November 2-8, 1889 in Charleston, Illinois

November 1889

2.  Saturday  7 AM.   Ther  45.  47.  40.  =44

Mostly  clear W. wind and prospect for clear weather.  Rain at times in night mostly - Mostly cloudy day however.  Uncle John in town, tell him about old mare.  Geo Kellogg will begin on  my barn Monday if he can get down there.  H.G. will start for Arkansaw(sic) Thursday.  Get bolts at Knocks and Stodderts  Milt Drake did not come up today.  Buy pr. shoes and leggings at Mersick & Grays @15.25.  Gobed 1.30 A.M.  clear night

3.  Sunday.  8 AM.  ther  35.  48.  40  = 41 

Clear, light white frost.  Hunt around for Geo Kellogg till nearly noon.  Went up to Jo Pinkers.  Kellogg promised last night to start my barn tomorrow  going down to today.  roads pretty bad but will soon dry out.  Got lot of nails at Stodderts and more at M. Mitters  I start about noon.

4.  Monday.  6 AM  ther  38.  52.  31.  =  40 1/3  Mostly clear.  Harvey and Frank cut stumps round shed and clean up generally.  Frank and self lay  out foundation.  Milt hauls some lumber AM  starts to town about 2 PM. after K & P taking Pophams boy (?)  I start about  3.30 PM  went up to Parkers after a/c and whole party start out at 9 P.M.  

Note:  it appears as if his pen tip is broken here and this makes the entry hard to read.

5.  Tuesday. 5.30 AM.  Ther  28.  39.  24. = 30

Clear and cool.  I  start early for timber early.   Work getting along pretty well with shed.  Left Bill Kelly with Nick  Went home before night  Clear pleasant day roads getting good again.  Hunting party start for Ark.

6.  Wednesday 6 AM.  Ther 28.  39.  24

Clear and cool.  Heavy frost.  Start early for ranch.  Work getting along pretty well.  they work all day at putting up posts &c.  The worst  trouble is getting lumber we recd fast enough.

7.  Thursday.  5 AM.  Ther  34.  48.  32.

Cloudy.  Went over to Diona in morning after nails getting back at 11 AM.    Began to rain at noon and kept it up until late in night.  boys work little while after dinner and quit.  Very discouraging weather.  Gobed, 10.30 PM

8.  Friday. 6 AM.  Ther  44.  41.  43.  Friday.  6 AM.  Ther 84  41   43. 

Cloudy.  wind S or SW.  Misty morning: rain at times boys putting up nail ties and  piates  Start out for home about noon but went back after reaching saw mill.  Comer will saw the stuff we need for plates.  Milt helps them haul in two logs PM. and most (?)   Get home 7 P.M.  roads very muddy 11 P.M.

August 13-18, 1900 in Charleston, IL

August 1900

Another big "Cake Walk" at Decker park Monday Night.   Didn't go.

13.   Monday.  5.30 AM.  Ther.  AM.  Ther.  70.  93.  75. =79 1/3

Mostly clear.  Very heavy rain with wind in night probably about midnight.  Maggie D got home in night.  Owen helped me hitch up AM first time since in Spring also milked at night  Has quit working at Stodderts.  Drove east of town P.M.   and ride with G Kellogg at night E. of  half Mile house Doc Bennett says Ina Brown is to pull out his engine tomorrow morning.  I took quinine AM and felt bad till late afternoon.  Mostly clear day and quite sultry yet.  Maggie gives up her Centralia trip  Gobed 9 PM.

14.  Tuesday 5.30, AM.  Ther.  72.  84.  75.  =  77

Partly cloudy.  Owen helped me hitch.  Mrs. Owen washed.  I saw Charley Mitchell and start for ranch 8.30 AM.  Getting across river.  Heavy storm from NW made me return  Met storm at Wrights where I stop for an hour getting home about noon.  Heavy rain with wind and thunder from 10.30 till 11.15 AM.  Clears of P.M. and air very close.  Speak J H Marshall about Brown   Owen milks.  Gobed 9 P.M.  (shorthand)

  Next page - Two rows of shorthand.

15.  Wednesday.  5.30  AM.  Ther.  70.  90.  75? = 78 1/3

Partly cloudy.  Much lightning N in  night.  Thought to go to ranch, but Heavy shower came up about 9 AM.  Urinal for store came yesterday but decide not to put it till Geo Gray vacates our back lot.  Wall is starting a saloon at Brocton.  West out to Gaines P.M.  Gaines gone to Mattoon did not get home till night.  Shirley and Arnut(?) in townclear hunting BC Hands.  Self feeling badly all day.  Gobed 9 PM

16.  Thursday.  4 AM.  Ther 70.  85.  76.  =  77

Mostly clear at 4 AM.  but some clouds up  Shirley began cutting BC. Jo will help him and will probably help Armstrong.  I got  some eggs  tomatoes and corn and get home 8.30.  Learn through Gaines folks that Bert has gone to Dakota.  Very heavy shower between 9 and 10 AM. but mostly clear P.M.  Drive down to see Kellogg P.M. but he was not at home.  Tue  over at Groves at night.  She is not feeling so well as usual  Gobed 9 PM.

17.  Saturday 5.20 AM.  Ther.  78.   100.  85.  =  86  . 87 2/3

Mostly clear  Roan horse was loose this morning and had demoralized everything about the farm.  Start for Gaines 7 AM.  They have about 20 hands cutting BC south of house.  Intended to go home early but went on errand for Armstrong and stay round till 4 PM.  They get to threshing about 3.  Too warm for me to move around much.  They have 15 acres cut.  Get home 6 P.M.  Pay Simons for  amt. (to date) of C.D. Michell bill coming to  (?).  Maggie Dvone and sister were going home tonight but gave it up.  Drive round town a while at night.  ( shorthand)  Gobed 10 PM

18.  Friday.  5.30 AM.  ther.  73.  99.  85.  =  85 2/3

I start for ranch after breakfst to see if Brown had moved  found him just across Blakeman bridge on way to Perry Rennells.  Says can fix up another bargain and that BC thresh will not hold him long.  Very hot especially PM and night.  Warmest night   Gobed 9 PM    Oka and Ruth Decker came at night.

January 16-19, 1889 in Charleston, IL

January 16-19

16.  Wednesday. 6 AM.  Ther.  50.  61.  39.

Cloudy.  Strong S wind all night with  light rain.  Phebe was first one up this morn and helped get breakfast.  Paid up Stoddert  a/c 22.20 , Havy's a/c $13.75.  Strong wind all day.  Dash of rain about sunset, clearing off wind getting into the west. grown colder after  dark.    Heavy wind all night.  Lunar eclipse (?) night.  Tue went up to Davis ' toward night.  Phebe got pushed down in mud today noon by big boy.  Gobed 10 PM.  

17.  Thursday.  6 AM  Ther.  29.  36.  28.  

Clear, wind, west, clear pleasant day.  Father ate dinner with the G.A.R.  Bob Brown was up and reported on ties for the first time Uncle John was down to dinner.  Marie was sick  all day and worse at night.  I went uptown and got some yeast, steak and some coffee which I roasted.  Gobed 10.30

18.  Friday. 6.15 AM  Ther.  21.  35.  24.  

Clear.  Did not sleep much last night on account  of baby she had a hot  fever and we thought of sending for the Dr.  She is  better this morning.  Pleasant day NW wind.  Baby not feeling very well yet.  I paid Mike Miller in full 14.10  Tue went up town toward night.  Wrote  for Tue  to Curtis Pub Co  go bed 8.30 PM

19.  Saturday. 6.15 AM  Ther.  18.  34.   33.

Clear with  E. wind.  white frost.  Warren Decker called pay him order on Skidimon 28.00 and check for 20.00 still  owe him several dollars.  Bob did not send in his report on ties.  Uncle John was in to dinner, he has traded the Nicholson place for Kline farm paying 500.00 to boot.  Mrs. C. Davis and daughter called toward night.  clear day E wind clouds up toward night and began to snow about 10 P.M.

April 2, 1913 in Charleston, Illinois

2.  Wednesday.  5.15.  AM.  Ther.  54.  78.  66.  = 66.
Most cloudy  wid S.4.  There was good deal lightning and thunder about 2.30 AM. No rain.  Ray came late doing chores and helping hitch up.  He went up town with me holding horse while I pay taxes at Courthouse.  Total for Charleston 110.06 Paid Larry Wright J/P Col.  Get letter of 31st. from Tue  per carrier 9 AM. was  intending to start home today under date of Monday.  Agent here says trains not running farther than Lawrenceville yet.  Gus brought us doz. eggs.  The election went entirely dem.  I drive west 4 P.M.  to Shannon cross road N. to N. Mat. road to Huffman Lane N. to  Tp line and back to town by lane E. of Stoddert place about nine miles.  Saw no muddy road but very rough dirt.  Gravel roads are good.  Stodderts have cut most of their timber. past winter.  Dr. Patton has also been thinning out timber and cutting back brush in his big pasture.  Harness broke near Cemetery Cottage but get her stopped without damage.  Mostly clear day with violent wind, southerly.  I ate supper which was pretty hard work lay down sleeping til 9.30 whew gobed.

June 8, 1912 and 1887 in Charleston, Illinois

100 Years Ago

Saturday, June 8 1912.  5.30 AM.  Ther.  40.  72.  60 = 57 1/3

Clear, N.E.2  Oil buggy and hitch up driving up town for meat and potatoes, which I get at A.G. Armstrongs N.G.  Phebe and I build good fire in furnace A.M.  I phone Harman early. will take material from Loxa to place.  I took Kate over to Franks P.M.  She expects to visit us later for several days.  They go to Libby's to night near Mattoon.  I drove up by Stodderts toward night.  Corn not making much growth, too cold.  Grove's folks much better today.  Mostly clear NE to E Wind.  The roads are good Tue to neighbors at night.  Phebe away with Ora Webb.  Go bed 9 P.M.

125 Years Ago

Wednesday, June 8, 1887  5.30 AM.  Ther.  72.  89.  70.

Clear.  Start for timber 7.20 AM. to give Cormer City order  500 ft.  Drove over place  a while.  He says there will not be as much lumber on N. end as we thought.  Got home just dinner time.  Tue and self went up to Davis to see Ruth's silkworms.  This has been  very hard day on mine at store as most of them are in the fourth molt.  Jake Linder was buried this P.M.  Races are going on at Terre Haute.  Jeff and several others went over.  Mrs. Laind washed.  Go bed 10 P.M.

Links: http://genealogytrails.com  ;  http://www.fivemilehouse.org/

May 28, 1912 and 1887 in Charleston, Illinois

100 Yeas Ago

Tuesday, May 28, 1912,  6 AM, Ther.  64. 80. 64.= 69 1/3

Cloudy and light rain.  there were heavy showers toward morn to 7 AM measuring  .62 in. more later with light shower 6P.M. say .05.  Tue washing AM.  They are working to raise six thound(sic) dollars for the Sanitarian.  We cannot give any.  Phone Nick P.M. for same.  The streets and roads quite muddy, gravel good.  I drove down by Mat Browns P.M.  Return by  Kickapoo.  The rain didn't raise streams.  Most of ground down that way broken  Planting mostly finished and corn coming up.  Part clear day high south wind.  Threatening with thunder several times wind becoming S.W.  Phebe out at night.  Tue went to library.  Go bed 10 P.M.

125 Years Ago

Saturday 6.45 AM.  Ther 58. 78.60

Clear.  Try to select some wall paper for hall.  Young rakes up and shocks the grass.  Settle with Fred. Wiber, Uncle John and Snider in town P.M.  Promise Mr. Cormer that will go down and see Milt Drake and John Handley Monday.  Tue gets hats for herself and girls at Mullens on Cr.  Settle with Bennett Bros. for chopping wood paying them 4.82.  Pay Warren Decker $15.00 verbal order to Stoddert.  He has hauled to date 520 posts @2c. leaving bal due me of $4.60.  Go bed 9.30 P.M. ` Took nearly half of silkworms up town.  Bought 2 qts. s berries at Wrights.