July 12 - 31 , 1891 in Coles county, IL HIGHLIGHTS

July 1891

12.  Sunday,  7 AM,  Ther,  67,  90  69= 75 1/3

Clear.  S., wind, straighten up cecropias this AM.  They had become somewhat demoralized.  There are, however some 280 of them alive alive at date   girls went to SS Tue to church.  Clear and hot with fresh wind, S.  Start for ranch 330 PM.  S. wind

13.  Monday,  4.30 AM.  Ther  70.  93.  80  81

Clear.  SW wind.  Try to burn off rye stubble this morning but too much dew.  Boys left some fire in field and went to working ties, but before noon fire got and burned whole field over, burning out several parcels of fence.  Johnny and Rile work at ties John Simons puts in good part of PM patching up burned fence.  I went down to river A.M. ground near the river nearly covered with thousands of little frogs.  I started home at 2.30 PM getting there at about six oc.  Owen Black rode with me from Adkin's.    Mostly clear day.  Lightning W. and N.W. at night  Very dry and dusty.  Boys had hard work to save wood and fences down at ranch today, fresh S.W. wind  Gobed  10 30 P.M.  Old cow had male calf today.

14.  Tuesday,  6AM.  Ther 69. . ..  Send word to Hamon want butter.

 Mostly cloudy.  Heavy thunder shower 230 AM to 5 AM with showers.  Brownfield worked P.M sh...ing hens under the hog pen  Took buggy up to to Pugh. for repairs.  Cecropia worms not doing very well.  Decide to put most of them out of doors.  Mostly cloudy AM mostly clear PM.  gobed 11 PM.  Harding fixed gutter on store P.M.   Took buggy to Pughs

15.  Wednesday,

Circus in town  H & H [Henry a& Hat Gramesly] down to dinner  Bert to dinner.  Uncle John in town but not down.  Put cecropia from walnut tree in front to tree on hillside.  9 in No.  Trade only medium.  About  like last circus last week.    

16.  Thursday

Tue and children go to Hats to dinner.  Got  buggy from Pughs not done so take her back.   Uncle John down to dinner.  H.G, made draw of 270.00 yesterday which will make us short on payments this month  

17.  Friday

Brownfield brought home buggy and washed it off in morning  I painted in afternoon.

18.  Saturday

Buy new grindstone for ranch.

19.  Sunday

20. Monday

Old William Ricketts died at 2 PM. Had been confined to house but a a few days.  Order 3 doz bar glasses from Busby & Company, write  to several  ? for prices of show cases.

21.  Tuesday

Nick's baby  takes sick again in P.M and I stay at store alone at night.  Maggie not very well.  Old Mr. Ricketts was buried this afternoon.

22.  Wednesday

Brownfield works while in AM.  QuitGrand Army

28. Tuesday - H.G. tells me he wishes to attend the Grand Army Friday at Detroit next week three or four days.  First lot of (cecropia) on tree one of them came out of 4th molt today.

29.  Wednesday  find lot of young men in pasture down under willows.  Put  6 oldest cecropia down in bottom on tree.  

30.  Thursday  Uncle John down to dinner.  He is much dissatisfied with tenants on all his places.  

31. Friday Nicks baby was bad again tonight and I had to stay at the store.  Ship 37 kegs empty kegs to Dunnaway.

July 3,-4 1891 and 1902 in Charleston, Illinois

July 1891

3 Friday, 5.15 AM,  Ther 60  80  66  =  68 2/3

Clear, NW. wind.  Tie up rest of tomato plants  Some of first cecropian worms getting ready for them.  Second molt 11 days old about 3/4 in long bright yellow turning brown.  More of the eggs hatched this morning.  A cheap circus brings quite a crowd to town.  Trade good Warren and Chut bring each another load of ties.  Grocery Stores decide to close tomorrow at noon.  Learn that Bill Meyers has sold his butcher shop  Clear day with northerly wind  Phebe stays all night at Davis  go bed 11 PM~

4.  Saturday, 6.30 AM  Ther  60  82  64  =  68 2/3

Clear wind S.  Pretty good crowd in town considering there was no celebration  Most people went to Mattoon or elsewhere  Tue went up to Oakland with Hat at noon returning at 5 P.M.  

July 1902

3.  Thursday 530 AM  Ther  70.  91.  74.  =  78 1/3

Clear south wind.  Thought to get early start to Loxa, got ready by 7,30 AM. but did not get off till about 10  Ate dinner at Gaines.  Glenn and Ruth Talbott there P.M.  Jo cutting in south piece.  Very warm day.  Met Charley Talbott on way home says will help me about meadow.  I drove down through Loxa to get Tues gloves.  Hen and Ora drove to town ahead of me.  Shirley rode to store with me.  Seems to be out of humor.  Mostly clear day with fresh SW wind  I got home .6 oclock.  Tue got message from Phebe today, relieving her mind  muchly.  Gobed 9 PM

4.  Friday.  5 AM.  Ther  68,90,74 = 77 1/3

Clear light southwind.  Drove up to Decker Park A.M. looking fungi.  Rather dull n town today.  Most of the people gone elsewhere.  John Simons and family were up.  I drove SW of town P.M. looking for fungi.  Find a few puff balls.  Lepiota Margariri coming up in fields.  Try a piece for supper, and had case of diarrhea most of the night.  Tue spent evenings at Mrs. Knocks.  Mort and Kate and Mrs. Baird here a while in evening.  they are excavating for Carnegie building  the excavation will extend from Eastin house north to old Davis house  Gobed 10 P.M. 

June 11 - 14, 1890 and 1901 in Coles County IL

June 1890

11.  Wednesday 5 AM.  at Ranch  All boys go to work this morning cutting logs the river  Stay there till 10.30 AM and start home getting there 1 P.M.  The river is  getting pretty low.  Clouds up and rains heavy shower soon after I got home, another still heavier about 6 P.M.  The hardest rain we have had here for years  Town Branch way up.  gobed 10.30 ~~

12.  Thursday.  7 AM.  Pleasant day very close and warm.  Water  yesterday flooded basement under MCravys store  Scott Dowling has sold his his "outfit" to parties who are moving it out.  They began taking the Circus here last week  Claud Comer says water washed out road up Hollow.   Saturday June 14  Good many in town.  Trade moderate.  Hottest day this season so far  Ther 92 yesterday next Ther 90.   Heavy thunder storm 10 P.M.  Hadeback stops me to return to the store trade only moderate today mostly beer  GEO here collecting for the 4th of July Celebrate.  Comer up toward night.  No hauling lumber since last Wednesday  Gobed 11 P.M.~~  This Sat. 6/14/90

13.  Friday  

14.  Saturday above.  Sultry all day and everyone says it will rain before night.  Geo Kellogg looks at building and says will take  two hundred  Dollars  to raise porch and put on new roof.  Pay draft J M (?) Co Tax 5 Bbls 10h.  Get letter from Samuels saying they have no free warehouse.  Gobed 10.30 PM

June 1901

11.  Tuesday.  5  AM.  Ther.  68.  94.  75.  =  79

Partly cloudy, southwest wind Jube came before 7. but we cant do anything with mower.  Mrs. Eggers and  daughter came to wash about 7 A.M. working  nearly all day $1.00 Jubal and I take mower to Olmstead AM but he didn't do i, mt much good  I tinker with it most of P.M. and send it back to him.  Buy  pens ink and paper at WE Hills P.M. 25cts paid.  Drove mile or two  east of town corn growing fine.  This has been the warmest  day   South wind.  Gobed 8.30 P.M.

12.  Wednesday.  4.30 AM.  Ther.  65.  92.  68  =  75.

Clear wind blew up cooler from north last night.  Mrs. Smith ironed.  Olmstead did not have mower fixed.  Didn't find Jubal.  Started for Gaines' 8 AM. but turned back at Jones place  Thunder showers  AM.  Get new hat at Winter Cr.  Hepholorna Cardolleamen  in yard I got back home 9.30 AM  turns hay in barn.  City working on back alley AM  Jubal get mower but it wont cut so borrow Shortess which he uses P.M.  Get hat at Winter & Mc. which return P.M.  Have glasses repaired at Ricketts with new case 75 c.  Roam horse not feeling very well P.M.for past day or two.  Has sore mouth.  Think he got too warm Monday.  Jubal worked till 5 P.M.  ? Thunder shower;  pretty heavy rain 7 to 8 P.M.  Milk in rain  Gobed 8.30 P.M.

13.  Thursday.  5. AM.  Ther.  65.  89.  64.  =  72 2/3

Mostly Cloudy.  Start to Gaine's 8.30 AM. very little rain there.  I broke off short right at my gate.  Jo plowing on South piece.  Shirley working with 3 teams just south of garden.  Too wet to plow near Charleston.  Tue gets gasoline stove in house.  Louise Snider calls while after dinner.  Edith at Gaines washing.  Alex Short there.  Got mess  of new potatoes - first.  Went to clerks office and find Bachmans tax deed will be  in  E#1/2 NE 13 instead of W1/2  Does not cover Will Decker but catches 4 acres of my own  Fair day with southerly wind  Gobed 8.30 P.M.

14.  Friday.  4 AM.  Ther.  63.  87.  75.  =  75

Mostly cloudy.  Ate breakfast at Starr and Smiths  get some paper for kitchen at farm (promised to take out yesterday) and take out start 7.30 AM.  Today last day of school  Loxa.  Sprinkles a little on the way out..  Mrs. G. thinks she will wash place before she puts on paper.  Mrs. Talbot there sewing.  Jo plowing SE field.  I left for home before dinner.  Settle with Jube P.M.  $1.75.  He digs back bank a little.  Can't get city to take hold of this job.  Mrs. Grove here at night so couldn't early enough  gobed 9 PM

September 4-7, 1889 and 1900 in Charleston, IL

September 1889

4.  Wednesday, 5 am  Ther  70.  80.  70 = 70

Cloudy misty - Start for timber at 6 AM  arrives 7.30.  E Johnson cuts his foot and quits.  Rogers and Riley made posts a while P.M.  Milt and self try  to fix  for sheep yard AM.  P.M. Milt went into hollow after pa(?) stuff   Rain P.M. after 2 P.M. and all night  go bed 9.30 P.M..  Strong wind in night.  Snider handed me two (?)  to pay for Milt helping him thrash.

5.  Thursday.  5.30 AM.  Ther 60.  70. 55.  =  68 1/3
Cloudy and misty till  nearly noon.  Boys fill up well up well dug the other day in morning and make some posts.  Rogers and Riley set fence posts P.M.  Milt hauls out strips.  I start home at 5 P.M.  getting there 7 P.M.  Roads muddy in places.  The rain last night was very heavy  River rising a little.  Go to bed 10.30 ~

6.  Friday.  6 AM.  Ther 50.   75.  57  =  61 2/3
Clean cool day.  Trade dull.  Uncle John passed through town on way to Sniders.  has colt show today.  Sell Sam Adams one thousand 30 in. (?) at 1.00 for hundred.  H.G. went hunting P.M.  Bill Kelly cleaned windows at Store P.M.  Drake hauled load of wood to Alex Fischer.  Remit D(?) and Pabst in full.  10.30 P.M.

7.  Saturday.  6.30 AM.  Ther.  58.  79.   58.  =  65
Clear and  Pleasant day.  Milt brought up 1570 boards.  Light  crowd in town for Saturday.  Deffenbach  (?) Circus in town.  The ice box which has been leaking badly stopped today.  Gobed 10.30 PM.

September 1900

4.  Tuesday 5.20 AM.  Ther.  62.  93.  75.  

Mostly clear.  Mrs. Owens washes.  John Driscoll tells me he wants lot of good fencing.  Sell W.L. Harding 278 ft. 2 in 8. @ 1.75 4.88.  Owe him on a/c 18.45 Bal. 13.87.  No Stir in B.C. as yet.  Tue wanted me to go to Berts for peaches P.M. but I thought I could find them north or east of town but didn't.  Much B.C. being cut N.E. many  seeding B.C.  The crop not down as bad up N.E. but move crooked.  Last road making me late getting in.  Home 9 P.M.   Go bed 9.30

5.  Wednesday,  5.20 AM.  Ther 72,  97,  75?  =  81 1/3

Mostly clear.  Clyde helps me oil buggy  Start for Renes for some peaches early stop at Gaines'  Nobody at home Drive down to Shirleys.  Saw Ora.  They begin baling after dinner and I stayed there most of P.M.  Start down to Renes from there 4 PM.  Getting about a bushel and back to John's at 7  staying all night.  Play 7 up till 9 oclock  Mostly clear day, southerly wind.  Gobed 9 P.M.  

6.  Thursday.  4.30 AM.  Ther.  70.  96.  76  =  80 2/3

Mostly clear.  Lightning NW before sunrise Shirley will deliver BC in Charleston tomorrow.  Tue determined to sent Phebe to Northwestern University and is  fingering pretty strong on it.  Maggie G. went to  Barbeque at Oakland at noon.  Maggie Devone ironing.   Self about  overcome by heat all P.M.  Tue ate dinner at Mrs. Knocks.  Self drove up north of town far as township line at night.  Rose too several pieces lumber from yard today to use on boxes for sewer.  Gobed 9 PM

7.  Friday 5.30 AM.  Ther  64.  85.  70  73

Mostly cloudy early but clears away.  Buy lot of envelopes &c at W.E. Hills.  Maggie Devone leaves A.M. to stay.  Shirley brought in four loads BC AM. and two PM. from indications will have nearly 15 ton.  Three loads left over for tomorrow.  Take Maggie Do things down to Mrs Sains P.M.  Drive down to see Mrs. Owen at night.  She was not at home.  Tue was down to Mrs. Blairs.  B.R. buyers claim  brush in lower.  Nearly had serious accident down near Molten warehouse with Roan horse this P.M>  Gobed 9 P.M.

August 13 - 18 in 1889 in Charleston, IL

August 1889

13.  Tuesday.  7AM.  68.  86.  76.  = 71.
Cloudy.  Thunder shower about 8 AM.  Milt brings more posts.  Mrs. Rogers irons.  I went down to T.K. Ca 8th Depot to see about rates.    They are building the building for the electric light plant.  Ouler (sic) lot of flasks from Atlantic Glass Co.  Mr. Watkins glass drummer in town.   Phebe has had a bad cough for two or three weeks  Sultry day.  Mostly clear P.M. lightning N at night.  Gobed 1015 PM~

14.  Wednesday.  7 AM.  73.  75.  64.  =  70 2/3
Part cloudy.  Baby was sick in night but seems better today.  Tar Raffies Circus in town and big crowd of people.  Trade moderately  good.  Uncle John  was in P.M.  Tom But tells me  of some sheep he has for sale.  Chisholen did not beginning hauling corn as a greed.  Milt brings in load of posts and takes out sow.  Bill Kelly washed buggy in P.M.  Father and girls went to the show P.M.  Gobed 11PM

15.   Thursday 7 AM.  Ther.  59.  80.  60.  =  66 1/3
Mostly clear NE wind  Went down to RipleJo with Tue to took at some sheep in P.M.  Uncle J. in town.  Went home with Snider.  soldiers reunion at gainesville today and tomorrow.  Forest Chisholum began hauling corn Milt brought up load posts.  H.G. still has had call  Trade good.  Gobed 11 PM.

16.  Friday 7 AM.  Ther.  60.  80.  62.  =  67 1/3
Cloudy sp rain 7 AM. clears off. remit S.N. Wisl & Co, for 2 gal. last winter and other bill.  Start for Janesville with W.S.G. abt 11 AM. getting there abt 1 P.M. big crowd at reunion.  We cames back by Edmanes.  Forest Chisholm finishes hauling hauling corn 3 loads.  Trade dull today.  Light shower round in afternoon  gobed 11 PM

17.  Saturday.  7 AM.  Ther.  60.  80.  65.  = 68 1/3
Clear.  Easterly wind.  Got grey shepard pup from F. Popham.  Bert and Reni with children were down to dinner and stay till nearly night.  Uncle John was in town all day but didn't eat dinner with us.  Cormer wants to saw of timber for me.  Drake up with load of wood Warren brings posts sell three loads of posts.  Gobed 10.30

18.  Sunday.  5.45  AM.  Ther.  60.  85.  70.  =  71 2/3
Mostly cloudy but clears off.  Get started for timber at 7 AM.  Find Rueban there  with family.  Milt and self explore south end till 1 P.M.  Sprouts look very healthy and need  (?) stock on them.  Start home at nearly six P.M.   gobed 9.30 PM

It is July 7 and 8, 1912 and1887 in Charleston, IL.

100 Years Ago

Sunday, July 7, 1912  6 AM.  Ther.  72.  86.  74. = 77 1/3

Cloudy S.2.  Tue felt badly all night - Thought she had fever.  I try to get breakfast which eat about 8 AM.  After getting R.H. I drove SW of town far as Old Slab S.H. neighborhood out on round by  by Brown Chapel.  Did not see fungi enough for a mess even of poison kinds.  I got home about 1 P.M.  Common roads very rough, gravel first rate.  I drove north to town line late P.M.  There has been some wheat cut the past week.  Corn looks well but some of it very weedy.  Much cloudy today moderate S.E or S. wind.  Tue felt better and went to church at night.  gobed 10 P.

Monday, July 8, 1912  6 A.M.  Ther.  70.  90.  76. = 78 2/3

Part cloudy, S.1.  There was heavy thunder here in night but no rain.  Mc Neal looks at furnace and will have to separate sections in order to stop leaking.  Tue and Phebe ironing A.M.  Got letter from Muggs.  She thinks will be home last of month.  It thundered around much of the day a light shower here betwen 2 and 3 P.M. (.14 in)  I drove E to timber late P.M.  Many fungi starting.  Got one Sargi rebesaus which fail to have for supper.  More rain elsewhere than here.  Dirt roads muddy in places.  Tue at Groves night.  Much cloudy.  Light to fresh southerly winds.  Go bed 9.30

125 Years Ago

Thursday, July 7, 1887  7 A.M.  Ther.  77.  92..75.

Cloudy but clears away.    Uncle John is threshing.  Bert says he is going to Cal. soon.  Uncle J. has settled with him.  Borrow buggy and drive mare round town a while, first time since she ran away June 24.  Didn't like her steps so drove out to Uncle Johns and got Bert's mare leaving mine.  Don't know that she will suit me any better.  Thunder showers in all directions from 11 A.M. till 3 P.M.  but no rain here. Gave bill for lumber to  H.G.  Total after deducting culls  25,643 amounting $384.64.  Tue sick in afternoon thinks from eating something.  there is some talk that license will be granted tonight, but it is not likely to be.   Gobed  9.30 P.M. 

Friday, July 8, 1887   6.30 A.M.  Ther 75.  92.  76.

Clear.  Comer and gang up early all going to Mattoon to Circus.  Pay him $50.00 on lumber bill.  Pay up J.B.Hill $29.04 besides credit of 10.50 for wood in Apl.  Tue about sick all night and this morning, but better P.M.  Get pans made at Millers Cr. 30c.  Sprinkle rain P.M. showers  around.  Very sultry, wind variable getting very dry.  Must have rain soon or no crops.  Go bed  10 P.M.