Following is the set of footnotes associated with research of the transcription of the March 1856 diary entries by Lorette Shepard & John Hamilton. These footnotes are also interspersed and embedded within the transcription.
- American ticket ♢ The American Party was anti-immigrant - they opposed the huge European influx of Catholic Irish and German immigrants. In 1856, it was recorded that 300,000 Catholic Irish immigrated into New York City. They were also anti-slavery, and their candidate was former President Millard Fillmore.
- James Shepard's ♢ Uncle James Shepard 52 was the second of seven sons of John Shepard Sr. and Asenath Marvin, born in 1804 in Milford, Otsego county, NY. He was about twelve when his parents moved to Genesee County. He lived in Middlebury until 1828 when he married Amanda Putnam, and they lived in her Putnam family house for the rest of his life.
- Mr. & Mrs. Dire ♢ Enoch 58 was born in Vermont and in 1824 married Louisa Bartlett of Rochester, NY. Besides Louisa, their other daughter was Mrs. Asahel Shepard (Sarah Bartlett). The Dyers lived in Union, Monroe County.
- Miss Hellen Craig ♢ Uncle Daniel Powers 38 had been a widower for three years. He was a brother to Lorette’s mother Polly Powers Shepard. Helen 24, was a daughter of John Craig and Rhoda Fassett. He was a prosperous land owner and real estate developer in Middleport, Niagara County.
- Franklin Shepard ♢ Frank 23 was the oldest son of James Shepard and Amanda Putnam. He was single and possibly working as a farm laborer in the Alexander area.
- Myron Putnam ♢ Myron Putnam 40 was the fourth of six sons born to Franklin Putnam and Phebe Burroughs of Putnam Settlement. Myron’s father died in 1826 at the age of 44 and was buried in Putnam Cemetery. Myron’s mother Phebe, 37 when she became a widow, lived with him and his wife Elizabeth Lord and their daughter, Betsey Etta age 3 on Putnam Settlement.
- William Johnson ♢ There were many William Johnsons in Genesee County - one in Alexander and at least three in Batavia and Bethany. This one most likely was the one who lived on Francis Road, Bethany, son of William and Harriet.
- Mr. Reuben West ♢ Reuben was the oldest son of Warrant West and Sarah Richmond. Sarah’s brother, Leverett Richmond, owned the land at the corner of East and Putnam Roads.
- James Showerman ♢ The seventeen-year-old was a brother to Henry 23 and Sarah15, and adopted sister Eunice Lyons 36, all children of Peter and Roxanny Showerman.
- white school house ♢ The white school house was located in Bethany Center, and was also known as School House No 15.
- Amanda & Alvira Mc Call ♢ The McCall sisters Amanda 24 and Elvira 19, were Lorette’s 2nd cousins, that means they descend from the same great-grandfather, Henry Shepard (1749-1835), a Revolutionary War veteran. Their mother, Esther Shepard had just died in February 1855; she was married to Turner McCall and they lived in Oneonta, Otsego County, NY.
- Grandmother Shepard ♢ Catherine 65 now a widow, lived in what was later described as the little red house on Putnam Settlement (across from Francis Road).
- Mr. Newton ♢ Ira of Alexander, age 60, was married to Betsey Blood Frisbie, mother of Alonzo Frisbee and step-mother of Clark C. Newton. Clark was to be married to Sarah Lincoln at the end of 1856.
- Rosala ♢ Rosella 18 was with her brother Theodore G. Smith (1836-1872). They were children of Gilbert and Polly Smith of Alexander.
- Uncle Ira Shepard ♢ Ira 43 and his wife Ruby Chaddock lived near Dry Bridge Road in Alexander. They had two sons, Joseph Chaddock 15, and Merritt 8; their daughter Elizebeth died shortly after she was born in 1849.
- Seymour Chaddocks ♢ Seymour 33 was a son of Dennis Bruce Chaddock and Lydia Thompson (who died in 1835 and was buried in the West Bethany Cemetery). Dennis’ second wife was Polly Shepard, sister of Lorettes’s father. Dennis and Polly also had a Seymour Chaddock born in 1846 but he died young. Seymour married Elizabeth Lamkin (Charlie Lamkin’s sister) and they lived in the southwest corner of Bethany on the Chaddock Road.
- Lydia Ann Shepard ♢ She wasa daughter of Asahel Shepard and Jane Newcomb (who died in 1843 at the age of 31 and buried in the Shepard Road Cemetery in Hermitage, Wyoming County). Lydia Ann was named after her mother's sister Lydia Ann Newcomb wife of Hiram Luther Smith of Erie County, NY.
- Mr. Loomis ♢ Born in Alexander and attended the Genesee and Wyoming Seminary located there. He was 22 and a son of Sylvester 58 and Susan French Loomis 63. Other siblings were: Fanny 36 wife of Gustavus Brown, Halsey 34 who married Margaret Cole, Lucy 31, Maria 20, and Cordelia 28 wife of Drayton Sprague
- provender ♢ Provender is a safe medicine used to control worms in animals.
- Leveret Richmond ♢ In the 1830's Leverett 56, a Methodist Minister, lived on Putnam Settlement (his house is still standing) and was married to Eunice Unknown. She died on New Year's Day 1839 and was buried in Putnam Cemetery. They had three children, John, George, and Elizabeth. He then married widow Maria Forsyth (1808-1902) who had two daughters, Elizabeth and Mary, and they were livining in Geneseo, Livingston County, when he died. Leverett was the oldest son of Robert Richmond (1773-1863) and Phebe Parmelee (1778-1835).
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