Excerpts from the journals of S.W. Perin, Superintendent of the College Farm
return to East Campus Landscape History
Volume 1, 1893
January 1: I got a new saw, two chisels, one 1/2 inch bit and hatchet and padlock for tool chest
I got one board 11x1x18 at Oberlies to make some signs to put up around the Farm forbidding
shooting or trespass of any kind.
[bills for lumber for floor and wainscoating in frame house]
January 7: took farm bell to get fixed
January 10: I went to town on the car
I went to the Horticulture [Society] meeting P.M. There was a good attendance for the first day.
January 12: The Stone House caught fire where the stove pipe goes through the floor. John saw it just
in time as five minutes more would not of saved it, it being very dry.
I was at the Hort meeting all day. Had a good attendance and heard some good papers, one by
J. Sterling Morton on the early Nebraska Horticulture and one by L.A. Stilson on the
Relationship of Bee-Keeping to Horticulture.
April 1: Farm House began work
April 6: The _______ trees are _________and in bloom and leaves are starting on the crab trees in
the Orchard. All small fruit is starting nicely.
April [who's doing what work in which field, what animal is being bred to what animal, work in
orchard, trimming trees]
April 24: [reference to catalpa grave]
May 5: —¦the hard maples in field 9
Went to the University [City Campus] and got some plants 7 trees to set out at Farm
May 9: The rain done so much good everything looks fresh and lively.
May 25: Prairie Rosebud dropped Heifer calf. A very fine looking calf.
May 28: The chancellor, Mr. Morrill [Marnell?], Mr. Dales, Prof. Ingersall came out to look at the
Farm & pick a building spot for the New Laboratory Building. They did not like the looks of
the Horticulture parts of the farm though[t?] I worked hard.
May 29: They started on the new building
June 6: —¦east of catalpas
June 12: [mentions flowers at the Farm]
July 13-14: trimmed hedge [Osage Orange]
October 2: Joe marked on the road east of house in the draw. Mrs. Perin started for the World's Fair
at 2,20.
October 3: [mentions Prof. Card, horticulturist]
Volume 7, 1899 [hourly temperatures in the page margins]
Endpapers: plan of Farm fields
April 15: The colts ran away with the disc brake set. They got scared.
June 17: chancellor and family were out at 8PM
June 20: Mr. Elsworth was out to stake out the ground for New Building [Experiment Station]
June 22: Chancellor & regents Farrell & Kanower & Mr. Elsworth. They came out to look at the
location of the New Building. It will be just back of the corn crib. The corn crib and machine
shed will be moved.
July: Professor Burnette [sic] was out with Prof. Lyman
August 11: Mr. Ellsworth was out & staked out the Building
August14 —¦cut down apple trees that had to be removed on account of New Building
August 21: The men started to excavate for the New Building.
They worked six teams. Mr. Elsworth was out & Mr. _______was out & _______grade stakes
for both buildings.
August 22: The men worked 8 teams at the new building.
August 23: —¦hauled some trees away from the ground where the new building is
August 24: Began hauling brick for new building
August 25: There were 4 teams hauling brick part of the day & one hauling sand. The men got the
ditches almost finished for the concrete.
August 28: they raised the crib and put rollers under it
August 29: Mr. Magee started to move the crib
August 30: Mr. Magee got the crib set in place. They are working ______on the building.
August 31: They had a ________gang working at the New Building
September 1: I got me a new hat. $1,50.
September 3: I finished reading The Prairie by J Fennimore Cooper. It is one of the best of the series &
The Pathfinder dies in this camp of the Pawnees. A splendid character all through the series.
September 5: Men to lay brick on the large building
I fixed the windmill.
September 6: I went to the show with Edna [daughter]. Ringling Bros. It was very good. The trapeze or
Bar performing was very good. & The Elephants were splendid 15 of them 5 in each ring.
September: They ________ to put the foundation under the corn crib.
September 12: The men put the walls of the new building up to water level. Commenced to tar the
outside. Bricklayers waiting for staging to walk on.
September 18: They began to lay brick above the grade line today on east side to the top of the windows.
[Well in boiler house—through very hard red sand into white sand]
October 5: the men layed brick on the cellar wall today
October 14: The men were marking on the arch over the main entrance to the new building. It will be
very pretty.
October 16: The men put keystone caps on the east windows of the new building
October 18: The men finished the south wall of the new building to the top of the windows and worked
on north wall above the windows.
October 19: The men put keystones up at south end of the building & worked on the inside walls.
October: —¦worked on west wall of the Experiment Station building. Got the keystone 99 in the w.y. (?) up
October 21: The men put up the stone over the arch with Expt Station. Finished the wall up to the top 1st
story.
October : They began to lay brick on the second story today of the new building.
November 6: They worked on the upper story of the main building laying brick. They began to plaster
the main building on north end first floor
November 8: They got the main building up to 5 ft all around 2nd story
November 9: The men got the east wall of the main building t the top of the windows with part of arch
over the windows.
November 10: —¦and got to the north end & most of the south end of the main building up to top of
windows.
November 11: They have the n.e. cor[ner?] of wall to the main building within 3 or 4 brick of the top.
November 13: The ________began to grade around the boiler house and Main Building.
November 14: finished the well in the boiler house. 226 ft from ground level.
November 15: the men put the stairs in the boiler house.
They have the main building up to ______ line on the ends and east side.
November 17: McElery started to dig out for building foundation ________work for animal husbandry
dept. They got the wall of Main Building up to level ready for the upper _______, they put up
some fence & got the derrick set up on top
November 18: They got the ________ on the east side of the main building on top floor & most of the
partition walls up & men were painting on the Boiler House.
November 23: The men worked on the main building. K__meyer began working on the steam pipes.
Sullivan commenced to dig on the trench where the gas pipe runs into the Dairy Building.
November 25: The men built one chimney & started the other.
November 27: They finished the chimneys on the Main Building & are putting up the roof.
December 2: They finished sheeting the main building.
At this point Perin goes on a trip to Sargent, Nebraska and the workman making entries in the daybook no longer records progress on the building.
Notes for March and April 1899:
March
10 First Robbins [sic], A beautiful day. Alfalfa starting.
11 The worst blizzard of the Winter. Not very cold.
14 A wet A.M. .05 of Rain, very muddy P.M. colder at 5P.M. W.N.W.
15 A small blizzard, continued cold
20 Cold. All ground frozen that has thawed.
23 Meadow Larks & Robbins singing
24 Warmer. Very much like spring.
26 Cold. Light snow last night.
29 Cloudy—cold. Wind N.E. No spring yet.
April 1 Cold wind N.W. Halo 4 to 6 P.M.
2 Snow 4 to 8 A.M. 1/2 to 3/4 inch Precipitation .08
3 Sleet A.M. Cold all day.
5 Rain most all day. Sowing clover field 7. Alfalfa
6 Snow last night cold to day
11 Harrowing, maple trees blooming. Elm. Lilac Budding. Sow two _______. Sowing oats.
12 Sowing oats in farm field 6
14 Sowing Alfalfa seed field 8. Oats field 3
15 Sowing " "
17 " Oats field 3
18 " " 3 & field 3 North
20 &21 Oats in 7 Pasture Grass plant in 1 & Oats in fields 13 & Oats & Peas [?] in 13. Wheat & Barley
plant in 6
23 Cottonwood in blossom.
24 Elms, Boxalder [sic], Willows leaving out.
26 Shrubs & fruit trees starting out. Sowing grass seed.
27 Plum trees in Bloom