Sunday, February 3, 2019

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


January 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 December 1873 and February 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 very close to 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.


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.

Click on any image to enlarge it.

Thursday, January 1, 1874:  Fair. Went to School. Went to Singing School. Father and Mother went to the Corner.  Everett went to Abbie's.  Grand Mother is better. I feel pretty well today but have got a bad cold. Mother got me a pair of corse shoes. Cost $1.75. My Teacher's name is Freeman H. Lowd. 

Friday, January 2, 1874:  Snowed.  Went to School. Mary and Enoch here.  Mrs. Hilton is worse. Father went up there. Lutie in here. I am tired tonight. I must try and write good this year for Everett gave me this and I think a good deal of it. Bell, Say & Clara here to spend the evening, had a nice time.

 Saturday, January 3, 1874:  Foggy.  Went to School. Teacher some cross this afternoon. I like him very much.  Uncle Jacob and Aunt Martha came up and spent the evening.  Could not go to Singing School but wanted to go very much, but had no one to go with me.  Father got hurt on the head by a tree.  Mrs. Hilton little better.  Gammy [or Sammy] not well tonight.  

Sunday, January 4, 1874:  Fair. Read. Jacob B. Stevens here and stayed a long while.  George Sherman in. Mother and Grandmother not very well. I like to go to School very much and wish it was so I could go to this Teacher longer. He is a very nice man. We all like him very much.  I shall be sorry when it's done.  Mrs. H. very sick.  Enoch in.

 Monday, January 5, 1874:  Fair.  I went to School. It began to Snow this evening.  Very bad traveling.  Mother washed.  I got along well in School today.  Got my lessons good. Teacher some cross. I don't think there will be any Singing School tonight it is very Stormy so I guess I will not go.  I must study tonight and get up with the rest.


 Tuesday, January 6, 1874: Rain and Fog. Went to school.  We had company in the evening.  It was Bell, Say, Clara and Hattie and Ezekiel and Willie Prescott.  They stayed til 10 o'clock. We had a nice time. We expected Freeman but he did not come. He wanted to come alone. Some sorry [?].

 Wednesday, January 7, 1874:  Rainy and Fog. Went to School.  Grandmother washed her clothes.  Freeman down and spent the evening. We had a great time.  We all like him very much. I shall be very sorry when School closes. It will be so lonesome. Hattie here in the evening.


Thursday, January 8, 1874:  Fair. Went to School. Mother is not very well today.  Everett and Sammy and I went up to Mr. John Prescott's and spent the evening with a lot of others. Sammy went home with Hattie.  John Hilton here and spent the evening. Mr. Stevens and Jacob in.

 Friday, January 9, 1874: Fair. Went to School. Everett went up to School and stayed all the forenoon. Mother very Sick.  School will close up tomorrow. I am very sorry.  Everett and I went up to Singing School. Hattie came in.

Saturday, January 10, 1874:  Fair. Went to School. It closed today.  Sadie and I cried on each other's shoulder. I am very sorry.  Mother is a little better. Everett went to see Bell and to Mr. Hilton's and to see Mrs. Hilton.  Sammy and I went to Singing School. Hattie came up and George Sherman came in.

Sunday, January 11, 1874: Fair. Mother some better. Read some. Wrote a letter to Aunt Lucy.  Father went up to Mrs. Hilton's and down to Thomas Sherman.  It is very lonesome today and to think I shall not go to School not likely again for a year. I am very sorry I can't.

Monday, January 12, 1874: Snowed but cleared off.  Mother Sick but she was so she Washed and Churned. Studied. Sewed a very little. Read a little. Everett and Sammy and I went up to Singing School. We had a good School. I guess Everett will go for he asked Andrew about going.

 Tuesday, January 13, 1874: Fair. Sewed. Went up to Mary S. and up to Sadie's to get her Redingote. Everett and Samuel and Willie Prescott went down to the Pond a skating, had a nice Time they said.  Mother hurt her finger. A Man that acted as if he was drunk went by. Scart Mother very much. John Hilton here.

Wednesday, January 14, 1874: Snow and Wind.  Read. Knit. Began to start a Stocking. Sewed. Fixed my patch work. I have got Seven Hundred squares out of Nine Hundred and Ninety Nine. I think I have done well.  I wish I knowed how to put it together. I think it will be very pretty. Sung some in the  corister [Chorister ?]

 Thursday, January 15, 1874: Fair. Went up to Singing School with Everett. I guess he will go all the time.  I sewed on patch work. It is my Star patch work quilt. I have got forty squares made and I have got to have Sixty. I went down to Hattie's and carried down her Redingote. I came near getting stuck in a snowdrift. It is quite cold. Mother cut out my dress and Redingote.

Friday, January 16, 1874:  Snowed and wind. Sewed. Mother worked a little on my dress.  I sung some.  Father is not very well. Ezekiel came down to get Everett to go down to corner with him. He went and they went up to Aunt Martha's. They wanted Everett to stay but he did not. I am lonesome today. It is very lonesome when he is away.

 Saturday, January 17, 1874: Fair and cold. Went to Singing School. Went to Hattie's after the Mail. I worked on my quilt I have got it ready to set together and have got three strips sewed.  Mr. John Libby here and bought our Pig and one of our Sheep. Hattie and Georgie S. here and Uncle Jacob and Joel. Father most sick. He went up to Mr. Hilton's in evening.

Sunday, January 18, 1874: Fair. Read. Sung. Father and Mother went up to see Mrs. Hilton and to Nat [?] Hilton.  Grandmother and I went up to Mr. Jonathan Prescott. Hattie went with us. Charlie Hilton here. Everett and Sammy and I went down to Thomas S. with the Girls and E. H. A. P. and Charles H. to have a Sing.

 Monday, January 19, 1874: Fog and Rain. Knit on the Stocking. Sewed on my Patch work. Mother sewed a little on my Redingote and she Washed and Churned and Grandmother Washed. Sammy went to the corner with the Oxen. Walter Jones here and Thomas Sherman and Mr. Knox.

Tuesday, January 20, 1874: Fair. Went down to Aunt Martha's with Everett. He went up in the woods with Uncle Jacob. I went down to Aunt Sarah's. She gave me 4 squares for my quilt and Aunt Martha gave me one. We saw a fire down in the direction of the depot.

 Wednesday, January 21, 1874: Snowed. Everett and Uncle Jacob Played dominoes all day. I Played a few times. I made some Tatting, most made a pin cushion for Aunt Martha. Read a little.  Father came down with John S. Hersom, did not stop. We are having a real good time but would have went home today if it hadn't stormed.

Thursday, January 22, 1874:  Foggy I made a catchall for Aunt Martha.  Everett and Uncle Jacob went over to West Lebanon, went to Mrs. Cowell's. I went home. Uncle Jacob fetched us. I went up to George P.  Grandmother and I went to Mr. Stevens in the evening.

Friday, January 23, 1874:  Foggy. It cleared off in the afternoon. It is very muddy.  Father and Sam went over to North East Pond, fishing. I mended my cloth Boots and fixed my waists.  Enoch came in to get a Valise. We had none.  Everett and I went up to Singing School.

Saturday, January 24, 1874: Fair. Baked. Fixed my Cloth boots.  Enoch Sherman went to Boston.  Went to Hattie's. She came in here. Bell Prescott and her baby came down. Mother went to Mary Sherman's.  Everett and I went to Singing School. Mother went up to Lock's [?] in the evening. Grandmother went down to Thomas.

 Sunday, January 25, 1873: Fair and Cold. Read and Sung. Georgie Sherman came after father to go down to the Corner with Mrs. Butler. He went, was most frozen. Everett and Sammy and I went down to Thomas Sherman's with the rest to have a singing, had a real good one.

Monday, January 26, 1874: Fair and Very Cold. I have got a Very bad headache, Father says it is the coldest day we have had.  Everett and Sammy went into Jacob Stevens.  Thomas Sherman received a dispatch that Walter was very Sick with the Diphtheria. Abbie went up in the afternoon train. Sadie went down to stay with Hattie.

 Tuesday, January 27, 1874:  Fair and some Cold.  I knit, went down to Thomas Sherman in the afternoon and knit my stocking. I knit the heel and the foot. Everett and Sammy and I went up to Singing School. Georgie S in. Everett went up to Enoch's and down to Thomas.  Say is down there.

Wednesday, January 28, 1874:  Snow and Hail. Cleared off in the evening. Everett, Sammy and I went up to Cheny's. Had a very nice Time.  They gave us a weding card.  I studied. Made a bookmark, was busy all day. Mother spun some yarn for my Stockings. Sing some. Went in to George Prescott's to Sing. Willie P. there.

 Thursday, January 29, 1874: Fair in the forenoon and snowed in the evening.
I took up a pair of stockings for me. Made some tatting and crocheted some in the afternoon.  Bell and Say and Clara and Hattie were here a little while. Father went up to Milton Mills with Andrew F.   Everett and I went up to Enoch's.  Mother spun.

Friday, January 30, 1874: Very Cold and Windy.  Mr. Chesley here for father's apples. paid him six dollars a barrel. I helped him pick them over. He got a barrel of Flour and a pair of rubber roots.  We fixed some apples for apple sauce. We made a little over a ___[kettle ?] for the pedler Mr. Lovering here, stayed a 1/2 hour.

 Saturday, January 31, 1874:  Snow and Wind. Father went down to the Falls with a load of wood. Everett went up to Mrs. Hilton's and to see Bell.  Thomas S went up to Boston. Enoch came home and told him that Walter wanted to see him.  They thought he was dying yesterday.  Uncle Jacob and Joel here. Everett and Sam went to Town.  I went.

People mentioned in order, first time, only. Readers are requested to provide more 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 February 1874 or return to December 1873.

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