August 31 thru September 3, 1886

As always, click on the picture to enlarge for easier reading of original. Feel free to contact me with corrections, additional information, or comments. Additional information can be checked out with the links to the right.

Tuesday - August 31, 1886 -- Sarah and Henry are still visiting in Mansfield, PA. They go with Henry's brother Robert, and his wife Mary to visit Clarence Allen and family. Robert does not stay, but the others have dinner with the Allens. They then go back to Mansfield for tea with N.A.Ridgeway at their home. The Ridgeways evidently have a microscope, and are very interested in it. They share their love of the microscope, including giving them a book called "Half Hours with the Microscope". Image from the book below.


Don's note -

Half-hours with the Microscope; being a popular guide to the use of the microscope as a means of amusement and instruction (1863) by Edwin Lankester. Published in 1863, R. Hardwicke (London) Info on Edwin Lankester here -- read the whole book here

This book was evidently very popular at the time - Published in 1853, 1874, 1907, and a re-print in 2007! It might sound strange, but it seems really cool to know a specific book that Henry owned and read besides the Bible of course. Sort of the same sensation I get reading the "Neopolitan Record" from that year!

Wednesday - September 1, 1886 -- Sarah, Mary (Robert's wife). and Henry's mother, have dinner with Uncle Raymond Mills and his wife Lydia. Henry waxes poetic about how pleasant their retirement seems to be, and comments that they seem to be aging, and he is reminded that "we to are growing old". They leave for home and stay overnight in Tioga with Henry's nephew, James H Olney and his wife. This is probably Tioga, PA as this is on the way home. They go to prayer meeting with them.

Thursday - September 2, 1886 -- They head home about 8AM, and make it to Savona, and the home of Henry Shavers. They get there around 1PM, and stay overnight. They look over his farm, and go for a drive around the area.

Friday - September 3, 1886 -- They head home about 8AM, and stop for dinner with Mrs. A.G.Fowler - not sure where she lives, (based on the timing - probably around Prattsburgh - they leave her house around 3PM) They went back by the other route through Prattsburgh, etc. on what is now Route 53, since they pass through Ingleside around 6PM, and arrive home a half hour later. (just as a note, Ingleside to their house is about 2 miles?) They are glad to be home for a rest, but learn that they have visitors - Uncle Foster Roberts and his wife and daughter are there, but seem to be out, so they can rest a while before entertaining company. --- From Dad's records -- Foster Roberts is married to Hulda Weld and she is a sister of Lydia Matilda Weld, Sarah's mother. Thus these folks are Great Uncle / Aunt of Sarah.

August 27 thru August 30, 1886

As always, click on the picture to enlarge for easier reading of original. Feel free to contact me with corrections, additional information, or comments. Additional information can be checked out with the links to the right.

Friday - August 27, 1886 -- They continue their trip to Mansfield to visit Henry's older brother Robert and family. They leave Savona around 8AM after Henry showers. I'm not sure where they are staying... I presume with friends or relatives who are lucky enough to have a shower. Henry showers twice! They drive to Lawrenceville where they stop to feed the horses around 2PM. They stop at Tioga to visit James (Henry's younger brother?), and make it to Mansfield around 5:30. About a 40 mile trip in 9 hours minus stops to feed the horses and visit James. Henry notes that it is hot and very dusty! 90 degrees.

Saturday - August 28, 1886 --- They go to visit Henry's mother, Mary, and his younger sister Adelaide. Sarah and Henry to with his mother to the Baptist Society Meeting, but Henry leaves early because he is not feeling well, and does not feel like running around much.

Sunday - August 29, 1886 --- They go to the Baptist church again, and hear the farewell sermon of Elder Hodder. There is a full house for this event. I'll quote Henry here -- "Elder Hodder is a man of pleasant address and gentlemanly appearance, and will make his mark someday." Henry describes him as an "ellocutionist" (sic) Henry seems to disagree somewhat with his religious beliefs though because he says "Spiritually however, there is room for growth".

Monday - August 30, 1886. Henry and Sarah take tea at his Mother's place. They are joined by Mary (Henry's sister?), Uncle Raymond Mills (Henry's Mother's brother), and a Mrs. Ridgeway. It rains finally. Afterward, Henry takes Raymond Mills home. Henry says he is feeling better, but still not well.

August 23 thru August 26, 1886

As always, click on the picture to enlarge for easier reading of original. Feel free to contact me with corrections, additional information, or comments. Additional information can be checked out with the links to the right.

Monday, August 23, 1886 -- They "fix" the butter, and take it to Slatterys in Bloods, and get paid the agreed upon 16 cents a pound - in cash. They buy some goods, and settle up their account with him. (I'm not sure why the emphasis on cash when they appear to turn around and pay off their account with the cash? There is no mention of this transaction in Henry's August ledger pages. I wonder if the butter was part of Sarah's accounts? Her 1885 diary lists her own separate accounts for eggs, etc.) Henry also buy teeth for the rake from Spencer Hatch. Henry goes to Ingleside to the blacksmith -Avery- for a part to repair the buggy. Some sort of plate under the "circleblock" - I suspect part of the mechanism that would allow the front wheels to pivot? Delos Clark and his wife come to visit. I wonder if "Delos" is the other "D" in D.D. Clark (Devillo Clark) or if this is another Clark?

Tuesday, August 24, 1886 -- Henry and Sarah have stayed overnight in Wayland with daughter Hattie and her family, so I'm wondering if I've got the order of events right for yesterday? Their granddaughter Florence - about 2 years old - is sick, and Henry sends his son-in-law Harm to Wayland for two bottles of "Westlakes Ointment" - cost 50 cents. Westlakes Ointment is listed in a 1917 drug store catalog I found on the web, but I've no idea exactly what it is? They go to Naples on the way home, and pay Granby Brothers (clothing store) $30 in cash, and get a receipt. They buy a "brow piece" for a horse bridle for 35 cents. Lois must have been with them because Dr. Fulkerson pulls a tooth for her - cost 25 cents!

Wednesday, August 25, 1886 -- They all attend a church picnic at Maxwell's Point on the southern end of Canandaigua Lake. "There was a long train of waggons (sic) all loaded for the occasion and led by a Donations Barrel. All reached Maxwell's Point in good shape and spent the day in a social and pleasant way riding on the lake." They got home around dark. (somehow this was organized as a fund raiser for something?) Henry comments on the dust - probably kicked up by the wagon train?

Thursday, August 26, 1886 -- They leave for Mansfield, PA to visit family - Henry's brother Robert. They stop in Bloods to transact some business with Slattery, and then drive on to Wallace. Whoever they know in Wallace is not home, and they head on to Bath where they feed the horses, and head on to Savona, NY, arriving about 4PM. Today's time for this part of the trip (32 miles) would be about 45 minutes by the route they took through Bloods (Atlanta), Bath, etc. They stop a few times, but it takes about 7 or 8 hours all together by horse and buggy. The whole trip to Mansfield is about 70 miles. Not sure where they stay in Savona, but Henry notes that he got to shower, which he does again the next morning! He mentions that it is a warm and dusty day.

Don's note - While they have transacted some business along the way, this seems to be a week of not doing much farm work. They have gone to Bloods and Wayland to visit family (Monday and Tuesday), church picnic on Wednesday, and off on a trip to visit family in Mansfield, PA on Thursday. Omar and Mills are probably working on the farm during this time, but Henry does not know what they are doing... I suspect the older girls are taking care of the younger kids at home, and Henry and Sarah are off on their own?

August 19 thru August 22, 1886

As always, click on the picture to enlarge for easier reading of original. Feel free to contact me with corrections, additional information, or comments. Additional information can be checked out with the links to the right.

(Sorry - this one got published early)

Thursday - August 19th -- Henry hitches up a horse and buggy for Jen to go visit Hattie in Wayland along with somebody named Shultz? Grace Weld goes back home. Omar and Henry finish raking and binding oats. Omar then does some more ditching - not sure where or why? Mills does some plowing. Henry and Sarah go to prayer meeting in the evening. The boys draw a load of oats from the rented land at Terneys in the evening. Henry pays W.E.Weld for some spring wheat seed- $5.50. A total of 7 bushels at $1 per bushel. He had previously paid $1.50.

Friday - 8/20/1886 -- Omar goes on ditching, and Mills goes on plowing. Henry goes to Terneys and sets up the oats to dry. He draws the oats in in the afternoon. Slattery - owner of the store in Bloods that they trade with a lot - had come by the Terneys in the morning, and wanted to buy some butter. He offers 16 cents a pound by the tub - 25 pounds. Slattery inspects the butter they have, and they are to deliver it on Monday - for cash.

Saturday - 8/21/1886 - Omar and Mills finish drawing the oats from the field on Terneys place. They also haul away some raspberry brush trimmings. Then Mills does some more plowing, and Omar digs more ditches. Sarah is making a dress. Henry washes the buggy in the afternoon, and in the evening he and Sarah go to Lodge meeting. While in Ingleside Henry gets a couple of shoes set on the horse at a different blacksmith shop? Somebody named Snyder? Could have been somebody who worked for Avery? Cost - 25 cents.

Sunday - 8/22/1886 -- Whole family goes to church for the funeral of Millie (?) Chapman - daughter of Esther Gibbons, by her first husband. Funeral sermon preached by Elder Hibbard. He spoke "at some length on the Doctrine of the Resurrection." After the funeral service, they made some arrangements for a picnic. (see next Wednesday's entry)

August 15 thru August 18, 1886

As always, click on the picture to enlarge for easier reading of original. Feel free to contact me with corrections, additional information, or comments. Additional information can be checked out with the links to the right.

Sunday ---- Henry notes at the top of the page - above the date - giving W.E.Weld 25 cents. Again in the body of the day's entry, Henry notes the 25 cents - saying that this "makes us even again". He also notes on June 6th that he borrowed 25 cents from W.E. Weld, and paid it back. It looks like Henry, who keeps careful track of money transactions, even keeps track of who has loaned him money, and that he has returned the favor..... separate from actually paying in back. They attend church as always on Sunday - Elder Lawton preaches to an overflowing house. They go to visit the Charles Conley family after church along with George and Bell Pulver, and Matt and Julia (Sarah's sister?). They all go back to evening meeting!

Monday --- They rake and bind oats in the morning - Henry notes that the oats have dried a bit too much on the ground, and are more difficult to bind into bundles for stacking. The bundles of oats are tied together with a few strands of oats.... if too dry, the grass like strands probably break easily making the tying difficult. It rains in the afternoon, ending the harvesting process. Omar works on the north wall of the barn, and Henry writes a letter to his brother Robert in Mansfield, PA. Henry seems pleased by the rain, but it makes for extra work on Tuesday.

Tuesday --- they have to reset up the oat sheaves which are very wet from the rain. Omar empties the privy vat - undoubtedly a not too pleasant job. Omar and Mills draw stones off a field, and Omar starts plowing. Henry gets 4 new shoes on Molly at the blacksmith in Ingleside. Sarah is making a dress, and Susie and Welly Conley visit in the evening.

Wednesday --- Omar continues plowing. Sarah and Henry go to Naples for several errands. They buy a pick and shovel at Jordan Brothers, and two large baskets - one 37 quart size, and one 40 quart size. They also take one of Omar's boots to the cobbler for repair - 50 cents. Omar and Henry rake and bind oats in the afternoon. Cora Shultz and Grace Weld come by in the evening and stay overnight.

August 11 thru August 14, 1886

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. My most recent added information is a link to the financial ledger entries in the back of the diary - links to the right of this. Some of the information just confirms diary entries, but sometimes additional information can be gleaned.

Wednesday ---- Henry churns some butter.... this is the first time he has mentioned churning butter. They have sold/bartered at lot of butter, but no previous mention of making it. Henry works in the oat field after churning, and Omar and Mills work in the berries. Aunt Dence is still there ( this probably means she is not Henry's sister Prudence because they saw Prudence and Fowler over the weekend? She was sick over night, but seems to be better today. Omar, Mills, and Henry finish drawing in the oats in the afternoon. Henry and Sarah visit the Terneys at suppertime.

Thursday --- Omar helps Richard Smith with threshing --- removing the grain from the chaff. Henry starts cutting the oats he planted earlier in the year on the 6 acres he rented from the Terneys. He gets about an acre cut with the cradle in the morning. He changes the scythe (blade) on the cradle, and it works much better after that. Sarah goes to Bloods to get sugar.

Friday --- Omar, Mills, and Henry cut, bind, and set up more oats on the Terney place. Sarah has to go back to Bloods to get something she forgot yesterday, and she returns the pail that the sugar came in. Their world was a lot more ecological in those days, and they probably didn't even think about it.

Saturday --- Omar and Mills work in the oats, and Sarah takes Aunt Dence back home. Henry works on repairs on the Democrat waggon and on the buggy. He takes dinner (noon) to the boys working on the Terney place. Sarah visits Jane Terney. Henry and Sarah attend a baptism in the afternoon.... Eber and Ellen Weld are baptized.

August 7 thru August 10, 1886

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. My most recent added information is a link to the financial ledger entries in the back of the diary - links to the right of this. Some of the information just confirms diary entries, but sometimes additional information can be gleaned.

Saturday ---- Sarah picks more raspberries. Henry rakes and binds oats. I'm assuming that the oats had been cut with a cradle - see previous entry - The cut oats would be lying fairly neatly lined up on the ground. They would be raked into small bundles, and tied -with a few strands of oats - and then several bundles stacked on end in a shock with the grain end up to facilitate drying. The bundles were called sheaves.

Henry's field would not have been this large!

Henry takes Old Molly to the blacksmith ? and finds her foot and ankle not well. He puts a poultice on her ankle. Sarah and Henry go to Fellowship meeting in Ingleside in the afternoon, and Grange in the evening.

Sunday ---- They go to church as always, and see Henry's sister Prudence and her husband Fowler there. They call on Abigail Polmateer after church - she is evidently still not doing well. They go home for dinner, and then to visit the Terney's. Jane Terney is not well, so they don't stay long. When they get home, they find Prudence and Fowler there, and they stay till evening. Omar and Bart go to Camp Meeting. I'm not sure where the Camp Meeting was, but Camp Meetings were outdoor religious gatherings with a series of people preaching, leading songs, etc. Often they were several days long with people coming from a wide area, and "camping" out for the duration?

Monday --- Henry takes grist to Lyons and Woodruff mill, and gets feed for the animals, and some flour. He also goes to Stoddard and Sons and gets some medicine to treat his lame horse, and pays $5 on his account with them. He also settles accounts with Storey Brothers, Polmateers, and Jordan Brothers, and goes to the Post Office for stationery.

Tuesday --- Omar does some plowing. Henry works in the berries, and Sarah does the washing. Henry rakes and binds some oats after dinner (noon meal) and draws a couple of loads, but finds them too green (not fully seasoned and dry). Jane sends the Polmateer boys to Henry and Sarah's for some "Cedar hemlore oil". Probably something used for medicine for Abigail Polmateer who is sick. Another young man calls on Jen..... F. Clark.

August 3 thru August 6, 1886

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. My most recent added information is a link to the financial ledger entries in the back of the diary - links to the right of this. Some of the information just confirms diary entries, but sometimes additional information can be gleaned.

Tuesday ---- They draw 7 loads of barley. Sarah goes to Naples, and brings home Aunt Dence home to visit for a few days. I'm not sure who this is? Note --- Henry's sister is Prudence, so maybe it is her? Henry's sister Prudence is married to Arnold Fowler. Weld Waite calls to see Jen. (a date?) Henry puts the cows into the wheat field to browse on the stubble.

Wednesday --- Henry finishes drawing the barley. He records that this makes a total of 19 loads. Bart is back home briefly. He evidently came home last night, and is going to Niagara Falls tomorrow.

Thursday --- Omar cradles some grain in the morning.
The cradle was the most efficient means of cutting grain before McCormick's invention of the reaper. The cradle consisted of a broad scythe with a light frame of four wood fingers attached to it. The advantage of the cradle was that by a turn to the left the operator could throw the grain into a swath, ready to be raked and bound into sheaves. This improvement was introduced in America about 1776, according to Professor Brewer of Yale, and was the common instrument of grain harvesting as late as 1840. For cradling grain, two acres was considered a day's work.

Note -- later in life Bart was evidently some sort of champion at cradling... somewhere we have 8mm film of him cradling?

Henry cuts brush growing in the berry patch, and also trims out extra berry canes. Bart and Mills have gone to Niagara Falls for the day... definitely on the train.... they return the same day. Omar picks them up in the evening in Bloods at the train station. The train station in Bloods (modern day Atlanta, NY) has been mentioned before, but below is a picture of the station as it looked yesterday when I was in the area.......Omar spent the afternoon shelling corn. Henry and Sarah go to prayer meeting in the evening.

Friday ---- Not sure what the process is, but they breed one of the cows today. Something about taking the cow to the neighbors for the day (Blodgetts), shutting the bull up all day, and then getting them together at night? Omar cuts oats all day. Henry, Mills and Cad spend another day gathering potato bugs! Aunt Dence is still visiting them, and "seems to enjoy herself".

July 30 thru August 2, 1886

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. My most recent added information is a link to the financial ledger entries in the back of the diary - links to the right of this. Some of the information just confirms diary entries, but sometimes additional information can be gleaned.

Friday --- It has rained heavily overnight, so that limits what they can do in the fields. They work at fence repair and trimming weeds around the fences. Henry helps Sarah pick another 40 quart crate of raspberries, and Jen takes them to D.D.Clark. Omar and Henry harvest some barley toward evening. Henry mentions that Mrs. Polmateer is failing.

Saturday --- Sarah is not feeling well today. She does not pick any berries today. Henry complains about his corns, but manages to cut barley nearly all day - finishing about 2 acres. Sarah, Jen, Mills, and Lois go to Ingleside - presumably for church. They pick up the mail. This indicates that they do not get mail delivery at the farm, and that their mail was held at the store in Ingleside. The set of mail boxes from Ingleside is on display in Rochester, NY at the Museum and Science Center, in a replica "country store" from the 1800's.

Sunday -- They all go to meeting on Sunday, and hear Elder Miller - a F W Baptist minister from Potter Center. (Freewill Baptist) They go to hear him speak again in the evening, and he "speaks many truths, and makes good proof of the Doctrine of Gospel Grace." Sarah "sits up" with Abigail Polmateer all night.

Monday -- They pick more raspberries, and stir out the barley to dry, and get it put up towards evening. D.D. Clark comes by and picks up 107 quarts of raspberries -- all unpaid ---- amount due on berries = $5.61 - 187 quarts total not paid for.