Thomas Jefferson’s Farm Book, page 69

Roads. & fords

Moore’s ford over the Rivanna, cost £28. on an accurate estimate

1772. Nov. in making the Upper Roundabout, 3 hands graded made 80. yds a day in the old field = 26. yds a day, but in the woods where they had stumps to take away, not more than 40 & sometimes 25 yds = 13, or 8 this walk is 926. yds = .5261 mile in circumference.
1790. Oct. in making the road from where it begins to rise 1.f. in 10. a little above the Antient field to the upper Roundabout, 5. hands did 127. yds the first day, & 165. yds the second, = 25 to 33 yds a day. it was 12.f. wide & they crossed 3. or 4. considerable gullies which they filled with stone.
1794. Apr.

Path of the Orchard Roundabout. 2. hands did 90. yards of it, 4.f. wide in 2. hours. it was set with briars & some grubbing.

they grubbed 76. yds 6.f. wide in 2. hours, in the thicket West of S. orchard after it was grubbed 1. hand did 20. yds in an hour.
1792. Sep 18. the Orchard Roundabout, passing above the garden along the Mulberry row, measured by the Odometer of the Phaeton 1473⅓ yds = .837 mile
1795. Jan 8. the road which leads from the Graveyard gate, descending 1. foot in 10. into that leading to the Secretary’s ford, being 250. yards took 21. days work, which is 12 yds each. there was some stone and grubs to dig, but ne’er a tree to take up. it may be estimated @ 1d¼ a yard or 30. Dol. a mile
it was 10. f. wide
1795. Dec. Diary of work on the road from the Park branch to Milton. 8. feet wide.
days
work		 yards in
[. . .] that time		 yds per day
for each hand
Nov. 30. (6. hands) Dec. 1. (7. hands) 9. 5 120. 12. 6
Dec. 2. 3. (7 hands each 14. 125 9.
4. (7do) 7. 60 8. 5
5. 8. (7do) 14. 155 11.
9. 10 (5.do) 10 40 4.
11. 12. 14. (5.do) 15 184 12. 26
15. 16. 17. (5.do) 15 203 13. 5
21.(20.do) 20 549 27. 5
22.(20.do) 20 283 14. 15
23.(20.do 20 821 41.
24. half a day. (20.do) 20. 261 26.
Total 154½ 2801 = 18 average

reckoning the days work @ 2/ the 2801. yds done in 154½ days
comes £15–9 the whole or £9.14 the mile, or 1⅓d the yard.
Estimate of Ascent, Level, & Descent. in yards
Ascent Level Descent Total
Upper hill 225 225 206 656
Indian branch bottom 28 28
Middle hill 77 } 126 )
187 246 116 752
Portobello hill 130 413 443
from Po Bo bra. undug. 70 155 225
begg of digging to Milton 697 697
Total 589 1890 322 2801

Estimate of height of Milton above the river

[. . .] from beginning of road at the Park branch.

rise of upper hill at 1. foot in 10.

 67. 5
[. . .] [. . .]

deduct Descent of same hill to the Indian branch

 61. 8
5. 7

Ascent of Middle hill or Morgan’s hill

 79. 2

whole height of that hill

 84. 9

Descent of Morgan’s hill to Morgan’s branch

 34. 8
50. 1

Ascent of Porto Bello hill

 9.

do of just beyond Porto Bello branch about

 14.

do at entrance of town

 4.

whole height of Milton above beginning of road

 77. 1

Descent from beginng of road to river at mouth Park br. abt

 6.

fall of river from Park bra. to my mill about

 14.

do at Mountain fallsabout

 12.

height of Milton above river opposite the town abt

 109. 1

In making a path 4.f. wide down the South side of the River field hill to the
commencement of lowgrounds (to be joined to the Milton road)

in going thro the woods

5. men did 280.yds in 7 H –15′ which is 7¾ yds per hour each

in going thro the old field

5. men did 77. yds in 45.′ which is 20.yds per hour each

see next page. roads contind
Manuscript (Massachusetts Historical Society, Thomas Jefferson’s Farm Book, page 69). Scan available online here.

Source Information

Author Thomas Jefferson
Date Nov. 1772-Dec. 1795
Place of Origin Monticello
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