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

June 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 May 1874 and July 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.

Click on any image to enlarge it.

Monday, June 1, 1874: Fair; did not do a great deal.

Tuesday, June 2, 1874: Fair. Got a letter from Everett. He is now getting along first rate.

Wednesday, June 3, 1874: Fair. Lock sheared our sheep. We had 31 lbs off of Four sheep. Mother and I washed it.

Thursday, June 4, 1874: Fair. Picked over our wool. Hattie came up.

Friday, June 5, 1874: Fair. Mother and Father went over to the carding Mill. Fetched Emma Cowell over with them. Hattie came up. We went to G. Prescott's. Emma and I went to Hattie's.

Saturday, June 6, 1874: Fair. Hattie came up. Emma and I went to Jonathan Prescott's and to Mr. Stevens, to Hattie's.

Sunday, June 7, 1874: Fair. Emma and I went with Charles Hilton up to the Mills to Meeting. Went up to the Baptist. Then we went up here to meeting. We went in to Laurie's.

Monday, June 8, 1874: Fair. Emma went home. She and Father and Mother went up to the Mills in the forenoon. Allie Cowell came after her at night. Clara came down and spent the afternoon. Bell came with her.

Tuesday, June 9, 1874: Fair. I went up to Clara's a little while. Went to Enoch's.
Father and Mother went to the Mills.

Wednesday, June 10, 1874: Fair. Our hog pigged, all dead but one. Mother went down to the funeral of Mr. Guptil. Made me a bow.

Thursday, June 11, 1874: Fair. Mother Washed. Charles Hilton came down after Father to work.

Friday, June 12, 1874: Fair. I worked rounds.

Saturday, June 13, 1874: Fair. Mother went up to Andrew F.'s. Georgie Hilton came down here. I went to Clara's.

Sunday, June 14, 1874: Fair. I went up here to meeting; went to Sadie's. Sarah Ricker came up.

Monday, June 15, 1874: Fair. Mother spun. Abbie Drew came in. Lute came down to work. He and Sam went down to Aunt Martha's and got me 16 bets, 22 cts a piece. I began them. Went up to Aunt Harriet's and Lock's.

Tuesday, June 16, 1874: Fair. I most made four vests. Mother spun.

Wednesday, June 17, 1874: Rainy. I worked on my Vests. Mother Spun. If I get my money for my Vests, which will be $3.52, I guess I will get me a pair of ___, a braid for my hair and a pair of slippers and some ribbon for my hair or a little necktie. Uncle Ben Drew died, Aged 80 years 5 mo."

Thursday, June 18, 1874: Fair. Mother went up to Andrew F. Hilton's. Father went to the Great Falls. I worked on my Vests.

Friday, June 19, 1874: Rainy. I worked on my Vests. I went up to Mr. Drew's funeral. Grandmother and Uncle Jacob came up.

Saturday, June 20, 1874: Fair. We baked. I sewed. Mother churned. Finished our Vests. I went up to Clara's.

Sunday, June 21, 1874: Fair. I stayed to Clara's last night and did not get home til about seven o'clock. I went up here to meeting. Mr. MacLean preached.

Monday, June 22, 1874: Fair. Mother washed. I sewed.

Tuesday, June 23, 1874: Fair. I sewed some. Mother and I carried our Wool up to Mrs. Robberds? [Roberts ?] to weave.

Wednesday, June 24, 1874: Fair. I did not do much of anything.

Thursday, June 25, 1874: Fair. I went to Prayer Meeting, a pray fellow came here and Mr. Keneston and Wife and Mr. Weeks. He gave us 16 more Vests and we had to take the pocket off three others.

Friday, June 26, 1874: Fair. Anse Wood was knocked down by two men and hurt very bad. Old Downing hired them. They said paid them $3.00 and some Rum.

Saturday, June 27, 1874: Fair. I went up to Clara's in the afternoon. We made Four Vests.

Sunday, June 28, 1874: Fair. I went up to Meeting. Willie Drew came in here.

Monday, June 29, 1874: Fair. I dreamed that our school was keeping. It was a rainy morning. A handsome young man came as Teacher I forgot my bag so he came up to my seat and gave me a small pencil. Asked me to do an example. I put down 7-1/4 -18. We fell in love. He had black eyes and black mustach, made __ Vests. We had a dreadful Thunder shower. We got eleven Lemons, some candy for the ___ [Fourth ?]

Tuesday, June 30, 1874: Fair. Mother went up to George Prescott's and Lock's. She and I went up to Enoch's. Made Four Vests.

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

Everett - Edward Everett Reynolds (1855-1945)
Lock - George Lockwood Prescott (1845-1883), "Lock", son of George Washington Prescott (1815-1886) and Eliza G. (Brackett) Prescott (1817-1898) and wife of Isabelle G. (Churchill) Prescott (1845-1923), "Belle"
Mother - Rachel E. (Tupper) Reynolds (1833-1923)
Hattie - Harriet Eldora Sherman (1859-1937), "Hattie", daughter of Thomas Sherman (1823-1893) and Abigail Elizabeth (Fox) Sherman (1822-1877), "Abbie", and future wife of George Walter Chamberlain (1859-1942)
Father - Jonathan Prescott Reynolds (1820-1899)
Emma Cowell - presumably Emma Jane Cowell (1859-1941), Ida's friend and fellow teacher; daughter of Edmond Eustis Cowell (1825-1899) and Elizabeth Jane (Chamberlain) Cowell (1830-1923), "Jane"; would marry Fred P. Jones
G. Prescott - possibly George Washington Prescott (1815-1886), husband of Eliza G. (Brackett) Prescott (1817-1898) and father of several of Ida's friends
Jonathan Prescott - perhaps John Prescott; perhaps Jonathan Prescott (1808-1887) or Jonathan Fox Prescott
Mr. Stevens - Hubbard Stevens (1805-1882), husband of Harriet C. (Brackett) Stevens (1808-1883)
Charles Hilton - presumably Charles Albert Hilton (1856-1937), son of Andrew Hilton (1810-1873) and Eliza Ann (Paul) Hilton (1816-1891) and future husband of Sadie Noyes Prescott (1857-1879)
Laurie - possibly Laura J. (Cowell) Prescott (1856-1892), wife of Oren Burbank Cheney Prescott (1850-1925)
Allie Cowell - presumably Allen E. Cowell (1862-1929), brother of Emma Jane Cowell (1859-1941)
Clara - Clara Georgietta Prescott (1860-1921), daughter of George Washington Prescott (1815-1886) and Eliza G. (Brackett) Prescott (1817-1898) and future wife of Luther Drew Hilton (1858-1894)
Bell - presumably Mary Isabelle Prescott (1854-1932), "Belle", but possibly her sister-in-law Isabelle G. (Churchill) Prescott (1845-1923), "Belle", wife of George Lockwood Prescott (1845-1883), "Lock"
Enoch - presumably Enoch Piper Sherman (1836-1922), husband of Mary (Ricker) Sherman (1837-1889),
Mr. Guptill - his funeral noted in entry of June 10, 1874 - perhaps Moses Guptill (1785-1874), who died on June 8, 1874 at Lebanon, Maine
Andrew F. - Andrew F. Hilton (1836-1894), husband of Emeline A. (Hersom Hilton (1838-1884) and father of Ida's friend Georgia A. Hilton (1864-1926)
Georgia Hilton - Georgia A. Hilton (1864-), daughter of Andrew F. Hilton (1836-1894) and Emeline A. (Hersom Hilton (1838-1884)
Sadie - Sadie Noyes Prescott (1857-1879), "Say", future wife of Charles Albert Hilton (1856-1937)
Sarah Ricker - presumably Sarah E. (Guptill) Ricker (1834-1913), widow of Clinton Ricker (1831-1868) and mother of Clinton Atwood Ricker (1856-1926), who went to Eastman Business College with Ida's brother Edward Everett Reynolds (1855-1945)
Abbie Drew - possibly Abbie F. Drew (1854-1877), daughter of Nathaniel Drew and Susan Ella (Paul) Drew and future wife of Ezekiel Alvado Ricker, whom she married in 1875
Lute - Luther Drew Hilton (1858-1894), son of Andrew Hilton (1810-1873) and Eliza Ann (Paul) Hilton (1816-1891) and future husband of Ida's friend Clara Georgietta Prescott (1860-1921)
Sam - Samuel Muir Francis (1858-1928), son of Dr. Daniel Francis (1810-1867) and wife Christie Ann (Tupper) Francis (-1893), who was a sister to Ida's mother Rachel E. (Tupper) Reynolds (1833-1923). Samuel may have been the Sam or Sammy mentioned often in Ida's diary and apparently living with the family at times.
Aunt Martha - Martha Ann (Reynolds) Hersom (1817-1879), "Aunt Martha"; widow of Lucius Hersom (1809-1867) and future wife of John Hanson; Ida's paternal aunt, she was the older sister of Ida's father Jonathan Prescott Reynolds (1820-1899)
Aunt Harriet - possibly Harriet C. (Brackett) Stevens (1808-1883), wife of Hubbard Stevens (1805-1882)
Uncle Ben Drew - his death noted in entry of June 17, 1874 and funeral in entry of June 19, 1874 - Benjamin Drew (1784-1874); his wife Eliza had died on March 17, 1874.
Grandmother and Uncle Jacob - Ann (Worster or Worcester) Reynolds or Runnells (1793-1884), widow of (Rev. Paul Reynolds or Runnells (1790-1842) and their youngest child, Jacob Pickering Reynolds (1838-1914)
Mr. MacLean preached - entry of Sunday, June 21, 1874
Mrs. Robberds, a weaver - possibly Mrs. Roberts ?
Mr. Keneston and wife - presumably Rev. Thomas Keniston (1819-1901) and wife Abbie L. (Moody) Keniston (1822-1908)
Mr. Weeks, who brought unfinished vests for Ida and her mother to complete
Anse Wood - in entry of June 26, 1874, Ida noted that he was "knocked down by two men and hurt very bad. Old Downing hired them. They said paid them $3.00 and some Rum"
Old Downing - employer of the men who assaulted Anse Wood on June 26, 1874
Willie Drew - perhaps Willie Drew; presumably William P. Drew (1861-1899), son of Nathaniel Drew and Susan Ella (Paul) Drew
George Prescott - presumably George Washington Prescott (1815-1886), husband of Eliza G. (Brackett) Prescott (1817-1898) and father of several of Ida's friends