July 6 - 10, 1890 and 1901

July 1890

6.  Sunday.  7 AM   Ther  66.  92.  73.

Mostly clear wind southerly.  Start from home at 11 AM. went out to Vanmeter house with Geo Kellogg to look at hay find there is 6 ton poor hay there yet.  Get to Simons about 3.30 nobody home, ride around pastures till night,  Warm day dryer here shower uptown.  Gobed 9,30 PM.  Warren says he will begin hauling wood for me this week.

 with Zeke Eastin for hauling

7.  Monday.  4.30 AM.  70.  94.  77.

Clear, start home after breakfast getting there at 8.30  Mrs. Rogers  the washes.  Tue and Hat pick berries P.M.  Get buggy repaired at Pughs charges 1.00.  Settle with Zeke Easton for hauling lumber  also Sutton puts another bib on hydrant in barnyard.  Present bill for lumber to council at night 398.98.  Very warm and dry.  Clear all day with southerly wind go bed 10.30 PM.

8.Tuesday.  6 AM.  82.  99.  72
Clear.  .  Mrs. R. ironed P.M.  Bim was in to dinner  This has been the hottest day so far.  Thunder shower with sprinkle rain between 1 & 2 PM another with heavy wind from N. between 5 & 6 P.M.    Mostly clear day  heart very oppressive  Settle with M. Comer in full to date also with Jack Handly and Geo  Walter  Sold Will Myers two large hogs fo 18.00  F m B A. have county assembly in court house quite a large crowd.  Cooler night Go bed 10.30 P.M.  

9.  Wednesday.  6 AM.  Ther.  72  85  60  Clear Cooler.  Took wool down to Factory P.M.  292 lbs @ 24 c.  Not many in town everyone busy in country  Sampson and Reynolds each brought up load of walnut.  Hat and Tue pick berries.  Play croquet after supper.  Gobed  10.30 PM

10.  Thursday.  6.30 AM  Ther  55.  85.  62.Clear with fresh E. wind.  Draw rent money and deposit, pay bal  taxes for last year 111.02 .  Pay Skidmore 25.10   J.L. Green drummer in town  Buy from him 1 bag and most coffee for our own use.  WH White here wants me to try a lot of ties  Phebe has the  ? and suffers   seems to suffer good deal with it.  Sampson hauls up  load of walnut.  Clear day S wind  Gobed 10.30

July 1901

6.  Saturday.  6 AM.  Ther.  65.  89.  68.  =  74

Clear.  Northerly or NW afterward S.W.  Coolest for aome time,  Jake sawing on wood - finished it and settle in full.  Kate & Bacon called before noon.  They went to Franks to dinner leaving their team here.  They started home about 6 P.M.  Minnie and Maggie got rig at Berkleys and drive A.M.  Minnie did not start home as intended.Went up town after supper to buy some grub.  Engage veal roast at Huttons  Clear day S.W. to W or NW  and much cooler  Gobed 9 P.M.  ~  

7.  Sunday.  5.30  AM.  Ther  58.  70.  58.  =  62

Clear NW wind.  I went uptown for fish before breakfast.  Drove out to Gaines starting 9.30 AM.  went South road and  through Loxa going through place.    Corn looks well.  Not been so much rain out there as in town. Jo hoeing in garden.  I stay to dinner after which Jo and self take good look at clover meadow.  It is not so good as I thought and hardly worth cutting.  Get some potatoes in sack also some beets and leave  at 4 P.M.  Clear chilly day with N.W. wind. My oats have begun to turn.  Didnt decide what would do with meadow.  Gobed 9.30 P.M.

8. Monday.  5 AM.  Ther  50.  78.  61  =  63.

Clear N.E. wind.  Mrs Smith and mother came to wash finishing about noon. Received notice of filing of my claim against Wall  Bill Campbell has sold out and quit the restaurant business.  Geo Stegman advises me to cut my patch of weedy meadow.  Minnie  Scott started home home 11.38  Take her baggage to  to depot.  Jubal mows yard P.M. using Groves mower.  I went out to Gaines.  He was cutting thistles and weeds in pasture.  Quit and took mower to Loxa for repair McPheron did not fix it.I brough scikle to town to sharpen and repair.  Tue had Reading Circle women here at night.  I got home about 7.30 PM.  clear day with NE to E wind.  Gobed 9 PM.

9. Tuesday.  5 AM.  ther  55.  88.  68.=  70 1/3

Clear  SE.2  Maggie went early with girls to Decker Spring.  Nell Bishop stayed all night with Phebe last night.  Take sickle to Merriths before breakfast and start for Gaines 8. oc.  But machine would not wouldn't work worth a cent  Get another sickle at Merritts and get to Gaines about 5 P.M. staying all night.  Mrs. G. cut her foot very bad on glass in yard.  Clear day, southerly wind.  Thought would have to take machine before anything.  Corn looks pretty well but needs rain around Loxa  Gobed 9 PM

10.  Wednesday.  4 AM.  Ther  65.  95.  80  =  80.
Clear.  SW wind.  Investigating machine after breakfast find all it needs is oiling, after which it cuts very well.  Had to go to Loxa for bolt.  Leave for home 10 AM.  Took Helen out to Hens P.M.  Hen and Ora  gone.  Jo got meadow nearly done the machine working very well.  Very warm day clear with SW wind.  Roads getting dusty W.  I got too warm A.M. and about sick  Gobed 9 P.M.

June 5 - 10, 1889 and 1901 in Coles County Illinois

If you like reading about the Gramesly Family watch for our up coming book Ordinary People, Extraordinary  Lives: The Story of the Grameslys  Richard Stickann with Catherine Reasor Stickann

June 1889

5.  Thursday 6 AM.  Nick on hand this AM but not very well yet.  Al Prevo says he wants 25 ? ft. fencing and wants me to make him a price on it delivered at his  place.  Mart Comer was up P.M.  Make out city bill which council allowed it amounted to  $173.22.  Supervisor Maffet was censured for  not  counting all lumber instead of leaving it to us  gobed 11.30 P.M.

6.  Friday.  7 AM.  Clear and cooler.  W or NWard

Sent WH Rees for 15 Bbl whiskey  to J Mathesten Co  9 Bbl to  WBSamuels & Co 1 Bbl  89 Mattergly &  to Buchabab (?)  Car load of beer came for us and Latta and work most of the day putting it away  George Kellogg finishes putting in screens at store which he began on yesterday  Scott Dowling wants to "open up" again which I refuse to allow  Cool day with NW  wind.  Cloudy at times 10.30 P.M.

7.  Saturday 7 AM  Clear Ther 60 75.  60

Tue feeling badly girls have not come home yet.  Mrs. Rogers cleans house AM irons P.M.  Boy at Skidmores cleans up my  harness.  Settle with Comer and other  (?) Warren  brought up load lumber.  Get ton ice of Will Myers  Latta  Daugherty and self got car load of beer yesterday  Cool and pleasant N.E. wind. Trade fair  Gobed 12

8.  Sunday.  7 AM.  60

Hazy, wind easterly  Pleasant day.  .  Bins [Henry Grameslys] came at dinner time bringing girls who have been gone a week.  Start for Ranch after dinner walk round both pastures with Simons  Gobed  10 P.M.

9.  Monday.  5 AM at Ranch.  sprinkles rain in night and rains moderately all forenoon  Simons worked in farm  Made door after dinner and then cut weeds in pasture mostly clear P.M.  Gobed 9 P.M.

10. Tuesday 5 AM.  At Ranch.  Except S.  Decker all hands cut logs all day along river cut logs  along river bluff.  T Spurgen  logs  Mill remaining all day  and has quite a pile of lumber on  hand.  Several loads went up town today.  Pleasant day westerly wind   gobed 9 PM 

June 1901

Settle up with Jubal $2.90

5.  Wednesday.  5.30 AM.  Ther.  65.75.65.  =  68 1/3

Cloudy S.E. wind.  Light thunder shower 6 AM.  More at noon and heavy rain at night.  They have cut down street back so that have to go out through front yard.  Tue worrying about undone wash.  Has promise of Mrs. Owens tomorrow.  I drove out to Mrs. Gaines  P.M.  Jo plowing near barn second time that piece.  Mrs. G. has lady visitors.  Pasture and oats looking fine.  Occasional thunder PM and heavy rain at night.  Get home about 6.  Helen came today to stay a while with us.  Fair day with fresh S.E. wind.  Gobed 9 P.M.

6.  Thursday 5.30 AM.  Ther  64. 75.  60  =  66 1/3

Cloudy Rain much of night, probably an inch.  Streets muddy.  Jubal  helped me couple of hours  AM.  They are  not working back street today a/c of mud.   Spend AM. looking for a woman to wash.  Didn't find any.  Pinnell took away calf P.M. 320 lbs @ 4 1/2 = 14.40 not pd.  Brick rose pays me 2.00- for lumber got last summer.  Mail 2.00 to Record Herald for 6 Mo subscription.    Send bill for Mrs. Eastins Rebate on paving tax to Council by Mort Grove $14.40

.  Meeting 8th.    Mail 25c to C. Eui A (?) for buttons sent me.  Helen and Marie washing (?) P.M.  Cow appeared to be in heat P.M. and tie her in barn all night.  Gobed 8.30 P.M.  Al Crews  has brought back Starr poney (sic.)

7.  Friday .  5 AM  Ther. 49.  70.  56.  =  58 1/3

Clear.  NW wind.  Hitch up and milk before breakfast start for Gaines 8.30 8.30 AM.  went out in back way today.  Gaines plowing on piece near barn.  He did not plow yesterday too wet.  Re planted where planter did not work.  I walk around North piece corn.  Shirley plowing S.W. was heavy rain there.  Edith there washing also South kid.  Home by noon.  Jubal took brown brown cow out to Huffmans bull A.M.  I owe him 75 c.  H.G. didn't eat any dinner.  Drive N.E. of town P.M.  Crops that way look fine especially oats,  and corn.  Started to go and see my "hookey cow" but had forgotten name of man who had her.  City not working back ST. except surveyor  They are going  (?) deeper.  Mostly clear day with strong NW wind.  Roads dry.  Gobed 8 P.M.

8.  Saturday, 5.30 AM.  Ther.  50.  57.  52  =  53

Mostly clouds moving E.  S.E. wind.  Heard noises several times in night.  Tue thought burglers.  Nothing missing this morning.  Warren came with load of wood but could not drive in with it; had to carry it carry it in.  Simons brought up Will Decker tax receipts.  Cloudy day with SE wind Drizzling rain most of day after 10 AM.  I  use back street all day but crossing not safe.  Warren brings 20/32 cord of wood. finest he has haul.  I pay him for hauling $1.50 per cord.  gobed 8.45 P.M.

9.  Sunday.  5.30 AM.  Ther 50  80  64  =  64 2/3

Clear Eastwind.  Didnt ' get breakfast till after 8  I thought I might go to ranch and left about 10 A.M.  Went down by Woodson place.  Pass Mt. Zion  Meet J.R. Haddock near Lamb Kelly place talking with him an hour or two.  Wine across road there which I passed.  river pretty high  Didn't try to ford it.  Went South far as Cecils.  Met Sale McClasky.  Return by Farmington road getting home 4 P.M.  Mostly clear day clouding W.  toward night and turning much warmer.  Roads muddy at starting mostly dry in P.M.  Mrs. Knock who got back from the south a week or so since here P.M.  Tue went to church at night.  All family up looking for burglars about 10 P.M.  Gobed 9 PM ~~

10. Monday 5 AM.  Ther. 62.  90.  72 = 74 2/3

Partly clear S.E. wind. Get change done and hitch up before 7 A.M.   Cow in heat again  think and drove down to get Jube.  Dice however not to take her.  Went  to see Mrs. Owens about wash.  She can't do it.  Take Tue over to Anderson where she engages Mrs. Eggens to come in morning.  Jube fixed fence in bottom.  He and I take lawn mower to Rezor but he did not help it any.  I start for Loxa 2.30 P.M.  Fix rocking chair for Mrs. Gaines.  Myrtle and Ruth there also Alex South.  Jo working SE got peas onions and beets, starting home 5 P.M.  Jo working Queen and sorrel get home 6.30 P.M.  Milk late - Kate Grove over at night  Mort came after I went to bed.  Partly cloudy day wuth fresh SE wind.  Perhaps the warmest day we have so far this season.  Gobed 8.30  P.M.

August 6-8, 1889 and 1900 in Charleston, IL

August 1889

6.  Tuesday.  5.30 AM.  Ther.  54.  80.  62.  =  65 1/3

Clear.  Start for timber at 7 AM.  Getting there an hour before Milt left with a load of posts.  Riley and Enoch working.  Learn McKee at Milts get home 7.30  Came near having a runaway with mare before starting  this morning.  Had cramps all day.  Milt brought up 75 posts.    Measure Tookes wood on way home making making 5 cords.  Went back up town after getting home after some whiskey.  gobed 10.45 PM.

7.  Wednesday 7 AM.  Ther.  63.  82.  63.= 69 1/3

Clear, hazy.  Cohurst drummer  here also others.  They are putting up posts for electric light wire around town.  Went down to Depot after noon.  Milt did not come up today.  Go bed 10.30

8.  Thursday 6.45 AM.  Ther.  63.  85.  68.  =  72.

Clear hazy easterly wind.  Went with Will Myers down into Cumberland buying cattle went as far as F. Pennington's back to Farmington and over to my land. Got home about 7 P.M. Tue and girls went to Chalk Talk Show Drake brought up load of wood which he put on yard.  Gobed 10.30 AM.

August 1900

6.  Monday.  5.30 AM.  Ther.  68.  100.  80.  =  82 2/3

Clear, southerly wind.  Pete Drake puts ha in stable and goes over yard with lawn nower.  Working till say 5 P.M.  I went out to Gaine's at 10 AM. yellow cows calf died yesterday.  Think heat un (?) the first day.  Jo still  woking road with team and scraper.  They promised me to stay to dinner.  Get some potatoes and corn and start home3 PM.  Take  Flora down to Loxa.  McTheron pays me 13,00 on rent.  Shinley and E. Armstrong examaning  broom corn &c,  Clear day southwind  Gobed 10 PM.

7.  Tuesday 5.30 AM.  Ther.  72.  97.  77.  =  82.

Clear  Maggie Devone washed.  Pete Drake came but only hitched up for me.  John Simons brought up load of lumber for self and Charley Mitchell.  606 feet.  Today a shade cooler than past week.  Tue and I drive out to Gaines about 5 P.M.Jo helping Shirley in his Haungarian.  McCall at Hens a while seeing Shirley and gt home about 10 P.M.  McDonald little girl spends night with Marie.  Go bed 10.30 P.M.

8.  Wednesday.  5.30 AM.  Ther.  72.  101.  77.  =  83 1/3

Clear southerly wind Maggie Devone ironing.  Simons and Earl Decker bring two loads lumber, part for C.D. Mitchell and some fencing which pile back of barn.  Cass and Ocelius Shaver call P.M. until 5 oclock.  Tue  attends Pricilla Club meet with Mrs. Grove and Knock.  Heat very oppressive  clear S.W. wind.  Lulu Dorsch stays all night.  Gobed 10 PM.