Saturday, February 9, 2019

December & Memoranda Entries in the 1874 Diary of Ida Isadore Reynolds (1855-1945) of Acton, Maine; future Wife of John Jotham Shapleigh (1856-1923)


December and Memoranda 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 November 1874 and January 1876 appear here and at the end of this post.  Sadly, the diary covering 1875 is missing.

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.

Since August 24, 1874, Ida has been on an extended visit with her paternal aunt Joanna Farnham (Reynolds) Decker (1825-1909) and husband Nathaniel Curtis Decker (1828-1888) in Boston, Massachusetts. The Deckers were living at 12 Dexter Street at the time of the 1876 Boston City Directory and may have been there in 1874 as well.

While with the Deckers, Ida has been attending school, which is likely the reason for her prolonged stay. Sadly for Ida, the school concludes in late December.





Monday, November 30, 1874:  Fair. Went to school.

Tuesday, December 1, 1874:  Fair; went to school.





Wednesday, December 2, 1874:  Fair. Went to School.

Thursday, December 3, 1874:  Fair. Went to school.




Friday, December 4, 1874:  Fair. I went to school. Father came up.

Saturday, December 5, 1874:  Fair. I went to school. Father went over to the City.



Sunday,  December 6, 1874:  Fair.  Uncle Decker, Father, Aunt Joanna and I went over to Mr. Calder's; had a very nice call.  In the evening, Everett, Father and I went to Music Hall.

Monday, December 7, 1874:  Fair. I went to school. Father went to the city.




Tuesday, December 8, 1874:  Fair. I went to the city, no, I mean school.

Wednesday, December 9, 1874:  Fair. I went to the City with Father. Mr. Smith gave me an orange and Mr. Ricker an apple.





Thursday, December 10, 1874:  Fair. Everett gave Father a pair of boots.

Friday, December 11, 1874:  Fair and cold. Father went home.




Saturday, December 12, 1874:  Fair. I went to school.

Sunday, December 13, 1874:  Stormy.  Everett and Fred Hayes came over here.  They wanted me to go to Cambridge but it sowed so I could not go.





Monday, December 14, 1874:  Fair. I went to School.

Tuesday, December 15, 1874:  Rainy. Went to School.




Wednesday, December 16, 1874:  Fair. Went to school.

Thursday, December 17, 1874:  Fair. Went to school.




Friday, December 18, 1874:  Fair. I went to school. I shall feel very badly to part with Miss Pendleton and Eva Nolen.

Saturday, December 19, 1874:  Fair. I went to School in the forenoon.  In the afternoon Addie and I went up Dorchester St.




Sunday, December 20, 1874:  Stormy.  I Played in the afternoon.  I was very much disappointed because it snowed because I wanted to go to Cambridge.

Monday, December 21, 1874:  Fair; went to school.




Tuesday, December 22, 1874:  Fair; went to school.

Wednesday, December 23, 1874:  Fair; went to School.  Had a good time.  Kissed some good bye.




Thursday, December 24, 1874:  Fair. I promised on the 6 of July to make Sadie a bib for Christmas.  I got four presents, a handkerchief for Aunt Joanna and one for Everett and a pocket book for Addie.

Friday, December 25, 1874:  Fair and cold. Everett and Clint here.  Had a nice time.  Florence Hodgon came down, too.





Saturday, December 26, 1874:  Fair. Did not do much.

Sunday, December 27, 1874:  Fair. Everett, Addie and I went to Clint's.




Monday, December 28, 1874:  Fair. Helped wash.

Tuesday, December 29, 1874:  Fair. Knit, sung.



Wednesday, December 30, 1874:  Fair. Went to watch meeting with Walter and Florence. And Addie.  Went to bed at One o'clock in the day time. I made a little dog.

Thursday, December 31, 1874:  Fair. Addie, Emma F. Hodgon and Walter and I went to Watch meeting; had a good time. Went to bed at One o'clock. 


Mrs. Eliza Drew died March 13 at 1:30 past o'clock.
Miss Nellie J. Hilton, No. 78, York Street, Portland, Maine
Mr. Benjamin Drew died June 17 at 9 o'clock, aged 90 years 5 mos.
Came to Boston August 24
Ice Cream - Six eggs, most 1 lb sugar, two qts Milk, put some of the milk on the stove and heat most to a boil, then stir in the sugar, then when they get hot, put in the eggs, well beating, take it off as soon as you put in the eggs, then add the rest of milk when cold put in a lot of extra of lemon. To pack it put a layer of fine ice an ____ and one half


thick, then layer of salt, then ice, then salt, ice first, then salt last.  The more you stir the better it is.








Since August 24, 1874, Ida has been on an extended visit with her paternal aunt Joanna Farnham (Reynolds) Decker (1825-1909) and husband Nathaniel Curtis Decker (1828-1888) in Boston, Massachusetts.  The Deckers were living at 12 Dexter Street at the time of the 1876 Boston City Directory and may have been there in 1874 as well.


While with the Deckers, Ida has been attending school, which is likely the reason for her prolonged stay.  Sadly for Ida, the school concludes in late December.

People mentioned in order, first time only.  Readers are requested to provide more information.
  • Father - Jonathan Prescott Reynolds (1820-1899)
  • Uncle Decker and Aunt Joanna - Nathaniel Curtis Decker (1828-1888) and Joanna Farnham (Reynolds) Decker )1825-1909), who was a sister to Ida's father Jonathan Prescott Reynolds (1820-1899)
  • Mr. Calder - presumably of Boston, Massachusetts, or visiting there
  • Everett - Ida's brother Edward Everett Reynolds (1855-1945)
  • Mr. Smith - presumably of Boston, Massachusetts, or visiting there
  • Mr. Ricker - presumably of Boston, Massachusetts, or visiting there
  • Fred Hayes - presumably a friend or coworker in Boston with Ida's brother Edward Everett Reynolds (1855-1945)
  • Miss Pendleton - Ida's teacher at the Boston school she was attending
  • Eva Nolen - possibly Eva Nolan - presumably a student or teacher at the school Ida was attending in Boston, Massachusetts.
  • Addie - Addie A. Tibbetts (1853-1885), daughter of Benjamin Franklin Tibbetts and Lucilla A. (Decker) Tibbetts, who was a sister to Nathaniel Curtis Decker (1828-1888)
  • Sadie - Sadie Noyes Prescott (1857-1879), daughter of George Washington Prescott (1815-1886) and Eliza G. (Brackett) Prescott (1817-1898) and future wife of Charles Albert Hilton (1856-1937)
  • Clint - presumably Clinton Atwood Ricker (1856-1926), who was attending, or had attended, Eastman Business College with Ida's brother Edward Everett Reynolds (1855-1945).  He was the son of Clinton Ricker (1831-1868) and Sarah E. (Guptill) Ricker (1834-1913) 
  • Florence Hodgon - perhaps Hodgson or Hodgdon; perhaps sister of Emma F. "Hodgon"
  • Walter - Walter Curtis Decker (1855-1900), son of Nathaniel Curtis Decker (1828-1888) and Joanna Farnham (Reynolds) Decker (1825-1909)
  • Emma F. Hodgon - perhaps Hodgson or Hodgdon; perhaps sister of Florence "Hodgon"
  • Mrs. Eliza Drew - died March 13 at 1:30 past o'clock. Wife of Benjamin Drew (1784-1874)
  • Miss Nellie J. Hilton, No. 78 York Street, Portland, Maine
  • Mr. Benjamin Drew died June 17 at 8 o'clock, aged 90 years 5 mos - Benjamin Drew (1784-1874); note: his Find a Grave memorial gives his death month as January, an apparent misreading.

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

Advance to January 1876 or return to November 1874.  Sadly, the diary covering 1875 is missing.

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