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

September 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.

Friday, September 1, 1899:  [Belle]  John pulled beans today. A rainy night.

Saturday, September 2, 1899:  [Belle]  A good rain today.

Sunday, September 3, 1899:  [Belle]  A thunder shower at night. Ida Watson died this morning.  

• Ida Watson - Ida (Deering) Watson (1860-1899), who died at Waterboro, Maine. on September 3, 1899, was the daughter of Ezekiel Deering and Abby (Brooks) Deering and the wife of Roscoe Gilbert Watson. The entry of September 6, 1899 mentions Ida's funeral.]

Monday, September 4, 1899:  [Belle]  John brought home his oxen today.

Tuesday, September 5, 1899:  [Belle]  He turned out the oxen and dug potatoes.

Wednesday, September 6, 1899:  [Belle]  I went to Ida Watson's funeral.  John got a load of sawdust.

Thursday, September 7, 1899:  [Belle]  John got Jere shod today.

• Jere - presumably John's draft horse

Friday, September 8, 1899:  [Belle]  John mowed bushes in his ____ [pasture ?].

Saturday, September 9, 1899:  no entry

Sunday, September 10, 1899:  [Belle]  Will and Myra here for the first time.  Katie came over today.  Baxter Smith died today. 

• Will and Myra - 
• Katie - a few days later, an entry from Belle: I carried Katie to Waterboro today, the Mormon meeting.
• Baxter Smith - Melville Baxter Smith (1845-1899), who died September 10, 1899 at Hollis, Maine, was the son of Clement M. Smith and Phoebe Blake (Whitney) Smith and the husband of Sarah Josephine Johnston.

Monday, September 11, 1899:  [Belle]  Katie and I went to post office.

Tuesday, September 12, 1899:  [Belle]  John sat up up to Smiths'

• Smiths' - presumably the home of the recently deceased Melville Baxter Smith, mentioned above

Wednesday, September 13, 1899:  [Belle]  Baxter Smith's funeral today.

Thursday, September 14, 1899:  [Belle]  I carried Katie to Waterboro today, the Mormon meeting.

Friday, September 15, 1899:  [Belle]  I went to office and got Sugar, 50 cts.

Saturday, September 16, 1899:  [Belle]  Mrs. Foss went to Portland today.

• Mrs. Foss - presumably Belle's mother-in-law Lucy H. (Bryant) Foss (1837-1901)

Sunday, September 17, 1899:  [Belle]  I went to meeting.

Monday, September 18, 1899:  [Belle]  We had a small husking. Partridge 50 cts, Sugar.

Tuesday, September 19, 1899:  [Belle]  John helped Cecil today and evening.

• Cecil - possibly Cecil Leighton Haley or another Cecil

Wednesday, September 20, 1899:  [Belle]  A rainy day.  John husking.

Thursday, September 21, 1899:  [Belle]  John went to Ctr and we washed.

Friday, September 22, 1899:  [Belle]  A fair day. John got his apple cider made.

Saturday, September 23, 1899:  [Belle]  John hauled in corn and five of us husked in the evening.  Aaron Burnham's reception 

• Aaron Burnham - presumably Hollis Center Postmaster Aaron B. Burnham (1841-1917), on the occasion of his 3rd marriage - to Martha F. Thomas - on September 17, 1899.

Sunday, September 24, 1899:  [Belle]  A cloudy day.  We stayed at home.

Monday, September 25, 1899:  [Belle]  A lousy day. John at home husking all day.  George Tarbox had his reception tonight. 

• George Tarbox - presumably George Henry Tarbox (1856-1923) on the occasion of his marriage to second wife Marietta or Etta Davis on September 17, 1899

Tuesday, September 26, 1899:  [Belle]  A good rain.  John husking.

Wednesday, September 27, 1988:  [Belle]  Mrs. Foss got home today.  John hauled stuff for J. Gilpatric ___ [shed ?]

• J. Gilpatric - possibly Joseph Googins Gilpatrick (1832-1908)

Thursday, September 28, 1899:  [Belle]  John went to Clark's for Joe. G.

• Joe G. - presumably the Joe Gilpatric mentioned previously
• Clark's - perhaps store of lumberman Charles Franklin Clark (1844-1917) 

Friday, September 29, 1899:  [Belle]  John went to Ctr for Joe.

• Joe - perhaps the previously mentioned Joe Gilpatric

Saturday, September 30, 1899:  [Belle]  John finished good Apples up to the farm, 75 bushel.



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 October 1899 or September 1899 or return to August 1899