Box 1, Folder 5: Diaries 1827-1828

[photograph of front of The Filson Club house/building]

THE FILSON CLUB

Named in honor of John Filson, Kentucky's first

historian, The Filson Club since 1884 has collected

and preserved historic matter pertaining to Ken-

tucky and adjacent states. While privately sup-

ported, the public is welcome.

THE FALLS OF THE OHIO RIVER AND ITS ENVIRONS: THE JOURNALS OF INCREASE ALLEN LAPHAM FOR 1827-1830

EDITED BY SAMUEL W. THOMAS, PH.D. AND EUGENE H. CONNER, M.D. Louisville, Kentucky

PART II

April 11.⁶⁹ [1828] In looking over the list of plants found in flower by Dr. Baldwin⁷⁰ on the banks of the Ohio I find that those which I have seen here are mentioned as seen in flower about one month later than when I saw them. This corroborates the statement made Feb 8th. last viz. that this season was about one month earlier than common.

I was with Mr. Henry's, copying his reports &c until noon: in the afternoon I was on the Lock part of the time and part of the time I was drawing on the plan of the lock and bridge for Carrol, Sub Contractor or Lock builder. [p. 4]

Sat. April 12. Mr. Henry took an Emetic this morning and I was required to attend to him. After getting through with that Business I went to Louisville to get some Drawing paper and speak for a blank book in which I intended to write al notices and Memorandums relating to canalling as will be of use to an Engineer, in imitation of one Lately commenced by Darius. In my return I kept to the south which brought me into the woods on the way to the woods in the old fields I collected the Stellarea pubera and many others of which I cannot find the name. [p. 5] There had been much appearance of rain all day but now it began to thunder and lighten though as I was in beech woods I thought myself quite out of the way of the electric fluid. In the woods the ground is almost covered with the two species of violets which I have called V. cucullata & V. [see note] and I found a species with white flowers, the first of the above have blue and second have yellow flowers and they are in the 3 species inverted. As I left the woods and was coming acros the newly cleared land I found by [p. 6] the side of an old decaying log & among some Blackberry bushes the Larkspur (Delpharium tricornear) in flower. I also found Trillium [blank in MSS.] in flower in a similar situation.

In the afternoon I received the first no. of vol 14 of Silliman’s Journal containing my "description of the canal and the geology of the vicinity" also a description of the Welland Canal in Upper Canada.³⁵

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A[p]ril 13. It rained some in the night but this morning was very clear from clouds and we had much prospects of a fair [p. 7] Day. Accordingly we proposed to go to Indiana on a Botaniseing excursion and in our way take the Boiling spring and the Knobs. We procured a skiff belonging to canal contractors and Father, Darius, and myself embarked for the mouth of Silver Creek, where we in a few minutes found ourselves without having experienced any difficulty. We hear left our skiff and went on foot through the woods to New Albany. Here we fell in with one of Fathers acquaintances who accompanied us to the Boiling spring, which is some distance back from the Ohio. We covered the spring (which is but small) [p. 8] [with] flat stones; and having plastered it well with mud made a small hole through the top and set the gas on fire; it did not however burn much. Sandstone forms the bed of the creek opposite the spring, no water runs from the spring.

After thoroughly examining the spring we ascended the knobs and followed it down towards the river until we came to the point where it terminates. There appears to have been a quarry of Sandstone. It now began to thunder & lighten and we had all the appearances of an approaching storm; we [p. 9] scarcely had time to get into the village of New A[l]bany before a very heavy shower of rain came on and at intervals, during the storms we had considerable hail the hail stones were very large.

After some delay on account of the rain we proceeded on our way home got into our skiff at silver-creek and in attempting to row across we was driven so far down stream by the rapidity of the current that it became necessary to land on Gravel Island. We son grot round the point & made our way to the shore where we had not time to land before. It commenced [p. 10] raining again and it has rained ever since 'till now 9.o'clock at night.

Botany. In the woods the Claytonia verginia Thaliclrum anemonoides and the three species of Viola are common in a pond (marsh). We found the Ranuncules multifidus. In the woods we found several plants in flower which were new to us. Phlox paniculata Houstonia caerulea and the above Ranuncules are among these. We saw in flower the Fagus ferrugina Cornus florida, Daurus Saxafras & Hercules flava. Two or three other species was collected. The wo[o]ds on the knob are whitened by the involuorum [p. 11] of the Cornus florida flowers while the banks of the River and creek are, with the petals of the Arona Hydrastestis canadences Polemonium reptans & Ranuncules sceleratus were also collected in flower.

April 14. Monday. Nothing to do on the canal and I finished my plan of the Locks for D. Carrol in the forenoon. In the afternoon I made

1971] The Journals of Increase Allen Lapham 201

a short botanical excursion but found but one new plant. The Poa anua is common and now in flower.

April 15. I worked on the canal most of the time today. Father is imployed in making patterns. [p. 12]

Wednesday April 16. In the forenoon there was nothing to be done on the canal. The water in the river has raised within a few days about 20 feet which puts the work on the canal back considerable. "Darius" and I went out into the woods couth of here but we found no new plants in flower; but we collected better specimens, for our herbarium than those we have, of some which are now flowering. In the afternoon I worked on the canal.

April 17, 1828. In the morning I went up the canal [p. 13] to get the time lists of the different Bosses. Collected for my herbarium a specimen of Escules flava in flower. Obs. Leaves smooth quaintly digitate eliptical, terminated by an acute point; leaflets petiolate minutely serrated petiole and mid rib pubescent. Flowers in compound termina raceanas Corolla generally of a light Sulphur colour superior petal with an orange coloured spot, lateral diverging; Stamina longer than the corolla, Capsules spinose. Hab. On the low banks of the Ohio river, a middle sized tree; footed, D.S. [blank in MSS.]

The rest of my time I spent in Mr. [p. 14] Henry's room copying the names of the laborers in alphabetic order.

April 18. Friday. I was employ most of the time this forenoon, copying Mr. Henry's estimates and reports. In the afternoon it rained.

Bog iron ore. We found a piece of on the 16th. near one of the swamps in the woods south. It is of a dark color and very cellular in its external appearance but a fresh fracture shows that the cells are filled with the clay which forms the bottom of the swamps.

April 19. It rained all the forenoon and in [p. 15] afternoon it was so muddy that I did not work on the canal. I spent my time in Reading the last no. of Silliman’s Journal.

Sun April 20. I stayed in my room nearly all the time this day. I have now pretty well ascertained that the Limerock about this place is Cornitiferous [note: not correct, Calciferous or {. . .}] and that the sandstone slate & shell limestone on the Knobs is Pyritiferous Rock of Eaton. The river is continually raising and is now very high. It commenced falling this evening.

April 21. Monday. In the forenoon there was not much to do on the canal and in the afternoon [p. 16] I went to Louisville to see about the blank book which I am getting made and which shall not be done until

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morrow evening. I bought me a penknife with two blades while I was there price on dollar twelve & a half cents.

April 22. Tuesday. In the forenoon Mr Henry showed me some particulars respecting the use of Hadleiys Quadrent⁷¹ which I have borrowed. In the afternoon I worked on the Canal. It has now commenced to be worm weather again; the late cold weather has set the vegetation back nearly the [p. 17] month which this season has been more forward than the last.

Wednesday 23d April 1828. This morning I went to the City and got my blank book and have commenced writing memorandums &c in it. I also got a letter for Darius from Mr Gooding⁷² of Upper Canada (Welland Canal), accompanied by the Annual report of the President & Directors of the above Canal Co. containing as an appendix the Engineer Mr. Barretts⁵⁸ report to the President & Directors. In the afternoon I employed my time in writing in my book.

April 24th. 1828. I went up the line this morning to get the time lists of the Different Bosses and spent the rest of the [p. 18] forenoon in copying them. In the afternoon I was employed with Mr. Henry in his room copying the Contract between Carney Sayre &co. & Cole & Harrington.

April 25. Friday. In the afternoon I was Employed with Mr. Henry Copying his reports Est[i]mates &c. In the afternoon I commenced a plan of the Bridge. Mr. V. G. Audubon shewed me a nodular mass of quartz, invested, in geodes, by Botryoidal Calcedony, which he found among the debris of rock, in the Ohio River at this place. [p.19]

Saturday April 26. Yesterday Father brought in a small piece of metallic ore which was of a light lead gray externally but where It had been recently Broken It presents a brilliant metallic luster. We was long at a loss what to call It; but this morning I have pretty well ascertained, that it is Sulphuret of Antimony. In the forenoon today I finished off the plan of the Bridge Which I commenced yesterday: In the afternoon I went to Louisville to carry it to the President & Directors of the Canal Co. While I was there Mr. Penn Editor of the L. Publick Advertices leant me [p. 20] a copy of Dr. McMurt[r]ie's Sketches of Louisville.⁷³ On my return I went into the woods at the edge of which I found the small Veronica aroensis; in a pond near the Hope Distilery⁷⁴ a little west of the City I found the Nuphar advena; in a pond in the woods I found the singular Hsttonia inflata [. . .] and on the dry ground near the woods I found Ranunculus recurvatus; all of which were in flower and new to me. I also saw in flower in the woods the Pocelia triloba, & Podophyllum peltatum.

Last night we had a very heavy gale of wind from the S.W. accom