With milling, dyking and general farming, there was work at Prospect to keep all the members of the family busy, besides a large force of hired help.
It was decided this year (1797) to build a new house and barn, and the site fixed upon was about one hundred yards south of the Scurr house, where they had lived since the place came into their possession.The barn was put up the next year, and measured eighty feet long by thirty-three wide, with thirteen foot posts.A part of this barn is still used for a stable.In 1799 the house was built, the main portion being made of brick burned on the marsh near by.It fronted due south, and was twenty-seven feet by thirty-seven feet, and two stories high, with a stone kitchen on the west side.The cost of building was eight hundred pounds.This was before the days of stoves, there being six fire-places in the main house and large one in the kitchen.
In 1839 the stone kitchen was pulled down and one of wood built on the north side.In 1879 an addition was made, and now (October 2nd, 1900), it is as comfortable a dwelling as it has ever been.Five generations have lived in it.Three generations have been born and grown to manhood and womanhood within its four walls, and they have never known the death of a child, nor, with but one exception, the death of a young person.
On the 29th January, 1800, Mrs.Trueman, sen., died in the eighty-eighth year of her age.Although sixty-two years old when she came to America, she lived to see the birth of nine grandchildren.
In 1801, Thompson, the youngest son, was born.The family now numbered seven sons and three daughters.This year William Black, known in Methodist history as Bishop Black, was one of the family at Prospect from November 17th, 1801, to April 13th, 1802.One week of this time was spent in Dorchester, for which a rebate was made in the board bill.
The bill was made out at the rate of five shillings per week.
In 1802, Mr.Trueman began to keep what he calls "a memorandum of events." The records chiefly refer to home work, the weather and neighborhood happenings.As a record of the weather, before thermometers and barometers were in general use, it must be as perfect as possible.As a record of farm work it is quite minute, and gives the reader an almost exact knowledge of what was done on the farm each week of the twenty years.
To those who live in the age of steam and electricity, when it is possible to be informed at night of the doings of the day on the other side of the planet, it is hard to realize how little interest was taken a century ago in anything outside of the community in which one lived.
This accounts in part, no doubt, for the scant references in this journal to public events.Only very rarely is an election mentioned, even in the writer's own county.Only once is there reference to war, although the war of 1812 and the battle of Waterloo took place during the years of the record, and must have had a marked effect upon the trade of the Provinces at that time.
Mr.Trueman made several trips to Halifax each year, and met, while there, many of the leading Methodist men of the city.The Blacks and the Bells were his friends.His house was the home of the ministers of his church during all his life, and many of the public men who visited Cumberland were his guests at different times.
The first entry in the journal is dated May 5th, 1802, and reads: "wind N.W.; cold stormy day.Planted some apple trees; frost not out of the ground.
"May 6th--Wind N.W.; ground covered with snow two inches thick;disagreeable.
"May 8th--Wind N.W.; cold, backward weather.Mr.Marsdon preached his farewell sermon at the Stone Church.""July 5th--This day was appointed by the Government as a day of thanksgiving for the blessings of peace.Mr.Bennet preached at Amherst Court House, from Psalm 12, 1st verse, to a crowded and very attentive audience.
"July 12th--Started for Halifax with thirty oxen.Returned on the 22nd;had a very good time."
(Ten days was the usual time taken on these trips.The drovers would start some hours, or perhaps a day, in advance of Mr.Trueman.He would go on horse-back, in knee breeches, and with the old fashioned saddle-bags.)
"Sept.28th--Started to Halifax with twenty-four cattle.
"Oct.2nd--Arrived at Halifax Sunday night.Wm." (his son) "taken sick with measles.Monday, and Tuesday, very sick.Wednesday, some better.
Thursday, walked the streets.Friday, started for home.
"Oct.13th--High winds; very high tides; marshes much flooded.
"Sept.14th, 1803--Stephen Millage died of shock of palsy.Mr.
Oliphant, Methodist minister, arrived this month at our house.
"Nov.12th, 1803--Election at Dorchester.Mr.Knapp goes in without opposition."These extracts from the journal will show the character of the record.
In March, 1804, there was a three days' snowstorm--"fell nigh two feet." An attempt was made this year to aboideau the Aulac River, where it runs through the farm now owned by R.T.McLeod.
The Aulac at that time was one of the largest of the rivers emptying into the Cumberland Basin.It was a great undertaking to dam its waters with an aboideau, and to make matters worse, the place chosen proved to have a quicksand bottom, which made it almost impossible to build a firm foundation.For nearly four years they worked at this aboideau, and finally had to abandon it.Dated Dec.27th, 1808, there is this entry in the journal: "Working at the aboideau.Storming in the morning.Snow six inches deep.
"Dec.28th--Working at byto; very fine day.The hole nigh filled up."On March 20th, he writes: "Concluded to give up the Byto." There is a reckless disregard of rules in spelling the word "aboideau," but doubtless the pronunciation was as varied then as now.Being obliged to let this work go must have been a great disappointment and a great loss as well.It was not till 1829, more than twenty years after, that the aboideau, now known as the "Trueman Byto," was built.
