Thursday, August 15, 2019

August Entries in the 1899 Diary of John Foss & Isabelle (Huff) Foss, "Belle", of West Hollis, Maine


August entries in the 1899 diary of John Foss (1860-1934) and Isabelle (Huff) Foss (1869-1929), "Belle", who farmed at West Hollis, Maine.  From the entries, it's plain to see that they were a hard working couple.

John and Belle, who married in 1890 at Hollis, Maine, had two daughters:

  1. Myra Helene Foss (1892-1976), who would marry George Woodbury McKenney 
  2. Annie Evelyn Foss (1900-1988), who would marry Lewis Isaac Woodman
From a collection of five of their diaries covering 1899, 1900, 1902-1904 and John's 1913 account book.  See an overview post that features:
  • family history of the Foss family
  • links to entries for the rest of January 1899 and other diaries from 1900, 1902, 1903 and 1904
  • an alphabetical list of surnames in the diary and an approximation of how many different people of that surname were mentioned in the diaries
  • an alphabetical list of individual people mentioned in the diaries, some countless times


The person making the entry is identified in brackets.  Throughout the diaries, John made occasional entries, but Belle made the majority of them. 

People mentioned in the entries below are identified or tentatively identified the first time they appear. If you have corrections, alternate identities or additional information on anyone mentioned,  please leave a comment or contact me directly.



 Thursday, July 27, 1899:  no entry

Friday, July 28, 1899:  [Belle]  I got Sugar, 50 cts.   Partrdge [presumably Partridge] brought Sugar 50
  • Partrdge - presumably either Partridge or Patridge - there was a family by the name of Partridge living in or near Hollis, Maine, during this time frame
Saturday, July 29, 1899:  no entry

Sunday, July 30, 1899:  [Belle]  John took us to ride in the evening.

Monday, July 31, 1899:  [Belle]  John got his book and the check came today.

Tuesday, August 1, 1899:  [Belle]  John went up Country looking up oxen.  Got his check cashed.



Wednesday, August 2, 1899:  [Belle]  I went blueberrieing. John cut bushes and raked his oats.

Thursday, August 3, 1899:  [Belle]  A rainy morn.  I washed.

Friday, August 4, 1899:  [Belle]  I went to Ctr, carried 6 qts blueberries, 7 cts qt.  John cut the Johnson meadow.
  • Johnson meadow - entries from this diary and later ones mention a Seth Johnson and an F. P. Johnson, who was perhaps Freedom P. Johnson.
Saturday, August 5, 1899:  [Belle]  John gone to Mason place.  Ed Tarbox.  George Chase insured the buildings.
  • Mason place - a farm that John Foss either worked at or leased
  • Ed Tarbox - presumably Edward A. Tarbox, husband of Jennie B. (Hooper) Tarbox
  • George Chase - perhaps George P. Chase (1851-1928) of Waterboro and Sanford, Maine; insurance agent
Sunday, August 6, 1899:   [Belle]  A fine morning.  John gone to see Frank Chadbourn oxen.  I went over to see Aunt Asenath in afternoon.
  • Frank Chadbourn - perhaps Franklin Albert Chadbourne (1866-1930) of Waterboro, Maine
  • Aunt Asenath Asenath S. (Huff) Holmes (1826-1902), wife of John Holmes and sister of Belle's father George P. Huff.  The Foss's 1902 diary notes Asenath's death and burial on May 24 and May 26, 1902.
Monday, August 7, 1899:  [Belle]  Veal 10-1/2 lbs. John bought.  B. Scribner.  John went hunting oxen again.
  • B. Scribner perhaps Bradford Scribner (1845-1910) of Hollis and Waterboro


Tuesday, August 8, 1899:  [Belle]  Up to Mason place cutting bushes.  Digging potatoes.

Wednesday, August 9, 1899:  [Belle]  I went to Ctr.

Thursday, August 10, 1899:  no entry

Friday, August 11, 1899:  no entry

Saturday, August 12, 1899:  [Belle]  John went to Clark's.  Got 16-1/4 lbs of pork.
  • Clark's - perhaps the store of lumber dealer Charles Franklin Clark (1844-1917) and Mary Abbie (York) Clark (1851-1910
Sunday, August 13, 1899:  [Belle]  A hot day.  The rest of the folks went to beach.  John and I went to ride.


Monday, August 14, 1899:  no entry

Tuesday, August 15, 1899:  [Belle]  John bought Mr. Fluent's oxen and went to Ctr, got bbl flour.
  • Mr. Fluent - perhaps Edwin Augustus Fluent or Edgar Roy Fluent or a relative
Wednesday, August 16, 1899:  no entry

Thursday, August 17, 1899:  [Belle]  A hot day.  84 in shade.  John mowing bushes.

Friday, August 18, 1899:  [Belle]  hot and dry. I was up home in the afternoon and evening.

Saturday, August 19, 1899:  [Belle]  hot, 90 in shade.  Little Nettie born today.
  • Little Nettie - presumably a child in the neighborhood or a calf born on the Foss farm.


Sunday, August 20, 1899:  [Belle]  84 in shade.

Monday, August 21, 1899:  [Belle]  82.  John pulling beans.  Mother was down in the afternoon.
  • MotherSarah E. (Bean) Huff (1841-1909), Belle's mother.  (Belle called her mother in law Mrs. Foss.)
Tuesday, August 22, 1899:  [Belle]  A dull day but little rain fell.

Wednesday, August 23, 1899:  [Belle]  Cloudy today. John bought a pig, 4 weeks old.

Thursday, August 24, 1899:  [Belle]  A rainy morning.  John gone on a  ___[tramp ?] in the storm.

Friday, August 25, 1899:  no entry


 Saturday, August 26, 1899:  [Belle]  Had company today, Boothbys. John got 10 lbs Sugar, 60.
  • Boothby - a common surname in York County, Maine
Sunday, August 27, 1899:  [Belle]  We went to ride in Waterboro.

Monday, August 28, 1899:  [Belle]  John began logging on the Clark lot today.
  • Clark lot - perhaps a woodlot owned by the previously mentioned Charles Franklin Clark
Tuesday, August 29, 1899:  [Belle]  John gone with logs.

Wednesday, August 30, 1899:  [Belle]  A trip today.

Thursday, August 31, 1899:  [Belle]  A trip today. A hot day.


Again, if you have information to share on any of the people mentioned, including the Foss family itself, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Advance to September 1899 or return to July 1899



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