1884
[*In the front of this diary is written Leader Co Janesville, Rock Co, Wis also is Linseed
Oil-2oz, Alcohol 2 oz, Spt Turpentine 2oz, Amonia 1oz, Oil Spike ½ ozthen on the next page is written Grafting wax, 3 parts
resin, 2 parts beeswax, 1 part lard at the bottom of this page is written Cholera cure-Equal parts Tincture Cayenne, Tincture
of opium, Tincture of Rhubarb, Essence of peppermint, Spirits of camphor. Dose 15 to 30 drops in water, apply every 2 hours,
next day grea??, next day wash-apply on again, apply 4 times, wash every ??? for a week
January
1, 1884 Tuesday/ Cold and blustering all day; Ralph,
Billy and girls went to town to party, Claude went with them; 2 below zero in morning; 12 below zero 8 oclock in evening
January
2, 1884 Wednesday/ Sunshine and pleasant, 16 below
zero in morning; Ralph, Billy and girls got home at noon; Jed Stewart came and stayed all night
January
3, 1884 Thursday/ Clear and pleasant, 22 below zero
in morning, averaged 14 all day, 20 at bedtime; Fred and Henry here in evening
January
4, 1884 Friday/ 31 below zero in morning, sunshine
and clear, stayed at 31 all day, light blizzard in afternoon, the same at bedtime
January
5, 1884 Saturday/ Clear and pleasant, 32 below zero
in morning; went to town with Billy
January
6, 1884 Sunday/ 18 below zero in morning, 10 degrees
all day, pleasant; Billy pony badly lamed
January
7, 1884 Monday/ Cloudy but pleasant, 12 below zero
in morning; getting ready to go to Jackson; went to Jackson
January
8, 1884 Tuesday/ Went to town with Mike, stayed all
day; played pool; getting warmer
January
9, 1884 Wednesday/ Warm and pleasant; helped Mike get
some wood
January
10, 1884 Thursday/ Cold and storming all day; Mell
and Mike went to town; played cards in evening
January
11, 1884 Friday/ Cold south wind; came home from Jackson;
snowed and drifted in afternoon
January
12, 1884 Saturday/ Warm and thawing; made new tongue
for bobsleigh; Louisa went fishing to Imogene, didnt get any; Ralph went after her with sleigh
January
13, 1884 Sunday/ Warm and pleasant; young folks went
to Doyles in evening; Henry and Fred here
January
14, 1884 Monday/ Cold N.W. wind; moved Styles house
from McNearny place
January
15, 1884 Tuesday/ Getting warmer; busted oak logs with
powder; Hattie and Billy went to town
January
16, 1884 Wednesday/ Ralph and Mell went to town; Fred
and Henry here in evening
January
17, 1884 Thursday/ Warm and thawing; blocked up Styles
building; played cards
January
18, 1884 Friday/ Cold and blustering; Nellie sick;
George Jones here in evening; dancing
January
19, 1884 Saturday/ Clear and cold, 22 below zero in
morning; Ralph and Mell took 4 sacks of wheat to town; got boiler
January
20, 1884 Sunday/ Pleasant day; fixed sleighs; house
full in evening
January
21, 1884 Monday/ Worked on Billys house; thawed some;
Milo was here and wife stayed short time
January
22, 1884 Tuesday/ Filed and set Billys saw; Mell went
to Huntly; Billy and Ralph went to town in evening; C. Bowdry here, gave Louisa barometer; George went to East Chain to spelling
January
23, 1884 Wednesday/ drifting some, 14 below zero in
morning; Ralph stayed last night with Billy; 22 below zero at bedtime
January
24, 1884 Thursday/ 30 below zero in morning
January
25, 1884 Friday/ Snowed little; went to town with Mell;
Eb Millard came here; party at Billy Hays; Ganoe and Anna played; big crowd
January
26, 1884 Saturday/ Billy and I went to town; pleasant
day, snowed in evening, drifted a little
January
27, 1884 Sunday/ Louisa went to East Chain; snowed
all day; Ganoe and his wife here in evening; had lots of music
January
28, 1884 Monday/ Cut up oak tree, got up some of it;
warm and thawing
January
29, 1884 Tuesday/ Thawing; Mell took load of wood to
East Chain; Milo came after Hattie; Scot and Aclkey here with horse and cutter
January
30, 1884 Wednesday/ Little colder, 4 above zero; Crothers(?)
girl here
January
31, 1884 Thursday/ Cold, cut and drawed wood; Mell
went over and got some oats; Millard came here
February
1, 1884 Friday/ Thawing; cut wood for Billy; Mell and
Millard went to East Chain; Ralph went to town with Old Bill
February
2, 1884 Saturday/ Thawing; all hands went to town;
drove old Bill and Jim home; Fred Jones got home
February
3, 1884 Sunday/ House full all day; warm and pleasant
February
4, 1884 Monday/ Mell sold Old Bill and Jim; got load
of ice; snowed in afternoon; snowing at bedtime; George and Fred here; not cold
February
5, 1884 Tuesday/ Mell and Louisa went to town; Billy
and Ralph went to town
February
6, 1884 Wednesday/ Cold and blustering; Ada and Millard
went to Pixlys; Mell went to Pixlys, brought Katie Murry home; young folks went to Rouses to party
February
7, 1884 Thursday/ Snowed all day, not cold; Mell took
Katie Murry home; Fred and George here in evening; danced some; 6 degrees below zero in evening
February
8, 1884 Friday/ Mell took George and Anna to school;
roads blocked with snow; Billy went to town to party, Hattie came home with him
February
9, 1884 Saturday/ 22 below zero in morning; Ralph,
Billy, Mell and Millard gone to town, Ada went with them; Billy and Ralph came home 11 oclock
February
10, 1884 Sunday/ 10 degrees below zero in morning;
Searl got hog, Milo was with him
February
11, 1884 Monday/ Mell and Millard went to East Chain;
snowed all day
February
12, 1884 Tuesday/ Cold and blustering and snow all
day; learned the game of Parcheesi; Mell and Louisa went to Bowdrys; got set of chairs from John; 12 degrees below zero at
bed time
February
13, 1884 Wednesday/ 8 below zero in morning; Ralph
and Billy gone to town
February
14, 1884 Thursday/ Stormed some; Millard and Mell went
to Bud Nuts
February
15, 1884 Friday/ Cold and drifting all day; party at
Billy Hays
February
16, 1884 Saturday/ All hands went to town; Mell and
Millard stayed; Ferd Blanchard and wife came and stayed all night, Ferd went home Sunday morning, his wife stayed
February
17, 1884 Sunday/ Cold west wind, air full of frost;
Ralph and Billy got load of ice from Imogene
February
18, 1884 Monday/ Ralph went to mill for Groff; Cold
blustering day, thawed in afternoon
February
19, 1884 Tuesday/ Louisa washed; Ada and Carry went
to Groffs visiting; cold blustering day; Charley Bowdry here
February
20, 1884 Wednesday/ Cold and blustering in forenoon,
warm in afternoon; Ada and Carry went to Joness visiting; Katie Doyle came here; Ada came home; Hattie came from Murrys; Ralph
went to town
February
21, 1884 Thursday/ Sick all day; Ferd came for Carry;
Mell and Millard came home
February
22, 1884 Friday/ Billy, Hattie, and Ralph went to town
to Firmans Ball, Mell and Katie went too
February
23, 1884 Saturday/ Dancers got home at night; snowed
little
February
24, 1884 Sunday/ Fred Style here, brought his light
rifle, had some shooting; all hands here to dinner; getting warmer
February
25, 1884 Monday/ West wind and thawing; boys got load
of ice; took Billys shoes off; Ralph and Billy went to town and stayed all night; ?iters
girls here in evening; Mell and Millard went to Nuts
February
26, 1884 Tuesday/ Warm and pleasant, thawed all day;
made ax helve for Billy; boys cut some wood
February
27, 1884 Wednesday/ Cold and blustery, 6 degrees below
zero in morning; Billy stayed here last night; frost and blizzard all day
February
28, 1884 Thursday/ 24 degrees below zero in morning,
clear and pleasant
February
29, 1884 Friday/ Went to town with Fred Style; sick
all afternoon; stayed at Ocidental all night
March
1, 1884 Saturday/ Came home with Bill ?ick (may be
Pick or Peck) and wife, Tetrie and wife came along, all went back same night
March
2, 1884 Sunday/ The worst blizzard of the season all
day, drifted badly
March
3, 1884 Monday/ Pleasant but cold; boys cut tree back
of stable; Henry Style here in evening; Groff here, played Parcheesi all evening
March
4, 1884 Tuesday/ Cloudy but pleasant, commenced snowing,
10 oclock snowed all day; Ralph and Louisa went to town, Louisa intends to stay several days
March
5, 1884 Wednesday/ Billy and Hattie went to town; surprise
party at Crow?ers; Fred and Henry here in evening; Mell and Milo here and took dinner; Cold but pleasant
March
6, 1884 Thursday/ Boys got 2 loads of wood; commenced
snowing at noon, zero at bedtime
March
7, 1884 Friday/ Cold East wind, look like snow; boys
sawing little wood; all hands went to Fairmont to party; Ralph and Anna played [*Ralph played fiddle and Anna played harp]
, got home at 3 oclock
March
8, 1884 Saturday/ Warm and snowing slightly all day;
Billys cow had calf
March
9, 1884 Sunday/ Sunshine and pleasant but cold; Billy
and Hattie went to Halls in evening; Frank Freeman here and John Huston; wind blowing a gale all night
March
10, 1884 Monday/ Blowing and drifting like blazes,
28 above zero, still blowing great guns and thawing; Louisa came home with Style; looks like rain
March
11, 1884 Tuesday/ Last day of school; went to town
meeting, came home in a blizzard, stormed until midnight
March
12, 1884 Wednesday/ Pleasant day but cold; young folks
went to Fletcher Hills to party in evening
March
13, 1884 Thursday/ Pleasant and warm; Billy gone to
town with oats to get coal from Groff
March
14, 1884 Friday/ Billy and Hattie gone to Blue Earth;
party here in evening; thawing some
March
15, 1884 Saturday/ Pleasant and thawing; Charlie Math???
here, got 12 bushels of wheat; Ralph went to town; girls went to party at Crothers; George Titter here; Louisa went fishing
March
16, 1884 Sunday/ Warm and cloudy; Mell and Millard
here, stayed all night; Billy and Hattie came home from Blue Earth, thawing
March
17, 1884 Monday/ Boys cut and drawed wood; thawed some,
sleighing about gone; Millard took my light wagon, thawing
March
18, 1884 Tuesday/ Rained little all day; cleaned clock;
Milo and Mike Miller came here, Mike stayed all night; played 66 in evening; knocked wolf teeth out of Tempest and Billys
mouth; thawing
March
19, 1884 Wednesday/ Ralph took Mike to town with Billys
team; snowed little all day; Katie Murry here little while; thawing
March
20, 1884 Thursday/ Damp, nasty day; Mell and Millard
came here and stayed; fixed buggy for Millard; still thawing
March
21, 1884 Friday/ Cloudy and warm; boys cut and drawed
basswood tree; Mell, Millard, Ralph, Ada, Anna; Flor???, and the 2 Style boys gone to Pixleys to party; 8 oclock in evening,
raining like blazes
March
22, 1884 Saturday/ Went to town with Billy; George
went to Whitneys
March
23, 1884 Sunday/ Millard and Mell went to town; pleasant
day
March
24, 1884 Monday/ Cut some wood; Mell came home; pleasant
day
March
25, 1884 Tuesday/ Got gun; cold north west wind; Mell
and I went to town, got seed wheat; E. Carelton came home with us
March
26, 1884 Wednesday/ Mell took his brother down to his
sisters; Anna, Ralph and Ada went to Pains to dance
March
27, 1884 Thursday/ Billy and I sawed wood all day;
Mell went to town, got balance of seed wheat
March
28, 1884 Friday/ Mell and I sawed wood; all hands went
to Fairmont to party, Ralph stayed
March
29, 1884 Saturday/ Mell went to Sherburn; Billy and
I sawed wood; Hattie went to Wilkins
March
30, 1884 Sunday/ South East wind, blowed great guns;
Billy went for Hattie
March
31, 1884 Monday/ Ralph and I cut wood all day; north
wind and cold; Billy and Hattie went to town; Billy stayed all night
April
1, 1884 Tuesday/ Rained like blazes all day
April
2, 1884 Wednesday/ Mell went to Winnebago to mill;
Mrs. Groff here visiting; I cut wood
April
3, 1884 Thursday/ Ada and mother went to Teaters visiting;
Mell got home; commenced dragging for wheat
April
4, 1884 Friday/ Cut some wood; had party here in evening;
Milo played; Billy sowed his oats on Jims place
April
5, 1884 Saturday/ Went to town, got new plow; Billy
got his seed wheat; rained little in evening; Nellie had colt in the night
April
6, 1884 Sunday/ Cold north wind; Mell took Ralph to
town to go to Minneapolis; snow blizzard in afternoon
April
7, 1884 Monday/ Mell drove Billy to Bowdrys and Tempest
to East Chain; cold blustering day
April
8, 1884 Tuesday/ Commenced sowing wheat, sowed 6 bushels
of ?ife; Mell dragged with the gray; cold northwest wind, spit snow
April
9, 1884 Wednesday/ Sowed wheat; Mell dragged with Betty
and Nellie; cold northwest wind; Chauncy commenced sowing wheat
April
10, 1884 Thursday/ Finished sowing wheat; George dragged
all day with Billy and Nellie
April
11, 1884 Friday/ Finished dragging wheat; commenced
plowing in afternoon
April
12, 1884 Saturday/ Went to town; Mell went to Sherburn;
I brought team home; Billy got 2 bushels of wheat in town; Milo mo? [* this could be moved or mowed]; Cold southeast
wind
April
13, 1884 Sunday/ Mell brought Soral horses home from
Sherburn; cold southeast wind; let Style have 26 bushels oats; let C. Bowdry have 5 bushels of wheat and 1 bushel of Ser???ings;
John got 1 bushel of same; rained little in evening
April
14, 1884 Monday/ Cold and rainy morning, rained all
day
April
15, 1884 Tuesday/ Rained part of day, ploughed in afternoon
April
16, 1884 Wednesday/ Warm and pleasant; Ploughed all
day; cleaned some oats
April
17, 1884 Thursday/ Cool but pleasant; finished plowing
for oats
April
18, 1884 Friday/ Commenced sowing oats; heavy northwest
wind and cold
April
19, 1884 Saturday/ Finished sowing oats; Mell went
to town; Mrs. Winkins here visiting; wind fearful from northwest
April
20, 1884 Sunday/ Cold wind from northwest; Louisa and
Mell went to Pixleys for plants; Shirley Barber went home; John Huston here after Lennys horse
April
21, 1884 Monday/ Planked my oat ground; northeast wind,
cold as blazes; Mell and I went to town
April
22, 1884 Tuesday/ Drawed manure all day; Mell went
to town
April
23, 1884 Wednesday/ Drawed manure all day; Mell went
to East Chain for posts
April
24, 1884 Thursday/ Drawed manure; Mell came home at
night
April
25, 1884 Friday/ Drawed manure; Ruble and wife here
April
26, 1884 Saturday/ Mell and I went to town; Billy and
Hattie went to town
April
27, 1884 Sunday/ Cold and windy; Mell went to town
with Millards horse
April
28, 1884 Monday/ went to town for fruit trees, Bill
Groff went with me; Billy went to town
April
29, 1884 Tuesday/ Rained and blowed all day, thunderstorm
in evening
April
30, 1884 Wednesday/ set out fruit trees; Bill and Chauncy
went to Frank Rogers sale; Milo and wife here visiting
May 1,
1884 Thursday/ Finished setting fruit trees; Cold northwest
wind; Billy gone to town
May 2,
1884 Friday/ Mell and Millard came here; Ada papered
back room; got out manure
May 3,
1884 Saturday/ Mell and Millard went to Nuts; Ada finished
papering
May 4,
1884 Sunday/ Millard left for Windorn; looks like rain;
Mike and wife came here; Mell and Louisa went to Jim Wilson for roots
May 5,
1884 Monday/ Mike and Mell went to town, Billy and
I went in afternoon
May 6,
1884 Tuesday/ Mike and Mell and the women folks went
to East Chain visiting; I struck of sorn(?) lands; rained all afternoon
May 7,
1884 Wednesday/ Plowed in forenoon; George plowed in
afternoon; Mike at Groffs; had party in evening; Mike went home with Luke Nutter
May 8,
1884 Thursday/ Visited with Mike, let Mike have rifle;
Mell went to Winnebago to mill
May 9,
1884 Friday/ Took Mike and wife to town to take cars,
Ada went with us; helped Groff plant corn; Chauncy finished planting corn; Mell got home from mill
May 10,
1884 Saturday/ Finished plowing for corn; planked and
dragged ground; Gessy Folet came here for horses; Mell went to town, got his buggy
May 11,
1884 Sunday/ Norwegians here to buy horses; played
croquet some; Ada went home with Kate Murry
May 12,
1884 Monday/ Marked corn ground; Mell drove colts to
Folets and back; Billy went to town; Groff went to town to work
May 13,
1884 Tuesday/ Commenced planting corn; Billy and Mell
gone to town; George went to Doyles for corn; got seed corn from Stile
May 14,
1884 Wednesday/ Finished planting corn at 10 oclock
May 15,
1884 Thursday/ Mell got Billy shod; went to Bill Ringers
[* this could be bell ringers]; started breaking plow for Style
May 16,
1884 Friday/ Mell started for pipestone; Charley Bowdry
here; Fred got Bran and Shorts, five bags full
May 17,
1884 Saturday/ Planted my potatoes; Lola Hall here
May 18,
1884 Sunday/ Milo here and stayed all night; Bob Hall
here for receipt
May 19,
1884 Monday/ Got load of hay for Billy; Milo went to
East Chain; burnt hay land; assessor here; let Milo have 3 bags of oats
May 20,
1884 Tuesday/ Worked on road; rained in evening
May 21,
1884 Wednesday/ Rained most all day; put in 4 new fork
handles; made new nick yoke for buggy and evener for dowble whifeltras [* I have no idea what this is-if anyone knows-please
let me know!!!]
May 22,
1884 Thursday/ Billy Chauncy and I played sixty six
in forenoon; rained most all day; fixed churn; made whiffeltrers
May 23,
1884 Friday/ Sold 16 posts to Mitchell for 3 dollars;
helped get Styles colt fixed; Charley Whitney and boys here all evening; Cloudy, rained little
May 24,
1884 Saturday/ Cloudy and rainy this morning, went
to Styles, took clamps and colt, fixed wire fence, covered raspberries with manure
May 25,
1884 Sunday/ Cool and cloudy all day, John Huston and
Albert Hill here, Style boys here in evening, Featherstone stopped here, went to Styles folks, all went to Sunday school
May 26,
1884 Monday/ Worked on road part of forenoon, Charley
Bowdry and Keeler here, worked on road in afternoon, James McMacurden got home from England, Bessie had calf
May 27,
1884 Tuesday/ Worked on road in forenoon, finished
road work, Herman Miller came here and stayed all night, Milo here, Charley got cut on wire fence-swelled leg
May 28,
1884 Wednesday/ Whitney and wife here visiting, Charley
Bowdry got four bags of wheat, Julya (Julia?) Martin went home with Doyle, Kate Murry went home, let Whitney have 3
bags of potatoes
May 29,
1884 Thursday/ Got wire from Style, built fence at
foot of garden, got 40 pound gross weight of wire, Billy helped me fix wire fence, Louisa and George went fishing to Imogene.
Ada went to Mitchells visiting.
May 30,
1884 Friday/ Finished building fence, cleaned load
of wheat
May 31,
1884 Saturday/ Cool, went to town with 28 bu of wheat,
got 70 cents, paid my taxes $18.25, tried hard to rain
June 1,
1884 Sunday/ Cool and cloudy, found 6 little pigs this
morning in the pen, lots of people here, Milo and wife, John Mitchell, Mary Mitchell and Bert Rouse
June 2,
1884 Monday/ Cool, Commenced cultivating corn, Billys
pony had colt, Hoffman here, Bob Hall brought colts to pasture, Anna went to Charley Bowdrys for groceries, Anna and George
went to Murrys, stayed all night
June 3,
1884 Tuesday/ Cool, Milo ploughed his garden, Anna,
Ada, and Kate Murry went to town to go to Jackson, hoed my Garden potatoes
June 4,
1884 Wednesday/ Billy ploughed piece of breaking, Nancy
acted bad, hung screen door
June 5,
1884 Thursday/ Set posts to tie horses to, chored little,
didnt do much of anything
June 6,
1884 Friday/ Cultivated my corn 2nd time,
very warm, 90 degrees above zero, Pircey and Roids here in morning, Milo and wife here, planted his potatoes
June 7,
1884 Saturday/ Finished my corn, cultivated my potatoes,
very warm, fixed cellar way
June 8,
1884 Sunday/ Very warm until night, got cool, no one
here but John, helped Groff build fence, Billys horse got out and run away over the prairie, rained in the night
June 9,
1884 Monday/ Windy and cold, Louisa gone to Charley
Bowdrys with butter, fixed the fence at outlet, Bill Hay here in morning
June 10,
1884 Tuesday/ Went to East Chain, worked on Hoffmans
house
June 11,
1884 Wednesday/ Worked on Hoffmans house
June 12,
1884 Thursday/ Worked for Hoffman
June 13,
1884 Friday/ Worked for Hoffman
June 14,
1884 Saturday/ Worked for Hoffman, came home, found
house full of dancing (18 no.)
June 15,
1884 Sunday/ All hands went crane hunting, cool and
pleasant, S.E. wind, blowing quite hard, took dinner with Groff
June 16,
1884 Monday/ Worked for Hoffman, cultivated my corn
the 3rd time, rain all around, got none
June 17,
1884 Tuesday/ Worked for Hoffman, rain all around got
none
June 18,
1884 Wednesday/ Finished working for Hoffman, rained
all around, got none
June 19,
1884 Thursday/ Very hot, Style commenced surveying
his land, looks like rain, Ada and Louisa went to town with Nellie and buggy
June 20,
1884 Friday/ Built hog pen, very hot, Headly here,
rain all around, us not a drop, Chauncy and wife here in evening, Style still surveying
June 21,
1884 Saturday/ Hot and cloudy, went to town with John
Rich, came home with Teater, Anna and George went to town with gooseberries
June 22,
1884 Sunday/ Hot and looks like rain, John Huston here,
Chauncy and Groff here, got $10 from Style
June 23,
1884 Monday/ Went to town with Billy, got Lennys horse,
very hot, sent strawberries to Sherburn and Jackson
June 24,
1884 Tuesday/ Cultivated my potatoes, to hot, done
nothing balance of day, 94 above zero, turned calves into pasture
June 25,
1884 Wednesday/ Cool and cloudy, cultivated corn in
forenoon, Louisa gone to town in afternoon with team, let Style have 12 bushels of oats
June 26,
1884 Thursday/ Seta Hill, Mrs. Wilson, Mary Murphy,
and Caroline Weber here, cultivated corn, very hot and windy
June 27,
1884 Friday/ Went to East Chain, got horses shod, had
ax fixed, very hot, finished cultivating corn the 4th time
June 28,
1884 Saturday/ Went to town, Ada, Anna and Flora went
with me, sold gooseberries
June 29,
1884 Sunday/ Very hot and sultry, Dan Wilkins and wife,
Billy and Kate Doyle here, Kate Murry and Pixley here, Herman Miller, Groff, John Huston and Albers here.
June 30,
1884 Monday/ 98 degrees above zero, very hot, let Style
have 14 bushels of oats, Billy helping Chauncy draw stone, went to town with Henry, had splendid shower of rain
July 1,
1884 Tuesday/ Pleasant and cool, Mitchell here, got
some plants, cultivated my potatoes
July 2,
1884 Wednesday/ Louisas mother and Mr. Gilmore came
here from Ohio visiting, Milo brought them from town
July 3,
1884 Thursday/ Cultivated my corn, finished, George
went to town, got suit of clothes
July 4,
1884 Friday/ Went to town, had dull day, went to Pixleys
in evening, stayed until midnight, Anna played, Fred Style went with me
July 5,
1884 Saturday/ Herman Miller here and stayed all night,
everyone sleepy
July 6,
1884 Sunday/ Herman Miller went home, Groff went to
town with him
July 7,
1884 Monday/ Went to town, got wagon fellows for one
wheel, Billy went with me
July 8,
1884 Tuesday/ Fixed wagon wheel, Louisa and mother
went to Fosses visiting
July 9,
1884 Wednesday/ Filled one wagon wheel and set tire.
Louisa and her mother came home from Fosses, Mrs. White came here, Nancy cut on wire fence
July 10,
1884 Thursday/ Mrs. White here, all hands went berrying,
Old Nellie little sick, Mrs. White gone home, turned Billy into pasture
July 11,
1884 Friday/ Raked little hay, showery all day, last
day of school, fixed one hind wheel of wagon
July 12,
1884 Saturday/ Billy and I cocked some hay, went to
town with George Jones, Mr. Gilmore went with Billy Doyle, got wagon rod
July 13,
1884 Sunday/ Cool and pleasant, Mr. Petrie and wife
visiting at Groffs, Lenny Burton sent after Polly
July 14,
1884 Monday/ Got letter from Ralph, Louisa and I went
to town, took Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore up to take the cars for Mapleton, got old Dick to work, got letter for Billy, Ada went
to Coltons to work.
July 15,
1884 Tuesday/ Mowed hay part of day, Billy went to
town and got self binder
July 16,
1884 Wednesday/ Cut Timothy hay, raked and cocked,
folks went berrying, rained most all night, light drizzly showers.
July 17,
1884 Thursday/ Took Tommy away from his mother, Billy
went to town for his binder, drove Peter and Dolly, fixed my hay rack, drizzly and cloudy but warm, Old Dicks leg swelled
again, cocked some hay, took Spotty to Styles, got wet as blazes
July 18,
1884 Friday/ Cool and pleasant, Billy gone to town
for self binder, got home alright, Louisa and Anna gone to school section after berries, Mrs. Wilson here for gooseberries,
got one load of hay in Billys barn, looks like rain, Milo came and stayed the night
July 19,
1884 Saturday/ Set Billys binder up and cut half acre
of wheat. I got in seven loads of Timothy hay, Louisa went to school section for berries, Mrs. Wilson here after gooseberries,
let Style have 2 bushels of oats
July 20,
1884 Sunday/ Stacked hay most all day, very warm, took
Vicky to Styles
July 21,
1884 Monday/ Commenced cutting oats for Billy, very
warm, rained in afternoon, blowed fearfully
July 22,
1884 Tuesday/ Cut oats for Billy all day, 94 above
zero
July 23,
1884 Wednesday/ Ada and I went to town with Old Dick,
got pork and cheese, finished Billys oats on Jims and commenced my wheat, very warm, Chauncy commenced cutting oats on Groffs,
very hot
July 24,
1884 Thursday/ Cut wheat all day, Ada went to town,
got twine, very hot, 94 above zero, rained quite a shower
July 25,
1884 Friday/ Cut wheat part of forenoon, broke down,
went to East Chain, got fixed, finished my wheat, went 4 times around my oats, Ada gone to Chauncys to work, thunderstorm
in evening, 96 above zero part of day
July 26,
1884 Saturday/ Cut oats all day with 5 horses didnt
quite finished, cooler
July 27,
1884 Sunday/ Cool and pleasant, folks all gone to Sunday
school
July 28,
1884 Monday/ Finished my oats and cut balance of day
for Billy
July 29,
1884 Tuesday/ Finished cutting Billys oats
July 30,
1884 Wednesday/ Cut wheat on Billys breaking(?), rained
little at noon, Mr. Billows and wife here from Kansas, cut wheat in afternoon
July 31,
1884 Thursday/ Finished cutting Billys wheat on breaking
at noon, got 3 loads of hay, Billy and I went to town in afternoon
August
1, 1884 Friday/ Stacked Billys oats on Jims place,
very windy, John Huston helped us
August
2, 1884 Saturday/ Showery and wet all day, done nothing,
Ada, Anna, Flora, and John went to town with Billys team, George went to Charleys for oil
August
3, 1884 Sunday/ Took Groff part way to town, Met Milo
brought him home with me
August
4, 1884 Monday/ Stacked my oats, Milo helped
August
5, 1884 Tuesday/ Rained little, stacked my wheat, Milo
helped, Billy took Milo home, got ½ gallon whiskey
August
6, 1884 Wednesday/ Went to East Chain to mill, took
5 sacks of wheat, stacked oats for Billy in afternoon, Billy finished cutting his wheat in forenoon, took Nellie to East Chain
August
7, 1884 Thursday/ Stacked oats for Billy in forenoon,
sick all afternoon, John put up one stack, took down part of it next day, Mell came home from Dakota
August
8, 1884 Friday/ Finished Billys oats, Billy went to
mill, I got my grist, had plow sharpened, Ada went to town with Mell
August
9, 1884 Saturday/ Stacked Billys wheat, all through
stacking
August
10, 1884 Sunday/ Mell and Louisa got to East Chain,
Billy and Huston gone to Lennys to get his house
August
11, 1884 Monday/ Louisa went to Murrys and stayed all
night, mell went to town, Billy broke his mower and went to town, I commenced fixing my light wagon, Ada sold her steer
August
12, 1884 Tuesday/ Billy mowed all day, I worked on
wagon, let Style have 4 sacks of oats
August
13, 1884 Wednesday/ Raked and cocked hay for Billy,
went to East Chain with wagon wheels, cocked hay in evening
August
14, 1884 Thursday/ Mell mowed all day for me, I went
to town, got wagon tire, George killed pelican
August
15, 1884 Friday/ Mell mowed in forenoon, Billy and
John gone hunting, blowed all day, put up 150 cocks of hay, George raked all afternoon, Mell and Ada went to town so did John,
rained little in night, got my wagon tire home
August
16, 1884 Saturday/ Cloudy and windy, looks like rain,
10 oclock commenced hauling hay, to wet, raked and cocked, rained heavy, Mell went to town and stayed all night, Jim Burton
here to dinner, took his cow home
August
17, 1884 Sunday/ Cloudy and misty, Louisa and Billy
gone to Pixleys
August
18, 1884 Monday/ Went to East Chain, got my wagon fixed
August
19, 1884 Tuesday/ Painted my wagon, Ada gone to Murrys,
Mell and I went to town, drove Billy and Billys colt, blowed fearfully in night
August
20, 1884 Wednesday/ Rained little in morning, stacked
hay all day, Al Davis and wife from St. Louis here to dinner, Mell gone to town to send for machine extries(?)
August
21, 1884 Thursday/ Stacked Billys hay and part of mine,
Billy went to town, man bought school section, commenced hauling lumber for his house, Davis and wife here to dinner
August
22, 1884 Friday/ Billy and Davis gone hunting, Mell
and George gone to town, I put hangers on my stack, Fred Style here in evening
August
23, 1884 Saturday/ Cut little hay, stacked some, Ada
came home from Murrys, Petrie came home with Groff
August
24, 1884 Sunday/ Rained most all day, Jim Burton here
after his calf, bought Jims house, Petrie stayed here all night
August
25, 1884 Monday/ Mell, gruff and Petrie went to town,
commenced plowing, very dry
August
26, 1884 Tuesday/ Mell mowed, I cocked, George plowed,
Billy went to town
August
27, 1884 Wednesday/ drawed hay all day, Mell threshed
for Mitchell in afternoon, machine broke down, rained little, John and his mother moved to Lennys house
August
28, 1884 Thursday/ George plowed all day, fixed Billys
pump, very hot-90 above zero, heavy wind at night, thunder and lightning
August
29, 1884 Friday/ Mell mowed some
August
30, 1884 Saturday/ Mell went to town, Herman Miller
came home with him
August
31, 1884 Sunday/ Mell took Herman to town
September
1, 1884 Monday/ Hattie and Girty Grant here all day
September
2, 1884 Tuesday/ Mell threshed for Mitchell, I painted
his buggy
September
3, 1884 Wednesday/ Threshed for Teeter all day
September
4, 1884 Thursday/ Finished Teeters threshing in forenoon,
moved to Chauncys, threshed in afternoon
September
5, 1884 Friday/ Finished Chauncys threshing in forenoon,
brought machine here
September
6, 1884 Saturday/ Rained in morning, pleasant day
September
7, 1884 Sunday/ Threshers came here at night
September
8, 1884 Monday/ Threshed my oats and one stack of wheat,
rained all afternoon fearfully
September
9, 1884 Tuesday/ Threshers went home, Carlos(or
Cartos) took my buggy looking for jobs, Lola Hall here, went to Lukes to dance
September
10, 1884 Wednesday/ Carlos went home, Mell and I went
to town, got meat and sugar
September
11, 1884 Thursday/ Commenced and finished my wheat,
220 bushels and 403 of wheat
September
12, 1884 Friday/ Threshed for Billy
September
13, 1884 Saturday/ Finished threshing for Billy, moved
to Hills and threshed one setting of oats
September
14, 1884 Sunday/ Cloudy and rainy in morning
September
15, 1884 Monday/ Helped
Hill thresh in forenoon, very windy, look like rain, George plowed
September
16, 1884 Tuesday/ Finished plowing for wheat, Mell
drove colts to town, took load of damp wheat to Jims house to dry
September
17, 1884 Wednesday/ Mell started for Dakota, Billy
gone to town with load of wheat, George gone hunting ducks
September
18, 1884 Thursday/ Very windy and cool, finished my
plowing, Kate Hall here, helped Billy fix his colt stable
September
19, 1884 Friday/ Billy cut 2 loads of hay for me
September
20, 1884 Saturday/ Helped Style thresh, fixed stacks,
drew 2 loads of hay
September
21, 1884 Sunday/ nothing written
September
22, 1884, Monday/ Helped Style finish thresh in forenoon,
he had 1300 bushels of oats and 144 of wheat
September
23, 1884 Tuesday/ Style took his wood to town, Billy
cut hay in forenoon, we drew it in afternoon, filled his barn
September
24, 1884 Wednesday/ First day of fair, cleaned 22 bushels
of wheat, rained some
September
25, 1884 Thursday/ Took load of wheat to town, Louisa
and Anna and Flora went with me, George went too and stayed all night
September
26, 1884 Friday/ Went to fair, took all the folks,
drove colts, got caught in rain, stayed all night
September
27, 1884 Saturday/ Came home this morning, done nothing,
I drove Billys team and he drove mine
September
28, 1884 Sunday/ John Hall, Lucy Leat and Hattie here
September
29, 1884 Monday/ Took Louisa and Ada to town to go
to Jackson to fair, husked load of corn, Lola hall came to stay with Anna, thunder and lightning but no rain, Gream and wife
arrived from England
September
30, 1884 Tuesday/ Billy took load of oats to town,
I put plank in Nellies stall and fixed the stable, cool and pleasant
October
1, 1884 Wednesday/ Rained all day, went to town after
Ada and her mother, saw Gream and Jim
October
2, 1884 Thursday/ Pleasant and windy, George took Lola
home, Fred Houseman here to buy cow, didnt sell
October
3, 1884 Friday/ Done nothing all day, Billy went to
town, stayed all night, had party here in evening
October
4, 1884 Saturday/ Went to town, John Huston went with
me, very muddy, drove colts
October
5, 1884 Sunday/ Windy and cool, Mr. Robinson(?) and
Kate, Jule and Mary Murry here all afternoon, Mitchell and wife and Bills wife here visiting
October
6, 1884 Monday/ Cool and pleasant, George plowing for
Billy
October
7, 1884 Tuesday/ Billy went to Winnebago to mill, rained
in afternoon, very cold
October
8, 1884 Wednesday/ Took seeling(?) of Jims house, George
plowed for Billy, Billy got home from Winnebago with grist, Henry Style came in evening to tell us Ralph was sick
October
9, 1884 Thursday/ Heard Ralph was sick, went to town
to see about it, think tis a hoax [this is written think tis ahoaks]
October
10, 1884 Friday/ Finished taking ceiling out of Jims
house, George plowed for Billy while he went to heard for cattle, Claude Turner came here and stayed
October
11, 1884 Saturday/ Cool and pleasant, Claude gone hunting,
Kate Murry stayed here
October
12, 1884 Sunday/ nothing written
October
13, 1884 Monday/ Claude Turner commenced grubing for
Bill Groff
October
14, 1884 Tuesday/ Kate Murry of Fairmont came here
and stayed, Anna and Kate went visiting to East Chain
October
15, 1884 Wednesday/ Dug my potatoes, Billy and Claude
helped me, 40 bushels in cellar, about 15 in pit
October
16, 1884 Thursday/ nothing written
October
17, 1884 Friday/ Young folks went to Lukes to party,
OConner and Mrs. Murry came after Miss Murry and took her home
October
18, 1884 Saturday/ Billy went to town, took Kate Murry
with him, Fred Harlow here after Ada
October
19, 1884 Sunday/ Miss Lausen and a whole houseful of
company here
October
20, 1884 Monday/ Husked load of corn, drawed some manure,
rained in afternoon
October
21, 1884 Tuesday/ Went to town, Ada went to Eiding
house to work republican convention
October
22, 1884 Wednesday/ Drew manure all day, Claude Turner
helped me, drew in 2 loads of corn for Groff, first frost of the season, froze quite hard
October
23, 1884 Thursday/ Drawed manure with one wagon, Claude
gone to work for Chauncy, Billy drawed load of good for Mr. Schultz for our town, hard frost, froze ½ inch ice
October
24, 1884 Friday/ Finished hauling manure from horse
barn, Billy hauled some wood, Joe Hide and wife here to buy colt, little sick
October
25, 1884 Saturday/ Commenced husking corn, Billy helped
me
October
26, 1884 Sunday/ House full of people all day
October
27, 1884 Monday/ Husked corn, Claude helped in afternoon,
Billy all day
October
28, 1884 Tuesday/ Husked corn all day, Billy and Claude
helped, Ada came home on Tuesday
October
29, 1884 Wednesday/ Finished husking corn, Billy and
Claude helped me, the two German women here in evening
October
30, 1884 Thursday/ Went to town with Billy, took 5
sacks of wheat 53 cents per bushel, got lumber for hen house, Louisa went to Ackleys visiting
October
31, 1884 Friday/ Worked on hen house, Ben Voreise(?)
here, folks all went to Pixleys, Anna went home with Lukes folks
November
1, 1884 Saturday/ Finished my hen house, Billy helped
me, Claude didnt come home today, 10 oclock-must go to bed
November
2, 1884 Sunday/ Lola Hall here and John Hustin, Milo
went past here, him and his wife went to Wilkins
November
3, 1884 Monday/ Beautiful day, Teeter and Groff cleaned
grist for mill, commenced to build back house, Groff had team to bank house, Billy helped him
November
4, 1884 Tuesday/ Went to town to election
November
5, 1884 Wednesday-November 22, 1884 Saturday/ Nothing
written
November
23, 1884 Sunday/ Two weeks ago Groff went to wells
to work and I have worked on the old house ever since, coldest day of the season, down to zero this morning, rain and sleet,
Style boys traded horses
November
24, 1884 Monday/ Icy
and cold, got little wood, Groff came home, 5 below zero in morning, got work bench in, George Jones here in evening and Groff
November
25, 1884 Tuesday/ Threatens to snow, warmer, Lawson
folks here in evening, made hen house door, cut down oak tree
November
26, 1884 Wednesday/ Drawed and cut wood all day, Laundry
Queen man here-done washing
November
27, 1884 Thursday/ Billy
and I sawed wood all day, girls went to party at Rob Hills
November
28, 1884 Friday/ Cloudy and warm, built fence around
stack
November
29, 1884 Saturday/ nothing written
November
30, 1884 Sunday/ Nothing written
December
1, 1884 Monday/ Billy ?? for Groff, killed Bills hog,
fixed yard fence
December
2, 1884 Tuesday/ Cut oak tree on lake shore, drawed
some wood, Claude Turner and a stranger came and stayed all night, sold Bessie and heifer to Houseman for 50?
December
3, 1884 Wednesday/ Fred Houseman came and got 2 cows,
Billy helped drive them, Claude and friend here yet
December
4, 1884 Thursday/ Claude and friend gone to town, Bill
and I cut some wood, Ada and her mother gone to Fletchers Hill visiting
December
5, 1884 Friday/ Misty and frosty all day, boys skating,
cased door, Anna went to party at Betzia
December
6, 1884 Saturday/ Foggy and rainy, Billy, Louisa and
Ada went to town, Claude and George went to Imogene fishing, rain and sleet all day, tied the cows up the first time this
fall
December
7, 1884 Sunday/ nothing written
December
8, 1884 Monday/ Mrs. Martin came here, Billy went to
town, Fred Style came after his harness, warm and pleasant
December
9, 1884 Tuesday/ Billy hasnt got back yet, Bill Groff
gone to Wells to work, Hill got my bob sled to take hogs to town
December
10, 1884 Wednesday/ Ralph and Herman came home from
St. Paul
December
11, 1884 Thursday/ Billy and I went to town, Ralph
and Herman went to Jackson with Nellie and Cutter
December
12, 1884 Friday/ Billy got 3 loads of ice, all hands
went to Wilsons to party, Mrs. Martin went home with Dorothy
December
13, 1884 Saturday/ Billy and Lenny went to town, George
sold his rats, snowed all night, drifted some
December
14, 1884 Sunday/ Jed Stewart here, brought some pop
corn, John Huston here, pleasant day
December
15, 1884 Monday/ Clear and cold down to zero, Pain
and Henry Betts here for Ralph and Anna to play, Billy went to town, got new suit of clothes
December
16, 1884 Tuesday/ Clear and cold, 8 degrees below zero,
George Jones and Henry Style, Lenna and her mother all here in evening, colder
December
17, 1884 Wednesday/ Coldest morning of the season,
12 degrees below zero in morning, Lola Hall came to stay all night, 12 degrees below at bedtime, Claude and Bob here, Billy
went to town, Mr. Lausen moved to his new house, let Shultz have bag of corn
December
18, 1884 Thursday/ 4 degrees below zero at 8 oclock
in morning, sunshine and pleasant, Herman and Ralph came from Jackson, drove Nellie and Old Bill Mells horse, Ada went home
with Lola, 10 degrees below zero all day, 18 below at bedtime
December
19, 1884 Friday/ South East wind, cold as blazes, Anna
and boys went to Pixleys to party, froze all the plants in the house
December
20, 1884 Saturday/ Blustery South East wind but warmer,
Ralph gone to town with Cutter, came home late, Billy came home and went back again, Bill Groff came home from Wells
December
21, 1884 Sunday/ Quite warm, snowed most all day, boys
drove colts
December
22, 1884 Monday/ Clear and cold, drifting little, 14
below zero in morning, Henry Style and Groff here in evening, played Parcheesi and 6?, 10 below zero at bedtime
December
23, 1884 Tuesday/ Cloudy and threatens snow, Ralph
gone to Doyles to ask them to party, killed hog, Billy came home, 2 degrees below zero at bedtime
December
24, 1884 Wednesday/ 18 below zero in morning, Ralph
gone to Hustons for syrup, Mell came here from Dakota
December
25, 1884 Thursday/ Had party, good time, Billy gone
to town to stay day or two, 10 degrees below zero all day
December
26, 1884 Friday/ Wind south, cold as blazes and drifting,
15 above zero at bedtime
December
27, 1884 Saturday/ Young folks went to town, Ralph
stayed all night, Mell left for Dakota, quite warm
December
28, 1884 Sunday/ Fletcher and wife and Rupert Ganoe
here, cloudy and warm, Ralph came home, Groff folks all here
December
29, 1884 Monday/ Cut oak tree, got 2 loads of wood,
all hands went to Se??ers visiting, cloudy and warm, Rupert stayed all night
December
30, 1884 Tuesday/ Cloudy but warm, young folks all
gone to town to party at Ocidental, warm but blustering, Ada started for Jackson
December
31, 1884 Wednesday/ Blizzard all last night and all
day today, folks came home this afternoon, still stormy, Louisa went to Schultzs visiting, Fred and Groff here, threw dice