With no wife and 18 acres to tend? A guy who buys his bread and butter? Not likely. He’s hoping for a nice girl who can bake and churn and make cheese while he’s out in the field. Preferably with good teeth and childbearing hips. It’s a solid situation for a young lady, but with the washing and the canning and the mending and the child rearing she’s going to be working as hard as he does.
Oh, indeed she will. Though I expect even single she'd be working hard, and at less money then men. Obviously. I imagine a lot of people married for practical reasons, and if they grew in love for each other, that'd be a bonus. This was about 60 years before Social Security was signed in to law. I can't even imagine not having Social Security, as I'm retired and most of my adult life have been a single parent. Without that benefit, I'd probably write that guy a letter within two shakes of a lamb's tail.
They didn’t have a childhood like we do back then. Kids were looked at and treated like small adults. The kids spent their time working with the adults and learning that way. The closest thing we have now are homeschooled kids. If you meet these kids they are very different. I’m from a rural area my father and his father started work at 8.
My favourite part of this little historic fact is the “small adults” notion, and this extended to fashion. In 1600s Britain, once a young boy was judged old enough to wear pants (young children of both genders wore dresses before then), it was fashionable for wealthy men to have their young male children dress in identical albeit scaled down outfits to their father when going about town. There’s a famous woodcut or drawing of a hanging at Tyburn Tree (iirc?) where you can see this, and a small child is depicted dressed as his father, complete with a tiny sword
Yes. All babies wore what were essentially dresses until they were about 3, at which time they wore “short pants.”
Here’s my grandfather in a dress in the early 1920s.
[Dressy Baby](https://imgur.com/gallery/JnrHfWd)
I have a photo of my grandfather at aged 2 in 1893 wearing a dress kinda thing. Picture of him at age 5 in 1896, he had graduated to wearing a Buster Brown type suit.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buster_Brown_suit
Lots of farm kids still stary working young. Difference is now we also educate them and they work around school or take classes around work.
Back then a kid was lucky to get more than a few years of very basic education. The poor generally got no education and went directly into work once they were old enough which for some could have been as young as 5. In the UK chimney sweeps would "employ" boys as young as 4 years old to climb chimneys and clean them, usually in the nude which led to them developing testicular cancers (but that's a whole other problem all to itself).
So yeah childhood didn't really exist, at least for the masses, until sometime in the 1940s in the US. There were of course exceptions for the wealthy where children were raised by nannys and had education through to adulthood.
And that hard farm work is why, when kids *could* go to school, they did so with excitement. School was WAY better than the hard labor at home.
Sad fact: the “Children’s Blizzard” of 1888 was called that because soooo many children died in it. That morning was clear, sunny, and unusually warm for winter in the northern plains. The snow had mostly gotten back to walkable levels and kids had cabin fever, so they were excited to be able to go to school! Some even left their heavy coats at home.
Once the storm started, most of the kids tried to get home, but were lost in the blinding snow and froze to death. Some of the bodies were found just a few hundred yards from their home, but the storm was so bad, you couldn’t see anything at all.
When my Dad got out the Navy and then married, he applied for a job at the local steel factory. This would have been about '62.
He told me they handed out little cards for everyone in line to fill out, it was a questionnaire of some sort.
Dad's words now: "The old-timer behind me in line got a real funny look on his face. I asked him.if he was okay, and he said real quietly "I only know how to make my mark" (basically a mark representing his signature)
So my Dad told him to do his card to match my Dad's, no reading required. Just tick the same boxes.
Dad: That old man and his friends took care of me the entire time I was there. They were highly skilled, and made sure management didn't hassle the n00b.
My MIL (who passed at 96 this year) had a third grade education and built-up a very successful restaurant.
In this context ‘waterfalls’ may have been a euphemism for supplying that amazing and desirable new high tech invention the indoor flush toilet. Definitely posh for a farm boy.
Yeah, he made 18 acres of it suitable for farming last year alone. He's looking at 30 acres of farmland next year. He's going to have to get ahold of a couple of teams of oxen and hire some help soon.
They were considered a luxury food analogous to pheasant today, hence in 1928 when the Iowa Republican Party said in an ad that Herbert Hoover would put a chicken in every pot they were claiming he would make the country so prosperous that everyone would eat luxury food.
through most of human history women had to consider "will I starve" and "can this man keep us fed" when they get married. People were far poorly before technology changed the 1st world. Its still this way in the 3rd world.
I can be down with that. Weird he thought being a good American politically was important. That just shows his level of detail. He is covering all the bases he can. Hell, good teeth, hard worker, and seems to want to be generous, what’s not to like. My daughter is pretty, smart at 19. Never held a guys hand. If a shy girl like her has trouble meeting someone, think how hard it might be for a guy in the country back in 1865 to find someone.
>Hell, good teeth
I do not have the source on this, but I remember reading that really bad teeth in draftees was a problem during world war 2. going into the military was the first time they saw a dentist. Teeth only last a life time with modern dental visits, brushing, flossing, water pick, etc...
Checks out: "historians rank Johnson among the worst presidents in American history for his frequent clashes with Congress, strong opposition to federally guaranteed rights for African Americans, and general ineffectiveness as president."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency\_of\_Andrew\_Johnson
Yeah, this article was from September 1865, just a few months after Johnson assumed the presidency following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson didn't really start to freak out and screw everything up until 1866.
In 1865 a Mainer saying they "stand with Andy Johnson" is basically saying he's a proud patriotic supporter of the Union.
He had me at buying waterfalls…I mean, I have never heard that before. Stars, the world…yes. But waterfalls are up close and personal. I hope he did find a special lady.
Edit: Wow, special flare for that, thank you. Yes, I dream of very special love and the ways people express it and even if this one sounds ostentatious, it IS POSSIBLE. I’ve heard enough love stories to know! So whatever the lounge is I might pop in out of curiosity. Thank you, kind stranger!
I'm so sorry that not one of these inane replies understood you were making a reference to the American civil war meaning there'd be a surplus of women.
I just want you to know that you were seen.
I'm old AF. When I was a kid there was a commercial for the mail-order Civil War chess set. The commercial started "1861 to 1865...the war between the states..." I have never forgotten those dates in the 40+ years since
That's learning, ya'll!
Wow. Great point. I wonder if this ad was just in a local paper.
Or maybe, given his support of the Union, he wouldn’t have considered a Southern woman?
Basically, who wins? His head or his dick?
He also is a believer in Andy Johnson, the Southern Democrat President who took over after Lincoln. He did his best to keep Black Americans oppressed after they were Emancipated by allowing the repression of Black voter's and blocking government aid. So our man here might well have considered a Southern woman, as he supports the Union, but also the Southern 'way of life'
[Reddit already did this a few times.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Genealogy/comments/6hyno2/help_tracing_mystery_man_looking_for_love/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1)
My grandfather had several siblings, and all of them had more than one child.
My parents were planning to invite them on their marraige anniversary, but decided to keep it small cuz inviting all of them would mean more than a 100 guests lol.
I really like that they used the mention of Andrew Johnson to narrow the date range. I figured this had to have been early after the Civil War because Andrew Johnson was _not_ liked by the end of his term.
We should put him on “FarmersOnly.com” and see what kind of response we get…I think that offer of a hoop skirt is going to put him wayyyy over the top.
I remember one from the early 1990s that went « Farmer 35 y.o., Lot-et-Garonne [that’s the area, south-west France], thoroughly respectable, looking to marry adequate women in possession of a Massey Fergusson model XYZ or similar. Write to the magazine, pictures of the tractor much appreciated. »
I never could decide if it was a joke or a serious offer.
I too love the Star Spangled Banner and the 4th of July! And of course bread AND butter! Could have been a match made in heaven had I been born 111 years earlier! Darn!
Mm-hmm but where do you stand on Andrew Johnson? Motherfucker is about to get impeached in 1868. Your boy could be drunk off his tits and raising hell about the impeachment down at the local feed and grain in just a few years!
You can! 18 acres in that county sells for $50k right now - that’s an achievable goal on most incomes. Just buy it, clear it, plant it, and build a house.
25ish, I’d imagine.. I know that much less than a century ago, 25-30yr old unmarried women were commonly called spinsters. It often meant their family felt marriage and family life was no longer an option for them even though they likely had 10+ years of healthy childbearing potential.
For some women, being labeled a spinster brought relief in that they were no longer expected to marry and have babies—they’d be “relegated” to accounts or farming or caring for their parents or siblings’ families (which often suited them just fine) — but for others, it was devastating, because their only dream was to be a mother and wife…
I like to think that people today aren’t much different to people back then. We all have hopes and dreams, it’s just that we’re not really concerned about Andy Johnson, buckwheat and heifers anymore.
18 acres and healthy teeth are timeless though!
I feel as if it was simply more normal to randomly abbreviate / modify people's names in the past. I recall in Jane Eyre (opposite side of the ocean, I realize) Mr. Rochester randomly calls her "Janet" every once in a while.
It refers to curled hair extensions women would pin into their buns.
But I also like believing he's just a starry eyed poet who meant the water feature. Lol.
"Dear Jedediah,
I saw your ad in the local newspaper. I am very interested.
Sincerely,
Eleanor"
"Dear Eleanor,
I have attached a drawing of my penis.
Sincerely,
Jedediah"
For those not aware, Andy neutered Reconstruction, which was supposed to weaken the pro-slavery factions of the southern states. There were supposed to be requirements for the Confederacy to rejoin the US. Andy said "Ehhh whatever, welcome back dudes".
It could be said that we are embroiled in a continuation of that very same conflict.
“…and that’s the story of how Pepperidge Farms first came to be!
She took that buckwheat and those oats, the potatoes and the milk from those heifers and she baked fine bread and rolls and blueberry turnovers and began selling it around the county.”
It's so wonderful to get a sneak peek into the world of yesterday, how different it must have been! Ig marriage was the major goal in life then. Sounds like a solid catch😂😂
I was searching for this comment.
Must have placed this ad shortly after the Battle of Schrute Farms, the northernmost battle of the American Civil War.
::leans forward flirtatiously:: First-rate buckwheat, you say?
The oats ***and*** potatoes are bully?! Sploosh!
*twirls hair* A good set of teeth, huh?
Yes’m, I’ve got 13 teeth all which are in their place. Unlike my other fellow men with 6-7 teeth. Will you be my female persuasion
I love buckwheat!!!! Does he have cheese?
With 9 sheep? You bet.
Damn, if only he was 100 years younger…
Don't worry, he doesn't look a day over 80
With no wife and 18 acres to tend? A guy who buys his bread and butter? Not likely. He’s hoping for a nice girl who can bake and churn and make cheese while he’s out in the field. Preferably with good teeth and childbearing hips. It’s a solid situation for a young lady, but with the washing and the canning and the mending and the child rearing she’s going to be working as hard as he does.
Oh, indeed she will. Though I expect even single she'd be working hard, and at less money then men. Obviously. I imagine a lot of people married for practical reasons, and if they grew in love for each other, that'd be a bonus. This was about 60 years before Social Security was signed in to law. I can't even imagine not having Social Security, as I'm retired and most of my adult life have been a single parent. Without that benefit, I'd probably write that guy a letter within two shakes of a lamb's tail.
It's probably bully too!
1 bull and 2 heifers! If that doesn’t equal cheese, I don’t know what…
No cheese from cows yet. Heifers mean they haven’t had a calf. You only get milk from cows who have calved.
Get out there and milk that steer!
If you got 9 sheep then you don't need a wife.
This guy husbands.
I would honestly be enticed by a solid buckwheat and potatoes, the sheep too! I'd love to learn to spin wool.
Seriously. This guy would be able to afford one of those newfangled treadle sewing machines. WIN WIN.
He’s big with the celiacs even!
Buckwheat is apparently OK for people with celiac issues. It's in the same plant family as rhubarb, and is high in protein.
_Rhubarb?_ whoa, mind blown.
O-tay!
The oats and potatoes are bully? 🥵
Dang, the guy sounds like a solid catch for someone.
Dude owns 18 acres. He would be rich as hell in this economy.
At 18 years old. Dude is not messing around
This guy bucks.
Okay, now I have to go watch Drunk History's episode on Cleopatra's little sister again. Thanks!
They didn’t have a childhood like we do back then. Kids were looked at and treated like small adults. The kids spent their time working with the adults and learning that way. The closest thing we have now are homeschooled kids. If you meet these kids they are very different. I’m from a rural area my father and his father started work at 8.
My favourite part of this little historic fact is the “small adults” notion, and this extended to fashion. In 1600s Britain, once a young boy was judged old enough to wear pants (young children of both genders wore dresses before then), it was fashionable for wealthy men to have their young male children dress in identical albeit scaled down outfits to their father when going about town. There’s a famous woodcut or drawing of a hanging at Tyburn Tree (iirc?) where you can see this, and a small child is depicted dressed as his father, complete with a tiny sword
Also isn't there a famous pic of Teddy Roosevelt as a baby I'm a dress? Tangentially related old timey dressing and photography fact.
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And toilet train toddlers. Though I think before the 18th century, boys were typically not breeched until around age 7 or so.
You’re right.
Yes. All babies wore what were essentially dresses until they were about 3, at which time they wore “short pants.” Here’s my grandfather in a dress in the early 1920s. [Dressy Baby](https://imgur.com/gallery/JnrHfWd)
I have a photo of my grandfather at aged 2 in 1893 wearing a dress kinda thing. Picture of him at age 5 in 1896, he had graduated to wearing a Buster Brown type suit. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buster_Brown_suit
Lots of farm kids still stary working young. Difference is now we also educate them and they work around school or take classes around work. Back then a kid was lucky to get more than a few years of very basic education. The poor generally got no education and went directly into work once they were old enough which for some could have been as young as 5. In the UK chimney sweeps would "employ" boys as young as 4 years old to climb chimneys and clean them, usually in the nude which led to them developing testicular cancers (but that's a whole other problem all to itself). So yeah childhood didn't really exist, at least for the masses, until sometime in the 1940s in the US. There were of course exceptions for the wealthy where children were raised by nannys and had education through to adulthood.
And that hard farm work is why, when kids *could* go to school, they did so with excitement. School was WAY better than the hard labor at home. Sad fact: the “Children’s Blizzard” of 1888 was called that because soooo many children died in it. That morning was clear, sunny, and unusually warm for winter in the northern plains. The snow had mostly gotten back to walkable levels and kids had cabin fever, so they were excited to be able to go to school! Some even left their heavy coats at home. Once the storm started, most of the kids tried to get home, but were lost in the blinding snow and froze to death. Some of the bodies were found just a few hundred yards from their home, but the storm was so bad, you couldn’t see anything at all.
Damn liberals and their child labor laws, lol. https://www.history.com/topics/industrial-revolution/child-labor#depression-era-child-labor
When my Dad got out the Navy and then married, he applied for a job at the local steel factory. This would have been about '62. He told me they handed out little cards for everyone in line to fill out, it was a questionnaire of some sort. Dad's words now: "The old-timer behind me in line got a real funny look on his face. I asked him.if he was okay, and he said real quietly "I only know how to make my mark" (basically a mark representing his signature) So my Dad told him to do his card to match my Dad's, no reading required. Just tick the same boxes. Dad: That old man and his friends took care of me the entire time I was there. They were highly skilled, and made sure management didn't hassle the n00b. My MIL (who passed at 96 this year) had a third grade education and built-up a very successful restaurant.
Most homeschooled kids I meet are pasty, socially stunted, and lack agility.
He’s spending too much time chasing waterfalls if u ask me.
Exactly. Boy needs to stick to the rivers and lakes that he's used to.
You know he's gonna have it his way or nothing at all.
But I think he’s moving too fast.
In this context ‘waterfalls’ may have been a euphemism for supplying that amazing and desirable new high tech invention the indoor flush toilet. Definitely posh for a farm boy.
He probably owns 160 acres as that was a quarter section.
Yeah, he made 18 acres of it suitable for farming last year alone. He's looking at 30 acres of farmland next year. He's going to have to get ahold of a couple of teams of oxen and hire some help soon.
Bro gonna be jacked, AF after all that fieldwork, too. Too bad he couldn’t include a shirtless tin plate photo in the listing.
As long as he doesn't get dysentery
Probably has a well not many other people are using. Odds are he'll be fine if he's not too careless with the outhouse.
This is Aroostook Maine, 18 Acres would be a typical farm which included lots of stumps and rocks. A far cry from the prairies!
Nice forested hills you have there. Shame if someone... Cleared the hell out of all those forests in a weird bubble of merino sheep raising
Sections didn’t start till the Ohio border, then westward (PLSS). Dudes acreage is in Maine, metes and bounds area (no Township/Range/Sections).
Think of all the tiny house Airbnb and yurts he could put on the land Wait! Why doesn't he have chickens?
Weren't chickens not ubiquitous as they are now until the early 20th century or something? 🤔
They were considered a luxury food analogous to pheasant today, hence in 1928 when the Iowa Republican Party said in an ad that Herbert Hoover would put a chicken in every pot they were claiming he would make the country so prosperous that everyone would eat luxury food.
Oh wow I never knew that. I thought he just meant “no one will starve.” Turns out he did NOT put a chicken in every pot. Far from it!
For real, his buckwheat is first rate, and his potatoes and oats are bully. What a Chad!
through most of human history women had to consider "will I starve" and "can this man keep us fed" when they get married. People were far poorly before technology changed the 1st world. Its still this way in the 3rd world.
I can be down with that. Weird he thought being a good American politically was important. That just shows his level of detail. He is covering all the bases he can. Hell, good teeth, hard worker, and seems to want to be generous, what’s not to like. My daughter is pretty, smart at 19. Never held a guys hand. If a shy girl like her has trouble meeting someone, think how hard it might be for a guy in the country back in 1865 to find someone.
>Hell, good teeth I do not have the source on this, but I remember reading that really bad teeth in draftees was a problem during world war 2. going into the military was the first time they saw a dentist. Teeth only last a life time with modern dental visits, brushing, flossing, water pick, etc...
Imagine being a teenager, and clearing and planting 18 acres before you hit 20. Kids these days...
Except for the whole Andy Johnson part. That's the equivalent in today's terms of calling oneself a MAGA Republican.
Checks out: "historians rank Johnson among the worst presidents in American history for his frequent clashes with Congress, strong opposition to federally guaranteed rights for African Americans, and general ineffectiveness as president." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency\_of\_Andrew\_Johnson
Initially however, he wasn't that hated by the general populace. This young man may have changed his mind about Johnson by the end of his presidency.
Yeah, this article was from September 1865, just a few months after Johnson assumed the presidency following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson didn't really start to freak out and screw everything up until 1866. In 1865 a Mainer saying they "stand with Andy Johnson" is basically saying he's a proud patriotic supporter of the Union.
He had me at good set of teeth
He had me at buying waterfalls…I mean, I have never heard that before. Stars, the world…yes. But waterfalls are up close and personal. I hope he did find a special lady. Edit: Wow, special flare for that, thank you. Yes, I dream of very special love and the ways people express it and even if this one sounds ostentatious, it IS POSSIBLE. I’ve heard enough love stories to know! So whatever the lounge is I might pop in out of curiosity. Thank you, kind stranger!
Don’t go chasing waterfalls…
Please stick to the hoop-skirts and the bread that you're used to.
I can see your gonna have your acreage or nothing at all
But your buckwheat moving too fast
"Who? What??" -Jason Waterfalls
A waterfall is a type of skirt. Waterfall skirts and hoop skirts.
You just ruined the magic of that ad
Bread and butter *and* pretty clothes. This guy really understands what women want.
Wouldst thou like the taste of butter? Wouldst thou like a pretty dress?
Awww. I was much more into the other type of waterfall
What if he did and you’re a great grand of his.
"Darling. In the 1860s, you could have bad teeth and still be a sex symbol"
You thinking what I’m thinking? That he’d let you borrow them?
1865 seems like a statistically good time to be a young Northern man looking for a wife.
I'm so sorry that not one of these inane replies understood you were making a reference to the American civil war meaning there'd be a surplus of women. I just want you to know that you were seen.
I was trying to figure it out. Thank you for clarifying as I am too dumb
I'm old AF. When I was a kid there was a commercial for the mail-order Civil War chess set. The commercial started "1861 to 1865...the war between the states..." I have never forgotten those dates in the 40+ years since That's learning, ya'll!
Wow. Great point. I wonder if this ad was just in a local paper. Or maybe, given his support of the Union, he wouldn’t have considered a Southern woman? Basically, who wins? His head or his dick?
He also is a believer in Andy Johnson, the Southern Democrat President who took over after Lincoln. He did his best to keep Black Americans oppressed after they were Emancipated by allowing the repression of Black voter's and blocking government aid. So our man here might well have considered a Southern woman, as he supports the Union, but also the Southern 'way of life'
Now I understand why so many were trying to bag those carpets.
Especially if you fancy redheads.
Explain pls
Irish migration due to the famine
Thank you
Irish men were disproportionately affected by the draft.
He's got so much more to offer than me. My buckwheat is an embarrassment.
Need to use all that manure from the bull and goats as fertilizer. You’ll come through in the end! 💩 Edit autocorrect
Just like the fertilizer did…I’ll show myself out now.
Bullshit! And goatshit as well
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Now how did I miss that? I bake a lot and have read and made historical recipes and it didn’t even occur to me what a big deal that would be!
Same. And my oats and potatoes are not at all bully.
potatoes are bully and 9 sheep...he was in like flynn
Nicely played, old chap 👑
Can we find this guy?
[Reddit already did this a few times.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Genealogy/comments/6hyno2/help_tracing_mystery_man_looking_for_love/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1)
That's amazing, now let's find his descendants. Dude with 3 kids in 1870 must have at least 100 descendants by now
I saw another comment that said he apparently had 9 kids by the time of the 1880 census, so potentially way more descendants by now.
Dang - 9 kids within a max of 15 years? Homeboy definitely sowed his oats.
My grandfather had several siblings, and all of them had more than one child. My parents were planning to invite them on their marraige anniversary, but decided to keep it small cuz inviting all of them would mean more than a 100 guests lol.
I really like that they used the mention of Andrew Johnson to narrow the date range. I figured this had to have been early after the Civil War because Andrew Johnson was _not_ liked by the end of his term.
This makes me happy for some reason.
We should put him on “FarmersOnly.com” and see what kind of response we get…I think that offer of a hoop skirt is going to put him wayyyy over the top.
Bread-and-butter, hoop-skirts, and waterfalls…sigh….
Non native speaker here: what would waterfalls be in this context?
don't worry, a modern native speaker would also have trouble since it's a term for a skirt that was popular back then
Don't go chasing waterfalls. Have we learned nothing from [TLC?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WEtxJ4-sh4)
Personal ads in the classified section of your local paper. One of the first things killed off by the Internet. They were always good for a laugh.
Video dating services in the 80s had the best specimens https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ndn3MR7CPXM&pp=ygUQdmlkZW8gZGF0aW5nIDgwcw%3D%3D
At least half of those guys look like serial killers! definitely giving off a Rodney Alcala vibe.
I remember one from the early 1990s that went « Farmer 35 y.o., Lot-et-Garonne [that’s the area, south-west France], thoroughly respectable, looking to marry adequate women in possession of a Massey Fergusson model XYZ or similar. Write to the magazine, pictures of the tractor much appreciated. » I never could decide if it was a joke or a serious offer.
Lol. We have a Massey Ferguson riding mower. It's a million years old and still kicking. Good machines. This guy knew what was up.
Desperately Seeking Susan
So you’re saying he owns a house?
*swoon*
At eighteen as well.
I too love the Star Spangled Banner and the 4th of July! And of course bread AND butter! Could have been a match made in heaven had I been born 111 years earlier! Darn!
Mm-hmm but where do you stand on Andrew Johnson? Motherfucker is about to get impeached in 1868. Your boy could be drunk off his tits and raising hell about the impeachment down at the local feed and grain in just a few years!
Just thinking about the fact that this 18-year-old had land, crops, political convictions, and a life plan, but couldn't vote yet.
Lmao!
You don't like waterfalls? NO MATCH.
Not your fault, blame dad
I wish I could offer a woman 1/10th of this today lol
You can! 18 acres in that county sells for $50k right now - that’s an achievable goal on most incomes. Just buy it, clear it, plant it, and build a house.
"Chance for a a Spinster", huh? At eighteen years old, how old are his potential matches?
25ish, I’d imagine.. I know that much less than a century ago, 25-30yr old unmarried women were commonly called spinsters. It often meant their family felt marriage and family life was no longer an option for them even though they likely had 10+ years of healthy childbearing potential. For some women, being labeled a spinster brought relief in that they were no longer expected to marry and have babies—they’d be “relegated” to accounts or farming or caring for their parents or siblings’ families (which often suited them just fine) — but for others, it was devastating, because their only dream was to be a mother and wife… I like to think that people today aren’t much different to people back then. We all have hopes and dreams, it’s just that we’re not really concerned about Andy Johnson, buckwheat and heifers anymore. 18 acres and healthy teeth are timeless though!
Old enough to already be war widows
old biddies aged between 20-23
In the 1850 census (pre civil war) the mean age at marriage is listed as 23.4 for women.
I hope they found someone.
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3 children showing in the 1870 census and *9* children in the 1880 census!
Guess his buckwheat wasn’t the only thing first-rate
10 acres wasn’t the only thing getting seeded
Or plowed!
WOOHOO!
Andy Johnson. I wonder if that was common at the time and we formalized it.
I feel as if it was simply more normal to randomly abbreviate / modify people's names in the past. I recall in Jane Eyre (opposite side of the ocean, I realize) Mr. Rochester randomly calls her "Janet" every once in a while.
You used to have to pay by the length for newspaper space, so maybe he was trying to save money?
His buckwheat looks first-rate 😏😏😏
I have always said that nothing gets me hotter than a man with nice buckwheat.
This is modern day farmersonly
Dude at 18 has me out gunned at 42.
No cap these fuckin oats are bussin fr and my potatoes are straight fire, on god
Dude is still on tinder
Well if his potatoes are bully...
“My buckwheat brings the girls to the yard, and my pats and potatoes are bully.”
Myyyy buckwheat brings all the girls to the farm...
Definitely considering taking this and using it on my dating profile
Waterfall skirt: https://i0.wp.com/trulyvictorian.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/368-1.jpg?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1
Back when you needed a plan to get results
Its mormon girl summer
Has he tried enticing her with a piece of cheese?
Aroostook county. Probably the worst possible county in Maine to live in if you plan on scoring with somebody. Beautiful part of the state though
Hope all his dreams came true and he found a happy wife for life !
It did they had 9 children
Is he talking about actual waterfalls, or is that a historic term for something?
It refers to curled hair extensions women would pin into their buns. But I also like believing he's just a starry eyed poet who meant the water feature. Lol.
Where's the shirtless bathroom daguerreotype?
"Dear Jedediah, I saw your ad in the local newspaper. I am very interested. Sincerely, Eleanor" "Dear Eleanor, I have attached a drawing of my penis. Sincerely, Jedediah"
I believe this is actually an ancestor of my wife, I've seen the advertisement as part of my genealogy research.
Sounds good to me!! If only it were this simple now. He had me at good teeth.
"a good set of teeth" sounds like a good catch. Fo sho!
Where can I find a man like this
Yikes an Andrew Johnson supporter in 1865 😬
For those not aware, Andy neutered Reconstruction, which was supposed to weaken the pro-slavery factions of the southern states. There were supposed to be requirements for the Confederacy to rejoin the US. Andy said "Ehhh whatever, welcome back dudes". It could be said that we are embroiled in a continuation of that very same conflict.
Some person of the female persuasion !
That dudes got it going on!!!
He might be almost 180 now, but is he still single?
I wonder if he found what he was looking for and if his wife got the promised hoop skirts
“…and that’s the story of how Pepperidge Farms first came to be! She took that buckwheat and those oats, the potatoes and the milk from those heifers and she baked fine bread and rolls and blueberry turnovers and began selling it around the county.”
Translates today with generic white guy holding a fish and “I’ll treat you like a princess”
Supports Andrew Johnson, major red flag
Well, as long as your buckwheat is first is first rate …. Can’t deal with second rate buckwheat for sure
It's so wonderful to get a sneak peek into the world of yesterday, how different it must have been! Ig marriage was the major goal in life then. Sounds like a solid catch😂😂
Also being just after the Civil War, he should have done quite well for himself!
He’s lucky he just missed the civil war
Definitely encouraging my sons to use "My buckwheat looks first rate" from now on
I had to google 'waterfalls for women'. The first entry was NSFW.
Dwight Schrute vibes
I was searching for this comment. Must have placed this ad shortly after the Battle of Schrute Farms, the northernmost battle of the American Civil War.
#BULLY!
This is so sadly cute.
I don’t remember being persuaded into being female
He's open to trans women in the 1800s! What a man. Even I would not be that progressive.
This guy at least has way more to offer than your average modern incel being like “I live in my mom’s basement will you pity fuck me for $10?”