Farm Life at the Turn of the Century A Personal Perspective: The Farmer By Frank Jahn A Monumental Undertaking “It’s about the meanest business I have ever experienced. It’s all fact—solemn fact – no romance, no poetry, no joke. It does seem to me that all this sort of work ought to be done by machinery or not to be done at all.” Charles H. Smith, writing of farm work in 1892. Was farm work at the turn-of-the last century the idyllic existence we like to think it was? If the quote by Charles H. Smith is accurate, the romantic view so many of us have of “life on the farm” is probably more fairy tale than fact. The success of a small family farm depended upon the work done by each family New Historical Atlas of Alameda County, California. Thompson & West, 1878 member and upon a distinct division of labor as well. Success, however, was not easy to achieve. Keeping a farm functioning smoothly without the aid of modern technology was a monumental undertaking, one which few of us truly appreciate. No “Typical” Day There was no “typical” day in the life of a farmer. Although it could be general- ized that a farmer’s day began before sunrise and ended at sunset, what was done in between varied constantly as the year progressed. The bulk of a farmer’s day was often spent in the fields. After feeding the stock and eating breakfast, a farmer might spend the remainder of the day (with the exception of the noon-time meal) tending the crops. Chores took the form of plowing, harrowing, sowing, cultivating, mowing, harvesting—to name just a few. Winter offered no respite—most grain crops were planted during this season, to be watered by the seasonal rains. If a farmer was not busy in the fields, he might be found working on machinery or repairing outbuildings. Tasks included greasing wagons, oiling machinery, lubricating engines, mending fences, repairing roofs, and making improvements to the house and barn. Besides contributing to the efficient functioning of the farm, well-maintained barns, outbuildings, machinery, and fields were important measures of success. A Daily Pattern In spite of ever-changing nature of farm work, there were chores that demanded attention day in and day out, even on Sundays, when work was not generally allowed. This work, which was part of a daily pattern, could not be interrupted without hurting animals or crops. Feeding stock (especially pigs) was a good example of such a routine, but milking cows was the prime example. Dairy cattle had to be milked at the same
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Farm Life at the Turn of the Century A Personal Perspective: The Farmer
By Frank Jahn
A Monumental Undertaking“It’s about the meanest business I have ever experienced. It’s all fact—solemn fact – no romance, no poetry, no joke. It does seem to me that all this sort of work ought to be done by machinery or not to be done at all.” Charles H. Smith, writing of farm work in 1892.
Was farm work at the turn-of-the last century the idyllic existence we like to think it was? If the quote by Charles H. Smith is accurate, the romantic view so many of us have of “life on the farm” is probably more fairy tale than fact. The success of a small family farm depended upon the work done by each family
New Historical Atlas of Alameda County, California. Thompson & West, 1878
member and upon a distinct division of labor as well. Success, however, was not easy to achieve. Keeping a farm functioning smoothly without the aid of modern technology was a monumental undertaking, one which few of us truly appreciate.
No “Typical” DayThere was no “typical” day in the life of a farmer. Although it could be general- ized that a farmer’s day began before sunrise and ended at sunset, what was done in between varied constantly as the year progressed.
The bulk of a farmer’s day was often spent in the fields. After feeding the stock and eating breakfast, a farmer might spend the remainder of the day (with the exception of the noon-time meal) tending the crops. Chores took the form of plowing, harrowing, sowing, cultivating, mowing, harvesting—to name just a few. Winter offered no respite—most grain crops were planted during this season, to be watered by the seasonal rains.
If a farmer was not busy in the fields, he might be found working on machinery or repairing outbuildings. Tasks included greasing wagons, oiling machinery, lubricating engines, mending fences, repairing roofs, and making improvements to the house and barn. Besides contributing to the efficient functioning of the farm, well-maintained barns, outbuildings, machinery, and fields were important measures of success.
A Daily PatternIn spite of ever-changing nature of farm work, there were chores that demanded attention day in and day out, even on Sundays, when work was not generally allowed. This work, which was part of a daily pattern, could not be interrupted without hurting animals or crops. Feeding stock (especially pigs) was a good example of such a routine, but milking cows was the prime example. Dairy cattle had to be milked at the same
Ardenwood Historic Farm34600 Ardenwood BoulevardFremont, CA 94555(510) 544-2797www.ebparks.org
May 9 I helped Alice wash the dishes this evening for a change.
May 10 I fi nished the (plowing) for the day but had no time to spare as it was sun down by the time I got through.
May 13 The programme of general everyday life was changed today to give us a rest. We commenced fencing this morning.
Beyond the Stark RealityThe diary of George Farris reveals a way of life for which few of us would trade our modern lifestyle. It was a life fi lled with hard physical labor, interspersed with church services, lodge meetings, dances, picnics, visits by friends, and family gatherings. If he were alive today, George Farris might recall the early years on his Dunnigan farm with nostalgia, but with no yearning to return to that early way of life. Charles Smith, though, in spite of his harsh words about the nature of farming, was apparently able to see beyond the stark reality of hard labor toa deeper underlying value:
“I like farming. It’s an honest, quiet life, and it does me so much good to work and get all over in a swet [sic[ of perspiration. I enjoy my . . . food and my repose, and get up every morning renewed and rejuvenated like an eaglein his fl ight. . . .”
Resources:Paulsen, Gary. A History and Celebration of
the American Farmer. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1977.
Jacobson, Yvonne. Passing Farms, Enduring Values: California’s Santa Clara Valley, W. Kaufmann in cooperation with the California History Center, Cupertino, 1984.
Smith, Charles H. The Farm and the Fireside: Sketches of Domestic Life in War and in Peace, Atlanta: The Constitution Publishing Co., 1892.
The diaries of George W. Farris, 1879. Bancroft Library collection. University of California, Berkeley.
time, morning and night, seven days a week, and in the same order, or their milk production would fall off drastically.
Horses were the source of many of the farmer’s chores. A farmer might spend one-half hour per day per horse in caring for these important animals. Other tasks included the morning and evening feedings, cleaning the barns, spreading manure, repairing horse-powered equip-ment and vehicles, and mending tack. In addition, horses had to be fed, which meant grain and hay had to be planted, tended, harvested, shocked, threshed, baled, hauled, and stacked.
Sunday was generally a day of rest—a day to attend church, visit friends, and receive callers, among other things. Holidays, too, offered a break from the everyday grind of life on a farm. May Day and Independence Day were popular for community picnics, and families might travel many miles by horse or train to attend these major social events. An emergency on the farm, however, would quickly preempt the celebration of a holiday or interrupt the peacefulness of the Sabbath. A sick animal or a threatened harvest were both cause for a seven-day work week. George Patterson, owner of the Ardenwood estate during the late 1800s, was known to have postponed his honeymoon because the wheat harvest was underway at the time of his marriage.
The Diary ofGeorge W. FarrisGeorge W. Farris was 26 years old when he began farming in Dunnigan, California (a small town in YoloCounty west of Sacramento) in 1879. Some entries from his diary of 1879
go far in shedding light on the lifestyle of a farmer near the end of the Victorian era.
January 3 After dinner we hitched up a span of horses to the seed sower and sprinkled some wheat on ground that Jim had turned upside down in the forenoon.
January 22 Went out to the fi eld with Danand put sharp shears on the plow.
January 28 Jim and I went to town to get a wheat cleaner.
January 29 Today nothing happened to liven up things except that the North wind blew like thunder which made work every disagreeable.
February 3 We went out to plow before sunrise.
February 10 Helped butcher today.
February 11 Fixed the roof on the barn and hauled up some wood.
February 12 Put in a crop of barley.
February 14 Fixed up the barn. Put in a bay window and a manger.
February 22 We celebrated George Washington’s birthday by harrowing and inthe evening we went to the lodge.
March 5 Still the watery elements descend and we had to dig a ditch through the stable this morning to get the water drained from around the horses.
March 8 Went to Dunnigan this evening to hear Mr. Becker deliver a temperature lectureat the Good Temples Hall.
March 10 Jim hauled off brush and I plowed and had a rough time as the ground was too wet and there is trees, stumps and holes scattered promiscuously about over the whole piece.
March 17 The principal thing today on programme was breaking of plows.
March 24 Went to dancing school tonight and the way I scattered myself was wonderful to behold.
March 28 Got up this morning at half past three and had my team clothed in their appropriate regalia in less than no time; was out at work half an hour before sunrise.
May 1 Went to Davisville to the picnic.
May 5 Things progress as usual; I am still fi rst mate on the rolling harrow but don’t care how soon my job will be fi nished as it is getting to be very monotonous.
May 8 Got the contract of fi lling the barn with hay and think it will last longer than I will want it to as I am a poor pitcher.
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