had helped establish it to protect & bring stability to farm prices & revenues after the Civil War. On June 11,1892 Polk died unexpectedly in North Carolina while mounting a successful campaign for U.S. President on his third party’s Populist ticket. Soon afterward The Alliance disbanded & reorganized years later, becoming known as the Farm Bureau. At the pinnacle of his career, L.L. Polk was politically influential enough to have actually won the election, as he had secured promise of over 3 million votes from members of Farmers & Laborers co-ops nationwide. The loss of this many votes would’ve successfully robbed the Democratic & Republican parties of enough electoral votes for a decisive victory, giving Polk the nomination. Another note here is that on the only known picture the family has of Gt. Grandaddy Fields, a stamped notation says the studio was in Piedmont, MO. Maybe he’d just been elected the new secretary or treasurer of this chapter of the organization, having had the ledger passed on to him & his picture made for some publication purpose. On the front cover of the ledger it says “Farmer’s Alliance & Industrial Union” and the first page is written for dues paid with a quill pen . On the back page there is a dedication of the book to Samuel A. Fields, from The Alliance, on June 11,1892. Since Kentucky didn’t have a F.A. & I.U., he’d had to go to the closest chapter in Missouri, Piedmont being a few miles west of Cape Girardeau. The Alliance must’ve disbanded before any more meetings could be held, just after that trip in June, & paper wasn’t as plentiful then as today, so Gt. Grandad Fields probably gave the almost new ledger to Grandaddy Bid to keep his notes in. It seems that Bid thought a lot of his wife’s family too, especially his father-in-law and brother-in-laws Robert & Oscar Fields. I believe Johnny Lockridge was the father of Grannie’s step mom,Emara Lochridge Fields. Little mention of Bid’s own siblings is made here except the one reference to R.R. Sullivan (Uncle Reuben), his brother. [ In 1892, Grandaddy was 23 & Grannie was 25 . They’d married in March of that year ] 1892 June 17 - S.A. Fields returned home from Piedmont, MO June 28 - Moved home on P.P. Green’s place - Baught (sic) of P.P. Green 86 lbs. Barrel and all - Bacon - 32 lbs., At 10 cents per pound 3.20 June 26 - loaned P. P. Green 50 cts .50 July 12 - corn two bushels 50 cents per bushel Paid - 1.00 - corn 3 bush. 50 cts pr bush Paid - 1.50 July 25 - Bacon 14 lbs at 10 cts pr (per) po (pound) Paid - 1.40 Aug 12 - Settled in full with P.P. Green = Irish potatoes, six tin buckets full THESE DATES WERE ENTERED FOR NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 1892 Nov 2 - Sodd (sic)[sodded hay] Timothy 1 day for P.G. Settled up to Nov. the 4, 1892, (Paid) in full - Built fence one half day - Cut ditch, 4 days - Built 2 gates, yard & lot .50 Nov 18 - P.P. Green finished sowing his Guinea wheat Nov 24 - Killed my too (sic) [2] hogs. Weight : one - 171 lbs ; one – 158 lbs Nov 20 - Dr. Smith’s first visit to see Pirl (sic) with feevor (sic) [fever] ( * their newborn baby ? ) Nov 24 - Second visit. A call visit Dec 3 - Little Pirl (sic) departed this life *** (Listed again with birth & marriage dates below) Dec 12 - Due to Johney (sic) Lockridge five dollars ** Paid - $5.00 ** (Did Johnny Lochridge pay for Pearl’s funeral and/or the Dr. fee, maybe ?) [ NOTE: Grand daddy must’ve been proud every time he worked off a debt, as he crossed through the whole entry each time.] 1893 Feb 2 - Got of P.P. Green 8 bush. of wheat ( “4 parcel” crossed out ) Feb 8 - Credit by Cash 60 cts .60 Feb 14 - One load of corn from F.E. Jewel Paid (no amt. listed) Feb 24 - Sowed my mustard and letus (sic) at 12 o’clock - Thomas Armstrong * (no other notation with this name) June 19 - Took M.C.T.B. *(no other notation) July 1 - Planted my late corn and sowed my peas & laid by my sweet potatoes which was on Saturday July 5 - halled (sic) P.P. Green’s thrasher wood, 2 loads .50 July 6 - Cut hay on the 7. Raked it on the 10. Made watter (sic) gate for P.P.G. (Green) In all makeing (sic) one day 75 cts. .75 Sept 1 - faned (sic) wheat, me an Oscar (Grannie’s ½ brother, Oscar Fields ?) 1.00 Sept 18 - baled (sic) clover .50 - J.K. Trafford moved to Bardwell Sept 19 - made gate till (sic) 10 O.clock Nov 22 - the Sullivan sow found (?) pigs in the year 1893 Dec 5 - Brought my sow and pigs home 1894 April 25- Planted my corn, the 4 acres June 16- Sold 6 hogs, wgt. 377 lbs. @ 4cts. Brought $15 & 10 cts. June 22- Planted late potatoes and some corn June 30- S.F. pigs -6 (prob. his F.I.L.) July 9- Got my corn and hay burned up (this must've been a hot, dry summer. Being his own crop, it must've been devastating to thefamily economy.) Sept 20- S.T.B. (no other notation) Oct 10- Mr. Jeffry taught sing. school at Shilow(sic) Ch. (Church) Oct 22- Robt. Fields (his B.I.L.) cutt(sic) his tobacco, the late Patch Nov 13- Bid Sullivan moved (his family) to Ballard Co Dec 3- Sold Irish potatoes, 68 bu.,35 cts per (bu), (made) - $23.801895 Jan 7- Sow brought pigs in hen house Jany 17- Sold 4 hogs @ 31/4 cts /lb.; it's wgt. 492 lb. net; made $16 Jany 24- Kiled(sic) the Bet Loafman hog; wgt. 290 lb. net. Feb 19- Baught(sic) of Harmon Loafman 9 bu. corn @ 35 cts / lb;made - $3.15 Feb 27- For Rob (Robt. Fields) bought: Sugar-25ct; Matches-5 ct; Sive(sic)- 10 cts; Cash- 25 cts. Mar 1- Baild(sic) Hay, 243 lb @70 cts/lb. Cost came to 1.70 (?) Mar 12- Baught(sic) a cow of feet (off feed?) from Buzz Price. PD-$15 Apr 25- Planted my own corn at home Aug 1- 14 - Bro. Collins, Bro. Murphy & their wives & too(sic) [2] young ladies came up heare(sic) on tent work on Aug. the first & left on the 14th of the same month.August 12th, 1895 - I QUIT TOBACCO (during the tent meeting) Aug 17- Stock sow brought P (?) seven pigs Nov 4- Sent the Book to J.F. WHite, Boston,Mass. (IDK what book) Nov 5- Wrote a card to J.F. White Dec 27- Kiled (sic) my 3 hogs; wgt. net- 616 pounds (no price given) Note at bottom of same page: "My old sow's mark - crop off the left ear and crop & split the kite ear." 1896Jan 7- Wrote a letter to Sister Fish Mar 2- My cow braught (birthed) a sick calf Mar 13- Baught(sic) a cow 7 calf of P.P. Green, Price- $25 Apr 14- S.T.B. at Wards LouisAug 4- S.F. (Samuel Fields), 9 pigs Sept 18- gilt , F.P. (?), 4 pigsDec 10- Imoved (the family) to the Pettit House The following notation was added at the bottom of th is pg. "Dr. classes - german penetrating liniment will cure rheumatism."1897 Jan 12- Trafford moved to the Been (Bean ?) farm Sept 19- Wrote a letter to R.H. Fish; one card to Blandville to Bob Jones; one card to Waisel Webb at Bardwell1898 Jan1 - Samuel A. Fields departed this life Being 53 years, 9 months, 23 days old (This was probably taken from his death cert. & gave us the first indication of the actual DOB for Great grandaddy Fields - 4/9/1844.)1900 Dec 30 - We moved to the Sanderson Place (in Ballard Co)1901 Jan 6- Bid went to Dublin (KY) after his mare1911 Oct 22 - Bid joined the Baptis (Baptist) church at South Ballard1915 Mar 25- We moved on No. 9 IslandMar 27- (What) is the age of Mucley's calf? June 1- The water (Miss. River) rose to... NOTE: Daddy hated No. 9 Island & used to say that when he was a child the spring flood water would come up to the floor boards (the house was built up on stilts) & they could look thru the floor boards and see the water.CONTINUED... Births, Deaths & Marriages January 26, 1867 - Emily Jane Fields was born March 9, 1892 - and was married to William Howard Sullivan July 17, 1895 - Robert & Radie married (Robert Fields) July 25, 1895 - Vennie & Albert Pile Both married at 8 o'clock A.M. Strickly (promptly ?)First 4 Children's Births: Jan 24, 1893 -Leo Gresham Sullivan was born June 16, 1894 - Howard Alexander Sullivan was born July 4, 1896 - Willus B. Sullivan was born Nov 19, 1899 - Burnice D. Sullivan was bornMiscellaneous Other Dates: May 7 (no year) - Mr. R.R. Sullivan and Unc...I will... (no other comments but it refers to Grandaddy's brother Reuben Sullivan) Recipes for Veterinary Ointments & Cures (prob. taken from Farm Journals & Almanacs of the day): 1. Receipt for old sores - take Cosmoline, 5 oz & carbolic acid ,one Drachm 2. Receipt for Collic(sic) in Horses - take 2 or 3 leaves of tobacco, rope, round bridal (bridle) bits. Put on horse, let stay 30 or 40 min. Take & mix lye soap & turpentine & rub around on the horse's body the width of the saddle girth and in the brest (breast). If it fails, next take those scales off the indide of the horse's legs, tie them up in cotton rags, put some feathers in it & some hen manure & smoke the horse well with it --- by James Allison,VMTHE END---------------- End of ky-footsteps-digest V00 #03 ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. 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