One Maine Farm in 1860 - 52 Ancestors #32

The Carter Farm in Middle Intervale

Elias Mellen Carter is one of my 3rd great-grandfathers and I've written about his interesting life several times before now. However, I keep finding interesting documents that give insight into his life. He was born on September 11, 1811, the seventh child, and the youngest son of Dr. Timothy & Frances (Freeland) Carter. His mother died when he was only four years old. His father remarried and had five more children. He was very active in town affairs. As a Justice of the Peace, he married many couples and he served as the town clerk among other positions. The farm is still in the family so it was especially interesting to find the 1860 enumeration of farm activities.

From the 1860 Federal Non-Population Schedule:

150 acres improved
150 acres unimproved
$3000 cash value of the farm
$50 value of farming implements and machinery

4 horses
7 milk cows
2 working oxen
18 other cattle
30 sheep - yielding 60 lbs of wool
2 pigs
$20 value of animals slaughtered
$500 value of livestock on hand

28 bushels of wheat
20 bushels of rye  
24 bushels of Indian corn
100 bushels of oats

2 bushels of peas and beans
200 bushels of potatoes
60 bushels of buckwheat


$60 value of orchard products - probably apples

100 lbs of butter

8 tons of hay produced

Signature - E M Carter

Elias married Rebecca Williamson on August 10, 1837, and they had eleven children. Unfortunately in September 1861, they lost five daughters to diphtheria. Their son, Augustus Mellen Carter, fought in the Civil War and became a surveyor for the railroads and the paper producer, the Brown Company.

Eventually, Augustus took over the farm and I'll post the 1880 Non-Population Schedule soon to show the expansion of products and increase in value.

The Homestead that has been in the family for 7 generations
Elias Mellen Carter - Squire of the Little Village
Tragedy Strikes - The deaths of five daughters
Letters from Elias to his brother, Timothy Jarvis Carter that I found on Ebay
Transcription of one of the letters
Transcription of the other letter
Newspaper article about a fire in the home of Elias
Passing Down the Mellen Name

Elias Mellen Carter
Augustus Mellen Carter
Edward Mellen Carter
Thomas Richard Carter - my grandfather