10/1/1857 Thursday. A rainy day. We all went to the fair to day. It rained hard all day. Mr. Walker came back here. Helen Hamilton staid all night.
JCH: Went up to James Shepards & got some boards to fix the bottom of my wagon. Went down to the fair. It rained most all day. Bought a infinity ticket but a very unpleasant time.
10/2/1857 Friday. It rained all day, Hellen here yet, she visited Ma this afternoon, I sewed on my dress, no scholars.
JCH: It rained most all day and night. The fair adjourned until the 20th. We fixed the wagon & framed some timber.
10/3/1857 Saturday. We carried Helen home to day. Father Hamilton gave John five hundred dollars in notes. John feels pretty well to night. Mr. Marsh paid me 8 dollars for Deloras music. I gave her a lesson to day. That finished up this term.
JCH: It was cloudy & rained some to day. Lorette & I went up home. Father gave us five hundred dollars in notes against Mr. Wilkinson & Mr. Ashley. We can now get along very well.
10/4/1857 Sunday. Pleasant. At home all day. Sarah Showerman called. She is going to morrow morning to learn the Milliners trade of Mrs. Holton.
JCH: Did not go to meeting to day. Cleared off very pleasant & warm. John C Hamilton, Batavia N.Y.
10/5/1857 Monday. Pleasant, cool. John went with Daniel thrashing to day. I staid to Peters all night. Most sick with a cold.
JCH: Went down to Daniel Putnams to thrash for Dan Shepard. We thrashed in the afternoon for Mr. Weed.
10/6/1857 Tuesday. Lorette is sick to day. Thrashed for Mr. Weed until about nine o clock. When Henry Showerman came there & came home. Husked corn & drew in pumpkins.
JCH: Lorette is sick to day. Thrashed for Mr Weed until about nine oclock, when Henry Showerman came there & came home. Husked corn & drew in pumpkins.
10/7/1856 Wednesday. Pleasant. Not very well to day, Hellen called here. John digging potatoes.
JCH: Heard this morning that Nancy Denton died yesterday. She had the consumption. Was digging potatoes all day. They yield very well.
10/8/1857 Thursday. John & I attended Nancy Dentons funeral at the Center. Uncle Ira here all night.
JCH: Attended the funeral of Nancy Denton at Bethany Center. I dug some potatoes to day.
10/9/1857 Friday. Pleasant. Delora and Amelia took lessons to day. Helen & I visited to uncle James. Maria is not going west at present. To day is the last day of their school. John Moore & wife, Vet & Claire visited here in the evening.
JCH: Dug potatoes all day. John Moore here in the evening. Also Mr. Calkins & their wives. Mr. Moore talks of buying Mr. Showermans land, take a piece of James Quance’s back & our orchard.
10/10/1857 Saturday. Doing housework all day. Mary Knowlton came over here to day on horseback, staid all day. John Moore took Peters farm back, also Israel.
JCH: Was digging potatoes all day. John Moore made a trade for us. He sold it to Showerman. Mr. Showerman sells it for 20 dollars less than he gave Ira Shepard. Talks of buying our sheep.
10/11/1857 Sunday. Heard that Franklin Shepard was married to day. At home all day. Our folks went up south to meeting. Pa made some different arrangements about the singing.
JCH: Did not attend meeting to day. Was over to Mr. Showermans a little while. They are going back on the old place to live. Frank Shepard was married this morning to Miss Houghton of Alexander. Good Luck.
10/12/1857 Monday. Pa and Ma went to the village to acknowledge the deed. Pa has sold some land to John Moore.
JCH: They all went down to Batavia to day to make out their deeds. I finished digging potatoes. Pleasant and warm with the appearance of rain to night.
10/13/1857 Tuesday. Raining. Had no scholars to day. We pared apples this afternoon.
JCH: It rained all day. We pared some apples to day & went a visiting. A tremendous time with the banks presently.
10/14/1857 Wednesday. Pleasant. I called to Peters. John went up to uncle James Shepard, Frank is married, has not returned yet.
JCH: 10/14/1857 Wednesday. Picked about 2 bushels of winter apples. We carried 15 bushels to Batavia and got 50 cents per bushel for them. Heard that every bank in New York City had gone broke or suspended.
10/15/1857 Thursday. I made twelve pounds of pickled peaches. I finished my gingham dress.
JCH: I went up to James Shepards. He said the Legislature were a going to meet to pass a law to stop payment for six months. Very hard times.
10/16/1857 Friday. Delora took her lesson tod ay & that was all. I cut out some shirts for John. Ma & I went to Israels afternoon.
JCH: We raised the cow shed & worked on it all day. It was rain & mist all day.
10/17/1857 Saturday. Ma and all the rest went down to Julia Pattersons. Helen & I visited to uncle Asahels. I gave Jannett a lesson. John went to an evening meeting.
JCH: Worked at the shed in the forenoon. In the afternoon cut up corn. Went up to the Advent meeting in the evening.
10/18/1857 Sunday. Pleasant. Pa & John went to the schoolhouse to meeting. John & I went in the evening.
JCH: Went up to the Advent meeting at the school house. Pleasant part of the day.
10/19/1857 Monday. Raining. Washing. We pared apples and peaches this afternoon.
JCH: Husked corn in the forenoon, was peeling apples in the afternoon. It rained hard all the afternoon.
10/20/1857 Tuesday. It froze quite hard last night. Delora & Emaline took lessons. John went to the Village & I saw Frank Shepard & wife. Phebe & Maria visited this evening. Ma commenced spinning.
JCH: Picked apples in the fore noon. Went down to the fair in the afternoon. It was so cold it was a failure. Frank Shepard was here in the evening with his wife.
10/21/1857 Wednesday. Cold. It snowed quite hard this morning. The fair yesterday did not amount to much. Dr. Northrup’s daughter called here.
JCH: It snowed some to day. Was at work at the shed all day.
10/22/1857 Thursday. Clear & pleasant. I made peach pickles afternoon. I went to Israels, making shirts for John.
JCH: Finished putting on the roof on the corn shed. Afternoon was pulling beans.
10/23/1857 Friday. Delora & Jannett took lessons to day. We had a slight shock of an earthquake.
JCH: Picked apples all day. Cloudy all day.
10/24/1857 Saturday. Pa & John went to Mr. Benton’s auction. Ma & I visited to Grandma Showerman’s. Heard that Marinda Norton was married last Monday to Mr. Wales.
JCH: Pulled and drew in beans in the forenoon. Went up to Mr. Benton's to his auction did not amount to anything, it is too hard times. Pleasant but cloudy.
10/25/1857 Sunday. Cloudy but pleasant. We started to go to meeting up south heard there was none. Went to Wm. Stewarts. They have got a daughter two weeks old to day.
JCH: Started to go up south to meeting, heard there was none & we went up to Wm Stewarts to see the new heir. Heard that Miranda Norton was married.
10/26/1857 Monday. Rainy & cold.
JCH: Was at work on the cow shed, It rained most all day.
10/27/1857 Tuesday. Delora, Amelia & Jannett took lessons to day. It is Amelia’s last lesson. She paid me for one term. Aunt Sarah Shepard, Mrs. Farnham & Hellen visited here. They staid the evening. I commenced spinning to day.
JCH: Helped James Shepard thrash most all day. Cool & cloudy.
10/28/1857 Wednesday. Spinning a little. Joh thrashed for Horace Shaw.
JCH: Helped Horace Shaw thrash in the forenoon. Afternoon was husking corn. Cool & cloudy.
10/29/1857 Thursday. Pa, Ma, & I went to the village this afternoon. Ma got her a bonnet, I got mine trimmed.
JCH: I husked corn all day. Father Shepard helped me in the forenoon. Our folks went down to Batavia & was gone all the afternoon. Still cold & cloudy.
10/30/1857 Friday Cold. Delora took her lesson this morning. Ma visited to Elizebeths making a shirt for John.
JCH: Father Shepard & I was husking corn all day. Not very good but yields very well. Cool & cloudy.
10/31/1857 Saturday. Ma & I visited to Peter’s afternoon. George Huntington & wife came there.
JCH: Father Shepard helped me husk to day. Cold with some rain.
Read the Next or Previous diary transcription.
See the October 1857 footnotes.
