Farm Book, 1774-1824, page 69, by Thomas Jefferson [electronic edition]

Farm Book, page 69
by Thomas Jefferson

Page 69

Roads. & fords.

Moore's ford over the Rivanna, cost 28. on an accurate estimate.

1772. Nov.

in making the Upper Roundabout, 3 hands gradedmade 80. yds a day in the old field = 26. yds a day, but in the woods where they had stumps to take away, not more than 40 & sometimes 25 yds= 13, or 8 this walk is 926. yds.=.5261 mile in circumference.

1790. Oct.

in making the road from where it begins to rise 1. f. in 10. a little above the Antient field to the upper Roundabout, 5. hands did 127. yds the first day, & 165. yds the second, = 25 to 33 yds a day. it was 12.f. wide & they crossed 3. or 4. considerable gullies which they filled with stone.

1794. Apr.

Path of the orchard Roundabout. 2 hands did 90. yards of it, 41 wide in 2. hours. it was set with briars & some grubbing.

they grubbed 76. yds 6. f. wide in 2. hours, in the thicket West of S. orchard after it was grubbed 1. hand did 20. yds in an hour.

1792. Sep. 18.

the Orchard Roundabout, passing above the garden along the Mulberry row, measured by the Odometer of the Phaeton. 1473 1/3 yds = .837 mile

1795. Jan. 8.

the road which leads from the Graveyard gate, descending 1. foot in 10. into that leading to the Secretary's ford, being 250. yards took 21. days work, which is 12 yds each. there was some stone and grubs to dig, but ne'er a tree to take up. it may be estimated @ 1d. 1/4 a yard or 30. Dol. a mile it was 10. f. wide.

1795. Dec.

Diary of work on the road from the Park branch to Milton. 8. feet wide.

	days work	yards in that time	yds per day for each hand
Nov. 30(6. hands) Dec. l. (7. hands)	9.5	120.	12.6
Dec. 2. 3. (7 hands each	14	125	9
4 (7. do.)	7	60	8.5
5. 8. (7. do.)	14	155	11
9 10. (5 . do.)	10	40	4
11 12 14 (5 . do.)	15	184	12.26
15 16 17 (5 . do.)	15	203	13.5
21. (20. do.)	20	549	27.5
22. (20. do.)	20	283	14.15
23. (20 do.)	20	821	41
24.half a day. (20. do.) 10 261 26.	10	261	26
Total	154 1/2	2801 =	18 average

In making a path 4. f. wide down the South side of the River
fieldhill to the commencement of lowgrounds (to be
joined to the Milton road)

in going thro the woods

5 men did 280. yds. in 7H. 15' which is 7 3/4 yds per hour each

in going thro the old field

5 men did 77. yds in 45.' which is 20. yds. per hour each

See next page. roads continud.

reckoning the days work @ 2/ the 2801. yds done in 154 1/2 days comes 15-9 the whole or 9.14 the mile, or 1 1/3 d the yard.

Estimate of Ascent, Level, & Descent. in yards.

	Ascent	Level	Descent	Total
Upper hill	225	225	206	656
Indian branch bottom		28		28
Middle hill	77	126
	187	246	116	752
Portobello hill	30	413		443
from Po.Bo. bra. undug	70	155		225
begs. of digging to Milton		697		697
Total	589	1890	322	2801

Estimate of height of Milton above the river	feet
from beginning of road at the Park branch.
rise of upper hill at 1. foot in 10.	67.5
deduct Descent of same hill to the Indian branch	61.8
	5.7
Ascent of Middle hill or Morgan's hill	79.2
whole height of that hill	84.9
Descent of Morgan's hill to Morgan's branch	34.8
	50.1
Ascent of Porto Bello hill	9
do. just beyond Porto Bello branch about	14
do. at entrance of town ..	4
Whole height of Milton above beginning of road	77.1
Descent from beginng of road to river at mouth Park br. abt	+ 6.
fall of river from Park bra. to my mill about	14.
do. at Mountain falls about	12.
height of Milton above river opposite the town. abt.	109.1

Cite web page as: Farm Book, 1774-1824, page 69, by Thomas Jefferson [electronic edition]. Thomas Jefferson Papers: An Electronic Archive. Boston, Mass. : Massachusetts Historical Society, 2003. http://www.thomasjeffersonpapers.org/

Original manuscript: Jefferson, Thomas. Farm Book, 1774-1824. 174 pages. Original manuscript from the Coolidge Collection of Thomas Jefferson Manuscripts, Massachusetts Historical Society.

Source of transcription: Baron, Robert C., ed. The Garden and Farm Books of Thomas Jefferson. Golden, Colo. : Fulcrum, 1987.