Was John Kelley Really a Dirt Farmer? (52 Ancestors #31)

I’m going to admit something right off the bat. I’m a non-population census geek. (I hope you were sitting down for that one.) As genealogists, we use the census to build the foundation of our research (at least in the U.S. for the period 1790-1940). But the part that we most often use — the pages that list the people who were living in the household — is just one part of many censuses. It’s called the “population schedule.”

Some census years had other schedules. Some of them focused on agriculture, while others focused on industry. In 1880, there was even a schedule for the “Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent” classes. (Give me some time with the DDD schedule and I’m a happy, happy girl.) These “other” census schedules can give us more context around our ancestors. Or, in the case of John Kelley, not so much…

John Kelley, my great-great-grandfather, was born in Ohio (probably Perry County) in 1820. In 1860, he was living alone in Hopewell Township. (He wouldn’t marry Susan Tucker, my great-great-grandmother, until 1863.) The 1860 census lists his occupation like it lists most of my ancestors: “farmer.”

John Kelley, 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Hopewell Township, Perry County, Ohio, p. 404, household 1090, family 1056.

John Kelley, 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Hopewell Township, Perry County, Ohio, p. 404, household 1090, family 1056.

$3000 worth of real estate and $150 worth of personal property. Not bad. But what did John grow on that farm? I turned to the 1860 agricultural schedule to find out.

1860 agriculture schedule, Hopewell Township, Perry County, Ohio.

1860 agriculture schedule, Hopewell Township, Perry County, Ohio.

So he had 55 acres of improved land, 23 acres of unimproved land, and a horse. No livestock — not even a cow. Hmmm…  He must have raised some crops…

john-kelley-1860-ag4aNo wheat, rye, corn, oats, rice, tobacco, ginned cotton, or wool. Let’s scroll to the next page where more crops are listed…

john-kelley-1860-ag2aNo peas, potatoes, barley, or buckwheat. No butter, cheese, hay, or clover.

john-kelley-1860-ag3aNo hemp (yes, it was a real crop), flax or flax seed. No silk cocoons (I keep hoping to find an ancestor who had some), maple sugar, cane sugar, or molasses. No honey and no beeswax.

What did John raise on that farm?! For 1860, I still don’t know. The possibilities are:

  • He raised something completely different, something that isn’t listed on the schedule.
  • He didn’t tell the enumerator what he raised.
  • The enumerator didn’t write it down or didn’t copy it over from his notes to this final copy.

There is a fourth possibility. I’ve joked for years that I come from a long line of dirt farmers. Maybe John Kelley really was one.

John Kelley died 7 July 1891 and is buried in Hopewell Methodist Church Cemetery in Perry County, Ohio.

EDIT: I’ve formed another possibility about John’s listing in the 1860 agricultural schedule.

9 thoughts on “Was John Kelley Really a Dirt Farmer? (52 Ancestors #31)

    1. Amy Johnson Crow Post author

      Yes! I’ve pulled another one in! Mwwhahahahaha… Sorry, didn’t mean to sound that maniacal. :)

      Seriously, though, if you haven’t explored the non-population schedules, you really should. You’re in for a real treat! I love seeing not only what they were raising, but comparing it to what everyone else around them had. How “typical” was that farm for that area?

      Reply
  1. Jade

    The 1860 Ag. Schedule’s agricultural products totals were for the year prior to June 2d. Is it possible that your John Kelley had acquired the land within recent months and had nothing to harvest? Or could there have been a disaster that destroyed the year’s products?

    Reply
    1. Amy Johnson Crow Post author

      That’s a good thought! However, John acquired the land after his mother’s death in 1852.

      Reply
      1. Amy Johnson Crow Post author

        Your thought about leasing made me think of something. I’m going to do a quick post with what I found…

        Reply
  2. Jeanne Bryan Insalaco

    What a hoot – dirt farmer. Everytime I see farmer I’m a little disappointed – I keep hoping for another occupation. Love that Dirt Farmer one you came up with. I do think I havent looked that close at the agriculture census, but its def on my list to do. Really enjoyed your story, informative as well as entertaining!

    Reply

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