Transcription

Lorette Shepard & John Hamilton writings

August 1857

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 & published in a footnote form.


Lorette Shepard and John Hamilton's 1857 DiariesImage Credit: Daniel J. Shepard

 

8/1/1857 Saturday. Nothing of importance. Ma went to the village just night.

JCH: Cut & drew in some grass on J Quance lot. Threatened rain today. Father Shepard went down to Batavia to night. Carried down a tub of butter for us.

8/2/1857 Sunday. At home all day. Our folks went up south to meeting. I wrote a letter to Lorinda.

JCH; Cool & pleasant. Father & mother Shepard up south to meeting.

8/3/1857 Monday. Warm. John had uncle James Shepards boys and the reaper, they finished cutting wheat (tired).

JCH: James Shepard, reaper & the boys helping me cut my wheat. We cut about 13 acres with six hands & a boy. Quite warm to day.

8/4/1857 Tuesday. The girls all here but Jannett. Ma had company, the Quance women. Pa & John worked for uncle James.

JCH: Helped James Shepard drew in wheat. We drew in about 25 acres with three teams.

8/5/1857 Wednesday. Pa worked for Israel. John for uncle Nelson. Helen Hamilton here this morning. Ma & I visited to David Knowltons, afternoon to Wm Hamiltons.

 

Shepard, Hamilon, Knowlton family locations

Lorette’s parents’ home in Batavia, geographically relative to her brother-in-laws William Hamilton and David Knowlton and father-in-law Hiram Hamilton

 

JCH: Helped Mr. Hawley cut wheat. Mr. Hawley about discouraged by the failure in his crops.

8/6/1857 Thursday. I picked a few currants to day. Ma & I called to Peters. Making a skirt. Making cheese yet, we have got 8.

JCH: Cut some patches of wheat, cut some grass & plowed some. Warm & pleasant.

8/7/1857 Friday. John drew in his wheat. Pa & Harlan Shepard helped him. The girls all took their lessons but Jannett.

JCH: Helped Daniel Shepard thrash his barley. He had 70 bushels on Walter Cole farm. Went down to the village, sold three cheeses at nine cents per pound.

8/8/1857 Saturday. Pleasant. John helped Daniel Shepard thrashing forenoon, just night John, Ma & I went to the village, sold 3 cheese at 9 cents per pound.

JCH: Helped Daniel Shepard thrash his barley, he had 70 bushels on Walter Cole farm. It rained some to day. Went down to the village. Sold three cheeses at nine cents per pound.

8/9/1857 Sunday. John & I went up south to meeting.

JCH: Went up south to meeting. Had some new potatoes for supper, they were quite large.

8/10/1857 Monday. Cloudy, rained some. I cut out a pair of pants for John & began making them.

JCH: Mowing in the meadow. It looked like rain all day, but I guess it will break away for a drought.

8/11/1857 Tuesday. John is not very well. We heard that Laura Hamilton is sick with the Erysipelas. The girls all here.

JCH: 8/11/1857 Cut some grass. Went up to fathers to see about cutting some grass. Heard that Laura Hamilton was sick with erysipelas. Came home & drew in four loads of hay.

8/12/1857 Wednesday. Some signs of rain every day but I guess it will head south. Pa & John went to cut some grass on his fathers. Ma & I visited there. Eliza & I went over to see Laura, she is very sick.

JCH: I & father Shepard went up to fathers & mowed all day. Laura was worse. Nancy & Lorette went over to see her.

8/13/1857 Thursday. Looked some like rain. Pa & John worked up there again to day, at home all day. Eunice Lyons visited me.

JCH: Mowing up to fathers in the forenoon. Drew two loads of hay in the afternoon. The wind blew very yard all day. Laura is still worse to day. She is very sick.

8/14/1857 Friday. Cool. The girls all here to day quite a shower at night. Elizebeth called. We heard that Laura Hamilton was very sick yesterday, hardly thought she would live.

JCH: Laura is better today. Drew four loads of hay. The wind blew very hard all day most impossibility to get hay. We finished up to fathers to day. It rained just at night. Quite hard.

8/15/1857 Saturday. Cool. John and I went over to see Laura found her a good deal better afternoon. After noon I went over to Harriets.

JCH: Went up to Wm Hamilton to day. Laura is considerable better to day, her face has gone down & is out of danger. Went out hunting with Charles Thompson. We killed two pigeons.

8/16/1857 Sunday. Our folks went to meeting up south. Ma took Chasky.

JCH: At home all day. Our folks went up south to meeting. Pleasant.

8/17/1857 Monday. A rainy day. I finished the first pair of pants I ever made. John went to the village to get his boots taped.

JCH: 8/17/1857 Monday. It rained most all day. Went down to the village & had my boots fixed. Rode home with  Mr. Wm Nott. He had a bill with him.

 

William Nott residence in Bethany New York

Former residence of William Nott on McLernon Road, Bethany, New York
Image Credit: LJ Shepard Research

 

8/18/1857 Tuesday. Cool. The girls all her to day.

JCH: We mowed in the orchard in the forenoon. I cut oats until supper time then cut some grass in the wheat, stubble, very heavy grass. Some cloudy with a little rain.

8/19/1857 Wednesday. Mrs. Cornwell was buried to day. John & I called to Israels. Elizebeth is not very well.

JCH We finished mowing in the stubble in the fore noon. This finishes our grass for this year. Mrs. Cornwell was buried to day. The funeral at the house where Town formerly lived.

8/20/1857 Thursday. Ma & I visited to Mr. Farnhams, very good visit. Heard that Harriet & Laura are sick with the Bilious fever.

JCH: Was cutting oats & spread my grass to day, oats are down very bad. Father Shepard plowing some to day. Cool.

8/21/1857 Friday. The girls all here but Jannett. I gave Delora and Emaline a piece. I heard that Hiram Showerman’s wife died the fore part of month with consumption.

JCH: We finished up haying to day. We drew in 6 loads, three of them were grass seed. Warm to pleasant but has the appearance of a storm to night.

 

Hiram Showerman

Hiram Showerman (1818-1884), husband of Phebe Johnson Showerman
Image Credit: Ancestry.com Public Member Photos & Scanned Documents

 

Grave marker Phebe Johnson Showerman

Gravestone of Phebe Johnson Showerman (1829-1857) in Brookfield, Wisconsin
Image Credit: Ancestry.com Public Member Photos & Scanned Documents

 

8/22/186 Saturday. Our folks went to Quarterly meeting this afternoon. Helen S visited here, baking all day. Charlie staid with me.

JCH: Showery to day. Cut some oats & plowed some to day. Father Shepard went up to the quarterly meeting in the afternoon.

8/23/1857 Sunday. A rainy day. Pa, Ma, & I attended the Quarterly meeting up south. John took care of Charlie. Elder Rolland preached one discourse.

JCH: Our folks all attended the quarterly meeting but Charles & me. It was showery all day & to night it has the appearance of a storm.

8/24/1857: Monday. Pleasant.

JCH: Was cutting oats to day. I went up to Daniel Shepards about thrashing. He is coming here Thursday. Cool.

8/25/1857 Tuesday. Delora & Emeline took lessons to day. Elizebeth & Grandma Showerman visited Ma, also aunt Roxanny. John helped Peter thrash.

JCH: Helped Mr Showerman thrash all day. Pleasant. His wheat turned out about 2 & a half bushels per acre.

8/26/1857 Wednesday. Pa went down to Corfu after some rye. Ma & I visited to Clarissa Calkins. John drew in oats alone. Pa found Harriet & Laura some better.

 

Former residence of Sylvester & Clarissa Calkins on Ellicott St Rd in Batavia, New York

The former residence of Sylvester Hackley Calkins (1824-1882) and wife Clarissa Moore (1828-1921) on Ellicott St Rd in Batavia, New York
Image Credit: LJ Shepard Research

 

JCH: Father Shepard went down west of Batavia & bought 10 bushels of rye to sow this fall. Went up to have Asahel Shepard help me. Jannett is sick.

8/27/1857 Thursday. Expected the thrashers did not come till night. James Hamilton worked here. Aunt Ruby Shepard & Joseph visited here. They thrashed a little just night. Frank Shepard & James Hamilton here all night.

JCH: James Hamilton came here this morning to thrash. He helped me get in some oats. I went up to James Shepards in the afternoon to help him thrash, they came here & thrashed a little.

8/28/1857 Friday. Delora was the only one that came to day. They finished thrashing about 5 oclock. They had about 67 bu of wheat such as it is.

JCH: We finished thrashing about 5 o clock. We had about 70 bushels of wheat from 14 acres of ground discouraging enough. Am to pay six dollars for thrashing. Showery.

8/29/1857 Saturday. John went to the village. Ma & I visited to Elizebeth’s, Mrs. Johnson was there. Louis not very well. Pa received a letter that uncle Webster Showerman is very sick with the Typhoid fever & wants help.

JCH: We sowed about four acres and a half of wheat. We shall not sow any more on account of the weevil. I went down to the village just at night. Cool with showers.

8/30/1857 Sunday. John & I went up south to meeting, a Mr. Stevens preached. Pa & Ma went up to let Grandpa Showerman know that Webster is sick.

JCH: Cool & pleasant. Went up south to meeting. Elder Stevens preached. Father & mother Shepard went up to Mr Showermans to see about helping Webster Showerman

8/31/1857 Monday. Our folks started in morning for Uncle Websters. I washed alone.

JCH: 8/31/1857 Was cutting oats half day. Father Shepard went up to Freedom to see Webster Showerman who is sick with the Typhoid fever & is poor. Peter Showerman would not help him a cent. I cut wheat in the afternoon.

 

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1857 Diary Summary

John 25 and Lorette 21 settle into their second year of marriage. They live with her parents who are remodeling their house on Shepard Road, Batavia, NY. Baby brother, Charles is 3 and Lorette helps with his care. Daily they see their relatives and friends marry and have children. Lorette gives music lessons to neighbors and attends singing school and weekly sees her best friend and half-aunt Elizabeth Showerman Quance who lives around the corner on East Road with her husband Israel. John attends a debate club, reads a book on spiritualism, moves his barn, goes fishing, raises sheep, makes maple syrup, and plays baseball. Life is filled with dinners, picnics, attending various churches, deaths and marriages, and a lot of visiting.

1857 Surnames Mentioned

Andrews, Ashley, Benedict, Benton, Bostwick, Brainard, Brown, Bryan, Buell, Burt, Calkins, Chaddock, Charles, Cole, Cornwell, Cortez, Covell/Coville, Cummings, Davis, Denton, Dorman, Emmons, Farnham, Fillmore, Fister, Green, Hamilton, Hart, Hathaway, Hawley, Holden, Holter/Holton, Houghton, Huggins, Huntington, Jackman, Johnson, Judd, Judson, Keaton, Knowlton, Lamkin, Lane, Lathrop, Lawrence, Leonard, Levings, Lincoln, Loomis, Lord, Lovelace, Lyman, Lyons, Madden, Marsh, Marshall, McMillen, Moore, Newton, Northrup, Norton, Nott, Olin, Parmer, Patterson, Perry, Phelps, Plato, Powers, Putnam, Quance, Read, Reamer, Rogers, Rolland, Sale, Shaw, Shepard, Showerman, Skinner, Smith, Sprague, Stevens, Stewart, Strong, Sweetland, Thayer, Thompson, Town, Waite, Walker, Wales, Ware, Watts, Webster, Weed, West, Wilkenson, Woodward, Wortendyke

Life as Lorette

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

World Events of 1857

  • An earthquake hit Tokyo and about 107,000 died
  • Frederick Laggenheim took the first photo of a solar eclipse
  • H. Sichel & Sohne, the producers of the popular Blue Nun white wine, was founded in Germany
  • The SS Central America sinks to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, cargo includes 43 bars of gold

National Events of 1857

  • In Dred Scott decision, the Supreme Court rules that a slave is not a citizen
  • James Gibbs of Virginia patented a chain-stitch single-thread sewing machine
  • The California gold rush town of Columbia burned down in a fire that was blamed on a Chinese cook; the miners soon evicted all Chinese from the town
  • Mormon leader Brigham Young called out the Nauvoo Legion to fight the U.S. Troops if they enter Utah Territory
  • Lithographers Nathaniel Currier and Charles Ives become partners
  • Count Agoston Haraszthy founded the Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma, California
  • Paul Broca discovered that particular regions of the brain are specialized for particular functions
  • The first US coin to be called a nickel was the copper and nickel one-cent piece

New York State Events in 1857

  • The first passenger elevator is installed in a New York City store
  • Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead and architect Calvert Vaux won the competition to develop New York City's Central Park
  • New York City's Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Company branch fails, precipitating a financial panic; 4,932 U. S. firms fail
  • John Alsop King takes office as the first Republican governor
  • The American Chess Association organized. The first major US chess tournament was held in NYC

Local Events in 1857

  • Treaty with the Seneca Tonawanda Band was signed restoring about 8,000 acres of land to the Seneca Nation
  • The Genesee River floods carrying away buildings on Rochester's Main Street Bridge
  • Susan B. Anthony and William Lloyd Garrison speak at an Abolition meeting in Corinthian Hall, Rochester
  • Le Roy's Ingham Collegiate Institute is chartered as Ingham University
  • Belva Lockwood graduates from Genesee Wesleyan Seminary in Lima, NY; she later runs for U.S. President in 1884 and 1888
  • Polly Hoag Frisch's second husband, Otto Frisch, deserts her in the same year that two more of her children die in the Town of Alabama. Relatives, neighbors, and friends are suspicious
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