A bunch more family pictures!

As always click on the above image to enlarge it.

Much thanks to cousin Dave Olney for sending me 17 more family images from the years following the diary year.  The above image is of an Olney Family reunion circa 1913 - 27 years later?

There are 16 other wonderful pictures of various of Henry and Sarah's kids, their wives and husbands, and their kids!  Click here to view my Picassa Web album of these 17 images!

And be sure to check out my 2010 blog of my great uncle Bert's 1894 diary!

December 29 thru 31, 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.

Wednesday, December 29, 1886 --- Henry says he is not feeling well, and does not do much. Bart continues to draw ice. Robert Stanton stayed overnight with the boys. Harmon Ingraham and Hattie (his daughter) and grand daughter Florence came to visit. They are well, and they have brought "butternuts" and popcorn for the kids. Henry sends them home with a couple of pullets and a rooster. (a pullet is a hen less than one year old)

Note: Butternuts are nuts in the Juglans genus, which also includes walnuts. The nuts strongly resemble walnuts, growing in sticky strongly scented pods which split open to reveal a knobbled husk with a shell inside. Butternuts are also sometimes called white walnuts, a nod to their resemblance to conventional walnuts, although they have a far richer, sweeter, flavor and more pale bark and wood. Unfortunately, true butternuts can be very difficult to obtain these days, because they are not cultivated on a wide scale and the butternut crop has been devastated by canker and fungal infections.

Thursday, December 30, 1886 --- Henry has the boys pack away the ice, and then Bart goes to get more ice blocks. John Babcock comes by looking to buy a horse. Henry offers him Old Kitt for $100. Cash, or a good note for 3 months. John stays until toward evening, but does not decide whether to buy Old Kit.

Note: John Babcock is my great great grandfather on my mother's side. This discussion represents two of my great great grandfather's doing business together! This is a good time to note that I bought another diary this past summer. The diary is that of John Babcock's son Bert Babcock. At the time of the diary Bert is 27 year's old. The year is 1894 - 8 years after Henry's diary. (I also have a transcript of a diary of John Babcock) Picture of Bert Babcock below.Bert Babcock is not in my direct line - he had no kids - He is the brother of my great grandfather Leman Babcock..... my grandmother's father.

Friday, December 31, 1886 --- Sarah goes to Naples. Henry and the boys pack the ice into the ice house, cutting the large blocks into thirds, and packing away all the ice that they have hauled so far. Henry sends the resolutions that the church voted on last week to Dayton, Ohio for publication. (This must mean that the church is part of a denomination or other type group based in Dayton.) Henry also writes a letter to Elder Childs. Bart, Mills, Lois, and Jen go to a surprise party. Nina Fox comes over, and goes to the party with Lois.

Henry notes that "it is foggy tonight". And thus ends the 1886 diary entries of Henry Cadmus Olney - my great great grandfather.

The lower part of the right page contains the record of Henry's agreement with Leicester Fox to hire Bart. See entry of March 12 - 15, 1886

December 25 thru 28, 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.

Saturday, December 25, 1886 --- Henry makes no mention of today being Christmas? He does mention that it is Cad's birthday! Henry also notes that Sarah has "cups and saucers enough for two". (I have no idea what this comment is referring to?) Bart and Mills spend part of the day drawing manure. Sarah and Henry go to Ingleside to check the mail. They get a letter from H.F. Waddamus, and a post card from Addie. Omar goes to Bloods and gets hats for Lois and Ettie.

Sunday, December 26th, 1886 --- Sarah and Henry, and Jen, Bart, Mills and Ettie go to church. Elder Hibbard gives a very "applicable discourse". After church service, they have some sort of meeting and organize a Bible class, and appoint a committee to draft a resolution on the death of Isadore Graves. (she must have been a prominent person in their group) They attend an evening service, and Elder Hibbard comes home with them to spend the night.

Monday, December 27th, 1886 --- Henry spends the morning visiting with Elder Hibbard, and then takes him to the train in Bloods after lunch. He buys a broom at Cornishes, and a gallon of kerosene. Bart and Mills clean up some oats, and then clean the sawdust out of the ice house in preparation for harvesting more ice for the coming season. Henry arranges with Lee Manning for him to cut and help load ice cakes at the rate of $3.00 for 200 cakes.

Tuesday, December 28th, 1886 --- Bart draws 6 loads of 15 ice cakes in each load for a total of 90 cakes. ( based on the weight of loads of potatoes and grain from earlier in the year, I would guess the ice cakes at about 100 pounds each? Ice weighs 92% of the weight of the same volume of water. A cubic foot of ice weighs about 57 pounds. Thus the cakes were probably around 2 cubic feet - give or take a bit? One dimension of course would be the thickness of the ice.) They also cut and stored ice back in late February/ early March. Click here. Mills and Henry pack the ice into the ice house as Bart delivers it. They get 5 of the 6 loads packed away. There must have been some sort of event at church this week, because they go to church in the evening to hear a sermon by Elder Lawton. They meet after the service, and examine the resolutions that have been prepared, and decide which to adopt.

(Don's notes --- I can't believe this year with Henry and his family and neighbors is almost over. I'm feeling very odd about not getting my daily dose of family history! - one more entry to go, and that one only 3 days instead of the usual 4!)

December 21 thru 24, 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, December 22, 1886 --- (Note - Henry reversed entries for Monday and Tuesday, so go back to the previous entry to see Tuesdays original copy.) Henry does the chores, and Henry Tenney comes to get some buttermilk, and to invite Henry and Sarah over to visit with them and with Amasa Warren and his wife. They go, and stay until around 9PM.

Wednesday, December 23, 1886 --- Henry does some writing - not sure what - maybe more work on transcribing the church records? He make some arrangements for killing hogs tomorrow. Henry draws some firewood towards evening. Sarah is working on a dress, and Jen goes to see Mrs. George C. Lewis about cutting and making a couple of dresses for her. Bart comes home to stay until after the holidays. (Note: I guess he is staying with Aunt Harriet in Naples, but I'm still not sure who she is, or why Bart is staying in Naples..... maybe going to school there?) (Another note - Henry does not seem to make any mention of Easter or Christmas, but here he does mention "the holidays"?)

Thursday, December 24, 1886 --- Henry and the boys butcher the hogs - starting around 9AM, and finishing around noon. Henry notes that they are good, but not as large as last year. They boys cut up the meat, including sausage meat. Mills grinds the meat, and they get 49 pounds of sausage made. They also get the lard rendered. See note on rendering lard below:

Rendering Lard

"A 225-pound hog will yield about 30 pounds of fat that can be rendered into fine shortening for pastries, biscuits, and frying. The sheet of fat just inside the ribs makes the best quality, snowy-white lard. This “leaf” fat renders most easily, too -- and is ninety percent fat. The “back” fat, a thick layer just under the skin, is almost as good, giving about eighty percent of its weight in lard.

A slow fire and a heavy pot that conducts heat evenly are most important in making lard. Put ¼” of water in the pot to keep the fat from scortching at first. Remove any fibers, lean meat, and bloody spots from the fat, and cut into very small pieces. It’s not necessary to remove pieces of skin, but many people prefer to. Put a shallow layer of fat in the pot. When the first layer of fat has started to melt, add more. Do not fill the kettle to the top -- it can boil over too easily. Stir frequently and keep fire low.

The temperature of the lard will be 212F at first, but as the water evaporates, the temperature will rise. Be forwarned that this will take a long time at low heat and that you must stir the lard frequently to prevent scortching. As the lard renders, the cracklings will float to the surface. When the lard is almost done and the cracklings have lost the rest of their moisture, they will sink to the bottom. At this point turn off the heat and allow the lard to settle and cool slightly. Then carefully dip the liquid off the top into clean containers. Strain the cracklings and residual liquid through cheese cloth. Fill containers to the top -- the lard will contract quite a bit while cooling. Chill as quickly as possible for a fine-grained shortening.

Air, light, and moisture can make lard rancid and sour. So after it has been thoroughly cooled, cover the containers tightly and store them in a dark, cool area.

The residual of cracklings are a favorite country treat. Drain them, add salt, and eat the crispy bits as they are. Or make a spread by chopping them finely with onion, pepper, and other seasonings and simmering them in a ½ cup broth until they are thick and bubbly.

Cracklings can be used like bacon bits to season eggs and vegetables. You can also add ½ cup to your favorite recipes to make “cracklings” biscuits, cornbread, or other quick breads."

Henry Tenney comes to visit in the evening.

Friday, December 24, 1886 --- They had an ice storm overnight - very slippery! Bart takes John to the blacksmith in Ingleside for new shoes on all 4 feet. Henry works on the butchering the meat from the hogs. He cuts up the side meat and salts it. He then prepares the hams and shoulders. Sarah makes head cheese. (Head cheese is basically made by boiling the hog's head until the meat comes loose. Cut up or grind the meat, and mix with the gelatin from the boiled head bones and spices, and allow to set up.) Omar and Henry go to Naples in the afternoon.

December 17 thru 20, 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, December 17, 1886 --- Henry says he does some odds and ends, and then puts up 2 bushels of wheat to be ground for flour for Aunt Harriett. He goes to Naples and leaves the wheat at the Red Mill. He stops at the Photograph Gallery to see if the proofs are done from the photo he had done the other day. He evidently takes the two choices home to decide because hte goes to the photographer on Tuesday with his choice. He also gets a gallon can of Kerosene and some bolts at Jordan's. Bart came home. (Not sure where he was?)

Saturday, December 18, 1886 --- Bart and Mills cut wood, and Henry sharpens the crosscut saw. Henry copies the church records from his notes into the official church book, but does not get quite done. Sarah and Henry attend the Grange meeting. It is the annual election of officers an also delivery night for the items they have ordered through the Grange. Henry pays his 60 cents dues, and $2.52 for his ordered goods.

Sunday, December 19, 1886 --- Sarah and Henry, Jen, Mills, and Lois go to church. Lois goes home with Stephen Stanton. They stay after church for a funeral service for Daniel Eldred's child. Elder Masten preaches. They also attend the evening service. Aaron Drake and Frank Simmons "have unfriendly words" after the morning service.

Monday, December 20, 1886 --- (Henry reverses Monday and Tuesday's entries) Henry puts up a grist of feed for the pigs and takes it to the Red Mill in Naples. (I'm not sure why Henry seems to have switched from Lyon's Mill to Red Mill?) He buys some drill shafts (drill bits?) from Jordan's. He discovers an error on the bill - should have been charged 60 cents, but there is 75 cents on the bill? He stops at the photo gallery to indicate his choice, and is told the pictures will be ready at the end of the week. He also buys a pair of boots at Storey's. (See the next entry for the original copy)

December 13 thru 16, 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, December 13, 1886 --- Funeral service for Isadore Graves at the Ingleside Christian Church. Omar, Jennie, Sarah, and Henry go to the service which is read by Elder Waite, and a prayer is offered by Elder Hibbard. "There was a full house, and many were deeply moved with sympathy."

Tuesday, December 14, 1886 --- Mills does chores and goes to school. (Two things that don't get mentioned often - Henry does not use the word "chores" very often, and in fact does not mention the day to day repeated things like milking, gathering eggs, feeding the pigs, etc. Also, going to school is not something Henry mentions much.) Henry draws some firewood for (?) Polmateer. He sharpens the hand saw and the buck saw and cuts some wood. Jen does the washing, and Sarah bakes, and the children go to school. Sarah rips her old black dress, and prepares to rebuild it. They have beef steak for dinner. (another thing Henry does not mention much - the actual things they eat.)

Wednesday, December 15, 1886 --- Henry takes 4 bags of grist to Naples to be ground for feed for the horses. He goes to the Photography Gallery and sits for a photo. He is to get 12 photos for $2.00. He pays Mr. Saunders $1 deposit. The photographer will send two proofs to choose from. He pays Reed and Tobey $12 for the overcoat, and gets 10 cents worth of bolts at Jordan's Hardware. He also goes to Granby's and gets 1 yard of wigging for 10 cents. As I understand it, wigging is an open canvas-like fabric, used for stiffening and protecting the lower inside surface of skirts, sleeves, etc.

Thursday, December 16, 1886 --- Henry repairs and sharpens the crosscut saw. Sarah and Henry go to Ingleside to visit Vern Drake. Henry settles accounts with the blacksmith Avery, for $5.96. They also see Augustus Weld and his wife. Augustus is Sarah's mother's youngest brother. They go to prayer meeting in the evening.

December 9 thru 12, 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.

Thursday, December 9, 1886 --- Henry makes the rave for the long sleigh from the wood he bought from Nickles yesterday. He also puts a roller in the sleigh, but I'm not sure what that is? Sarah and Henry to to prayer meeting in the evening.

Friday, December 10, 1886 --- Henry continues working on the sleigh, putting the "tung" in it. I presume this is the piece on the front to attach to the horses? They have some visitors - Charles Conley and his wife Susie and Mary Vantuyl (sp?). Henry heads for Bloods to meet Jen part way and bring her home. There is a "donation" for Elder Hibbard. (a donation is a sort of fund raiser event - usually to raise money for the minister?) Henry has a fine time, and there is a good turnout! They raise $104 - a goodly some. Henry gets paid by Briglin for the barley - $169.84. Henry pays $1.40 on his school taxes.

Saturday, December 11, 1886 --- Henry goes to Avery's to pick up Brother J.D. Childs. Elder Hibbard and his wife stayed overnight with Henry and Sarah. They have quite a group over for dinner. In addition to the Hibbards, and Brother Childs, Frank Simmons and his wife, and Stephen Stanton and his wife and brother, and Sister Tenney (Jane?). Henry says that Elder Childs stays overnight. (I had thought that "Brother" and "Elder" were different terms, but Henry refers to Mr. Childs by both terms?) Henry pays Omar $135 on the Note. I presume this is Omar's wages. Henry gets 50 cents back on his school taxes from Owen Pressler because of an error on the school books.

Sunday, December 12, 1886 --- The Sunday service is led by Elder J.D.Childs. Sarah, Henry, Bart, and Mills go to church in Ingleside. Isadore Graves is buried today, but the funeral service is tomorrow morning at the church. They go to visit Sister Hibbard after the service. She is at the Tenney's where she stayed this morning because she was feeling ill. Elder Childs preaches again in the evening.

December 5 thru 8, 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, December 5, 1886 --- Henry, Sarah, Lois, Ettie, and Mills go to church in the forenoon. The young folks go back in the evening, but Henry and Sarah stay home. Henry comments that Omar was home for dinner. I'm not sure where he had been? Winter has set in good! Temperature is 6 below at night!

Monday, December 6, 1886 --- Henry takes a grist of feed for the hogs to Naples to be ground. He takes his overcoat back to Tobey and Reed for alterations. He looks at other coats, but does not find anything he likes better. The ledger in the back indicates that he buys next year's diaries for himself and Sarah - one at 60 cents, and one at 40 cents - from George Watrous? He then goes to Bloods and sells the beef hide from the other day to Cornish - I'm not completely sure what this entry means, but the ledger in the back of the diary indicates that he gets $2.80 plus an 85 cent barrel of salt for the hide - total value of $3.65. He then settles accounts with D. Weld - $5.00. He then buys 18 board feet of lumber from him at 2 cents a foot! He checks with Briglin on the balance due on the barley, but does not get paid.

Tuesday, December 7, 1886 --- Henry goes to visit Henry Tenney, and tries to get some lumber to make raves (One of the upper side pieces of the frame of a wagon body or a sleigh) for the sleigh, but does not find anything suitable. Jane Tenney sends 65 cents -- 40 cents for lard, and 25 cents she had borrowed. Omar comes by in the afternoon on the way to Naples, and takes the Democrat waggon and horses, and brings home the grist from the mill. Henry pays Omar $5 on what he owes him. (More evidence that Omar is staying somewhere else??)

Wednesday, December 8, 1886 --- Henry goes to John Nickles to check on wood for the sleigh raves. John has suitable oak, and Henry buys 20 feet at 2 cents a foot. Henry then finishes banking the house for the winter, and also banks the south end of the barn, and puts a roof over the banking material? Jane Tenney comes by and Sarah cuts pieces for a dress for her. Mart Lawyer comes by and borrows a big kettle.

December 1 thru 4, 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.

Wednesday, December 1, 1886 --- Bart takes another load of Barley to Briglin in Bloods. Jen goes to Bell Glover's wedding at noon. Henry goes to Ingleside and has blacksmith Avery set 4 shoes on Kitt, and also gets 2 1/4 gallons of kerosene. Sarah's oldest brother Harvey Hill comes to visit and stay overnight. Ira (?) Hines comes to visit too.

Thursday, December 2, 1886 --- Bart takes another load of barley - 1550 pounds - to Bloods. Sarah's brother stays until around 11 AM. Bart and Henry bank the house in the afternoon - (when I was a kid we banked the house with hay bales around the foundation -- not sure how they would have banked the house then?) Jen is altering her brown dress, and Mills has evidently had an encounter with a skunk! Mills and Cad move the chickens into the barn.

Friday, December 3, 1886 --- Bart takes another load of barley to Bloods - a total of 112 bushels of number 1 barley, for a total due of $67.50. Henry records that he is to get the $ tomorrow? (The #1 barley reference probably explains the two tier price system by which Henry was paid for the barley) Henry sends Bart with the balance due of $2.07 on the threshing to Ad Robinson. Henry and Bart clean up the barley screenings - chaff left over from the cleaning process --- yielding about 10 bushels that will be used for feed for the animals over the winter.

Saturday, December 4, 1886 --- Henry, with help from Bart and Mills, dress a beef in the forenoon. Sarah goes to Naples to arrange for Bart to room with Aunt Harriet. (Not sure who this is or why Bart will be rooming in Naples?) Sarah and Henry go to fellowship in the afternoon with a "goodly number' in attendance, and go visit Sister Simons afterward. In the evening they go to Grange.

November 27 thru 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.

Saturday, November 27, 1886 --- Bart takes two loads of barley to Bloods to Briglin. First load goes by waggon at 2435 pounds, and the second load by sleigh - 2100 pounds. Omar finishes the ditch, and then Omar and Jen go to Naples. Omar buys a robe at Granby's for $7. Bart gets receipts for the two loads of barley, but does not get paid.

Sunday, November 28, 1886 --- Sarah, Jen, Mills, and Henry go to church and hear Elder Hibbard preach a sermon on the First Epistle of John, Chapter 4. Sarah and Henry go to meeting in the evening too. Jen goes with Fred Tyler to Wheeler Hill. (There is a Wheeler Hill Church in Wheeler, NY - about 14 miles southeast of Ingleside.) Henry notes that Omar goes to the North, and Bart goes to the South -- "They must have a change of climate in view". I'm not at all sure what that means???

Monday, November 29, 1886 --- Bart takes a load of barley to Briglin in Bloods -- 22 bags same as the first load --- but has to leave the bags because the train engine is broken. They can't take another load that afternoon. Bart and Henry clean about 60 bushels of barley in the afternoon. Sarah does the wash and Jen helps. Sarah is not feeling well. Prudie stays home (from school ?) because she does not feel well from a fall yesterday. (I think this is the only time Henry mentions his 8 year old daughter)

Tuesday, November 30, 1886 --- Bart takes another load of barley to Briglin in Bloods, and they finish cleaning the barley in the afternoon. Omar, Jen, and Bart go to a surprise party at Lou Maxfields. Sarah and Heney go to visit Frank Drake in the evening. William and Phoebe Blodgett are there too.

November 23 thru 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.

Tuesday, November 23, 1886 --- Sarah and Henry mend bags - presumably grain/feed bags - maybe for transporting the barley to Bloods. They need 23 bags and while they recently bought some new ones, they only have 6 new ones. Jen goes to spend the night at Julia Marsh's house. Henry gathers teasel to make ointment. Picture of teasel below. The first picture was taken in my yard in mid July. The second picture is what they look like in late November. According to what I can find, the ointment would be made from the roots.... not sure what else is added to make the ointment, but the ointment was believed to soothe rheumatic pain, and to help heal warts, and open sores on the fingers. ( I remember my Dad having lots of problems with cracked and sore hands from farm work when I was a kid.)They also put up a grist of feed for the horses and the hogs.


Wednesday, November 24, 1886 --- Henry goes to Naples with the grist of grain to be ground for the horses and the hogs. While in Naples, Henry gets his watch fixed for 10 cents. He then settles a lot of accounts in Naples with the money earned from the seasons crops.
Jordan Brothers - $31.48 - hardware items
He also buys some strap hinges and nails for 45 cents.

Granby Brothers - $48.69 - clothing
Granby's also seems to take some butter at 20 cents a pound.. not sure of the accounting - maybe 59 pounds?

Reed and Tobey - $16.20 - clothing

Lewis Brothers - $3.41 - clothing

Storey Brothers - $14.00 - shoes and clothing

He also goes to Morgans for some sundries including a sponge - 30 cents.

Thursday, November 25, 1886 ---- Henry and Sarah go to Wayland to visit daughter Hattie, and her husband Harm and their granddaughter Florence. They find them well. They get three roosters from Harm and Hattie - probably dinner tonight? The boys begin to fill the ditch - an indication that these are covered drainage ditches. They have to quit because of snow storm and they all clean about 60 bushels of Barley for the order of 300 bushels going to Briglin.

(Note - while November 25th was officially Thanksgiving Day, there is no mention of any particular celebration, church service, special meal, or other event. Similarly, no mention is made of anything special about Christmas Day a month from now??? The only special mention of December 25th is that it is Cad's 10 birthday! I wonder if their religious practices include not celebrating holidays??? There was no mention of the 4th of July either, or Easter?? I know that some fundamentalist Christian groups specifically do not celebrate Christmas, and perhaps the Olney Family traditions include not celebrating Christmas and other holidays?? Again imput is requested!)

Friday - November 26, 1886 --- Omar takes Old Kitt to Clark Avery's. Bart takes John to James Avery for new shoes all around. Henry makes "stammonioum" ointment. I'm not sure of correct spelling, and can't find any reference to it. Possibly the ointment made from the teasel he harvested last week? Bart and Henry clean and bag some more barley for the big order. Omar works on the ditch some more and gets "nearly done".

November 19 thru 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.

Friday - November 19, 1886 --- Omar works at lining the ditch with stones, and gets the main part done. Henry breaks up stones for lining the ditch. Sarah does the washing, and Jen takes up the sitting room carpet, cleans it (I presume) and puts it back down.

Saturday - November 20, 1886 --- Henry builds the bridge to the upper level workshop in the upstairs of the new hog house. Omar goes on with the ditching, and Bart and Mills gather more corn. Bart does some plowing in the afternoon. Someone named Bardeen comes by for help. He has gotten stuck in the road beyond the Marshes. Bart goes to help him. Mr. Bardeen pays Henry 25cents for the help. ( This seems unusual - This seems like the kind of help that neighbors would offer each other without money changing hands? -- Maybe he is a stranger?) Bart and Omar go to see Harm and Hattie in Wayland. Sarah and Henry to to Lodge meeting in the evening. Henry pays $2.71 for goods. They initiate William Borden and his wife into the Grange.

Sunday - November 21, 1886 --- The family goes to church in the forenoon, and then to Charles Conley's to visit. George and Belle Pulver and Deloss Hill and his wife are there too. An inquiry to my Dad reveals that Deloss is Sarah's nephew - son of Sarah's oldest brother Harvey Hill. They stay until around 5PM, and then go to visit Vernon Drake whom they found suffering from "neuralgia from the effects of a bad tooth causing a fever. Same as in the case of a boil of any other like swelling." They go to meeting in the evening.

Monday - November 22, 1886 --- Henry makes some stairs for the hog house. Sarah and Henry go to Bloods later and get $65 on the potatoes from D. Weld. and Company - leaving a balance of 98 cents. Henry sends $15 to his mother in Mansfield, PA. along with the box of dried and canned fruit that he prepared the other day. Cost of shipping - by train? - 40 cents. Cost of the registered letter with the $15 - 15 cents. Henry negotiates with Harrison Briglin to sell his barley crop at 58 cents a bushel for 200 bushels, and 60 cents a bushel for 100 more bushels. Henry get paid $10 toward the barley.. balance due of $166. Henry pays Ad Robinson $15 for the threshing he did. (I'm wondering about the economics of grain vs. potatoes. Which is more work? Which yields more money per acre? Are there different soil or land requirements? Etc?? Henry seems to get more money per bushel for grain, but I don't know the other factors? I do know that both in topography and soil quality, the area Henry and family live it is not the best for farming - although a lot better for horses than for modern techniques! That area of New York State was well known in those days as one of the biggest potato growing areas of the country.)

November 15 thru 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.

Monday, November 15, 1885 --- Omar goes on with ditching. (Note: This extensive "ditching" that Omar has been doing over the past weeks is probably done to drain wet areas of land that they grow crops on. Henry mentions putting stones in the ditches, and there is probably a layer of soil put back over the top to make all the land usable, but with the "ditches" acting like drainage tiles to carry away excess water) Bart helps Sarah do the washing, and also takes the kids to school, and picks them up in the evening. (School does not get mentioned too often in the diary) Henry fixes a meal box for storing feed for the cattle? He mixes meal with bran for a total of about 12 bushels. Bart, Mills, and Lois go to Perry Borden's for a party. Jen goes to the party later on.

Tuesday, November 16, 1886 --- Henry works on the hog house. More confirmation that this is a two story building. Henry makes and hangs a door for the "lower part". He puts two "buttons" on the door to latch it. Mrs. S. Stanton comes by with a bird for Sarah... I presume a chicken or turkey for food? William Boggs comes by and pays Henry $3.60 for the wheat he purchased last spring. (I don't remember any earlier reference to this?) Omar continues work on the ditching, and Jen and Lois iron clothes.

Wednesday, November 17, 1886 --- Henry packs a box of canned and dried fruit for his mother in Mansfield, PA. Bart goes to Leicester Fox's and gets his trunk and clothes. Mr. Fox sends another $50 on Bart's wages to Henry, making a total of $100 paid, and a balance due of $12.50.

Thursday, November 18, 1886 --- Henry works on a door for the upper -workshop - part of the hog house, and sets some posts for the bridge to the shop door. (The hog house must be set against a steep hill.) Bart husks corn in the forenoon, and draws stones for the ditch Omar is working on in the afternoon. Henry Terney and his wife come visit and stay until evening. It is Henry Terney's 50th birthday! Henry comments that he "feels as young as ever, or nearly". Jen has spent the day cleaning.

November 11 thru 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. Additional information can be checked out with the links to the right.

Thursday, November 11, 1886 - Omar, Mills, and Henry finish putting all their potatoes in the cellar by noon. In the afterenoon, Omar does some plowing, and Mills pulls beets. Henry works on the hog house some more. A peddlar stops by and Sarah buys some cuff buttons and collar buttons to make a shirt for Mills. Henry buys 3 Rogers Brothers plated spoons for $1.75. No way to know what pattern these spoons might have been, but below is a common Rogers Brothers setting from 1847?
Henry records the spoon purchase in his ledger in the back of the diary, but not Sarah's purchase of the buttons - an indication that Sarah has her own money from egg sales, etc??? Sarah goes to W.E. Welds and from there to prayer meeting. (W.E.Weld family is Henry's younger sister Ellen and her husband William Eber Weld.)

Friday, November 12, 1886 - Wild geese fly over. Bart came home last night from his 7 1/2 month stint of working for Leicester Fox. Omar starts working on a ditch by the road on the Terney lot that they rent. Mills husks corn, and Henry works some more on the hog house. Sarah is making a dress for Lois. Toward night, Omar, Bart, Mills, and Henry transfer the pigs into the new hog house.

Saturday, November 13, 1886 --- The first big snowfall - snows all day and drifts! Henry works inside on fixing shoes for Bart and Ettie. Bart must have worn his shoes out while working for Leicester Fox. Bart and Mills husk corn, and Omar splits some wood for winter fuel, and does some chores (another mention of chores?) The boys - Bart and Mills - carry 45 bushels of husked and sorted corn to the corn house. A corn house would be a sort of slatted building that would allow air to move through to dry the corn -- see below. Omar, Bart, and Sarah go to Naples and buy some clothes for Bart at Tobeys - including an overcoat, some underwear, and some socks? A full foot of snow has fallen today!

Sunday, November 14, 1886 ---- Henry comments that it is "clearing off fine but cold and looks like winter for good." Sarah and Bart go to Ingleside to church, but church is canceled due to the weather - the roads are badly drifted in. Omar goes to "see somebody across the fields". Henry comments that it is "probably something of an interesting nature". Henry also comments that Bart goes to see somebody too - "lots of business to be done". Henry seems to making some more of his comments on Omar's behavior, but this time includes Bart in his comments? Being off on his own at Leicester Fox's for most of the past year has probably made Bart a bit more independent and grown up?

November 7 thru 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. Additional information can be checked out with the links to the right.

Sunday, Novemb er 7, 1886 --- Sarah, Henry, Omar, Bart, and Mills go to church. Bart must be home visiting - he still has 4 or 5 days left to work for Leicester Fox. Henry comments that Elder Hibbard preaches a good sermon from Romans, Chapter 8, verse 28 ( in Roman numerals VIII- XXVIII) "For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Henry comments that they had a very interesting Bible class lesson, and altogether profitable sermon.

Monday, November 8, 1886 --- Henry goes to Naples with a grist of last year's corn and barley. He buys two "bags" at Granby's - I presume feed sacks? He then goes to Wayland to visit Hattie and Harm and his granddaughter. He takes along some fresh meat from the hog they butchered the other day to pay them back for some meat they "borrowed" some time ago. - 28 3/4 pounds. He stopped in Bloods on the way back home, and collected $100 from D. Weld as partial payment on the potatoes they have been hauling to Bloods over the past several days. I'm not sure what the phrase "I drawed to that firm $100" means? Bart and Mills go to Frank Weld's surprise party. Jane Tenny buys 3 3/4 pounds of meat.

Tuesday, November 9, 1886 --- Frank Marsh borrows Henry's lumber waggon for the day. Omar does some plowing, and Mills husks more corn. Henry works some more on finishing off the Hog house, and Sarah does the washing. Henry writes a letter to Elder Alderman.

Wednesday, November 10, 1886 --- Henry does chores in the forenoon. I think that is the first time I've heard him use the term "chores". "I chore around in the forenoon." Sarah is working on a dress for Sarah. Fowler and Prudie come by to visit. Omar let Prudie have the $100 that Henry paid him for his wages yesterday - the $100 from the potatoes. Henry finishes the letter to Elder Alderman. Bradley Graves comes by and gives Henry $5 in gold to send with the letter to Elder Alderman. Henry goes to Bloods Depot Post Office and sends the letter by registered mail.

November 3 thru 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. Additional information can be checked out with the links to the right.

Wednesday, November 3, 1886 --- Omar takes a large load of potatoes to Bloods in the morning, and the last load in the afternoon. A grand total of 551 bushels and 44 pounds. A bushel of potatoes is about 60 pounds. Thirty three thousand one hundred and four pounds of potatoes... all dug by hand, loaded by hand, and drawn by horse and wagon for 33 cents a bushel - about a penny for every 2 pounds. Henry notes that that they took a total of 13 loads...... about 1 1/2 tons per load! Seems like it must have been a pretty strong wagon, and pretty strong horses.... at least it is downhill most of the way to Bloods, but holding back that kind of load must have been pretty much as hard on the horses as pulling it up! Upon his return from Bloods, Omar starts plowing under some stubble - could be grain or corn stubble (the part left after cutting down what you want) Sarah goes to Bloods for something, and the first snow of the season falls!

Thursday, November 4, 1886 --- Henry goes to visit Leicester Fox, and settle up accounts on Bart's work for the season. My great grandfather Bart has been working for Leicester Fox since March 17th, except for the few days in September when he was very ill with "cholera morbus" and missed 12 days. Bart needs to make up the time he missed, and they figure he owes Mr. Fox 12 days to make the time up. Bart has evidently worked a extra 5 days already, and they arrange for Bart to work until next Thursday - November 11 (Maybe Friday November 12th - Sunday would not count - Bart does appear in the diary entry next Friday - helping put the pigs in the new hog house at home.) Mr. Fox pays Henry $50 on account for Bart's work, and owes $62.50 balance to be paid in a week or ten days. The total money arranged for the seasons work was $112.50 for 7 1/2 months work. (You can see the "value" of a large family. Henry has extra hands he does not need, and can "rent" out Bart for cash. My Fox either has a smaller family, or a bigger farm, and must pay Henry for the help he needs. While we have seen lots of examples of neighbors helping neighbors, exchanging and bartering, etc. this is very much a business transaction with no leeway for "sick time". When you figure in the value of not feeding Bart for the 7 1/2 months, Bart's labor has profited the family almost as much as the cash value of the potato crop sold to Welds!)

Omar draws potatoes to the cellar for storage.

Friday, November 5, 1886 --- Henry is sick and does not do anything until around noon. Omar goes on with plowing - preparing fields for spring planting. Sarah and Lois go to Naples in the forenoon. Omar and Mills continue putting Comfort potatoes into the cellar for a total of about 90 bushels. Total potato crop is up to about 650 bushels so far?

Saturday, November 6, 1886 --- They butcher and dress the "fat hog" in the morning. Omar and Mills husk corn in the afternoon. Henry and Sarah go to Fellowship Meeting in the afternoon. "The meeting was an important one in many respects, and a good Spirit seemed to pervade the majority of those present, and an important resolution was past (sic)"

October 30 thru November 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. Additional information can be checked out with the links to the right.

Saturday, October 30, 1886 --- Omar and Mills husk corn in the barn all morning. Henry cuts sleepers for the hog house. Omar draws them to the hog house, and Henry hews them and installs them. (I'm not sure what the sleepers are. This term usually refers to supports under the floor.) Omar takes another load of potatoes to Bloods in the afternoon. Sarah and Jen go to visit Jane Tenney.

Sunday, October 31, 1886 --- Bart is home to visit. Omar, Bart, Sarah and Henry go to church, and Henry and Sarah go to visit Bradley Graves after church. William Blodgett and his wife also go. Omar goes out at night, and Mills and Jen to to Bloods. Their oldest calf died today.

Monday, November 1, 1886 --- Omar takes another load of potatoes to Bloods, and Mills, Cad, and Henry pick up another 20 bushels of potatoes from the field. Mills buries the calf that died yesterday. Henry goes on working on the hog house floor, and "commences to lay plank". Susie Conley and Charles Conley visit in the afternoon/evening. Omar takes a second load of potatoes to Bloods, and gets back around 8PM.

Tuesday, November 2, 1886 --- Omar takes a "large" load of potatoes to Bloods in the forenoon, and draws corn to the barn in the afternoon. Henry finishes the hog house floor, and then moves his tool chest and his work bench into a shop that is upstairs over the hog house. (The hog house turns out to be a two story structure! The floor laid previously was probably the upstairs floor, and the sleepers are the support under the ground level floor)

October 26 thru 29, 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, October 26, 1886 --- Omar takes two loads of potatoes to Bloods to D. Weld. He does not get a weigh bill to prove how many bushels of potatoes he delivered on the first load, so they try their best to duplicate the first load for the second trip to get an idea of how much has been delivered! Jen goes to visit the Darwin Marsh family with Old Molly and the buggy.

Wednesday, October 27, 1886 --- Henry lays a floor in the hog house. Omar takes two more loads of potatoes to Welds in Bloods. Jen takes Old Molly to the blacksmith (Avery) to get four shoes. Sarah is making a coat for Cad, and Mills works on husking corn.

Thursday, October 28, 1886 --- Omar takes one more load of potatoes to Bloods. Mills, Cad, and Henry, (with help from Omar when he gets back) pick cider apples and put them in one of the wagons.

Friday, October 29, 1886 --- Omar takes the cider apples to Bloods - 2125 pounds! He gets $4.25 for the load. That is about 35 bushels of apples. Omar takes another load of potatoes to Bloods in the afternoon. Henry works on mending shoes for Bart, and boots for Cad. Henry then puts a ridge board on the hog house, and trims the shingles along the edge of the roof. (Since the roof is finished, I'm not sure what the ridge board is... it would normally be a vertical board at the peak of the roof where the rafters join, but would surely need to be installed during the framing stage of the roof construction - not afterward?) Sarah goes to Naples to get dresses for Lois and Ettie.

October 22 thru 25, 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 October 22, 1886 -- Henry, with Cad's help, goes on shingling the hog house. Omar helps Ansel Tyler do threshing, and Mills husks corn. Sarah goes to Bloods and checks the price of potatoes - 31 cents a bushel from Briglin.

Saturday, October 23, 1886 --- Omar starts plowing the North East field. He also helps with shingling some after dinner. He then takes a grist of feed for the horses to Naples for grinding. Jen goes to Bloods to pick up Elder Hibbard at the train station. Henry works on the hog house "nearly all day" and gets it pretty much done except for one course of shingles. Elder Hibbard stays overnight with them.

Sunday, October 24, 1886 --- They go to meeting in the morning and evening - not much additional detail.

Monday, October 25, 1886 --- Omar and Mills put up firewood in the wood house for the winter until around noon. They then put up a load of potatoes for Weld and Company. Henry has arranged to sell them 500 bushels to be delivered as soon as they can haul them to Bloods. According the the ledger entries from later in November, Henry has sold the 500 bushels at 33 cents a bushel -rather than the 31 cents a bushel offered by Briglin. He collects $165 from Weld and Co. for the potatoes - $100 on November 9th, and $65 on November 22nd. Sarah and Henry go to a surprise (party) in the evening at James Chapman's.

October 18 thru 21, 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, October 18, 1886 --- Omar and Mills husk corn, and Henry works on repairing shoes until around noon when Aunt Catherine Weld comes by and wants him to go to Ira Polmateer's in Ingleside. He takes along a tank, and gets 5 gallons of oil at James Avery's blacksmith shop. Henry's sister Prudence and her husband Arnold Fowler came to visit in the afternoon. Omar went to Naples at night.

Tuesday, October 19, 1886 --- Omar, Mills, and Cad dig potatoes, and Henry works on the roof of the hog house, getting the rafters up and half the roof boards done. Henry sorts corn after lunch, and carries it to the corn house - about 20 bushels. Henry goes to Naples in the afternoon, with a grist of corn and wheat. He buys a pair of boots for Mills for $3.25, and gets a piece of sole leather for 60 cents for shoe repair. He returns home and continues work on the hog house.

Wednesday, October 20, 1886 --- Henry finishes the roof boards on the hog house, and trims the ends flush for the cornice. The cornice is a board along the top edge of the wall where the roof meets the walls. Omar and Mills continue digging potatoes - 105 bushels - all done but the Jumbos (?). Henry husks more corn. Ellen (Henry's sister?) came by and bought a sac of peaches and pears for drying.

Thursday, October 21, 1886 --- Omar and Mills dig potatoes - 69 bushels of Jumbos. They also cover all the heaps of potatoes but one of Callum's Superb potatoes (presumably these are the ones referred to as Jumbos? - see note below - could not find picture.)

Callum's Superb. — Excellent potato, large and oblong, smooth, regular and sound

flesh color, resembling Early Rose, with well marked eyes, very few culls

Oman and Mills draw corn into the barn in the afternoon, and also take shingles to the hog house. Henry gets the hog house nearly ready for shingling.