June 24 thru June 27, 1886

If you are new to this blog, the paragraph below appears in every entry to let folks know some basic information. If you are a regular, I've added a line at the end about a new picture of the Olney family that looks to be about 10-20 years later than the time of the diary... link is at the right! As always, click on the picture to enlarge for easier reading of original. Feel free to contact me with corrections, additional information, or comments. Click on the map link to the right of this entry to see more about where places are. Other information can be checked out with the links to the right, including a great family picture of everybody circa 1886, and a picture of the whole family several years later - circa 1900 ???

Just another quick note --- I've added another link to the right with some pictures taken on a sort of genealogy field trip to sites from the diary - and some other things. Lou Olney, and Dave Olney - descendants of Omar, and myself - descendant of Bart - had a great time. Pictures from the trip can be seen here.

Thursday -- The Polmateers finish the masonry work on the barn, and get most of the "pointing" done. The total cost of the work is $7.00. Henry pays them $5.00 and owes them $2.00. Stephen Stanton comes by and gets 3 bushels of wheat. Henry owes him 3 more bushels. Sarah and Henry go to prayer meeting in the evening.

Friday -- Henry and Omar do some finishing work on the barn. They plow, scrape, grade and bank in the new west wall of the barn. Henry builds a "jamb" on the high wall, and they also grade in the road on the house side of the barn. They also lay a "rough wall" on the North end of the barn.

Saturday --- Omar goes on "landscaping" around the barn. Henry "fixes a couple of sticks to fill in against the door" and grades to the top of the sticks. I'm thinking they built a dirt ramp up to the doors on the upper level of the barn, with a wood transition between the earthen ramp and the wood floor of the barn? Omar draws more stones out of some field, and cultivates the potatoes. Sarah and Henry go to visit the Stantons, and then on to choir practice in the evening.

Sunday ---- They go to Sunday School, with some singing before Sunday School opens. Weld Graves spoke at the Baptist House. Not sure if they went there instead of their own church, or in addition. Henry gives his Sunday School class an exam on the last quarter of lessons. William Blodgett and his wife, along with Aunt Fannie Shepard, and Weld Waite come home with them after church. Bart takes Kittie Blodgett to Bloods for "Children's Day". Children's day was a very widespread celebration begun in the mid 1800's A Sunday set apart for the dedication of children to the Christian life, and for the re-dedication of parents and guardians to bringing-up their children in Christian nurture.

Don's Notes -- Bart will marry Catherine (Kittie) Blodgett in a couple of years? - family records show them married on January 18th 1886, but this would not match with the information in this diary. Their first child was my uncle Walter Varion Olney born in 1890. My line begins with their second son William Henry Olney - my grandfather - born June 15th, 1895 A third son - Willard Addison Olney was born in 1903 and died at age 18 months or so. I did not know Bart, but I remember visiting Kittie in Naples when I was a small kid.... she died at the age of 84 when I was four. They are buried in the New Ingleside Cemetery.