10/1/1856 Wednesday Rainy. I visited to Peters, fixing over my gingham dress.
JCH: Went down Batavia to mill. Took four bushels. Dug a ditch for the pipe from the well into the kitchen. Went to the village again for some solder. Cold and rainy.
10/2/1856 Thursday We pared some apples & put up in the house. Our folks put the pump in the house. John went to the village at night to a Fillmore meeting.
JCH: Helped put down the pipe, James Shepard here most all day. Pulled some beans and drew some apples to the house.
10/3/1856 Friday. Olive Powers visited here. John & Pa went to a political meeting at school house.
JCH: Husked corn all day. Not very good. Father Shepard went up to Myrons to fix a road to the woods. Went to Batavia to hear Colonel Crane from Indiana speak. A Fillmore.
10/4/1856 Saturday Doing housework. Sarah & Eunice here.
JCH: Dug potatoes all day. Very light crop. Mr. Powers came round canvassing for Democrats. Put me down as Filmore and Father Shepard as Fremont.
10/5/1856 Sunday At home all day took care of Charley, our folks went up south, went over to Peters at night.
JCH: At home all day. Went over to see a medium at Mr. Showerman's. We went to sleep. He gave us a lecture on spiritualism. A smart man. His name was D. F. Cortes. Very pleasant.
10/6/1856 Monday Washing, rather tired, uncle Asahel Shepard here to work this afternoon for Pa building the drain. George called. John paid him for some work.
JCH: Dug potatoes, Asahel Shepard here in the afternoon, making a drain. Did some hens with Henry Showerman.
10/7/1856 Tuesday Aunt Quance here sewing for Ma. I called to Elizabeths.
JCH: Finished digging potatoes. Had about 40 bushels, some of them small.
10/8/1856 Wednesday John went to the Fair, aunt Quance here to work yet. Grandma Showerman here all night. James & Lucy Quance here in the evening. Charley quite sick.
JCH: Went down to a fair at Batavia. They have fitted a permanent ground at Batavia. Shef Foster had a Barnum hum bug and a trotting course. A very good show of cattle. Very pleasant. We had company in the evening.
10/9/1856 Thursday. We went to the fair. There were a great many there. The ladies rode on horseback, all 8 of them. Very good time.
JCH: Very pleasant and quite warm. Attended the fair the second day. I believe the most people I ever saw in Batavia on any occasion. The show was very good but not as good as I expected. Some very good horses and a good show of farm implements.
10/10/1856 Friday Aunt Quance here yet, I helped Ma on a dress. Sally Putnam called, Charlie sick.
JCH: Husked corn. The last day of the fair, did not attend. Very warm for the time of year.
10/11/1856 Saturday. Helped Ma some, aunt Quance left to night. Went to school house in the evening to hear a man lecture that had been a Roman Catholic. It was first rate.
JCH: An American meeting at Alexander. Husked corn all day. Went up to the schoolhouse in the evening to hear a reformed Roman Catholic lecture and expose on Romanism. Very interesting and very exciting. Pleasant.
10/12/1856 Sunday. We all went to the schoolhouse again to day & heard the same man lecture, heard Ben Moore in the evening. Called to Grandmother Shepards.
JCH: Heard another lecture on Romanism from Don Fernando Cortes. Benjamin Moore preached in the evening. Most all talking about politics.
10/13/1856 Monday. We did not wash not having any rainwater. Made my peach preserves & pared to day. I expect thrashers to morrow.
JCH: Husked corn. It rained some and is some cooler to night. Dan Shepard was here to see about thrashing.
10/14/1856 Tuesday Snowed a little, John had thrashers to day.
JCH: Picked some apples. Thrashed to day 76 bushels of spring wheat about 30 bushels of oats, 71 bushels of buck wheat and 3 or 4 bush of grass seed. Dan Shepard thrashed for me. It froze some last night.
10/15/1856 Wednesday. Cool. Peter's folks have an oyster supper tonight. They borrowed my dishes.
JCH: Finished picking winter apples, will have about 12 barrels. Picked up some common fruit. An oyster party at Mr. Showermans to night.
10/16/1856 Thursday Our folks went a visiting to Myron Putnams. I went up to East Bethany to Mr Prindles auction. A heavy frost last night.
JCH: Our folks went a visiting to Myron Putnams. I went up to East Bethany to Mr. Prindles auction. A heavy frost last night
10/17/1856 Friday. Doing housework. Hellen Showerman’s little girl was born this morning. Heard that Austin Buell is now really married.
JCH: Husked and drew in corn in the barn. Henry Showerman was made father this morning by the birth of a daughter. An American mass meeting at Leroy, did not go.
10/18/1856 Saturday. Rainy. Franklin Shepard here this forenoon. Ma & I went to a quilting to aunt Sally Hawleys. Read a letter from Lorinda to night.
JCH: Husking corn in the barn. Heard that Pennsylvania had gone democratic. Bad news.
10/19/1856 Sunday. John & I went to the Methodist Church in Batavia. Called on Hellen Showerman. She is quite smart. Called to Israels in evening.
JCH: Went down to Batavia to meeting at the Methodist Church. Elder Fuller preached. Went up to see Henry Showermans to see his daughter. Went over to James Quances in the evening.
10/20/1856 Monday We washed together, Ma & I went to Peters in the evening. Our folks went to the school.
JCH: Husking and picking apples. Went up to the schoolhouse to a private lecture on Romanism by Don Fernando Cortes.
10/21/1856 Tuesday Ma & aunt Roxanny visited to Ben Moore’s. Sarah visited me.
JCH: Husking corn all day about thirty bushels. Indian summer.
10/22/1856 Wednesday Pared a few apples.
JCH: Husking corn all day. Husked some in the barn.
10/23/1856 Thursday Ma & I helped Elizabeth Quance on a bed quilt. John plowing for Dan Shepard this afternoon.
JCH: Husked in the barn in the forenoon, plowed for Dan Shepard in the afternoon to day for thrashing. Quite cold but pleasant.
10/24/1856 Friday Ma & I visited to Henry Showerman, John plowing for Daniel. Pa leveling the door.
JCH: Plowing for Daniel Shepard all day. I plowed up on Walter Coles on his clearing. Very stumpy and stoney.
10/25/1856 Saturday. John & I went to the village afternoon. There was a horse race on the Fair grounds. I got me a calico dress & a pair of shoes.
JCH: Drew a load of apples in to the cider mill, sold the cider for 2 dollars per barrel. Went down to Batavia trotting horses on the fair ground. Some horses made a mile in 2.47. One man hurt.
10/26/1856 Sunday Beautiful fall day. At home all day, our folks went to meeting up south. We took care of Charlie. Mr Barney & Sarah Showerman called here.
JCH: At home all day. Mr. Barney called here with Sarah Showerman and Mr. Powers and wife. Father and mother Shepard went up south to meeting.
10/27/1856 Monday Ma & I washed together. Our folks went to the village at night.
JCH: Finished husking corn. Father and mother Shepard went down to the village. Ransom Shepard came here and got a load of sand in the lot east of the orchard.
10/28/1856 Tuesday. Elder Dorman & wife staid with our folks all night. John & I visited to his fathers, brought home a little more sugar.
JCH: Elder Dorman here this morning. Went up to fathers with Lorette.
10/29/1856 Wednesday. I called to Elizebeth’s, commenced making a calico dress for myself. Ira Leonard called in the evening.
JCH: Helped James Shepard thrash in the forenoon. Drew some pieces of rails and plowed some. Ira Leonard called here in the evening.
10/30/1856 Thursday. Rainy & cold. Frank, Aunt Amanda & Phebe Shepard & Mariah Leonard visited me, Ma & Pa went to Grandmother Showermans.
JCH: Miss Cole & Miss Clark married. Went down to the village and had my boot taped. Phebe and Frank Shepard and Mariah Leonard were here in the afternoon.
10/31/1856 Friday. Ma, aunt Roxanny Showerman & I visited to Walter Cole. Elder Fuller from the village lectured at schoolhouse.
JCH: Father Shepard helped me draw in corn stalks. Went up to the school house to a Fremont meeting. Elder Fuller spoke. Elder Short President, Elder Putnam Secretary.
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