January Entries in the 1900 Diary of John Foss & Isabelle (Huff) Foss of West Hollis, Maine

January entries in the 1900 diary of John Foss (1860-1934) and Isabelle (Huff) Foss (1869-1929), "Belle", who farmed at West Hollis, Maine.  From the entries, it's plain to see that they were a hard working couple.

The couple made use of a blank diary for 1894 to record their 1900 entries.  Fortunately, the days match up.

John and Belle, who married in 1890 at Hollis, Maine, had two daughters:

1. Myra Helene Foss (1892-1976), who would marry George Woodbury McKenney 
2. Annie Evelyn Foss (1900-1988), who would marry Lewis Isaac Woodman

From a collection of five of their diaries covering 1899, 1900, 1902-1904 and John's 1913 account book.  See an overview post that features:

• family history of the Foss family
• links to entries for the rest of January 1899 and other diaries from 1900, 1902, 1903 and 1904
• an alphabetical list of surnames in the diary and an approximation of how many different people of that surname were mentioned in the diaries
• an alphabetical list of individual people mentioned in the diaries, some countless times

1894 diary used for 1900 entries

The person making the entry is identified in brackets.  Throughout the diaries, John made occasional entries, but Belle made the majority of them. 

People mentioned in the entries below are identified or tentatively identified the first time they appear. If you have corrections, alternate identities or additional information on anyone mentioned,  please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Holdover from the 1899 Foss diary

Saturday, December 30, 1899:  [Belle]  A very cold day.  John hauled manure and wood.  A June day.

Sunday, December 31, 1899:  [Belle]  Cold down to 0 in morn.  John home all day.  A July day.

Monday, January 1, 1900:  [Belle]  A snow storm, cold and blowing.  John and Cecil gone to Will Deering's.  H. Smith & Cecil here this forenoon.

• Will Deering - presumably William Brooks Deering

January 1, 1900 - [John]  Began snowing 5 am. Snowing hard 6 pm. I have been over in Johnson woods to see about logging with Will Deering and C. E. Warren.

• Johnson woods
• Will Deering - presumably William Brooks Deering
• C. E. Warren - presumably Charles Elmer Warren

January 2, 1900 - [John]  Stopped snowing in the night and we got our sleds out in the forenoon and went with logs in the afternoon. There was one foot of snow.

January 3, 1900: [John]  Went with logs today.  ___ to Swetts to dinner. Twas very cold. Twas 4 degrees above zero.

• Swett's - perhaps related to the Ida Swett mentioned later on in January 1900

January 4, 1900 - [John]  Have been logging today. It was warmer.

January 5, 1900 - [John]  Dot was lame and I went and got her shod. It was warmer. I have been cutting wood to the door. It looks like rain.

• Dot - presumably John's draft horse

January 6, 1900 - [John]  Have been logging. Went 3 times. It was warm and good sledding.

January 7, 1900 - [John]  It has been nice sleighing today and we have been to ride.

January 8, 1900 - [John]  I have hauled logs today. A fair day, pleasant in the forenoon. Took Daisy to Warren's in the evening.

• Warren's - perhaps the home of James Franklin Warren and Loantha C. (Bennett) Warren

January 9, 1900 - [John]  Have been to the Center. It was very cold and poor sleighing.

January 10, 1900 - [John]  Hauled wood. It rained in the morning. ___ [Fell washed or Fell. Washed] Collins sold his cow to Frank Coal [Frank Cole ?]

• Collins
• Frank Coal - possibly Frank S. Cole, son of Owen W. Cole and Catherine M. (Bailey) Cole

January 11, 1900 - [John]  Have been logging. It w[as ?] cold and hard sledding and we have give it up for more snow.

January 12, 1900: [John]  Have been logging. It hailed last night. There was two inches.

January 13, 1900 - [John]  It was nice sledding. We went 2 times. It was overcast and looked like snow.

January 14, 1900 - [John]  It has been fine today. Fell.  Charles been been _____

• Charles - several possibilities

January 15, 1900 - [John]  It was warm and nice. I was logging.

January 16, 1900 - [John]  It snowed this morning. There was five inches. I am going to the center.

January 17, 1900 - [John]  It was fair and cold. We went with logs. Sleds went hard.

January 18, 1900 - [John]  It snowed this morning and we did not go. It stopped and so we went this afternoon.

January 19, 1900 - [John]  It rained in the morning but it stopped so we went with logs. It was warm and the snow went fast.

January 20, 1900 - [John]  It rained today. I have been up to  ___ [Edgecombs' ?] this forenoon. I went over to Johnson in the afternoon. It rained hard all night.

• Edgecomb - if this was the surname Edgecomb, perhaps related to the Sarah Edgecomb mentioned in the 1902 diary
• Johnson - presumably the aforementioned Johnson woods

January 21, 1900 - [John]  It cleared off this morning. I went up to the Mason place today. I went in to Jim's. He told me all about Nellie.

• Mason place - a farm and woodlot which John either worked or leased
• Jim - presumably James Benson, husband of Maud (Nelson) Benson
• Nellie

January 22, 1900 - [John]  It has been fine today. I have been logging.

January 23, 1900 - [John]  It has been very warm. We have been to the river two times and went to Fletchers' with one load for Brad.

• Fletcher
• Brad - possibly Bradford Scribner (1845-1910) or Lindley LaPierre Bradbury (1867-1935) or ?

January 24, 1900 - [John]  It has been very cold today. We went to the river this forenoon and skidded logs this afternoon.

January 25, 1900 - [John]  It has rained today and froze to the trees. Everything is covered with ice. I have been to the post office this afternoon and sent a letter to Frank Bracket.

• Frank Bracket

January 26, 1900 - [John]  It cleared off this morning. It is all clear ice. I went to the center and got a barrel of flour. The wind blows and it is very cold tonight.

January 27, 1900 - [John]  Has been very cold today. I have been chopping wood. I cut one cord. Nora has been down.  ___ [Collins ?] went and got his cow down to knight [either "tonight" or to Knights' ?]

• Nora - presumably Lenora Asenath Huff, "Nora", who would marry Lewis Elmer Burnham in 1906.  Nora was the sister of John's wife Belle
• Collins - perhaps the same Collins from the entry of earlier this month
• Knight - perhaps John meant "night"; if not, then the surname Knight

Sunday, January 28, 1900 - [John]  It has been warm today and I went over to Jed Benson and we went up to James. He was in a peck of trouble. He wants to sell ____

• Jed Benson - possibly a nickname for Jeremiah Benson, brother of James Benson
• James - presumably James Benson, brother of Jeremiah Benson, and husband of Maud (Nelson) Benson

Monday, January 29, 1900 - [John]  It snowed last night and then it rained this forenoon. I have been putting on finish up in Myra's room.

• Myra - John's daughter Myra Helene Foss, born in 1892

Tuesday, January 30, 1900 - [John]  It froze up last night and we went toggin [toboganning or logging ?] today. It has been cold. Paid Ida Sweat board.

• Ida Sweat - presumably Ida Swett or Ida Sweet

Wednesday, January 31, 1900 - [John]  It has looked like snow all day and has snowed some but we have worked all day.

Thursday, February 1, 1900 - [John]  It has been very cold today. The wind has blowed very hard but we went two times. Bryan spoke in Portland last night.

• Bryan - presumably Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska, who would lose to Republic William McKinley of Ohio in the election of November 6, 1900

Friday, February 2, 1900 - [John]  It has been very cold today. I have been three times. It is very good sledding.

Again, if you have information to share on any of the people mentioned, including the Foss family itself, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Advance to February 1900 or return to December 1899