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He "lent a hand" to all projects being developed at the Skinner home, especially with the erection of a large log shop which Jedediah was building for the express purpose of having a place where any member of the family could come and feel free to work on any project in which he was interested. He listened to the discussions by the family on the scientific inventions of Hannah n s brother Elijah, who 'was considered insane when he talked of railroads, conversing over wires, and sending news along wires by electricity long before these improvements were developed. He was there while Elijah was developing his idea for a serpentine waterwheel and an endless screw, for which he later received patents. No doubt William Fullington Folsom spent more time assisting with the work in the shop than he did in courting Hannah.
He possessed an urge to get ahead, but 1809 was not a time of progression. War clouds with acts of aggression were reported everywhere. England was having a hard time living up to her claims in America. However, the date for the wedding was set for August 9, 1809.
All the summer preparations for the wedding had been going on. Once when William called at the Skinner home, Hannah was leaching lye for soap. That was a dirty job, and they laughed together at her untidiness. Another time she was just coming from the smokehouse where she had been attending the fire. It was burning too briskly, and she had to "smolder" it. William helped her beat the flax stocks to soften them ready for spinning for her linen, and together they often went ‘berrying’ for elderberries and blackberries for preserves and wine. Trying to talk above the noise of the spinning wheel never proved satisfactory; there was too much "hum" and at times when she sat tatting or crocheting for her lovely underthings there was no time to hold hands. William generally managed to be in the shop when there was butter to churn and pack into salt. Apple-paring parties and cornhuskings were not too bad, he thought, if there was plenty of popcorn and molasses candy to go along with. As he watched Hannah assist her mother with all these preparations he decided that he was "just plain lucky" to be getting such a wife. By the time of the wedding, Hannah's trousseau, or "bride's fitout" as it was then called, was the envy of her girl friends.
Then came the scrubbing and cleaning of both the house and the shop. The boys shifted the mechanical devices and other working material into a lean-to shed and the shop was cleaned for a dance. Pans, kettles, crocks and tubs were borrowed from the neighbors to prepare food for a community affair. Mother Sarah hired some of the food cooked in the home by friends. Such a display of food as was spread out on the great tree-slabs held up by tressels! Jedediah was no wealthy man, but he was a good provider. There were baked beans with plenty of side pork and molasses, homemade bread and butter, smoked meats, goose, turkey, chicken, cheese, doughnuts and tarts, suet puddings boiled in their cotton sacking served with brandied sauce. A ewe and a shoat cooked on an outdoor spit was delicious. Some Indians Jedediah had kept from starving one particularly cold winter, brought venison and partridges. The beverages were homemade wine, brandy and cider.
Note: At that period of our national history there was no surplus commodities program. Every man planted his grain, took out his flour and stock feed and carried his surplus to the nearest home distillery. Hard liquor stood on the cellar shelves as part of the food supply, along with the crocks of salted butter and preserves, vegetables and smoked meats. Whatever liquor was in excess of the home needs was sold.