5/6/1855 Sunday. Attended church.
5/7/1855 Monday. Washing day. Mrs. Peter Showerman here.
5/8/1855 Tuesday. Eunice Lyons here. Cleaning house.
TRANSCRIPTION NOTE: The above map of south-central Genesee County, New York focuses on thirteen towns with the Town and the city of Batavia at its center. The Shepard homestead is on Shepard Road in the southeast corner of the Town of Batavia.
5/9/1855 Wednesday. Cleaning house. Our folks went to the village.
5/10/1855 Thursday. Finished cleaning. Mary Brainard called here.
5/11/1855 Friday. Ironing day. Visited Hellen Showerman.
5/12/1855 Saturday. Mrs. P. Showerman here, I visited there. Mrs Sarah Quance there.
5/13/1855 Sunday. Attended Mrs. Smith’s funeral. Mr. & Mrs. Brainard, Mr & Mrs. Israel Quance called here.
5/14/1855 Monday. Washing day. Mr. Hamilton here in the afternoon. Sarah Showerman here all night.
5/15/1855 Tuesday. I went to Mr. Hawley’s and then to Grandfather Showerman’s in the afternoon. Called at Mr. Hamilton's (that night long to be remembered).
5/16/1855 Wednesday. Rained all day. Mr. Charles Lamkin there the forenoon.
5/17/1855 Thursday. Came home from there called on Mr. William Johnson, Lydia Ann Shepard, Mary Graves. Found Mrs. P. Showerman & Elizabeth here at home.
5/18/1855 Friday. Mrs. Walter Cole, Mrs. Levi Brainard, Phebe & Maria Shepard visited here. I went home with the girls.
5/19/1855 Saturday. Ransom Shepard brought me home. Wrote a letter to Buffalo.
5/20/1855 Sunday. Franklin Shepard, Laura Shepard, & Daniel Shepard & Mrs. P. Showerman called here. Attended the five oclock meeting at the school house.
5/21/1855 Monday. Washing day. I cleaned the front yard. James Showerman here to work. Sarah Showerman & a tin peddler called.
5/22/1855 Tuesday. We went to Dennis Chaddock’s. I read of Nettie Lee’s death. Received a letter from Buffalo.
TRANSCRIPTION NOTE: The above map shows the primary area where many people lived who are mentioned in Lorette and John’s diaries. You will see Lorette's father's name, "J. Shepard, Jr." just below the Village of Batavia (top center of the map). This north-south road is Shepard Road and it is off Ellicott Street Road/Route 63. Heading in a southwest direction from “J Shepard Jr.” on Putnam Settlement Road, is Lorette’s grandfather John Shepard Sr., "J. Shepard" and southwest further is her uncle James, "Jas. Sheperd" and further down the road is the heart of Putnam Settlement, "J. Putnam" and "P. Putnam" Josiah and Peter Putnam. Continuing on the map heading south of Lorette’s grandfather is the north end of Francis Road, where School House No. 6 is located, then next door is uncle Asahel “A. Shepard" and another "Shepard". Just east of Asahel Shepard on Batavia-Bethany Townline Road is "P. Showerman." (Note the east-west dotted line above his name is the town line between the Town of Batavia to the north, and the Town of Bethany to the south.) Further south on Francis Road, is "J. Marsh" and then John Hamilton's father, "H. Hamilton" and across the road is “J. Lamkin.” Just west of where Lorette and her parents lived is East Road, and the name "M. Quance" who was Lorette’s great aunt Aunt Mehitable Powers Quance. On Rt 63, Ellicott Street Road, near the Shepard Road intersection is “L. Brainard,” and continuing southeast and then a right onto Bethany Center Road you will see “D.B. Knowlton,” and “W.L. Hamilton.” On the southwest corner of the map is the hamlet of Brookville, and at the northeast end of Brookville Road is the Tonawanda Creek, where Captain Elisha Smith lived, “E. S. Smith” and further south “Parsonage” is the site of the West Bethany Baptist Church and cemetery.
5/23/1855 Wednesday. Sowed my flower seeds doing housework most of the day. Went to Elizabeths of an errand.
5/24/1855 Thursday. Baking & ironing. Mrs. Morris Putnam, Mrs. Sally Lord & Mrs. P. Showerman visited here.
5/25/1855 Friday. Sewing all day. Aunt Amanda Shepard visited here. Mr. & Mrs. Israel Quance called. Sarah Showerman staid here all night.
5/26/1855 Saturday. Went to village. Went to Grandfather Shepards and to Mr. Fross lecture in the evening.
TRANSCRIPTION NOTE: Below is the first readable entry in John Hamilton’s 1855 diary, future husband of Lorette Shepard. He was on a trip east to visit relatives in Connecticut and doing some sight seeing. His diary entries are shown after Lorette’s on the same day, and preceded with his initials JCH.
JCH: Crossed over to Hadam to cousin Flora Ray’s. Had a fine ride on the boat. Had a good time. Rather cold. Saw a steam boat.
5/27/1855 Sunday. Pa & I attended church.
JCH: Attended church today. Had a fine fine shad for breakfast. Stayed here all night very good preaching and singing. Saw a schooner in the river.
5/28/1855 Monday. Washing day. Finished my working. Staid with Sarah Showerman all night.
JCH: Went up the river on the stage to Uncle Fullers. Had a ride in a boat, visited the Oakum factory. Stayed all night & day.
5/29/1855 Tuesday. Baking. Elizabeth visited here. Commenced my embroidery. Martin Shepard here all night.
JCH: Started for Deep River at eleven arrived at cousin Stevens at twelve. Visited a comb factory quite a sight.
5/30/1855 Wednesday. Uncle Martin Shepard here. Aunt Sarah Shepard visited here. Also Mrs. P. Showerman.
JCH: Visited the comb factory in the forenoon. Had a fine Halibut for dinner. Left for Saybrook in the evening. Arrived at nine. Stayed here all night. Great fishing place.
5/31/1855 Thursday. Ironed this morning. Uncle Martin Shepard left today. Mr. Ives was here to dinner. Went to village got my bonnet.
JCH: Stayed here all day and hired out to Mr. & Mrs. Kinnsy to work in a purple house. Did not feel very well. Day eleven.
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