As I posted earlier, I recently found the missing 1880 Nonpopulation
Federal Census Agricultural Schedule for my 2x great grandfather
Jonathan Phelps West farm. This helped me get a fuller picture of
JP’s life as a farmer and the dynamics between three of the four
West brothers. It also made me curious about a few things. I’ll talk
about those latter items first.

On the 1870 Census Jonathan and Louisa West’s children are given as
John C.(Cuvier) West and George P. I don’t know why that didn’t get my
attention sooner, but there’s no George P. West listed in JP’s family
anywhere else except on that Census. At first I thought perhaps it was
a child who died in infancy, but then looking at the 1880 Federal Census
I realized what the answer probably is: George P. is my great grandfather
Philip Jonathan West. The ages match up.So did his parents originally
name him George P. but then changed their minds? Or was it the more
likely error by the census taker?

The second question I have concerns my 2x great grandfather Asa F.
Ellingwood. He and his family were close neighbors of JP’s, a fact which
would eventually lead to the marriage of Philip J. West and Clara Ellingwood.
Yet I have found no record of Asa’s farm on the 1880 Agricultural Schedule.
Was it skipped over by the enumerator?

Ah well.

As to the information on JP’s farm in 1880, it shows a smaller farm with 75
fewer acres of woodland. Did JP sell that off to brother Hiram the sawmill
operator? Yet the total value of the farm and livestock had nearly doubled
from $1150 in 1870 to $2000 in 1880. The flock of sheep had grown to 20
but two were apparently killed by dogs(or wolves?). The biggest crop
was 600 bushels of potatoes but there were also 60 cords of wood cut and
sold for a dollar a cord for $60. Again, I think that they would have been
sold to brother Hiram.

And along with his two older sons being of an age now where they could
help out around the farm, JP had work enough to merit hiring on help for ten
weeks.

Here is my transcription of the entry for JP’s farm:

Tenure:
Owner:/
Rents for fixed money rental:
Rents for shares of crops:


Acres of Land:
Improved:
Tilled, including fallow and grass in rotation (whether pasture or meadow):20
Permanent meadows, permanent pastures, orchards, vineyards:20

Unimproved:
Woodland and forest:75
Other unimproved, including "old fields" and growing wood:


Farm Values:
Of farm, including land, fences and buildings:1500(dollars)
Of farming implements and machinery:100(dollars)
Of livestock:400(dollars)

Fences:
Cost of building and repairing in 1879:25(dollars)


Cost of fertilizers purchased in 1879:


Labor:
Amount paid for wages for farm labor during 1879, including value of board:
50(dollars)

Weeks hired labor in
1879 upon farm (and dairy),excluding housework: 10


Estimated value of all farm productions (sold, consumed or on hand) in 1879:400(dollars)


Grass Lands:
Acreage 1879
Mown:80(acres)

Not Mown:
Products Harvested in 1879:
Hay:25(tons)
Clover seed:
Grass seed:

Horses of all ages on hand June 1, 1879:2

Mules and asses all ages on hand June 1, 1879:

On hand June 1, 1879:
Working oxen:
Milch cows:3
Other:13

Meat Cattle and Their Products:
Calves dropped:2
Movement 1879:
Purchased:1
Sold living:1
Slaughtered:
Died, strayed and at (indecipherable word)and not recovered:
Milk sold, or sent
to butter and cheese factories in 1879:
Butter made on the farm in 1879:200(lbs.)
Cheese made on the farm in 1879:

Sheep:
On hand June 1,1879:20
Lambs dropped:13
Movement 1879:
Purchased:
Sold living:9
Slaughtered:2
Killed by dogs:2
Died of disease:
Died of stress of weather:
Clip, Spring 1880, Shorn And To Be Shorn:
Fleeces:20
Weight:80(lbs)

Swine:
On hand June 1, 1880:6


Poultry On Hand June 1, 1880, Exclusive Of Spring Hatchlings
Barn-yard:10
Others:

Eggs Produced In 1879:50(doz.)


Cereal:
Barley 1879:
Acres:
Crop:
Buckwheat 1879:
Acres:1
Crop:60(bushels)
Indian Corn 1879:
Acres:
Crop:
Oats 1879:
Acres:3
Crop:100(bushels)
Rye 1879:
Acres:
Crop:
Wheat 1879:
Acres:2
Crop:40(bushels)

Pulse:
Canada Peas (Dry) in 1879:
Beans (Dry) in 1879:3
(bushels)

Fiber:
Flax-1879:
Area in crop:
Seed:
Straw:
Fiber:
Hemp:
Acres:
Tons:
Sugar:
Surghum-1879:
Area in crop:
Sugar:
Molasses:
Maple-1879
Sugar:
Molasses:30(gallons)

Broom Corn-1879
Acres:
Lbs.:

Hops-1879:
Acres:
Crop:

Potatoes(Irish)1879:
Acres:3
Crop:600(bushels)

Potatoes(Sweet)1879
Acres:
Crop:

Orchards-1879:
Apples:
Acres:
Bearing trees:
Bushels 1879:
Peaches:
Acres:
Bearing trees:
Bushels 1879
Total value of orchard products of all kinds sold or
consumed:
Nurseries:
Acres:
Total value of produce sold in 1879:

Vineyards:
Acres:
Grapes sold in 1879:
Wine made in 1879:

Market Gardens
Value of produce sold in 1879:

Bees:
Honey:
Wax:

Forest Products:
Amount of wood cut in 1879:60(cords)
Value of all forest products sold or consumed in 1879:60(dollars)



So by 1880 three West brothers, Asa A., Jonathan P., and Hiram F. were enjoying a reasonable amount of success in their lives.

But what of their youngest brother, Leonidas?


I’ll discuss that next.