excerpts from Plank Road Explorer by Henry Marvin, 1873 Webbs Mills, New York

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Copyright © 2012 New York History Review. All rights reserved.


November, Saturday 1, 1873
I went to town with Father. I went to Ed’s and to Lyme’s. I got me a new suit of close [clothes].


November, Sunday 2, 1873
I went a-hunting in the forenoon and in the afternoon I went up to George’s with Lyme. I come down as far as the Tanner’s and then I went back to [the] meeting up to the schoolhouse.


November, Monday 3, 1873
I stayed at home all day and husked oats. Father went to town. At nite I went to the store.





November, Tuesday 4, 1873
I stayed at home all day and drawed pumpkins and at nite I went up to John’s and took him home. Father went to Election.


November, Wednesday 5, 1873
I stayed at home all day and picked stone. Father went to town. I went to the Burg at nite.


November, Thursday 6, 1873
I stayed at home all day and drawed manure. Father went down to Aunt Julia’s.


November, Friday 7, 1873
I stayed at home all day and drawed manure and plowed and picked stone. Father went up to Wells’ to work on the dam.


November, Saturday 8, 1873
I stayed at home all day and drawed stone and at nite I went to the store. I went to the store. Father worked on the dam.


November, Sunday 9, 1873
I stayed at home all day. Ed was here.


November, Monday 10, 1873
I stayed at home all day and drawed manure and corn stalks. Petey was here to work.


November, Tuesday 11, 1873
I stayed at home all day and drawed manure and corn stalks. At nite I went to John’s to work.


November, Wednesday 12, 1873
I stayed here all day and cut logs. Mr. Robbins helped me.


November, Thursday 13, 1873
I stayed here and sawed logs. Mr. Robbins helped me.


November, Friday 14, 1873
I stayed here and sawed logs all day. John helped me.


November, Saturday 15, 1873
I worked half a day and in the afternoon I went home and got the gun. John went to Waverly.


November, Sunday 16, 1873
I went a-hunting. I killed nothing.


November, Monday 17, 1873
I stayed here and made a r--d and drawed out wood.


November, Tuesday 18, 1873
I stayed here all day and cut wood and husked corn in the forenoon and in the afternoon I went a-hunting. John come to nite.


November, Wednesday 19, 1873
I come home to day and this afternoon I cut logs and wood.


November, Thursday 20, 1873
I stayed at home all day and cut logs and wood.


November, Friday 21, 1873
I stayed at home all day and cut wood and logs.


November, Saturday 22, 1873
I stayed at home all day and cut wood and at nite I went to the store and and up to Elake’s. Ed come up home and stayed all nite. His wife has gone up home. Susie and Jim went with her.


November, Sunday 23, 1873
I stayed at home all day. I went a-hunting a little while at nite. I went down home with Ed.


November, Monday 24, 1873
School commenced today. Our teacher’s name is Pild. I went to the store at nite and Ed come home with me. He stayed all nite.


November, Tuesday 25, 1873
I went to school. Ed worked here today. Father went to town.


November, Wednesday 26, 1873
I went to school. Peter drawed logs.


November, Thursday 27, 1873
I stayed at home all day and cut logs.


November, Friday 28, 1873
I went to school. At nite I went to the Burg. Later went up to John’s.


November, Saturday 29, 1873
I stayed at home all day and cut logs in the forenoon. I went a-hunting. I killed a partridge. Jessie & Bill Criss come here and helped kill a bull.


November, Sunday 30, 1873
I went a-hunting with Peter and Father. Father killed a partridge.


December, Monday 1, 1873
I went to school. It snowed all day.


December, Tuesday 2, 1873
I went to school. I took a load of wood to Aunt Julia’s. Lyme was here and stayed all nite.


December, Wednesday 3, 1873
I went to school. Lyme was here and worked a half day. I went a-hunting a little while at nite.


December, Thursday 4, 1873
I went to school. Peter drawed wood and stone.


December, Friday 5, 1873
I went to school. Lyme was here got a load of stone. I went to the Burg at nite.


December, Saturday 6, 1873
I stayed at home all day and cut wood. Father and Mother went to town. I went to the Burg at nite.


December, Sunday 7, 1873
I went a-hunting a little while. We got a rabbit. Tim was here. I went a-skating a little while.


December, Monday 8, 1873
I went to school. Father went to town.


December, Tuesday 9, 1873
I went to school. Father went to town.


December, Wednesday 10, 1873
I went to school and at nite I went up to the schoolhouse to a spelling school. Lyme and Charlie Pierce was here and stayed all nite.


December, Thursday 11, 1873
I went to school. Lyme and Charlie worked here all day.


December, Friday 12, 1873
I went to school all day and at nite I went to the Burg. Father went to town. Peter quit work here today.


December, Saturday 13, 1873
I drawed lumber all day. I drawed three loads home from the mill and two up to U.B Dann.


December, Sunday 14, 1873
I stayed at home all day and at nite I went to Ed’s and stayed a little while.


December, Monday 15, 1873
I went to school all day. The teacher offered a present to the [student] who would have the most credits.


December, Tuesday 16, 1873
I went to school all day and then at nite I went up to spelling school.


December, Wednesday 17, 1873
I went to school all day. Miss Hill and Miss Huntley was here today.


December, Thursday 18, 1873
I went to school all day.


December, Friday 19, 1873
I went to school all day.


December, Saturday 20, 1873
In the forenoon I drawed wood and in the afternoon I cut wood. Father went to town. He took Covel’s horse home.


December, Sunday 21, 1873
I went a-hunting. I got a rabbit. In the afternoon I went to the store ------- a fine time alone.


December, Monday 22, 1873
I went to school all day.


December, Tuesday 23, 1873
I went to school all day and at nite I went up to the schoolhouse to spelling school. Lafe Bailey come here to work to nite.


December, Wednesday 24, 1873
I went to school all day and at nite I went to the Burg.


December, Thursday 25, 1873
In the forenoon I went a-hunting and in the afternoon I cut logs. John and Lib and Sam & Early & Aunt Julia & Libbie was here. At nite I went up to John’s to a dance.


December, Friday 26, 1873
I went to school all day. Lafe drawed out headin for M.B. Dann or [U.B.?]


December, Saturday 27, 1873
I and Lafe went over to John’s --- and took Frank Hall’s cow[?] home. We went a-horse back.


December, Sunday 28, 1873
I stayed at home all day and at nite Lafe and I went a-riding. Lyme and Jane was here and stayed all nite.


December, Monday 29, 1873
I went to school all day. Lafe drawed logs. Father went to town. Lyme and Charley was here and stayed all nite. I went to the store at nite.


December, Tuesday 30, 1873
I went to school all day. I went up to Criss’s and got a big kettle for to kill hogs. I went down to Dave’s and helped kill turkeys.


December, Wednesday 31, 1873
I stayed at home all day and killed hogs. Lyme and Charley and Bill Teneyck helped us. I went to the store at nite.


Available as a paperback book
Publisher: New York History Review Press

The Sun Shone

by Margaret "Maggie" Wolcott, 1879 Caton, New York

©2011 All rights reserved.

April, Tuesday 1, 1879
We had a lamb. Sun shone. I ironed. Ma went up to Aunt Delia’s. Birt went up to Oscar’s and got the dog machine. Real and Flora come down.


April, Wednesday 2, 1879
Snowed a little. Wind blew west. Ma commenced joining her chain. The hog had pigs. I was going to Ella’s but it is cold.




April, Thursday 3, 1879
Cloudy – 2 years ago today Ella and Birt and I went to Corning and got her tooth out. The men drawed wood.


April, Friday 4, 1879
Julian Babcock died today. 2 years ago today Aurelia and Albert was married. We are joining my 4 squares. Another lamb. Pa and Birt drawed wood. We had a custard.


April, Saturday 5, 1879
Snowed. I mopped. I was to Ella. Kit was up to Julia Bundy’s. Pa went to Corning. Stayed all night. Ella has a new stove.


April, Sunday 6, 1879
Christian cross symbol. Nice day. I stayed to Ella’s till 3 o’clock. Tid and Ella brought me home. Julian Babcock was buried. Betty is sick. Alida Christian died awhile ago.


April, Monday 7, 1879
Pleasant. We washed. Aurelia was sick. Betty is better. Edd Cole come down. Birt went to Corning. Pa went to Alan Linsy’s [Allen Linsey’s] vendue.


April, Tuesday 8, 1879
Nice day. Aunt Delia. Grampa come here and Delia. I begun to smoke cubes [chubs?]


April, Wednesday 9, 1879
Nice day. I went up to Flora’s and got the overall pattern. Ma worked on her Irish chain. The men sawed wood.


April, Thursday 10, 1879
Rained. Mrs. French come up in the Morning. Tid brought her. Mrs. Gorton come down. They quilted. Uncle Jacob come down and brought part of Aunt Delia’s dress. The men sawed wood.


April, Friday 11, 1879
Snowed. Good Friday. Ma and I quilted. We roaled 3 -----. Birt went to Charlie’s and Tom’s. One of the horses kicked him. Pa cut wood. Real worked on Birt’s overalls.


April, Saturday 12, 1879
Nice day. Birt went to the post to mail. We had twin lambs. I mopped. Ma washed the windows. I pulled a tooth Friday.


April, Sunday 13, 1879
Rained. Tid and Ella come up. Easter Sunday. My head ached.


April, Monday 14, 1879
Pleasant. Ma washed. I ironed. Aurelia boiled hemlock bark. Birt commenced plowing the first time in the afternoon. Pa cut wood. Pa went down to Tid’s after the plow and got some ---.


April, Tuesday 15, 1879
B---, Frank and Emil come down. We quilted. Real colored her wash.


April, Wednesday 16, 1879
Pleasant. I mopped. Kittie and Ella come up a-foot. Real come down to Ella’s and Tid come up after them. We quilted. There is a dance up to Mr. Williams’s tonight.


April, Thursday 17, 1879
Snowed. I quilted. Real quilted for the first time. Peddler come here Wednesday. Ma got a bacon and some stove polish. Mr. Mercy come up. Birt made a wash bench.


April, Friday 18, 1879
I blacked the stove. We quilted. Birt made two stools. Pa found a mother lamb.


April, Saturday 19, 1879
Pleasant. Ella come up with Papa. Went to Corning after the doctor. Birt went out and got out Hannah. Aurelia is sick. Did come up tonight. A burial tonight.


April, Sunday 20, 1879
Pleasant. We had company – Frank [sister Frances] and her family. Mattie Welles and Uncle Bill and his wife. Tid and Ella.


April, Monday 21, 1879
Pleasant. Ella and I washed. Birt plowed in the forenoon. Pa went to Corning in the afternoon. Delia come down.


April, Tuesday 22, 1879
Pleasant. Ella ironed. I begun to wash in the front yard. Elsie and her children come in the afternoon. Birt plowed today. Ella and I went to Mercy’s twice. Real is worse.


April, Wednesday 23, 1879
Cloudy. Rained. Commenced apron. Ripped up Aurelia green dress. Frank and Mollie. Wed come down in the evening. Sowed the peas today. Birt sowed out the first no the orchard.


April, Thursday 24, 1879
Cloudy and sun shone part of the day. Sowed the oats today. Finished my apron & mopped. I washed in the yard. Birt got a crab apple tree.


April, Friday 25, 1879
Pleasant. We made pies and Nancy [Wilkins] come and Uncle Henry [Wilkins, age 40]. They are going to start West Tuesday.


April, Saturday 26, 1879
Pleasant in the morning. Rained in the afternoon. It thundered. I wen t up to Flora’s and got a book. Dela Wheat was up to Flora’s. We went and gathered flowers. Tid come up. Ma got the first greens for Real. Birt plowed.


April, Sunday 27, 1879
Pleasant. Henry Seyter come up. Tid stayed all night. I finished reading Flora’s book. Ella is here now.


April, Monday 28, 1879
Rained. We washed. I made some mitts. All the folks went to sleep but Ma & Pa sorted potatoes. Birt plowed up by the swale [a low tract of land, especially one that is moist or marshy].


April, Tuesday 29, 1879
Pleasant. I went up to Frank’s after coal ashes. Fred Brown works there. The leach started to run. Ella commenced to make soap. Birt and Pa went to Corning. Birt took some potatoes. Got one dollar a bushel.


April, Wednesday 30, 1879
Pleasant. I got some greens. Ella finished the soap. We ironed. Birt plowed.