Thursday, February 7, 2019

August Entries in the 1874 Diary of Ida Isadore Reynolds (1860-1946) of Acton, Maine; future Wife of John Jotham Shapleigh (1856-1923)


August entries in the 1874 diary of Ida Isadore Reynolds (1860-1946) of Acton, Maine.  Ida would marry John Jotham Shapleigh (1856-1923) in 1881. 

This post also includes the pages in the back of the diary, including memoranda, cash account and notes, which list what Ida considered the most important events of the year.

Links to the months of July 1874 and September 1874 appear here and at the end of this post.

This diary is one of three known: 1873, 1874 and 1876.  If a reader knows of the existence of any other diaries of Ida, please contact me.

See an overview post for a description of Ida's 1873, 1874 and 1876 diaries, which also contains combined alphabetical lists of surnames and people, with descriptive information where known.

Shown below are images and transcriptions of the entries and a description of the people mentioned, in order of appearance, first time only. Your comments noting errors and sharing information are requested.

Ida was the  daughter of Jonathan Prescott Reynolds (1820-1899) and Rachel E. (Tupper) Reynolds (1833-1923), who were natives of Maine and Nova Scotia, respectively.  

Other members of the Reynolds household, at times, were Ida's older brother Edward Everett Reynolds (1855-1945) and a Samuel/Sam/Sammy, presumably Ida's maternal cousin Samuel Muir Francis (1858-1928), son of Dr. Daniel Francis (1810-1867) and Christie Ann (Tupper) Francis (-1893).

In 1881 Ida married John Jotham Shapleigh (1856-1923), a native of Lebanon, Maine.  After the death of their son Ernest in 1882, they moved to Rochester, New Hampshire, where they had a daughter Doris, born in 1898.


Although Ida's home was in Acton, Maine, it was on the border of Lebanon, Maine.  As you can see from the image shown below, from Ida's 1873 diary, the Reynolds family got their mail through the North Lebanon, Maine, Post Office.



Below, the J. P. Reynolds farm along the southern border of Acton, Maine; with Lebanon, Maine, to the south; from an 1872 map of Acton, Maine, held by the Digital Maine Repository

Following the images and transcriptions below is a list of the people mentioned, in order of appearance, only once, as some are mentioned multiple times.







Friday, July 31, 1874 : Rainy. I worked on various things.

Saturday, August 1, 1874:  Fair. Alice came down.




Sunday, August 2, 1874:  Fair. I Read. Went to Meeting. Stayed all night to Hattie's. Alice came in.

Monday, August 3, 1874:  Fair. I went a blueberrying and got Five qts. Mother Washed.  I made Two Squares of my Log Cabin.  Alice came in. She went to Boston today.  Miss Alice R. Read [Reed], Boston Street, Somerville, Massachusetts, care E. G. Reed





Tuesday, August 4, 1874:  Fair. Went a berrying. Hattie up here. Fred and George here.

Wednesday, August 5, 1874:  Fair. Made four Vests. Georgia Hilton came down, and I made her doll a dress. Hattie up here.




Thursday, August 6, 1874:  Fair. Made Four Vests. Have only Four more to make.  I went up to Georgia Hilton's.  Fred and George here.  Hattie sick

Friday, August 7, 1874:  Fair in forenoon and Showers in afternoon. Mother and I finished our Vests. what Now is due to us is $10.12.  Edward went away.  Sadie came down and Georgia Hilton.




Saturday, August 8, 1874:  Rainy. I sewed and knit.  John Hilton, his Wife and Leonard called here in the afternoon.  George Sherman and Freddie Wentworth down here most all of the afternoon. I dreamed of Fred, hem, he said I was pretty. Enoch here.

Sunday, August 9, 1874:  Very Rainy. I Read. Mother wrote to Everett. I wrote a few words to him.




Monday, August 10, 1874: Fair.  Mother washed. I washed the Floors. Worked on my quilt and knit.
bid Fred good bye. He is going home tomorrow.

Tuesday, August 11, 1874:  Fair and Hot. Mother and I went a blueberrying, got 10 qts in forenoon. In afternoon I knit, then went down to Hattie's.


Wednesday, August 12, 1874: Fair. I stayed down to Hattie's all night.  Father and I went down to Black Pond Cranberrying. In afternoon Sam and I went down to Aunt Martha's in afternoon.
Aunt Joanna and Uncle Decker and Walter came from Boston.  Uncle Sam James up here. He was around with Mr. Angle and wife and so he called. Bell and Sadie here.

Thursday, August 13, 1874: Cloudy. I knit, have got a very bad cold.  Fixed my doll up to put her away.  I wrote Monday to Prof. G. A. Gaskell for a Picture for 10 Names, got it tonight, it is very Nice.







Friday, August 14, 1874:  Rainy. I done different things.

Saturday, August 15, 1874:  Fair. Lock went over to the Vale and got us 20 Vests, 23 cents [not sure of amount] apiece. He settled up for the 44 vests. It was $10.12.







Sunday, August 16, 1874:  Fair. I read and went out to meeting in afternoon.

Monday, August 17, 1874:  Fair. We made 6 vests. We have got to make them before Saturday.




Tuesday, August 18, 1874:  Fair. We made 6 Vests. I am very tired.

Wednesday, August 19, 1874:  Fair. Everett came home. He came up to Aunt Lucy's yesterday and Elder Sawyer brought him over.  Uncle Decker and Aunt Joanna and Walter and Aunt Martha came up here. Uncle Jacob came up in afternoon and he and Everett and Walter went over to the river a-fishing.



Thursday, August 20, 1874:  Dull. Grandmother and Walter and Everett in the afternoon. 
Aunt Joanna and Uncle Decker and Grandmother. I have got all the squares for my quilt but 25 squares.  The Folks went down to Lebanon.

Friday, August 21, 1874:  Dull. Everett and I went up to Mrs. H and to Aunt Hannah's and to George Prescott, to Locks and to Jakes.  I did not do much of anything.


Saturday, August 22, 1874:  Fair. Everett and Charles and I went over to W. Lebanon and had a very nice time. Went to Emma Cowell's and to Abbie Wentworth's.  Mother and Father and Uncle and Aunt Decker and Walter and Aunt Martha went over to Aunt Lucy's. They had a nice time they said.

Sunday, August 23, 1874:  Fair and Cold. Walter Decker stayed all night. Then Father went down with him.  Everett and I went up to Bell's and to George Prescott and Mr. Stevens.


Ida has embarked on an extended visit with her maternal aunt Joanna Farnham (Reynolds) Decker (1825-1909) and uncle Nathaniel Curtis Decker (1828-1888) and their son Walter Curtis Decker (1855-1900) in Boston, Massachusetts.  She'll stay with the Deckers at least through December 1874.  The 1875 diary is missing, so when Ida returned home to Acton, Maine, is unknown.



Monday, August 24, 1874:  Fair. Went up to Emma's and down to Abbie's in the afternoon.
Charlie and Mother went with me down to the depot and came with the folks to Boston. Everett came the same day, only in the morning train. Father took him to the Falls. He got up to the depot in time to see us off.

Tuesday, August 25, 1874:  Fair. Cleared up. Took my clothes out of my trunk and fixed my room. Aunt Joanna gave me some ___ [silk ?]





Wednesday, August 26, 1874:  Fair. I went with Uncle Decker and Walter up to 8th St.

Thursday, August 27, 1874:  Fair. I played and helped Aunt Joanna. Went to the store. I wrote to Mother.





Friday, August 28, 1874:  Fair. Mrs. I don't know [presumably Mrs. Dagin] came here and washed. I went up to Billy's.

Saturday, August 29, 1874:  Fair. Baked. Went up to Billy's twice, for things.






Sunday, August 30, 1874:  Fair. I read. Everett came out. He was well. I was very glad to see him.

Monday, August 31, 1874:  Fair. Mrs. D. [Mrs. Dagin] came here and washed. We Ironed some. Went up to Billy's. Got a letter from home. All well.





People mentioned in order, first time only.  Readers are requested to provide additional information.

If you have corrections to anything above or information to share on any of the people mentioned, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Advance to September 1874 or return to July 1874.



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