BlMancaatar Farming, Saturday, May 13, 1995
t itell Brothers v still live in the Portage-Munster area—Bob, Pat, and
Jim. Pat and Jim still live on a piece of the farm once owned by grandfather James
itell.
To Everything There Is A Season
LORETTA GOLDEN
Cambria Co. Correspondent
PORTAGE (Cambria Co.)
When James Itell began keeping a
journal in January 1866, he prob
ably didn’t realize that it would be
instrumental in piecing together a
little of this area’s agricultural his
tory. His grandson, Pat Itell oi
Portage, is amazed that the book,
which he’s had for many years,
found stored in a trunk in the attic
of his home, has created so much
interest.
The Portage Station Museum
has focused on this journal to cre
ate an exhibit entitled ‘To Every
thing There Is a Season —A Farm
Journal.” Many local farmers have
contributed items to this exhibit
and the museum director, Kath
leen Shuler was surprised to End
that so many of these tools are still
in working condition.
A copy of the journal is display
ed on the Erst floor of the mu
seum. The journal covers a period
of six years from January 1866
through December 1872. An entry
was made each day basically
“one-liners” sometimes a sen
tence, but many times merely a
phrase or even just a few words.
Along with the journal some fami
ly letters and a list of teachers
from the “Itell School,’’ one of the
first in the Portage area, arc in
cluded at the museum. The school
was built in 1829 on land donated
by the Itell family and James later
taught there. There are references
to his teaching days throughout
the journal.
Shuler comments that “the dis
play includes horse-drawn imple
ments, hand-held tools, and items
rarely seen today. The visitor can
follow the farm theme through
spring and summer with hanows
and a potato digger, hay knives,
com planters, and more.” Hunt
ing, trapping butchering, and
blacksmilhing equipment high
light the autumn and winter dis
play on the second floor.
James Itell was bom on a farm
along Munster Road in Portage, in
1860. His journal gives a glimpse
into the post-Civil War era of the
Portage area and his life as a
young farmer. He was only 16
yean old when he began keeping
this daily account of his life. Upon
reading some of the entries one
gets the impression that he was a
hard-working farmer, interested in
the weather, as all farmers are.
Single words describe some days:
wet, cold, stormy. On days such as
these he busied himself with
things such as “putting in win
dow” or “hauling wood.”
His entries for September 1866
include; “thrashing for John
(James’ brother); helping John to
clean oats; killed a sheep; fixed
the machine; cutting buckwheat;
sowed the rye; hauled two bushel
of wheat to mill; plowing.”
Local farmer, Vince Golden,
who has grown and marketed
buckwheat for a number of years,
notes that it is interesting to read
so many references to buckwheat
throughout the journal. Apparent
ly buckwheat was more of a staple
crop in this area during the 1800 s
ban it is today. Other crops men
tioned throughout the journal are
wheat, com t rye, oats, hay, flax
tnd beans.
James also helped with the
butchering. The entry for Decem
ber 7. 1867 is as follows: “Killed
bur hogs 4 hog 375 lbs.” Itell
seemed to be very interested in re
cord-keeping, and perhaps num
bers in general. Weights for every-
Jiing butchered ate included. He
tlso recorded bushels of grain
aken to the mill, the number of
gallons of molasses and syrup
made, and even the number of fish
lie caught when engaged in what
appeared to be a favorite leisure
activity. “Plowing. Was fishing.
Caught 75 fish.” (June 14, 1866)
That paints the picture of being a
good day!
James makes mention of differ
ent church services which he at
tended throughout the years. Ap
parently, his religion was an im
portant part of his life. He also
kept a record of the amount of
money expended for church pur
poses. On May 7,1871 he “rented
a pew” for $l2 and on November
6.1871 he contributed $1 for coal
at the church.
An agricultural record for each
year was kept In January, 1870,
Itell sold one bushel of flax seed
for $2. On November 23, he sold
u a hog weighing 160 lbs. at ICA
cts per lb. $17.60.”
Leisure activities are described,
and besides Ashing, Hell enjoyed
attending dances, sledding, pick
ing berries, and ballooning.
On Sunday, December 1,1872,
the Itell journal reads: “On ac
count of my being absent from
home and other inconveniences I
have ceased to keep accounts any
longer.”
Last week, 500 students from
the Portage and Forest Hills area
toured die museum where tb
heard talks by museum volunteers
on various aspects of farm life
during the 1800 s. This special
workshop, sponsored by the Port
age Station Museum and the Port
age Area Historical Society, with
cooperation by the Portage Area
School District, gave the students
a better insight into the area’s past
One of the “hits” was Portage area
farmer. Bob Yetsko, with Ids des
cription of “hog butchering.”
Since Itell spent some time as a
teacher, an 1800’s school room is
also set up on the Erst floor. Tenth
graders. Jen Koenigsburg and
Claire Wagner, acted as 1800‘s
teachers. “Miss Wagner” admon
ished her “class” not to jump into
mud puddles during recess.
The journal itself has become a
valuable “teaching tool” in some
of the area schools. Shuler pointed
out that “students from the Pott
age Area E|ementary-Middle
School, SL Joseph School, and
Pom Cambria Elementary School
in Lilly have created dioramas de
picting some of the activities men- *
turned in Itell’s writing. Fishing,
logging, cherry picking, maple
sugaring, and hot air ballooning
have been recreated.
Gary Yusko, Portage Area so
cial studies teacher and also the
president of the Portage Area His
torical Society, along with Shuler
were instrumental in helping to re
create the 1860’s day for die stu
dents. After the tour of the mu
seum the students were shutded
by bus to Crichton-McConnick
Park in Portage where they were
“treated” to food indicative of the
1860 s. Mr. Yusko’s eighth-grade
class prepared homemade butter,
pumpkin butter, sausage, popcorn,
buckwheat pancakes, and every
one’s favorite homemade ice
cream. Some of the eighth graders
were dressed in period clothing
and gave short talks (which they
previously researched) on many
aspects of life in the 1860 s.
Shuler and Yusko feel that this
“hands-on” learning was a valu
able experience for all.
The display “on a tour of farm
life of days gone by” is open to the
public from 1-4 p.m. Wednesdays
and 1-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sun
days. Admission is free. The ex
hibit will run through mid-June.
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