Sunday, February 10, 2019

January Entries in the 1876 Diary of Ida Isadore Reynolds (1860-1946) of Acton, Maine; future wife of John Jotham Shapleigh (1856-1923)


January entries in the 1876 diary of Ida Isadore Reynolds (1860-1946) of Acton, Maine.  Ida would marry John Jotham Shapleigh (1856-1923) in 1881. 

 Links to the months of December 1874 and February 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.


Saturday, January 1, 1876:  Fair. Very muddy. I went to Georgia Hilton's and to Mrs. Hilton's. Sam came after me in the evening. Charlie Hilton says he don't like teaching school. I sewed and knit. Baked some.

Sunday, January 2, 1876:  Rained some. Hattie came up. I went down there a while in the evening and we had a sing. Elder Samuel Lord had quite a donation, got $26.00 in money and about $7.00 in other things with Christmas presents $90.00


Monday, January 3, 1876:  Fair and warm. Washed out a few things. Spun a little. Mother finished my wrapper. Enoch and Mary came in and spent the evening. Sam and I done lots of examples.

Tuesday, January 4, 1876:  Fair. Some windy. Ironed, cleared up my boxes. I went with Hattie, Belle and Clara on the ridge to spelling school. I should think there was nearly fifty there, a lot there from the Mills.

Wednesday, January 5, 1876:  Fair. A little colder. Charles Farnham here, came from Lebanon town farm. Sadie came down for me to go skating. I went with "the crew" on Black Pond. Mother went to Tom's the first time for years.

Thursday, January 6, 1876:  Snow. I spun. Knit a very little. Andrew and Boston here. Went with Father fishing. Walter, Hattie and I went to "Hubbards Corner" to an exhibition. Sam E. Goodwin so glad to see me. Sam spoke a piece. So did Elbridge.


Friday, January 7, 1876:  Fair. Baked. Washed out a few things. Went to Hattie's and cut a pattern of a sleeveless basque, cut mine and basted it. Aunt Mary Butler here. Carlos and Jenny done some examples.

Saturday, January 8, 1876:  Snow in afternoon. Finished my basque. Went to Hattie's and embroidered it. I went to G. W. Prescott's in the evening, to Walter Sherman's and Belle Prescott's. Oyster supper. Laura's sister said Emma Cowell was teaching music at Ware, New Hampshire.

Sunday, January 9, 1876:  Foggy. There was not much snow fell. I read. Hattie came here. The folks want us to have an exhibition here. Don't much think we will.

Monday, January 10, 1876:  Foggy in the morning. Washed. Enoch came in, signed paper for a private school. Rev. Samuel Lord, Teacher. I signed $3.00.  Georgia Hilton came down. It was fair in the afternoon.


Tuesday, January 11, 1876:  Fair. Starched and Ironed. Spun a very little.  Mother very sick, the worst she has been since her very sick spell.

Wednesday, January 12, 1876:  Fair. Spun Two and one half skeins of yarn, most I have spun at all.
Mother not any better.  George Sherman came in here.

Thursday, January 13, 1876:  Fair and cold! Finished spinning. The Young Folks Call but me went on "Black Pond" skating, said they had a nice time.

Friday, January 14, 1876:  Fair. Baked. Mother some better.  Clara came down to invite me to Lock's to a quilting and "bow and necktie party. We finished the quilt. Lock took me to supper.


Saturday, January 15, 1876:  Fair. Baked. Mother not quite so well. Sewed on my patch work.
George Sherman here, wanted me to go to Lebanon to meeting; would not go.

Sunday, January 16, 1876:  Fair. Snowed in the night. Read.  Got a letter from Aunt Lucy, says a man came from "Pine Hill" by the name of Joe Downs. He and Uncle Sawyer are holding meetings there.

Monday, January 17, 1876:  Fair in the forenoon. Snow in evening. Sewed on my patch work. Washed.  Sam went to ___ [Town, Tours, Fours ?].  Hattie has got a sore throat.  Mother is some better.  Walter come from Boston, says E. is well.

Tuesday, January 18, 1876:  Rain and Fog. Mother better. I went to Hattie's. She is a little better.
I made five squares in my "Log Cabin" quilt.


Wednesday, January 19, 1876:  Threatening Rain.  Made ten squares in my "log cabin" quilt. Hattie is better. She came up. I took 8 vests from Brackett's at $0.22, stitched round twice. Father went fishing with Jake and Zeke.

Thursday, January 20, 1876:  Fair. Made 4 vests. Went with the "girls and boys" to Sam's Spelling School.  Lute came home with Clara.  Have [heard] Lowd wants Sam to have a spelling school here. Hope he will.

Friday, January 21, 1876:  Snow squalls. Finished my vests.  Cheney came down, wanted me to go with the "Crew" skating; did not care to go.

Saturday, January 22, 1876:  Some cloudy. Baked. Got some "Herald's" from Everett.  Heard Mrs. James Fall was dead.  Hattie and Thomas came in. They want school to begin Monday. Hope it will.


Sunday, January 23, 1876:  Snow Storm. I read. Hattie and Thomas came in. He is seeing about a school.  Went to Hattie's. Says school will begin Monday.

Monday, January 24, 1876:  Fair. School began. Rev. Samuel Lord, teacher. I sit with Hattie. Will study National Arithmetic, Robinson's Elementary Algebra, Greenlief's Rhetoric, and P___ [Passing ?].  Think we shall like Mr. Lord very much.

Tuesday, January 25, 1876:  Fair. Hattie came up. Went to school, got along nicely. Have got 11 scholars. I sent by Walter to get me some Book-keeping blanks. Bryant & Stratton's. No school in afternoon. Funeral of Miss Angie Goodwin, Mrs. Fall's sister. 

Wednesday, January 26, 1876:  Fair. Went to school. Got my book-keeping blanks and three writing books. Blanks cost $0.72. Writing Books $0.30.  Uncle Jacob came up. Grandmother not very well.


Thursday, January 27, 1876:  Stormy and very cold. Hattie came up.   Went to school.  Studied till nine o'clock

Friday, January 28, 1876:  Snow and some rain. Went to school.  Went to Hattie's. Studied. Read some.

Saturday, January 29, 1876:  Snow. Hail and some rain. School in forenoon. Sam's school finished on Fox's ridge. It has kept twelve weeks.  Washed in afternoon.  George Sherman and Mary's brother Chat here in the evening.

Sunday, January 30, 1876:  Fair. Read. Hattie came up.  Sam went to Elder Lord's meeting; said they had a nice meeting.  I went to Hattie's; had a good sing.


 Monday, January 31, 1876:  Fair. I went to school. Mother Ironed and churned.

Tuesday, February 1, 1876:  Fair. I went to school. Got along well.

Wednesday, February 2, 1876:  Snow and wind. I went to school. Started with Hattie and Elder Lord from Andrew F's to ride. Got over the hill; the horse got outside of the road and broke in the ice. I like to froze. Sam got in. George froze his ears. We all had an awful time.

Thursday, February 3, 1876:  Fair. We had no school today. Studied. I went up to Enoch's. Mary gave me a pair of shoes and a pair of slippers. I went to Hattie's. Clara came in.

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 1876 or return to December 1874.  Sadly, Ida's diary of 1875 is missing.


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