Costs of Starting a Farm in Illinois in 1843

Excerpt from Eight Months in Illinois by William Oliver
(originally published in 1843; SIU Press, 2002

Cost of Buying, Fencing, and Improving 80 Acres of Land in Randolph County, Illinois

Purchasing 80 acres of land at 1 dollar 25 cents per acre
100.00
Making 10,000 rails at 1 dollar per 100
100.00
Hauling (same) 3 miles
80.00
Building (rail fence) at 1 dollar per day
12.00

To put 80 acres into fields of 20 acres requiring half the quantity of ring fence
96.00
Planting sod corn requiring about one bushel to 4 acres at 30 cents per bushel
6.00
Breaking up 80 acres at 2 dollars 50 per acre
200.00
Sowing with wheat in the fall, one bushel of wheat per acre, at 80 cents per bushel
64.00
Sower, six days, at 1 dollar per day
6.00

Harrowing 12 days, at 1 dollar 50c. per day
18.00

Cutting, hauling home, and setting up corn, at 1 dollar 50c. per acre
120.00

Harvesting wheat, at 1 dollar 25 cents an acre
100.00
Hauling and stacking do. At 57 cents per acre
45.60
Thrashing by small thrashing mill hauled about the country; and which thrashes 100 bushels per day, at 6 ¼ cents a bushel; allowing the ground to have produced 22 bushels an acre
110.00

Hauling to market a day's journey, or from 25 to 30 miles, at 12 ½ cents per bushel
220.00
Total expenditures
1277.60

Value of Produce Raised from 80 Acres of Land During Two Seasons with One Ploughing and Harrowing

80 acres of sod corn, 30 bushels per acre at 30 cents per bushel 720.00
80 acres of wheat producing 22 bushels per acre at 80 cents per bushel 1408.00
Deduct outlay for building 439.77 ½
Deduct outlay for land, fencing, etc. 1277.60
Total income 2128.00
Net profit after expenses 410.62 1/2

In addition, a farmer who labored himself would also need the following:

1 pair of trained oxen
55.00
Waggon, plough, and gear for oxen
100.00
Axe
1.75
Wedges
1.00
Total
157.75

Comparative prices in Illinois for the years 1830, 1837, and 1840:

Product 1830 1837 1840

Wheat, per bushel
.50 1.25 .80
Indian corn, per bushel .21 .50 .36 ¼
Oats, per bushel .35 .50 .36 ¼
Castor oil beans, per bushel .75 1.13 1.25
Good horses, each 55.00 120.00 120.00
Cows, per head 8.00 17.00 15.00
Work oxen, a pair 45.00 70.00 55.00
Three-year-old steers 11.00 18.00 18.00
Three-year-old heifers 10.00 18.00 16.00
Beef, per hundred pounds 2.00 3.75 4.50
Pork, per hundred pounds 2.00 3.75 3.00
Mutton, per pound - - .6 1/4