September 12 thru 15, 1886

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Sunday - September 12, 1886 -- Elder Hibbard is staying with them, and they take him to meeting. Omar and Jen are in Prattsburgh visiting - Jen stays over, and Omar returns home and goes to visit "his Hattie". (Hattie Warren whom he will marry in a couple of years) Henry goes to meeting in the evening. Bart has returned home. (He is working for Leicester Fox) Bart is very sick - "threatened with diarhea (sic) of a billious type".

Monday - September 13, 1886 -- Bart has been sick all night, and they have stayed up with him. "He vomits and purges like Cholera Morbus". ( A once popular name for an acute gastroenteritis with diarrhea, cramps, and vomiting, occurring in the summer or autumn. Also called summer cholera or summer complaint - this term does not refer to the cholera we normally think of.) Henry takes Elder Hibbard to Bloods in the morning to the train, and while there he gets 1 ounce Carbonate Ammonia at Dr. Carpenter's for Bart. Dr. Carpenter had a pharmacy in North Cohocton. (Ammonium carbonate is used when crushed as a smelling salt. It can be crushed when needed in order to revive someone who has fainted. It is also known as "baker's ammonia" and was a forerunner to the more modern leavening agents baking soda and baking powder.) Mills and Cad bury a calf that has died, and Omar is helping the threshing crew which has moved on down the road a bit to Mrs. Lawyer's place. Henry and Mills dig some potatoes to clear a roadway to get to another field so they can draw some hay. Even semi-level land is at a premium, so it appears they use every inch, and plan so they can harvest one crop first and then pass through that area to another. Sarah does some washing - Mills also helps with that. Even in a time when I'm sure they didn't change clothes as often as we do, laundry for 11 people must have been quite a chore with no washers and dryers? Drying would have been hanging the clothes out on a line outside. They might have had a washer like my grandmother Drake had - a wooden tub arrangement with a hand lever that rotated an agitator back and forth, and a hand crank wringer? Something like the one below would have been a luxury.

Today, believe it or not, there is an ordinance against hanging out clothes to dry in the village of Cohocton!Tuesday - September 14, 1886 -- They spend the day going to a Grange picnic at Linden Wood. I'm not sure where that is, but it is a 2 hour trip by horse and buggy. They hear a good speech by somebody. Linden Wood must be in the Wayland, Cohocton, Bloods direction because they stop at Slattery's and barter some eggs for their worth in sugar. They get back home around 6PM.

Wednesday - September 15th, 1886 -- Henry draws some hay. Henry also puts up a grist and takes it to the mill in Naples. Omar works for the Nickles all day cutting buckwheat, in exchange for the time Mr. Nickles worked on their threshing crew? Mills works at cleaning out the strawberry beds, and Sarah is canning fruit. Fall is upon us --- the temperature has been in 40's and 50's the past few days!

September 8 thru 11, 1886

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Wednesday - September 8, 1886 - Leicester Fox stops by to pick up 4 bushels of wheat for James Avery. Henry goes to Bloods, and gets 710 pounds of coal from VanWie for $1.24 - about $3.70 per ton! I would have thought they would have heated entirely with wood which would be "free" on their land, but coal would have been better for a longer lasting fire with less care. Sarah goes to Naples and gets molasses, kerosene oil, and something else I'm not sure of? D.D.Clark buys 2 bushels of Peaches at 75 cents a bushel, 20 pounds of butter, and he pays off the balance owed on the berries from last month. Henry also sells a half bushel of peaches to William Borden and wife.

Don's note: I noticed in the ledger pages that Henry sent his brother Robert $10 in currency as balance due on a watch and chain, on the 7th. According to the ledger, he bought a watch and chain, and some gold spectacles from Robert for $25 - a goodly sum. He also paid Charles Olney (his nephew) 89 cents for a gold pen while in Mansfield last week.

Thursday - September 9, 1886 -- They clear out the barn to get ready for the threshing crew to come, and then go to the Weld Family reunion at W.E. Welds place. Henry reports fair attendance, and "all seemed to enjoy themselves". This would be sort of a beginning of our current day Hill Reunion..... Weld being Sarah's mother's family, and the Hill reunion is descendants of Sarah Hill Olney. They see Foster Roberts and his wife Huldah - Huldah is Sarah's aunt - her mother's sister. They see a "goodly number of other relatives". Remarks were made by Augustus Weld - Sarah's uncle -- younger brother of Sarah's mother, and brother of Huldah.

Friday - September 10, 1886 -- They do some more preparation for the threshing crew, and they arrive around noon, and thresh grain all afternoon. A bunch of folks come to visit.... Charles Conley brings Uncle Foster Roberts and Hulda to visit. Julia Drake brings a cousin to visit - Iness Hubbell, and Hannah Conley comes by and towards evening Eber and Ellen Weld (Ellen is Henry's younger sister) come by. While all this was going on, the threshing crew got out 230 bushels of barley.

Saturday - September 11, 1886 -- Henry checks the clover hay, and finds it a bit wet, but not too bad. The corn is ripening "nicely", and the pumpkins are also doing well. Henry takes Uncle Roberts and Huldah and their daughter to Bloods, and while there, picks up Elder Hibbard at the train. The threshing crew finishes their work and leaves after dinner (noon meal). They end up with 336 bushels of Barley, 225 bushels of Oats, and 83 bushels of wheat.

September 4 thru 7, 1886

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Saturday - September 4, 1886 -- Henry and Sarah are back home, and head off to their Fellowship meeting in the afternoon. The folks necessary to do official business are evidently absent, so that is put off. They go the the Grange meeting in the evening. It looks like the Grange must do some cooperative buying? Henry comments that he does not pay his "bill of goods" for $2.61 because the goods were "of good quality" but not in good condition.

Sunday - September 5, 1886 --- Their daughter and son-in-law - Harm and Hattie, and I presume their daughter Florence --- come to visit, and join them for church services. Stephen Stanton and wife and daughter come home with them after church, and stay till the evening service. David Weld and his wife stop by for a while too. Sarah's Grandfather and Grandmother?
Several of the young people including Bart and Omar, go to Canandaigua lake for a ride. Daughter Ettie (Sarah Esther) goes back to Wayland with Harm and Hattie for a visit.

Monday - September 6, 1886 --- Henry goes to A. Robinson's to check on when the threshing crew will be coming to his place. They tell him Thursday night or Friday? Omar and Mills are still digging a ditch of some sort. Sarah and Jen are doing the washing and paring pears for drying. Sarah goes to visit Mrs. Robert Smith, and Jen goes to visit Mrs. Frank Marsh. Henry checks on the boy's work on the ditch. Uncle Eli Weld (Sarah's Uncle) and his wife come to visit and stay the night.

Tuesday - September 7, 1886 --- Omar borrows Robert Smith's mower, and cuts the clover on the Tenney place. Uncle Eli Weld and wife leave around 10AM with some plums and some peaches. The plums are a gift, the peaches are sold for $1.50/bushel. Sarah and Henry go to see some friends from Delaware (???) but "don't find them."

August 31 thru September 3, 1886

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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

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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

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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

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(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

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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.

July 26 thru July 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. 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.

Monday ---- Waddamus has been visiting since Saturday, and he and Sarah do some trading. I'm not sure what they traded, but Waddamus ends up owing Sarah 48 cents. Henry does some work on the hog pen, and weans some young pigs from their mother. Omar cultivates the beets, and he and Mills thin them - remove some of the ones growing too close together to develop to proper size. Beets is a crop I haven't heard mentioned yet. They pick three more 40 quart crates of raspberries, and also draw three loads of barley.

Tuesday --- They pick three more crates of berries, and D.D.Clark picks them up... he is up to 8 crates not paid for, with two more crates tomorrow making 10 crates - $12. The ledger entry in the back of the diary indicates that they are paid for tomorrow. Henry picks up 20 and 1/8th bundles of shingles. A little research indicates that would cover about 500 square feet. Henry stops in Ingleside at Avery the blacksmith, and gets two shoes set on John.

Wednesday --- The boys pick berries, and Omar and Henry mow the "south end of the west piece" of Barley. Henry stirs out the barley they cut, and they finish drawing the barley from the east piece. Clark comes by and picks up the two crates of berries, and pays for all - up to date. With this payment, they have collected a total of $92.92 for the month of July.

Thursday --- Omar plows and hoes in the berries - keeping the weeds down between the rows. Sarah picks 40 more quarts of berries, and takes them to Clark with the buggy and Old Moll. Mills, Cad, and Henry spend the whole day gathering potato bugs. Sarah does not get paid for the berries, so they are back to being behind on the berry payments by $1.20.

July 22 thru July 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. 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 - like my discovery below that Sue - who has been picking raspberries for them - is actually Sarah's niece.

Thursday --- Berry picking and selling continues. Sue picks 50 quarts today. Devillo Clark comes by and gets 140 quarts of berries. - Two 40 quart crates, a 32 quart crate, and an extra 28 quarts. He paid $15 owed on berries, and still owes Henry $24.10. Henry calls him Devillo Clark again instead of D.D. Clark. I'm wondering if this reflects how far behind he is on paying for the berries? Omar plows potatoes. Mills, Cad, and Henry pick potato bugs. If you are new here, I've posted the picture of a potato bug below. Organic farming before there was such a thing!
They cut barley in the afternoon.

Friday --- Sue picks 28 quarts of berries in the morning, working with Sarah and Lois to finish 2 crates of berries for Mr. Clark. In the afternoon the three of them go to visit daughter Hattie in Wayland. D. D. Clark picks up the two crates of berries, and pays Henry for all the past berries. Note the name goes back to D.D.Clark??? (The same name usage is reflected in the ledger portion of the diary - Devillo when he owes him quite a bit of money, and back to D.D. when he gets paid up later in the month.) Omar and Mills draw wheat in the morning, and Henry "stirs" the barley cut the day before --- raking and piling it to speed drying. They draw the barley in the afternoon in the field south of the berries. Sarah, Sue, and Lois have stayed overnight at Hattie's in Wayland.

Saturday ---- The ladies return from Wayland, and Sue picks 12 quarts of berries to take home. Jen takes her home in the afternoon. I just noticed in the ledger part of the diary that Sue is Susan Jane Hill (She is Sarah's niece - youngest daughter of Sarah's oldest brother Harvey Hill ) - not Sue Stanton as I had previously thought. Evidently Sue Stanton also picked berries ( she gets paid $0.64). Susan Hill gets paid $2.45 plus 12 quarts of berries for herself. Omar and Mills work in the potatoes. Henry goes to Naples and turns in the school taxes he collected earlier to Trustee Tyler. He takes a grist to Lyon's Mill, and gets paid for the wheat he has been delivering to them... $25.63. Their friend Waddamus comes to visit and stays over till Monday.

Sunday --- Henry comments again on the lack of rain -- it looks cloudy and rainy today, but "don't rain". They all go to church and get home for dinner around 3PM. Bart and his friends Robby Stanton and J(ames?) Merritt join them for dinner. This is the first time Bart has been mentioned in a while. Henry bought him a hat a while back, but otherwise not much mention since he went to work for Leicester Fox back in mid March. If you are new here, Bart is my great grandfather. Henry mentions that Jen has stayed over in Prattsburgh after taking Sue Hill back home.

July 18 thru July 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. 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 ???

Sunday --- Sarah, Lois, Ettie, and Mills go to church. (The younger kids don't seem to ever be mentioned as going to church. I wonder if they go, or stay home?) Bart stops by and gets his boots - I guess some of the boots Henry bought last week were for Bart? Sarah and Henry to to Blodgetts for dinner, along with Elder Hibbard, and Ellen Weld. Harrison Briglin is there too. Elder Hibbard comes home with them and stays overnight.

Monday --- Henry takes Elder Hibbard to the train on Monday, along with a gift of a crate of berries. Henry picks up three empty crates at the Lackawana Depot. They pick a lot of berries on Monday.... Sue Stanton picks 84 quarts! Probably a lot of berries ripened on Sunday even though they would not have picked on Sunday! D.D.Clark picks up 5 more crates of berries, and they pick 4 more crates after he leaves. With the crate for Elder Hibbard, that makes a total of 400 quarts of berries picked in one day! (a bit of research yields the information that each foot of a row of berries would yield about a quart of berries for the season?) Henry notes that Clark owes him for 20 crates not paid for at this point.... 800 quarts - $24.

Tuesday --- They finish picking berries in the "old part of the field", and have 5 40 quart crates of berries, and a 32 quart crate. Omar plows/cultivates the potatoes. Sarah and Sue do some laundry. D.D.Clark takes two crates of berries, but says the rest are too soft (over ripe) to ship. Omar takes 136 quarts of the "soft" berries to Clark's place for drying. Omar also takes a rake tooth to Hatches for exchange.

Wednesday -- Omar and Henry cut some barley in the field above the house, and also harvest some wheat in the forenoon. Omar plows/cultivates potatoes in the afternoon. Henry and Sue Stanton pick more berries. Devillo Clark (first mention of what one of the "D's in D.D.Clark stands for) Henry is up to 27 crates not paid for - $32.40 minus the cost for Clark to dry the 136 quarts of over ripe berries.

July 14 thru July 17, 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, including a great family picture of everybody circa 1886, and a picture of the whole family several years later - circa 1900 ???

Wednesday --- The family picks more berries until around 2PM, and D.D.Clark comes by and gets 4 more crates, but does not pay for them. Henry then heads for Bloods, and buys a couple of pairs of boots at Slattery and Company, and a pair of shoes for Ettie at Cornishes.

Thursday --- Harm and Hattie Inghram (their daughter and son-in-law) and probably their granddaughter Florence, are there to visit. Henry collects school taxes from several neighbors. Addison Harley ($2.18), John Rector ($2.99), R. Smith ($1.55), and unlisted amounts from George Drake, and J.E. Lyon. I'm not sure if this was some sort of official duty to collect taxes, or if he was just doing his neighbors a favor. I'm guessing it was some sort of official duty?

Friday --- Henry collects school taxes from James Boggs, and William Polmateer. William Weld and his wife come to visit. They pick 7 crates of berries, and D.D. Clark picks them up -- a total of 11 crates picked up, but not paid for. He also gets school taxes from P. Whiting, and Issac Drake. He continues to record the baskets of berries picked by Sue Stanton - 35 on Wednesday, 65 on Friday, and 40 on Saturday.

Saturday --- They harvest more wheat, and pick 4 more crates of berries, which D.D.Clark picks up in the evening. Omar and Sue go to Naples in the evening, and Henry and Sarah go to Lodge meeting in Ingleside in the evening. They get home quite late - 11PM. Henry mentions a heavy shower... he earlier mentioned needing rain!

July 10 thru July 13, 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, including a great family picture of everybody circa 1886, and a picture of the whole family several years later - circa 1900 ???

Saturday -- Henry pays Brother (Elder) Hibbard for the "Hearld of Gospel Liberty". This publication was first published in 1808. Henry pays $1.50 for this "Christian Paper" as he describes it in his financial records for July in the back of the diary.Henry takes grist to Naples, and goes to Jordans hardware to buy a fork handle, some horseshoes, and a pair of clinces? Not sure what the latter is.... possibly some sort of clamping or crimping device? I'm interested that he bought horseshoes. I thought Avery the blacksmith sold him that stuff, but maybe he shod his own horses and went to Avery for special stuff? Omar plows (cultivates?) the potatoes in the forenoon, and Mills mows thistles in the cow pasture. They cut some wheat in the afternoon. (it seems pretty early for wheat harvest, but they must be harvesting because they get almost $26 for wheat from Lyon's Mill later in the month.) A peddlar by the name of Williams came by and stayed overnight. They go to an ice cream social in the evening.

Sunday -- Henry mentions Williams the peddlar again, and that he works for DeLaney of Rochester, NY. Sarah and Henry go to church and Sunday school. R. Smith has evidently asked Sarah to get some change in exchange for bills from the collection plate money, but she doesn't get the change, and Henry returns the $13 to him that evening. Omar went to Prattsburgh during the day, and to Bloods in the evening. Somebody named Sue came back to their house from Prattsburgh to help with picking berries.

Monday --- The whole family, plus Sue, pick 250 quarts of raspberries on Monday. D.D. Clark takes 4 40quart crates of the berries at the agreed 3 cents a quart. (I thought the crates were 36 quarts, but these were 40 quarts.) He leaves them 800 1 qt. berry baskets.
Henry then lists how many quarts they each picked. Sue - 55, Sarah 57, Lois and Cad pick 58 quarts. Omar works for Richard Smith cutting wheat.

Tuesday --- They pick more berries on Tuesday, and D.D.Clark picks up another 4 crates. He records that Sue picked 40 quarts. (probably this is Sue Stanton --- Henry records payment of 64 cents to Mrs. Charles Stanton for picking berries on 19th of July) Omar and Henry cut wheat. They pick some strawberries for supper. Henry comments on the light rain during the day, and indicates that he hope they get some serious rain soon.

July 6 thru July 9, 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, including a great family picture of everybody circa 1886, and a picture of the whole family several years later - circa 1900 ???

Tuesday --- Henry rakes and puts up more hay, and draws 6 loads. D. D. Clark comes by and arranges with Henry to pay him 3 cents/quart for his raspberries. He is acting as sort of a middle man, and will provide the baskets, and the crates, and will take them to the train in Bloods. Henry probably figures that is a better deal than doing the hauling and providing his own crates. He got 5 cents a quart last week at Slatterys.

Wednesday -- They draw more hay, and do more cultivating. Sarah and Lois continue picking berries for R. Smith. Mills mows thistles in the pasture. Don's note: I used to cut thistles in the pasture for my grandfather - William Olney - Bart's son. I got paid 50 cents for my work. The cows will eat the grass, etc. but will avoid the area near the large thistles that will poke them! Nate Polmateer comes by and borrows a rip saw, a bevel square, and a 1 inch chisel.

Thursday -- Mills, Cad, and Henry pick potato bugs off the potatoes again, and get them "nearly all off." Henry and Sarah go to Ingleside to the blacksmith - Avery - and get two shoes repaired, and they get Old John weighed - 1050 pounds with the harness. I'm not sure why they would do this. Possibly to subtrach his weight when weighing a load of goods like potatoes, hay, etc? They stay over for prayer meeting. Sarah goes to Bloods to get sugar from Slatterys.

Friday -- Sarah and Henry and the children pick the Tyler raspberries, and D. D. Clark comes by to pick up the berries - $1.92 for 64 quarts. He also buys some currants for 75 cents. Clark promises to bring by 10 crates for picking raspberries by Tuesday. Over the rest of the month they will sell a total of about 1200 quarts of raspberries to Mr. Clark. I can't find any information or pictures of Tyler Raspberries except that they are a common variety of raspberries at the time. Henry cuts some grass, and tops off the hay stack on the Tenny place. Omar works in the potatoes.

July 2 thru July 5, 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, including a great family picture of everybody circa 1886, and a picture of the whole family several years later - circa 1900 ???

Friday --- Henry and Mills "stir out" some hay.... this would be sort of flipping it over and fluffing it a bit to dry faster. Omar cultivates potatoes and corn until noon. After lunch they rake and put up the hay - probably raking it into piles for easier loading onto the wagon later. They get two loads into the barn by evening, and a third load on the wagon, but not into the barn. Sarah, Jen, and Mills go to Ingleside for the Rehearsal. I'm not sure if that is just regular choir practice, or if they are rehearsing for something more special? Susie Conley comes home with Jen.

Saturday --- Susie and Jen go to Bloods to celebrate. That term often refers to a birthday party? Omar, Mills, and Henry draw some more hay. R. Smith comes by and Henry lets him have 4 bushels of oats and some basswood picket material. Earlier in the week, Henry had decided not to sell oats to Mr. Briglin.

Sunday --- They all go to church - Elder Hibbard preaches. Vern Drake brings some strangers to church - three little boys. Sarah takes them in her Sunday School class. I think this is the first mention of Sarah teaching Sunday School. Sarah stays in Ingleside for the evening service. Henry goes home and does not go to evening service, but Omar, Jen, and Susie Conley go.

Monday -- They finish mowing and return the mowing machine to Mr. Smith. (They seem to share more complex machinery often?) Mr. Demorest comes by to pick up some of the oats for Mr. Smith. Henry and Mills cut the grass and weeds from the berry patch, and Sarah and the children pick 2 1/2 crates of berries ( Variety - Tylers?) A crate of berries is 40 (correction) quarts. Henry takes the berries to Slatterey's in Bloods to sell. Slattery is away in Rochester, NY. Addamus tells Henry they will pay them 5 cents per quart for the berries. Omar works in the potatoes.

June 28 thru July 1, 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, including a great family picture of everybody circa 1886, and a picture of the whole family several years later - circa 1900 ???

Monday --- Henry takes a 25 pound tub of butter to Slatterey & Co. and he gets paid $3.75 - 15 cents a pound. He buys 2 hand rakes, and something else I can't decipher at Hatches. He stops by to visit D.D. Clark on the way home. Omar cuts clover at the Terney's. Henry "grinds the sections" - sharpens the cutting knives on the mowing machine. Henry does the hand cutting of the clover near the fences where the horse drawn mower won't go easily. Sarah and Lois are still picking strawberries.

Note: It takes about 1 quart of heavy cream to make a pound of butter. In other terms, it takes about 3.5 gallons of high fat content milk to make a pound of butter. A single cow would give between 3 and 8 gallons of milk a day according to an 1870 Journal of the New York State Agricultural Society. Thus a 25 pound tub of butter was about the output of 7 or 8 cows in one day, or two days output from 4 cows? I'm not sure how much they used the ice they cut back in the winter, but they certainly did not have good refrigeration. Remember they were using some portion of the milk as part of the food eaten by 11 people, plus guests.

Tuesday --- (Henry reverses the next two day's entries - dates switched) Henry has Omar cultivate the corn. Mills and Henry stir up the hay to help it dry, and rake and stack it. Sarah goes to visit Mrs. Gard Waite with the Tennys, and Mrs. Wm Blodgett. They find her not feeling well, but they all stay to dinner. Henry and the boys put up the rest of the hay.

Wednesday --- They draw the hay they put up yesterday. Probably that means they brought the hay back to their place. 12 loads are put into a stack, and a small load is taken to the barn. T. Briglin stops by to purchase some oats, but Henry does not sell him any. Lois goes to visit Nate Polmateer. Lois and Ettie pick raspberries for R. Smith. Same place Sarah and Lois have been picking strawberries.

Thursday --- Henry finishes stacking the hay from the Terney lot, and puts on a top layer of oat straw. The top layer of a hay stack can "spoil" before the hay is used. Using oat straw keeps more of the the hay preserved well. The stack ends up taking 14 loads, and Henry declares the condition of the hay in the stack "fine". Henry puts "hangers" on the sides of the hay stack... probably ropes to help keep the hay from blowing away? The upper/outer layer of the stack acts much the same way a thatched roof would work, keeping the inside dry. Omar mows about half of another field of hay in the morning, and cultivates more corn and potatoes in the afternoon. Mills and Henry plant some beans.

A couple of pictures of horse drawn mowers and hay stacks below.

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.

June 20 thru June 23, 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.

Sunday -- They stayed overnight with the Stebbins family, and went to church in Middlesex, NY the next morning. The preacher was Mrs. Basset from Shelby, NY. Henry comments that she did "very well", but "like every woman I ever heard yet, she lacked voice". I find it interesting that he includes the word "yet" indicating that he is maybe open to the possibility that a woman preacher could do the job? They see Elder Hibbard at the Freewill Baptist Conference. I'm not sure what "denomination" Henry and Sarah's church is part of, but they don't seem to have any problem associating with other christian groups. They get back home around 2PM

Monday --- Henry comments that it is his mother's 70th birthday. Henry's parents are Natheniel and Mary Mills Olney. They own a grist mill in Avoca, NY. Henry goes to Bloods, and buys 840 pounds of lime - $3.00, and some butter color for 35 cents. Mills takes the mare to be bred again. Omar and Mills take down the stone foundation under the end of the barn that they had "wedged" up earlier. Sarah and Lois pick strawberries for R. Smith. I'm not sure if they are working for Mr. Smith, or if they are picking strawberries for their own use? Henry does not record any money recieved from or paid to Mr. Smith around that time, but Sarah may have kept her own books. Her 1885 diary does record her own money records.

Tuesday --- Henry and Wesley Polmateer come in the morning to do the masonry work on the foundation for the barn. Henry, Omar, and Mills spend the day "tending" the masons. I assume mixing mortar, carrying stones, etc. The lime and sand from earlier were for making mortar. Sarah takes butter to Slatterys in Bloods, and gets paid partially in cash, and partially in trade/barter. She also gets some butter tubs from D.D.Clark in Naples.

Wednesday -- The masons work on the barn all day, with Henry, Omar, and Mills helping again. Henry tries his hand at laying some stone too. Sarah picks strawberries again.

June 16 thru June 19, 1886

If you are new to this blog, this paragraph appears in every entry to let folks know some basic information. Click on the picture to enlarge for easier reading of original. Please use the comment feature 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 - the year of this diary, and a picture of the whole family several years later - circa 1900 ???

Wednesday ---- Henry comments twice on the hot weather today -- temp 88. He notes the weather every day as the opening lines of each entry, but today he closes with "a fine day but very warm". Omar cultivates the rest of the potatoes. If you aren't from a farm background, cultivating is the process of running a digging device down between the rows of corn, potatoes, or other crop to dislodge and kill any weeds. The weeds (anything growing in a field or garden that you don't want) "steal" water and nutrients from the crop you want. "Weed" is an often misunderstood term. One person's weed may well be another person's highly desired plant!
Cad and Henry spend the day picking potato bugs off the potato plants -- net take of "between 6 and 8 quarts" of these critters, and they "still don't get them all".

Thursday --- Henry goes to the blacksmith shop in Ingleside to get the water pump repaired, and he gets two "irons" made for the side of the lumber wagon. He attaches them, and gets the wagon ready for hauling sand. Omar draws manure from under the north end of the basement, and corn cobs away from the cornhouse. Henry goes to meeting in the evening. Sarah goes to visit her daughter Hattie and her husband, and granddaughter Florence in Wayland.

Friday --- Henry admits getting up late after being out late to meeting last night. Omar draws three loads of sand from the Terneys. When I was a kid there was a gravel/sand pit near where I understand the Terneys lived. Sarah is still in Wayland. Someone named Shaver has come to visit, and leaves around 5PM. Mrs. Stephen Stanton comes to see if Henry and Sarah can go to Middlesex, NY to a church meeting tomorrow night.

Saturday --- Henry and Omar wedge up the barn? (Maybe a process of using wedges to raise up part of the barn and was sagging... possibly the sand was used to fill in under the raised area?) Stephen Stanton and his wife come by around 11AM, and they all go to Middlesex, NY for a Freewill Baptist Church Conference after Sarah gets back home from Wayland. They get to Middlesex around 6PM. For the time, this is a fairly long trip - about 14 miles. They stay overnight with a fellow Grange member - Mr. Stebbins..... apparently not someone they knew, but someone willing to offer housing to someone attending the church event.

June 12 thru June 15, 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 ???

Saturday -- The big week at the church continues. They go to meeting at 8AM again, and have another business meeting, with the business "nearly concluded" in the forenoon. Henry refers to the event as the "conference". They had refreshments in the hall around noon, and another conference meeting in the afternoon that lasted between two and three hours! Refreshments served again in the afternoon, and the men of the "Freewill Baptists" come to greet them. No mention of an evening service, but I would assume there was one.

(Don's note - The Ingleside Christian Conference was still being held in the late 1950's when I was a kid. Lots of sermons and meetings, with many guest preachers, dish to pass meals, etc. over several days as I remember. I remember them being great fun - you had to sit quietly through the church services, but the dish to pass meals were wonderful, and social stuff between meetings was great, including dozens of cousins and neighbor kids to play with! The tradition of guest preachers staying with church families was still going on then -- I remember in particular Reverend Wright who stayed at my Aunt Theresa's house, and took my cousin Leslie and I fishing! The only mention I can find when I Google "Ingleside Christian Conference" is a previous blog entry in this blog back in February. Possibly that was a meeting to plan the big summer event? I'll have to see if the church still has a summer conference?)

Sunday --- Brother Seers and his wife spent Saturday night with them, and they all go to meeting Sunday morning. The sermon is preached by Elder Jones in the forenoon service, followed by a short discourse by Elder Childs. Henry mentions that "there seems to be a little feeling concerning wine for communion which will be served tonight". I'm guessing that Elder Jones' sermon expressed support for wine for communion, and that Elder Childs discourse expressed a different point of view? (or visa versa?) I remember the discussion of wine vs. grape juice going on 70 years later when I was a kid! Elder Moore came home with them after the service, and then preached the evening service, with communion. By my count Henry has mentioned 7 Elders and a Brother in attendance at the conference. "Brother" might just be a term for fellow male church member?

Monday -- Back to business as ususal --- Omar cultivates corn and potatoes. Sarah is quite sick, with an attack of "cholera morbus". Sounds very drastic, but some research reveals this as a term used for what we call "flu" today. Taking out the "morbus" and "cholera" sort of makes it sound better? Sarah vomits about a dozen times, and Henry gives her cayenne pepper, and peach leaf tea. Henry sent for Dr. Fulkerson who came about 10PM. By then Sarah was feeling better, but the doctor fixed her some medicine, and she felt better by Tuesday.

Tuesday --- Sarah is feeling better. Jen goes to Naples to get a dress fitted, and takes a corn to the mill. Henry, Mills, and Cad hunt potato bugs. Cad doesn't get mentioned much. He is Henry Cadmus Olney Jr. The boys except for Omar, all use their middle names instead of their first names. As a 10 year old, he probably has regular chores that he does, but doesn't specifically help Henry with the "work" very much, and thus doesn't get mentioned in the diary often. However I suspect hunting potato bugs was perfect work for a 10 year old.

Don's note --- "Organic farming" techniques, like hand picking the potato bugs, were undoubtedly pretty much normal for the time. Farms were small, families were big, and chemical pesticides were not common!

Jen buys a pair of shoes at Storeys for $2.50.

June 8 thru June 11, 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 NEW -picture of the whole family circa 1900-1910???

Tuesday ---- Henry begins work on the road along with several of their neighbors. .... Mart Lawyer, Richard Smith, and Frank Gardner. At least part of the annual tax bill was worked off by working on road repair and building. Henry works with a team and "scraper" for 3 days. Omar helps work out Henry's bill. Henry specifically mentions taxes - "Richard Smith works out tax on Marion Place" Sarah and Henry go to church in the evening - looks like the beginning of a special series of meetings? Sarah takes rods for carpet???

Wednesday --- More road work. Will Daniels joins the group. Omar works on the fence between the Tyler place and the Olney place. Omar and Jen go to meeting in the evening.

Thursday --- Henry kills a calf in the morning. They raised and butchered all their own meat, as well as bartering and selling meat, and livestock. Omar finishes the work on the Tyler/Olney line fence. He also does some mowing, and does some work in the grapes, and in the Grove. This is the first mention of the Grove? Henry goes to Bloods train station to get Elders G.B.Fuller, and Tryon, and Elder Fuller's wife. When they get back, Mills takes Mrs. Fuller to Naples, and while there, he exchanges a hat at Tobey and Reed, and also gets the $1 owed to Henry from the mistake on Monday. According to Friday's entry, there is another meeting Thursday night, with at least four Elders. Elder's Jones, Hibbard, and Tryon spend the night with the Olney's.

Friday --- The week at church is quite important. They have had meetings for three evenings, and they go to meeting at 8AM on Friday for a business meeting, and have dinner (noon?) and a serial supper at the hall in the evening, with a sermon by Elder Taylor. (A serial supper would usually be folks traveling from house to house with different food served at each home, but since Henry says it was at the hall, it must have been more like a pot luck dinner.) This makes a total of at least 5 Elders in attendance... Tyron, Taylor, Jones, Hibbard, and Fuller. Elders Jones, Tyron, and Hibbard spend Friday night with them. More on this series of meetings on Saturday and Sunday..... next entry.