Transcription

Lorette Shepard & John Hamilton writings

August 1855

Following is a verbatim transcription of the diaries penned by Lorette Shepard & John Hamilton about life in rural Genesee County, New York. People, places & events transcribed have been thoroughly researched unraveling family relationships & yielding rich insights. Research results are conveniently interspersed within the transcription.


Lorette Shepard's 1855 DiaryImage Credit: Private Family Collection

 

8/1/1855 Wednesday. Pleasant. Went over and helped Elizabeth this morning. Mr Bacon here to work, Sarah & Mrs P. Showerman & Mrs. Newcomb here.

JCH: William Benedict and Powers here cutting wheat over on the Sprague lot. Did not quite finish. Worked hard, rained a little to day. Wheat not much grown.

 

8/2/1855 Thursday. Pleasant. We had seven men harvesting. Elizebeth & Mrs. P. Showerman here. Janette Shepard & I called there.

JCH: Frank, James, Benedict, and myself went over to Stewarts cutting wheat. Very warm and a light shower about noon. Finished his wheat.

 

8/3/1855 Friday. Pleasant. Mr. Bacon left this morning. Ma was very sick. Dr. Northrope was called. Mrs. P. Showerman, Mrs. James Shepard, aunt Quance & Mrs. Brainard was here. Elizabeth, Lucy, and Sarah Quance called. Job came to town. Mrs. Morris Putnam watched.

 

Home of Dr. Charles Northrup, Batavia, New York

Dr. Charles Northrup had this house built on Main Street, Batavia, around 1850.
Image Credit: LJ Shepard Research

 

JCH: Commenced on the corn ground. Frank thought he could finish it. Stewart and I went over to Wm Hamiltons and finished his.

 

8/4/1855 Saturday. Fine shower. Mr. Northrup called. Mrs. P. Showerman here all day, Aunt Quance & Sally visited here. Elizabeth called. Mrs. Brainard & Emeline Strong watched tonight. Ma very sick all day. Pa brought Grandma Showerman here.

JCH: Finished cutting wheat that Frank did not cut, drew in three loads and was stopped by a thunder shower, cleared off.

 

8/5/1855 Sunday. Pleasant. Ma some better this morning. Mr. & Mrs. Northrup called. Thirty-three different persons called today. Harriet Shepard and Lydia Ann Shepard watched.

JCH: Aaron Webster was here this morning. I was over on the Center road the most of the day. Just at night went down to fell a tree that had been struck.

 

8/6/1855 Monday. Pleasant. Eunice Lyons here washing. Mrs. P. Showerman here all day taking care of Ma. Elizabeth watched with her. Israel here all night. Willard Quance and Charles Putnam here to work.

JCH: Drew in wheat all day. William Benedict helped draw in and stacked twenty five loads. W. L. was sick. Mr. Benedict cut grass for us.

 

8/7/1855 Tuesday. Fine shower. Mrs. P. Showerman here all day. The two boys here to work. Mrs. Seymour Putnam & Sally Putnam. In the evening Dr. Northrup called.

 

Gravestone of Seymour Putnam

Gravestone of Seymour Putnam, son of Peter Putnam and Prudence Johnson, Bethany, New York
Image Credit: LJ Shepard Research

 

JCH: Aaron Webster was here threshing a stack in the lot. We thrashed seventy bushels. It rained in the afternoon. Aaron Webster here all night.

 

8/8/1855 Wednesday. Fine shower. This morning Jennett Shepard went home & Eunice Lyons came here to work. Philinda Putnam called. Mrs. P. Showerman & Sarah Showerman here this afternoon.

JCH: Finished the stack this morning. Had one hundred and thirty bushels. It rained just at night. Came home.

 

8/9/1855 Thursday. Pleasant. Grandma Showerman & Olive Powers, aunt Julia Brainard, aunt Mehitable Quance, aunt Sarah Shepard, visited here. Helen Showerman & Sarah Showerman called.

JCH: Thrashed for David Knowlton in the forenoon. I didn’t finish but came home and went to mowing. Frank stayed and finished. Mowed in the afternoon.

 

8/10/1855 Friday. Pleasant but cold Mrs. P. Showerman, Elizebeth & Mrs. Morris Putnam called. Considerable housework to day.

JCH: Mowed and drew in three loads of wheat in the forenoon. Benedict here a mowing. James ganging for Stewart this afternoon. Day cloudy.

 

8/11/1855 Saturday. Pleasant. Doing housework all day. Jannett and Ordelia Shepard and Elizabeth Brainard here. Lucy and Sarah Quance called.

JCH: Mowed this forenoon. Got up seven loads into a stack. Benedict put in three. Most tired of haying, hard work. Day very pleasant.

 

8/12/1855 Sunday. Fine showers. At home all day. Mr. & Mrs. P. Showerman & Sarah here. Mr. & Mrs. Quance, Emeline & Emerette Putnam called.

JCH: Eliza Hamilton and myself attended meeting at the west church. Went down to the five o clock meeting at the school house. Warm.

 

8/13/1855 Monday. Pleasant. Washing. Mrs. P. Showerman & Sarah visited here. Mrs. Benjamin Moore, Mrs. Clarissa Calkins, Martha Green, Sabra Moore, Mrs. Osgood Putnam & Eunice Bryan.

JCH: Mowing to day in the meadow. Father went to mill. Frank cut oats. Benedict here cutting grass.

 

8/14/1855 Tuesday. Pleasant. Elizebeth Showerman visited here. Mary Brainard called. Considerable housework to day. Awful tired. Commenced making pickles.

JCH: Cleared off. Pleasant morning. In the forenoon, drew hay to the stack. Father and mother went to the village.

 

8/15/1855 Wednesday. Pleasant. James Showerman here this afternoon to work. Helen Showerman visited here. Ma ate dinner with us. Pa bought three cows.

JCH: Finished cutting grass in the meadow, and got it all in. Taped out two stacks. Weather fine. Mr. Benedict was here, helped us.

 

8/16/1855 Thursday. Fine shower. Mrs. P. Showerman & Sarah visited here. Mr. & Mrs. Farnham, Mr. & Mrs. Asahel Shepard, Mr. Newcomb, Eunice Bryan called. Sewing.

JCH At work for myself cutting grass over in the wheat lot. Frank Hamilton cutting oats. James Hamilton plowing on the summer fallow.

 

8/17/1855 Friday. Pleasant. High wind. Another moving day – Mr & Mrs John Moore, Mr. & Mrs. P Showerman & Sarah, Mrs. Calvin Strong called. Pa went to the Village. Doing housework all day.

JCH: Mr. Benedict and I finished cutting hay. Frank helped me.

 

8/18/1855 Saturday. Pleasant. Doing housework all day. Sarah Showerman brought us some fresh meat.

JCH: Drew in twelve loads of hay. Frank helped me, all from three acres. Very pleasant, Mr. Avery’s girls were here tonight.

 

8/19/1855 Sunday. Frost. Pleasant. Mr. & Mrs. I. Quance, Mr. & Mrs J. Quance, Mr. & Mrs. Henry Showerman, Mr. & Mrs. Milton Powers, and Charles Lamkin, Mrs. P. Showerman called today. Eunice Lyons left this morning. Jennett Shepard came back to work. A friend visited here.

JCH: At Mr. Avery’s this morning. Helen and Eliza attended the meeting at the Bethany Church. I was at a neighbors in the afternoon and evening.

 

8/20/1855 Monday. Pleasant. Washing. Mrs. P. Showerman called this morning. Elizebeth Brainard here this afternoon.

JCH: Cut oats this forenoon. Mr. Benedict cutting his. Drew in oats in the afternoon. Frank over to Stewarts.

 

8/21/1855 Tuesday. Pleasant. Mrs. P. Showerman called. Laura Shepard here this forenoon. Went with her to Mr. Calvin Strong’s. Visited with Mary & Sarah West. Harriet & Laura Shepard & Mrs. Sylvester Calkins. Good visit.

JCH: Helped Mr. Benedict bound and drew in oats very good, Weather fine. At Mr. Benedict’s to supper and dinner. Mr. Jenne at work with the mower.

 

8/22/1855 Wednesday. Pleasant. Baking. Elizabeth and Ellen Lyman called this morning. Finished working a chemise. Eunice Lyons called to night.

JCH: Finished cutting our oats in the forenoon cut hay in the afternoon with Frank & James Hamilton. It rained about noon.

 

8/23/1855 Thursday. Ironing. Paring apples this forenoon. Mrs. P. Showerman called to night. I went there.

JCH: Finished cutting our grass for this year. Afternoon drew in four loads of oats. Very pleasant. Benedict binding oats.

 

8/24/1855 Friday. Pleasant. Jannett Shepard and I paring apples. Mary Graves’s school closed. I called to Osgood Putnam’s to see Emily & Eunice Bryan.

JCH: Drew some rails for a fence from the barn lot, finished draining our hay in the forenoon drew in oats, afternoon very warm and pleasant.

 

8/25/1855 Saturday. Pleasant. Baking & churning. Mrs. Nelson Hawley and Eveline Putnam visited here. A friend called. Went to Mr. Levi Brainards to get our Rolls.

JCH: Bound up oats for Mr. Benedict in the forenoon. Went down to the village in the afternoon, and bought a pair of boots for five dollars. Stopped at Mr. Shepards and got some apples. Very warm and pleasant. Brown.

 

8/26/1855 Sunday. Cloudy day. Mrs. P. Showerman & George Shepard called this morning. Attended the 5 oclock meeting at schoolhouse, called on Lydia Ann Shepard. Green corn for dinner.

JCH: Did not attend church. At home most of day. Started for meeting but called at the Averys and found Mr. Whitmore and sister there.

 

8/27/1855 Monday. Pleasant but cold. Washing. Mr. P. Showerman worked here this afternoon. Mr. Abel Levings called . Sewing.

JCH: Cleaned up fifteen bushels and a half of wheat in the forenoon. Franklin at house for Mr. Brown. Did nothing more. Weather fine, cool.

 

8/28/1855 Tuesday. Pleasant. Ironing. Mrs. P. Showerman called twice to day. I called there & to Elizebeth’s. Frost this morning. Sewing.

JCH: Went down to Batavia this morning with Azro Norton. Took the cars for Buffalo where I bought a suit of clothes for twenty five dollars. Came back by the way of Linden and stayed over night at Lt. Sam George Moor. In a store.

 

Linden Store & Residence

Linden Store and Residence
Image Credit: Middlebury Academy, Middlebury, New York (artist unknown)

 

 

8/29/1855 Wednesday. Pleasant. Commenced spinning. Lucy Quance visited here. Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Chaddock and Harriet Shepard here all night.

JCH: Came home from Stewarts this morning, cleaned up the rest of our wheat. Had one hundred and seven bushels and a half. Mr. Brown called here.

 

8/30/1855 Thursday. Pleasant fall day. Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Chaddock, Harriet here this forenoon. Sick this morning. Mr. & Mrs. Dorman called. Mrs. Getten, Mrs. Rich, Miss Kingsbury & Mrs. P. Showerman visited here this afternoon. Considerable housework and awful tired.

 

John Dorman

John Dorman (1804-1873)
Image Credit: Historical Atlas of Genesee County, New York, 1876

 

Caroline Main Dorman

Caroline Main Dorman (1821-1905)
Image Credit: Historical Atlas of Genesee County, New York, 1876

 

JCH: Went to work for Mr. Brown with Frank at one dollar per day. John Johnson came there in the afternoon. Very pleasant, mowing late.

 

8/31/1855 Friday. Pleasant. Prepared some corn today. Ma visited to Mr. P. Showerman’s. I called there & visited to Mr. Warren Wests with Harriet, Laura, Maria & Lydia Ann Shepard, very good visit. Frost this morning.

JCH: Worked for Mr. Brown this forenoon. Sent for by Mr. Bigelow to help him thrash. Worked for him. Pleasant. Osgood Putnam was hired. Wheat very good for this year. Frank was with me.

 

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1855 Diary Summary

Eighteen-year-old Lorette Shepard helps with the daily chores at her parents’ home in Batavia. She makes preparations for her marriage to John Hamilton of nearby Bethany. Before the wedding takes place, Lorette’s mother, forty-year-old Polly gives birth to her second child and son, and is tended to by family and friends. Twenty-three-year-old John Hamilton takes a trip to New York City before his marriage, he hires out as a farm laborer in Bethany, and works his father’s farm. As the wedding date draws closer and final touches are made to the wedding dress, each day is filled with farm life, many visitors, and hospitality.

1855 Surnames Mentioned

Armstrong, Avery, Bacon, Bartholf, Belden, Benedict, Bigelow, Blood, Boyce, Brainard, Brown, Bryan, Bullock, Calkins, Chaddock, Churchill, Clement, Cole, Conklin, Covell, Crawford, Crosman, Danforth, Denton, Dixon, Diwana, Dorman, Eldred, Farnham, Fillmore, Freeman, French, Gear, Getten, Glover, Graves, Green, Hall, Hamilton, Harroun, Hart, Hatch, Hawley, Holden, Huntington, Hurty, Ives, Jenne, Johnson, Judd, Judson, Kingsbury, Kinsey, Knowlton, Lamkin, Lathrop, Lee, Leonard, Levings, Lord, Lyman, Lyons, Manning, Marsh, Meredith, Miller, Moore, Mosher, Moulton, Newcomb, Norton, Northrup, Nott, Payne, Peck, Phillips, Powers, Quance, Rich, Rolfe, Rumsey, Scott, Shadbolt, Shaw, Shepard, Showerman, Smith, Sprague, Stewart, Stevens, Strong, Sweetland, Thompson, Torrey, Wait, Warner, Webster, West, Whitman, Whitmore, Wilkes, Williams, Wilson, Woods

Life as Lorette

Life as Lorette presents the journey from diary discovery to revealing pioneers of Genesee County, New York.

World Events of 1855

  • An 8.1 magnitude earthquake is recorded in New Zealand
  • Panama Railway completed, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by rail

National Events of 1855

  • President of the United States is Franklin Pierce
  • This is the pre Civil War era, conflict is building between states over the question of slavery
  • Kansas settlers must decide whether they are slave or free; they vote pro-slavery
  • Treaty of 1855 signed which gave the US 6 million acres of tribal land in Oregon and Washington
  • Popular authors: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Walt Whitman, Washington Irving, P. T. Barnum
  • The first bridge over the Mississippi River opens
  • Prohibition laws are adopted by Delaware, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Iowa, New Hampshire, New York and the Territory of Nebraska

New York State Events in 1855

  • Ralph Waldo Emerson addresses the Anti-Slavery Society, proposing the purchase of all slaves from their owners
  • William A. Rockefeller, father of John D. Rockefeller, bigamously marries Margaret Allen of Ontario, Canada, in Nichols, New York, and begins visiting her in Canada once a year.
  • State Whigs and Republicans convene in Syracuse and form a coalition under Thurlow Weed. An anti-slavery stand is stressed rather than alcoholic prohibition. The Free Democratic and Liberty parties nominate Stephen A. Douglas for secretary of state and anti-slavery orator Lewis Tappan, comptroller.
  • The Niagara River Suspension Bridge is completed, enabling railroad travel.

Local Events in 1855

  • Five Perry men report seeing a giant lake serpent while boating on Silver Lake.
  • Former Ontario County sheriff Myron Holley Clark is elected governor
  • The Seneca tribe leases the right-of-way for the Erie Railway Company and for the Atlantic & Great Western Railway, both crossing their Allegany reservation.
  • Attican, Harvey Putnam, a US House of Representatives member from NY from 1838-1839 and 1847-1851, and a NY State Senator from 1843-1846, dies and is buried in Forest Hill Cemetery, Attica.
  • Ten grist mills on Brown's Race, Rochester, turn out 2,860 barrels of flour a day.
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