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.
9/1/1855 Saturday. High winds. Considerable housework. Made pear preserves, churning, picking up apples. Awful tired. The baby is sick all day.
JCH: Helped Mr. Marsh thrash. Paid me one dollar. Putnams machine. Very windy. Wheat poor and a small yield. About ten bushels per acre. Somewhat cool.
9/2/1855 Sunday. Pleasant. Mrs. P. Showerman, aunt Mehitable Quance, Eunice Lyons, Mr. & Mrs. Israel Quance called. Grandmother Showerman and Olive here this afternoon. I called to Mr. P. Showerman.
JCH: Attended meeting west. They raised a contribution of seventeen dollars to defray the expenses of a Sunday school celebration. Stayed at Mr. Lamkins.
9/3/1855 Monday. Cold & cloudy. Washing. Pa sold 58 sheep to a Mr. Warner. William Johnson, John Hamilton called, also Mrs. P. Showerman, Mr. Newcomb took tea here. Paring apples this afternoon.
JCH: Charles Thompson and Wm Johnson and myself went down to Batavia and hired the Prambe wagon to attend the celebration. Gave all the girls on the road an invitation and came home. Helped at Mr. Shepards, borrowed his harness. Rather cool and cloudy.
9/4/1855 Tuesday. Pleasant. Baking, ironing, churning. Sarah Showerman, William Johnson, John Hamilton, Delos called. Spinning. Awful tired.
JCH: Went down to Batavia swamp and cut out some trees. Wm Johnson and Charles Thompson got the wagon which we rented. Delos and I stopped at Mr. Shepards and heard Lorette play.
9/5/1855 Wednesday. Attended a Sabbath School Celebration near Linden in company with Wm. Johnson, John Hamilton, Charles Lamkin, Delos Marsh, Aaron Webster, Miss Lorette Putnam, Laura & Lydia Ann Shepard, Sarah West, Mrs. Mary Putnam, M. Johnson, Jenette and Melissa Avery, Helen and Lizzie N. Hamilton. Called to the Poor House and Mr. Blood’s Hotel. Fun. Mr. P Showerman to work here. Pa sowing wheat. First rate time.
JCH: Attended a celebration at Middlebury. Went with a four horse team and had a good time. Celebration went off very nice, came back and stopped at the Poor House. Pleasant.
9/6/1855 Thursday. Spinning, sewing. Mr. P. Showerman to work here. William Johnson and J. Hamilton called. Olive Powers called. Sabra and Andrew Moore married.
JCH: Carried the wagon home this morning. Paid twelve shillings for it. Very pleasant. Was down to Mr. Lamkins in the afternoon at home in the evening.
9/7/1855 Friday. Spinning. Ironing. Churning. Mr. & Mrs. Richard Covell, Mr. & Mrs. Charles Putnam visited here. Paring apples in the evening.
JCH: Went over to Knowltons this morning. Was there to dinner. Over to Hamiltons in the afternoon. Frank was there. father and mother are over to Stewarts. Warm.
9/8/1855 Saturday. Warm & pleasant. Baking & cleaning. George Shepard and a friend here to dinner. Ma visited to Mr. Brainard’s and to Grandfather Showerman’s. (A certain day appointed). Melvina Sweetland’s boy’s birthday.
JCH: Over at Mr. Marshes to see his drill work. Mr. Abel Levings there and agreed to work for him drilling up in Alexander. Was down to Mr. Shepards part of the day. Warm.
9/9/1855 Sunday. Rained this morning. Attended the 5 oclock meeting. Mr. Payne’s farewell sermon. Mr. & Mrs. Lyman Quance, Mr. & Mrs. Walter Cole called at night. Jennette Shepard stayed at house all night. Had a talk with Pa.
JCH: Aaron Webster was here and paid for the ride two dollars. Went down to meeting and called at Mr. Avery’s and Miss Wilson went down with us. Aaron and Frank Shepard came up to Mr. Averys with us. Stayed there a while with the Averys.
9/10/1855 Monday. Pleasant. Washing. Churning, sewing.
JCH: Went up to Mr. Millers south of Alexander to work drilling in wheat. Delos Marsh came up in the afternoon. Put in two acres in the forenoon. Very rough. Warm.
9/11/1855 Tuesday. Very Warm. Ironing. Went to the village traded considerable, left the baby with Mrs. P. Showerman. Grandmother Showerman here all night.
JCH: At work at Mr. Millers. Tried to get out of the job but could not. Delos was with me and broke his drill, did not do much. Weather warm and fine.
9/12/1855 Wednesday. Very warm. Little baking, spinning sewing. Mr. Wesley Sweetland called for Ma, she went there. Grandmother here this forenoon, both visited to Elizebeths this afternoon.
JCH: At work for Mr. Miller at twenty shillings for day. Delos came over to Mr. Shadbolts and sowed sixteen bushels of wheat at bushel and three pecks to the acre. I came over to Mr. Shadbolts and stayed all night.
9/13/1855 Thursday. Pleasant. Shower last night. Baking, ironing, churning, spinning. Grandmother here to dinner. Ma and I visited to Grandfather Shepard’s this afternoon. Harriet made a bonnet for the baby. Agreed with her to sew for us.
JCH: It was so wet and rainy we did not work to day, came home. Went down to Mr. Averys, Mr. Williams was there. Made arrangements to go to Portage.
9/14/1855 Friday. Pleasant fall day. Spinning. Ma & I visited to Mr. Morris Putnam’s. Very good visit. Had a new milk cow today. High ho.
JCH: Was at work at Mr. Shadbolts with Delos Marsh on the McLoskey farm at two shillings per acre. Very fine weather. Stayed here all night.
9/15/1855 Saturday. Pleasant. Spinning. Commenced a muslin cape. Mrs. Sally Putnam, Mrs. P. Showerman & aunt Quance visited here.
JCH: Finished work for Mr. Shadbolt to day. We sowed seventy two bushels in all. Mr. Levings was there and said he would make it all right with the other job, came home with Delos Marsh somewhat tired. Very pleasant.
9/16/1855 Sunday. Cloudy this morning. At home all day. Mr. & Mrs. James Quance, Mr. & Mrs Israel Quance called. John Hamilton visited here (poor dog). Invitation to go to Portage.
JCH: Aaron Webster was here this morning. I went with him up to Mr. Crawfords, came home and went down to Mr. Shepards, Mr. Quance was there. Very pleasant.
9/17/1855 Monday. Cloudy this morning. Washing, churning, spinning. George Shepard, Wallace Hawley here to work cutting up corn. Eunice Lyons here this afternoon.
JCH: Went over to Mr. Richs in Stafford drilling. Stayed all day. We sowed a bushel and four quarts per acre. Very warm day.
9/18/1855 Tuesday. Baking, Ironing. We have twisted yarn all day, 80 knots. Stitching muslin a little.
JCH: Rained all day, which was much needed. Wheat not coming up. Cleared off at night rather cool did not much expect to go to Portage.
9/19/1855 Wednesday. Pleasant but cold. Went to Portage with J. Hamilton, Mr. Whitman and his sister, Miss Jennet Avery, & Mr. Williams.
JCH: Went up to Portage in company of Mr. Whitman and sister, Mr. Williams, Miss Jenette Avery and Miss Lorette Shepard. Had a good time but went some out of our way. At home at two oclock in the evening. Very pleasant.
9/20/1855 Thursday. Pleasant fall day. Ironing & churning, sewing. Making a pair of under sleeves. Pa finished sowing wheat.
JCH: Did not feel very well this morning. Dug potatoes. Some of them were rotten. Frank attending school at Bethany. Mr. Armstrong principal.
9/21/1855 Friday. Pleasant but cold. Sewing all day. Ma visited to Uncle Asahel Shepard’s part of the day. Mr. & Mrs. James Shepard & Maria here this afternoon.
JCH: Went over to the creek and got some elderberries. Very nice. Rained in the afternoon. Heard that my chance was here down to Mr. Shepards. Rather cool.
9/22/1855 Saturday. Cloudy. Baking & churning. Sewing. Finished a cambrie chemise & under – sleeves. Sarah here all night.
JCH: Went over to Stewarts in the afternoon. Took along a gun but did not kill any thing. At a meeting in the evening. Cloudy and cool. Stayed all night.
9/23/1855 Sunday. Pleasant. Attended church. Mrs. P. Showerman & Eunice called.
JCH: Came home and found we did have three sheep killed and six wounded. Supposed by dogs. Did not find them. Charles was here. We went down to Mr. Averys. Had an invitation to a party.
9/24/1855 Monday. Pleasant. Washing. John & Helen Hamilton & Jenette Avery visited here. Charles Putnam called to have Harriet Shepard go there tomorrow instead of here.
JCH: Went down to Batavia. Helen and Jenette went down as far as Mr. Shepards. Afternoon, engaged a pair of boots to be made for three dollars and a quarter. Not very pleasant.
9/25/1855 Tuesday. Pleasant, very warm. Ironing fine clothes all forenoon. Baking. Adel Strong, Emerette Putnam here all day. Commenced a raw silk dress. Made new pumpkin pies. Wrote a letter to Lorinda Showerman in Albion.
JCH: Was down to Mr. Lamkins in the forenoon, Went up to Mr. Markley with Charles Lamkin in the afternoon. Very pleasant and warm. At Mr. Averys in the evening.
9/26/1855 Wednesday. Rainy day. Ma visited to Lyman Quances. Harriet Shepard came here. We went to the village. Had a dress fitted.
JCH: Went up to Mr. Tories to have our sheep syringed. Mr. Chaddock and William Hamilton was there and the damage was priced about fifteen dollars. Rained.
9/27/1855 Thursday. Rainy day. Harriet & I sewing all day on a dress. Asel Shepard called.
JCH: At work part of the day. Went up in the evening to Mr. Spencer Averys to a party. Had a good time. About thirty there. West and Gelich played for us. Did not feel very well, home late. A company from Middlebury were there. A very fine day but muddy.
9/28/1855 Friday. Beautiful day. Finished the dress, working on the raw silk. Laura & Lydia Shepard called. Harriet Shepard went home with them. Uncle D. W. Powers came to night.
JCH: Quite unwell to day. Went over to Harriets and took some medicine. At William Hamiltons most of the day. Came home at night and felt better. Very pleasant.
9/29/1855 Saturday. Harriet came back this morning. Uncle Daniel Powers & Pa attended Morris Putnam’s auction. Uncle went home this afternoon. Invited to P. Showermans with Jerome & Lorette Putnam, Henry & Helen Showerman, James & Lucy Quance & John Hamilton in the evening. Ma visited to Israel’s.
JCH: Went down to Mr. Putnams auction. Did not buy anything. Mr. Morris Putnam about leaving for the West. Went up to Henry Showermans and from there to his fathers. Jerome and Lorette Putnam was there. Also L. S.
9/30/1855 Sunday. Rainy day. At home all day. Jenette did not go home. Henry called.
JCH: At Henry Showermans at breakfast. Came home in the forenoon. Did not attend church. Raining. Down at Mr. Averys, Mr. Whitman was there and Charles Lamkin and Mrs. Putnam. Very unpleasant.
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