Agriculture Schedules - John and Richard Hannan

As quite a few bloggers have mentioned, Ancestry.com now has some Non-Population Schedules from 1850-1880.  They include schedules for agriculture, industry and manufacturing.  Since many of my ancestors were life-long farmers, it seemed time to for me to check them out.

I started with the 1850 schedules for my Hannan relatives in Maine.  I found my ggg-grandfather John Hannan and his son, my gg-grandfather Richard Hannan listed in the Liberty, Waldo, Maine Agriculture schedule, conveniently on the same page.

Each individual begins on the right hand-side page of a two-page spread, and continues on the next page.  Here are the full pages for my Hannan ancestors.

So what do they say?  John's farm is listed as being 100 acres, 20 of them improved (in use) with a cash value of $400.  He lists 3 milch cows (milking), 4 working oxen, 2 other cattle, 12 sheep, and 1 swine (pig).  The total value of the lifestock is reported as $200.  He reports 30 bushels of indian corn, 15 bushels of oats, 25 pounds of wool, 4 bushels of peas and beans 15 bushels of barley, 150 pounds of butter and 15 tons of hay.  Lastly, he reports $50 of home-made manufacture.  The value of his slaughtered animals is $240.  At this time in his life, John had been in the US about 38 years.  He had 2 sons helping him with his farm.  

Richard Hannan, John's son, is listed on the same page.  He reports his farm as being 250 acres, 30 of which are improved.  The cash value is $800.  He lists 1 horse, 2 milch cows, 2 oxen, 2 other cattle, 9 sheep with  a livestock value of $160.  He also has 15 bushels of indian corn, 30 bushels of oats,  28 pounds of wool, 4 bushels of peas and beans, 20 bushels of barley, 50 pounds of butter, 12 tons of hay, $40 worth of home-made manufacture and $100 value of slaughtered animals.  Richard was about 26 years old in 1850.  He had married in 1849.  

Both John's and Richard's farms seem about average in size and content compared to those in the same area.  They are not the largest or most prosperous, neither are significantly poorer than those around them. 

Next up, how did the farms appear in subsequent years.  I also would like to locate the actual location of their farms.  Interesting stuff!!