May 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 April 1874 and June 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.
Thursday, April 30, 1874: Very Cold, never known such a time. I knit. Started a mitten. Went to Hattie's and stayed all night. Joanna Stevens here.
Friday, May 1, 1874: Fair. Snow went away very fast. I knit a mitten and finished that one.
Mrs. Boston here and took dinner. Hattie here in the evening. Hiram Barrows here.
Saturday, May 2, 1874: Fair. Baked. Went up to Lotte Stevens a little while and to Hattie's. Knit.
Sunday, May 3, 1874: Fair. Went to Meeting up here. Rev. Mr. Noyes preached at Five o'clock. Had a good meeting. ____[appointed ?] a Class meeting at Mr. Stevens Tuesday evening.
Monday, May 4, 1874: Fair. Mother and Father went down to the Falls. Got me a pair of Cloth Shoes. Father and Sammy each a pair of slippers. Hattie came up.
Tuesday, May 5, 1874: Fair. Clara and I went over to Hannah Mudgett's and John S. Hersom's. There was an old Straggler went up by. Called into Emerline's and Mother went up to Mr. Cowell's, Mrs. Hilton's and Locks. Went up to Mr. Stevens to Class Meeting.
Wednesday, May 6, 1874: Cloudy. Mother and I made a pair of Pants for Sam. Eva and Nell Hilton was here for dinner. They are William Hilton's girls. Uncle Jacob came up and Clara came down and spent the afternoon. Hattie came up in the evening. Clara and I made a May basket and hung it to Hattie.
Thursday, May 7, 1874: Fair. Mother and I made a pair of Pants for Father and started a vest for him. Sammy and I went down to Thomas Sherman's to Prayer Meeting. Ella Drew and Will was here.
Friday, May 8, 1874: Fair. Hattie came up and we made a May basket, bring it to Clara.
Mary Sherman came down with Carlos and Joanna.
Saturday, May 9, 1874: Fair. Baked some bread. Went down to Hattie's and stayed all night.
Sunday, May 10, 1874: Fair. I read. Went up to meeting. Elder Crowley preached a very good Sermon. He is a Methodist preacher.
Monday, May 11, 1874: Cloudy. I washed, helped Mother. Done lots of chores. Carlos Sherman here and Bell and Sadie quite a while.
Tuesday, May 12, 1874: A lovely day. I ironed, darned stockings and scoured spoons. Done a number of chores. Father and Andrew went over to Uncle Sawyer's. I went up to Mary Sherman's. Carlos Sherman here.
Wednesday, May 13, 1874: See May 21 [not sure what she means by this] Fair. Mother and I started in the forenoon and went down to Aunt Martha's. Got back in time to go to Hattie's to spend the afternoon with the Girls and help her make a paper air castle. Aunt Martha gave me some things that Aunt Joanna sent me. Good Night. We are going to see where we all will be ten years from now.
Thursday, May 14, 1874: Fair. I expected the Girls to come down to go down in the woods. They could not come. I went up to Mrs. S. to Prayer Meeting, had a very good time. Hattie and George was here most all the afternoon. Mother went up to Mary Sherman's in the afternoon for a while.
Friday, May 15, 1874: Fair, looks some like a storm. Father sold his oxen, got One Hundred and Fifty Dollars down. [not sure if she meant the sale price was $150 - or $100, with $50 down.] $10 he receives when Ira Hersom gets so as to return the yoke collars. Ira Hersom and Son, Abbie Wentworth and Laurie Prescott. Hattie. I sewed my quilt; am not very well, am some tired.
Saturday, May 16, 1874: Rainy. I sewed on my quilt and read some, also studied some. Demp and Freem went down by here. Mother set a hen. She is very slim today.
Sunday, May 17, 1874: Fair. I read, went down to Hattie's after the mail. Sam went down to Lebanon to Meeting. Mother, Sam and I went up here to Meeting. Rev. Kennerston preached.
Hattie came in for me to go.
Monday, May 18, 1874: Fair in the forenoon and Rainy in the afternoon. Sammy and Father picked Capers, got two bushels. We moved beds upstairs, planted ___ flowers in a box. Joanna S. down for pattern of bird. said she would come down tomorrow afternoon.
Tuesday, May 19, 1874: Fair. Mother washed and covered a rocking chair. Father went to the Falls.
Joanna Stevens and Rosa down here and spent the afternoon. Joanna helped us make a paper air castle.
Wednesday, May 20, 1874: Fair. We planted all our Corn in the afternoon and potatoes in forenoon. Mother and I went out. I am very tired tonight.
Thursday, May 21, 1874: Very Rainy. I sewed and made two hummingbirds. Mother sewed. See May 13. [She also mentioned in the entry of May 13 to see the entry of May 21.]
Sadie, Clara, Hattie, Joanna, myself.
Friday, May 22, 1874: Fair. Father and Mother went to Spring Vale. Mother got me some cloth and a mat pattern. Hannah and Fred Mudgett here. I most made Father a shirt. Joanna Stevens came down here in evening.
Saturday, May 23, 1874: Fair; went up to Bell Foxes and H. Mudgett's. Mary Foxes and Sewell Prescott. Got 50 squares. Mother baked. Hattie came in here.
Sunday, May 24, 1874: Fair. I read. Mother, Sammy and I went up to Meeting. Rev. McLean preached. Mother, Hattie, went up to Mrs. Boston and Mrs. Hilton's. Hattie here.
Monday, May 25, 1874: Very Rainy. I fixed my quilt where it was puckered. Mother made a shirt for father and she and I together made me a pair of chemises. She washed. Sammy and Father fixed the fence out here. Ezekiel H. A. came down here.
Tuesday, May 26, 1874: Fair. I put in rug for myself, and Mother and I hooked on it. It is a basket of flowers.
Wednesday, May 27, 1874: Fair. Father and Sammy worked for John Prescott. Mother and I hooked. Nell Hubbard and Charles and Alice came down to stay all night.
Thursday, May 28, 1874: Fair. Charles Hubbard and Nell went home from here. Mother and I hooked. Father worked with Sammy to John Prescott.
Friday, May 29, 1874: Fair. Aunt Lucy and Uncle Sawyer came over to stay all day. I went up to see Hubbards. Got a letter from Everett. He is well, gets $10 a week for ___. got one from Aunt Lucy.
Saturday, May 30, 1874: Fair. I was most sick. Went down to Hattie's. She has got a new ___. New England. She came up here. Father worked with Sammy to John Prescott.
People mentioned in order, first time, only. Readers are requested to provide more information
Click on any image to enlarge it.
Thursday, April 30, 1874: Very Cold, never known such a time. I knit. Started a mitten. Went to Hattie's and stayed all night. Joanna Stevens here.
Friday, May 1, 1874: Fair. Snow went away very fast. I knit a mitten and finished that one.
Mrs. Boston here and took dinner. Hattie here in the evening. Hiram Barrows here.
Saturday, May 2, 1874: Fair. Baked. Went up to Lotte Stevens a little while and to Hattie's. Knit.
Sunday, May 3, 1874: Fair. Went to Meeting up here. Rev. Mr. Noyes preached at Five o'clock. Had a good meeting. ____[appointed ?] a Class meeting at Mr. Stevens Tuesday evening.
Monday, May 4, 1874: Fair. Mother and Father went down to the Falls. Got me a pair of Cloth Shoes. Father and Sammy each a pair of slippers. Hattie came up.
Tuesday, May 5, 1874: Fair. Clara and I went over to Hannah Mudgett's and John S. Hersom's. There was an old Straggler went up by. Called into Emerline's and Mother went up to Mr. Cowell's, Mrs. Hilton's and Locks. Went up to Mr. Stevens to Class Meeting.
Wednesday, May 6, 1874: Cloudy. Mother and I made a pair of Pants for Sam. Eva and Nell Hilton was here for dinner. They are William Hilton's girls. Uncle Jacob came up and Clara came down and spent the afternoon. Hattie came up in the evening. Clara and I made a May basket and hung it to Hattie.
Thursday, May 7, 1874: Fair. Mother and I made a pair of Pants for Father and started a vest for him. Sammy and I went down to Thomas Sherman's to Prayer Meeting. Ella Drew and Will was here.
Friday, May 8, 1874: Fair. Hattie came up and we made a May basket, bring it to Clara.
Mary Sherman came down with Carlos and Joanna.
Saturday, May 9, 1874: Fair. Baked some bread. Went down to Hattie's and stayed all night.
Sunday, May 10, 1874: Fair. I read. Went up to meeting. Elder Crowley preached a very good Sermon. He is a Methodist preacher.
Monday, May 11, 1874: Cloudy. I washed, helped Mother. Done lots of chores. Carlos Sherman here and Bell and Sadie quite a while.
Tuesday, May 12, 1874: A lovely day. I ironed, darned stockings and scoured spoons. Done a number of chores. Father and Andrew went over to Uncle Sawyer's. I went up to Mary Sherman's. Carlos Sherman here.
Wednesday, May 13, 1874: See May 21 [not sure what she means by this] Fair. Mother and I started in the forenoon and went down to Aunt Martha's. Got back in time to go to Hattie's to spend the afternoon with the Girls and help her make a paper air castle. Aunt Martha gave me some things that Aunt Joanna sent me. Good Night. We are going to see where we all will be ten years from now.
Thursday, May 14, 1874: Fair. I expected the Girls to come down to go down in the woods. They could not come. I went up to Mrs. S. to Prayer Meeting, had a very good time. Hattie and George was here most all the afternoon. Mother went up to Mary Sherman's in the afternoon for a while.
Friday, May 15, 1874: Fair, looks some like a storm. Father sold his oxen, got One Hundred and Fifty Dollars down. [not sure if she meant the sale price was $150 - or $100, with $50 down.] $10 he receives when Ira Hersom gets so as to return the yoke collars. Ira Hersom and Son, Abbie Wentworth and Laurie Prescott. Hattie. I sewed my quilt; am not very well, am some tired.
Saturday, May 16, 1874: Rainy. I sewed on my quilt and read some, also studied some. Demp and Freem went down by here. Mother set a hen. She is very slim today.
Sunday, May 17, 1874: Fair. I read, went down to Hattie's after the mail. Sam went down to Lebanon to Meeting. Mother, Sam and I went up here to Meeting. Rev. Kennerston preached.
Hattie came in for me to go.
Monday, May 18, 1874: Fair in the forenoon and Rainy in the afternoon. Sammy and Father picked Capers, got two bushels. We moved beds upstairs, planted ___ flowers in a box. Joanna S. down for pattern of bird. said she would come down tomorrow afternoon.
Tuesday, May 19, 1874: Fair. Mother washed and covered a rocking chair. Father went to the Falls.
Joanna Stevens and Rosa down here and spent the afternoon. Joanna helped us make a paper air castle.
Wednesday, May 20, 1874: Fair. We planted all our Corn in the afternoon and potatoes in forenoon. Mother and I went out. I am very tired tonight.
Thursday, May 21, 1874: Very Rainy. I sewed and made two hummingbirds. Mother sewed. See May 13. [She also mentioned in the entry of May 13 to see the entry of May 21.]
Sadie, Clara, Hattie, Joanna, myself.
Friday, May 22, 1874: Fair. Father and Mother went to Spring Vale. Mother got me some cloth and a mat pattern. Hannah and Fred Mudgett here. I most made Father a shirt. Joanna Stevens came down here in evening.
Saturday, May 23, 1874: Fair; went up to Bell Foxes and H. Mudgett's. Mary Foxes and Sewell Prescott. Got 50 squares. Mother baked. Hattie came in here.
Sunday, May 24, 1874: Fair. I read. Mother, Sammy and I went up to Meeting. Rev. McLean preached. Mother, Hattie, went up to Mrs. Boston and Mrs. Hilton's. Hattie here.
Monday, May 25, 1874: Very Rainy. I fixed my quilt where it was puckered. Mother made a shirt for father and she and I together made me a pair of chemises. She washed. Sammy and Father fixed the fence out here. Ezekiel H. A. came down here.
Tuesday, May 26, 1874: Fair. I put in rug for myself, and Mother and I hooked on it. It is a basket of flowers.
Wednesday, May 27, 1874: Fair. Father and Sammy worked for John Prescott. Mother and I hooked. Nell Hubbard and Charles and Alice came down to stay all night.
Thursday, May 28, 1874: Fair. Charles Hubbard and Nell went home from here. Mother and I hooked. Father worked with Sammy to John Prescott.
Friday, May 29, 1874: Fair. Aunt Lucy and Uncle Sawyer came over to stay all day. I went up to see Hubbards. Got a letter from Everett. He is well, gets $10 a week for ___. got one from Aunt Lucy.
Saturday, May 30, 1874: Fair. I was most sick. Went down to Hattie's. She has got a new ___. New England. She came up here. Father worked with Sammy to John Prescott.
Sunday, May 31, 1874: Fair. Showers in evening. Went up to meeting. Went to Hattie's a few minutes. Lute here and Hattie.
People mentioned in order, first time, only. Readers are requested to provide more information
- 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)
- Joanna Stevens - possibly Joanna J. Stevens (1857-1901), daughter of John Stevens and Cynthia (Page) Stevens and future wife of George Chesley
- Mrs. Boston - Sabina Emily (Runnels) Boston (1841-1914), wife of Gorham Parks Boston (1839-1910)
- Hiram Burrows - presumably Hiram Burrows (1855-1938) of Milton, New Hampshire
- Lotte Stevens - presumably Charlotte M. (Shapleigh) Stevens (1851-1917), "Lottie", wife of Jacob Brackett Stevens (1850-1927)
- Rev. Mr. Noyes - perhaps Rev. Eli Pierce Noyes (1835-1883), husband of Marcia C. (Spaulding) Noyes (abt 1835-1908); presumably the Mr. Noyes who preached on Sunday, May 3, 1874
- Mr. Stevens - presumably Hubbard Stevens (1805-1882), husband of Harriet C. (Brackett) Stevens (1808-1883)
- Mother and Father - Rachel E. (Tupper) Reynolds (1833-1923) and Jonathan Prescott Reynolds (1820-1899)
- Sammy - 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.
- 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)
- Hannah Mudgett - presumably Hannah (Stevens) Mudgett (1833-1905), daughter of Hubbard Stevens (1805-1882) and Harriet (Brackett) Stevens (1808-1883), wife of James H. Mudgett (1830-1905) and mother of Fred Lincoln Mudgett (1868-1918)
- John S. Hersom (1834-1903)
- Emerline - possibly Emeline A. (Hersom) Hilton (1838-1884), wife of Andrew F. Hilton (1836-1894) and mother of Ida's friend Georgia A. Hilton (1864-1926)
- Mr. Cowell
- Mrs. Hilton - presumably Eliza Ann (Paul) Hilton (1816-1891), widow of the recently deceased Andrew Hilton (1810-1873)
- Uncle Jacob - Jacob Pickering Reynolds (1838-1914), youngest brother of Ida's father Jonathan Prescott Reynolds (1820-1899)
- Thomas Sherman - Thomas Sherman (1823-1893), husband of Abigail Elizabeth (Fox) Sherman (1822-1877), "Abbie"
- Ella Drew and Will - possibly Susan Ella (Paul) Drew (1825-) and her son William P. Drew (1861-1899)
- Mary Sherman and Carlos - Mary (Ricker) Sherman (1837-1889), wife of Enoch Piper Sherman (1836-1922), and their son Carlos Walter Sherman (1869-1943)
- Joanna - possibly Joanna J. Stevens (1857-1901), daughter of John Stevens and Cynthia (Page) Stevens and future wife of George Chesley
- Elder Crowley, Methodist preacher
- Bell and Sadie - Mary Isabelle Prescott (1854-1932), "Belle" and her sister Sadie Noyes Prescott (1857-1879), "Say"; daughters of George Washington Prescott (1815-1886) and Eliza G. (Brackett) Prescott (1817-1898)
- Andrew - presumably Andrew F. Hilton (1836-1894), husband of Emeline A. (Hersom Hilton (1838-1884) and father of Ida's friend Georgia A. Hilton (1864-1926)
- Uncle Sawyer - Rev. Seth Sawyer (1808-1892) of Milton Mills, New Hampshire; husband of Ida's maternal aunt Lucy Jane (Tupper) Sawyer (1837-1880)
- Aunt Martha - Martha Ann (Reynolds) Hersom (1817-1879), widow of Lucius Hersom (1809-1867) and future wife of John Hanson; Martha was the older sister of Ida's father Jonathan Prescott Reynolds (1820-1899)
- Aunt Joanna - Joanna Farnham (Reynolds) Decker (1825-1909) wife of Nathaniel Curtis Decker (1828-1888) and sister of Ida's father Jonathan Prescott Reynolds (1820-1899)
- Mrs. S. - perhaps Harriet C. (Brackett) Stevens (1808-1883), wife of Hubbard Stevens (1805-1882)
- George - perhaps George A. Sherman (1860-), son of Enoch Piper Sherman (1836-1922) and first wife Jane (Guptill) Sherman (1832-1861)
- Ira Hersam - perhaps Ira Hersam (1822-1890), husband of Margaret (Hersam) Hersam (1823-1916); some records shows the surname as Hersom.
- Ira Hersam's son - perhaps referring to the son, Daniel C. Hersam, who died in 1874; though there were at least four other sons: Elmer, Eugene, Charlie; Orrin
- Abbie Wentworth - possibly Abigail Francena Wentworth (1856-); possibly the same Abbie F. Wentworth who married Frank H. Swain, died in 1937 and is buried in the Pine Hill Cemetery at Dover, New Hampshire
- Laurie Prescott - presumably Laura J. (Cowell) Prescott (1856-1892), first wife of Oren Burbank Cheney Prescott (1850-1925), "Cheney"
- Demp and Freem - presumably Demp/Dempster and Freeman H. Lowd (1853-1933); teacher, fiddler, future minister
- Rev. Kennerston - presumably Rev. Thomas Keniston (1819-1901)
- Joanna S. - possibly Joanna J. Stevens (1857-1901), daughter of John Stevens and Cynthia (Page) Stevens and future wife of George Chesley
- Rosa - possibly Rosetta (Prescott) Jones (1816-1889) or Rose Nellie Shapleigh (1872-1943), in home of Jacob Brackett Stevens (1850-1917) and wife Charlotte M. (Shapleigh) Stevens (1851-1917)
- Hannah and Fred Mudgett - Hannah (Stevens) Mudgett (1833-1905), daughter of Hubbard Stevens (1805-1882) and Harriet (Brackett) Stevens (1808-1883), wife of James H. Mudgett (1830-1905) and mother of Fred Lincoln Mudgett (1868-1918)
- Bell Fox - perhaps Isabelle Charlotte Fox (1857-1906)
- H. Mudgett - presumably Hannah (Stevens) Mudgett (1833-1905), daughter of Hubbard Stevens (1805-1882) and Harriet (Brackett) Stevens (1808-1883), wife of James H. Mudgett (1830-1905) and mother of Fred Lincoln Mudgett (1868-1918)
- Mary Fox - possibly Mary B. (Fox) Fox (1826-1892), wife of Andrew W. Fox (1815-1877) and William Lee
- Sewell Prescott - presumably Sewell W. Prescott (1828-1891), husband of Marilla Marks (Hersom) Prescott (1833-1913)
- Rev. McLean
- Ezekiel H. A. - Ezekiel Horace Adams Prescott (1858-1931)
- John Prescott - perhaps John Prescott; perhaps Jonathan Prescott (1808-1887) or Jonathan Fox Prescott
- Nell Hubbard, Charles and Alice - Mary Ellen (Cowell) Hubbard, her husband Charles M. Hubbard and their daughter Alice Maude Hubbard (1872-1932)
- Aunt Lucy and Uncle Sawyer - Ida's maternal aunt Lucy Jane (Tupper) Sawyer (1837-1880) and husband Rev. Seth Sawyer (1808-1892) of Milton Mills, New Hampshire
- Everett - Ida's brother Edward Everett Reynolds (1855-1945)
- 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)
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 June 1874 or return to April 1874.
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