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

October 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.

Sunday, October 1, 1899:  [Belle]  I went to Waterboro, Nora and Myra.  A cold cloudy day.

• Nora - Belle's sister Leonora Asenath Huff, who would marry Lewis Elmer Burnham in 1906
• Myra - Belle's daughter Myra Helene Foss, born in 1892

Monday, October 2, 1899:  [Belle]  A cold cloudy day, below freezing this morn.  John gone to Clark's for J. G.

• Clark's - presumably the store of lumberman Charles Franklin Clark (1844-1917)
• J. G. - presumably the Joseph Gilpatrick, mentioned in the next entry

Tuesday, October 3, 1899:  [Belle]  John gone to M Place, ploughing. Cold and cloudy.  Went to Clark's for Joe Gilpatric.

• M place - presumably the Mason farm, where John worked in the fields and woods; he may have leased the farm
• Joe Gilpatrick - possibly Joseph Henry Gilpatrick (1874-1924)

Wednesday, October 4, 1899:  [Belle]  John and I went to Ctr, got Sugar, 50 cts.

Thursday, October 5, 1899:  no entry

Friday, October 6, 1899:  [Belle]  John hauled Corn and husked.

Saturday, October 7, 1899:  [Belle]  John ploughed up in pasture.

Sunday, October 8, 1899:  [Belle]  A Cloudy day.

Monday, October 9, 1899:  [Belle]  A rainy day.  John got his oxen shod.

Tuesday, October 10, 1899:  [Belle]  John ploughing today.

Wednesday, October 11, 1899:  [Belle]  John up ploughing and harrowing.

Thursday, October 12, 1899:  [Belle]  John went to Ctr today.

Friday. October 13, 1899:  [Belle]  John ploughed.

Saturday, October 14, 1899:  [Belle]  John went up to Sawyer's Mountain.

• Sawyer's Mountain - at 1213 feet, Sawyer's Mountain in Limerick and Limington was once used as a whale oil light for Portland harbor

Sunday, October 15, 1899:  [Belle]  We went down to __ [Rickers' ?]

• Rickers ? - if what is written is actually Ricker, it's interesting to note that another entry in the 1899 diary mentions a Fanny Ricker 

Monday, October 16, 1899:  [Belle]  John ploughing.

Tuesday, October 17, 1899:  [Belle]  I went up to Will Smith and got some oil.  I bought brown Sugar, 22 cts.

• Will Smith - perhaps blacksmith William A. Smith (1864-1939) sold oil at his shop

Wednesday, October 18, 1899:  [Belle]  A rainy day.

Thursday, October 19, 1899:  no entry

Friday, October 20, 1899:  [Belle]  Rain.

Saturday, October 21, 1899:  [Belle]  John went to Ctr, got Sugar, 50 cts.

Sunday, October 22, 1899:  [Belle]  John took us ride, we called to W. Deering's.

• W. Deering - presumably William Brooks Deering 

Monday, October 23, 1899:  [Belle]  John harrowing new ground today.

Tuesday, October 24, 1899:  no entry

Wednesday, October 25, 1899:  [Belle]  John up to Mason place.  I went up to Mother's and stayed to dinner.

• Mother - Belle's mother Sarah E. (Bean) Huff (1841-1909); Belle called her mother-in-law Mrs. Foss

Thursday, October 26, 1899:  no entry

Friday, October 27, 1899:  [Belle]  John and W. Clark gone to Saco with apples.  A rainy day.

• W. Clark -  perhaps Walter Ellery Clark, son of lumberman Charles Franklin Clark

Saturday, October 28, 1899:  [Belle]  A rainy day.

Sunday, October 29, 1899:  [Belle]  I went up to Mother's.  It was a rainy day.

Monday, October 30, 1899:  [Belle]  John went to Ctr, got Jere shod.

• Jere - presumably John's draft horse

Tuesday, October 31, 1899:  [Belle]  John gone to plough for W. Gilpatric with oxen.

• W. Gilpatrick - perhaps William Gilpatrick (1843-1920) of Hollis, Maine; and perhaps the Gilpatrick who had a woodlot John would later harvest

Wednesday, November 1, 1899:  [Belle]  Rain all day. John went to mill. John bought me and Myra boot of a traveling shoe dealer.

• Myra - Belle's daughter Myra Helene Foss

Thursday, November 2, 1899:  [Belle]  John gone to plough for E. Tarbox.

• E. Tarbox - possibly Edward A. Tarbox (1850-1920) of Hollis and Waterboro; husband of Jennie B. (Hooper) Tarbox

Friday, November 3, 1899:  [Belle]  John finished ploughing of E. Tarbox.

Saturday, November 4, 1899:  [Belle]  It rained all the forenoon.

Sunday, November 5, 1899:  [Belle]  John and I up to Mason Place.  Charles Haley come and payed John.

• Mason place - presumably the Mason farm, where John worked in the fields and woods; he may have leased the farm
• Charles Haley - possibly Charles E. Haley (1857-1939) of Hollis and Limington

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 November 1899 or return to September 1899