Apr 11 – Pleasant this afternoon, snow and rain this forenoon. Took in over $7.00 to day. Arthur is here yet.
Apr 12 – Cold. Hank moped this forenoon. Arthur went away from here on the Accomadation train this evening.
Apr 13 – Stormy this morning, pleasant the rest of the day. Mrs Smith brought some wreaths here this evening to have Hank fix. Mrs Tappin and daughter brought the clothes home.
Apr 14 – Pleasant. I took Mrs S– frames home and got me a hat frame & flowers. We got a letter from Ma.
Apr 15 – Pleasant but cold. I made my hat to day. We put down the old carpet in the kitchen. Hank got the new show case ready to hang up tomorow.
Apr 16 – Cold. I went over to Dr McK a little while this afternoon. Mrs Hawver, Mrs Moffitt and an other lady called here. We had out rooms white washed. It cost $2.00.
Apr 17 – Some pleasanter. I went down to Mrs Moffitts this afternoon. Hank, Dr McK and wife came a little while in evening.
Apr 18 – Pleasant. Have been pretty buisy to day. Hank ordered some goods.
Apr 19 – Rainy this afternoon. I am sick. Hank took a negative for a young man got $2.50. I wrote a letter to Ma and one to Hannah. Sent Hannah our pictures.
Apr 20 – Rainy. Hank took large negative for Mr Humphrey. I sent a letter to Ma and Hannah got one from Lois.
Apr 21 – Pleasant. I got some feathers ready to make feather flowers. L. Lays baby was buried to day, it was a bout twenty months old.[51]
Apr 22 – Pleasant. I comenced making some flowers. We went to the temprance meeting to night. Mr Watkins spoke.
Apr 23 – Pleasant. I worked some on flowers. We got our box of good yesterday. Cost us over twenty dollars.
Apr 24 – Pleasant. Cemicals would not work at all. I ironed and worked some at my flowers. Mr & Mrs Pattingill spent the evening here.
Apr 25 – Pleasant. I have been sick most all day had a weak spell this morning. Dr McK and wife called here a little while this afternoon.
Apr 26 – Pleasant but a cold wind. Hank wrote to Loyd. We went down to Mrs Moffitts a little while this afternoon.
Apr 27 – Rained a little toward night. I expect Wesleys folks started for Kansas to night. I baked some to day. There was quite a good deal of snow on the ground this morning.
Apr 28 – Pleasant. We have taken in $8.00 to day. Got a letter from Father. I wrote to them. I went over to the Dr a little while.
Apr 29 – Pleasant. I went down to Mrs Moffitts this afternoon, found her cleaning house. We went up to Mrs Smiths this evening.
Apr 30 – Pleasant. I have not felt well today. Got a letter from Ma & Ethan telling about the machine. We went to Mr Smiths and got some views.
May 1 – Pleasant through the day, rained a little this evening. I did not sit up much till toward night. We went over to the May Party a little while but did not join the dance but we got some Ice Cream.
May 2 – Pleasant. I am some better. Hank got some Medicine for me. Mrs Dr McK was up here a little while, invited us to come over there tomorow. We have taken in $22.55 this week.
May 3 – Rained a little toward night. I baked some this forenoon. We went over to the Drs this afternoon a little while.
May 4 – Pleasant. I came home to day on mail. Ethan was at the Depo. I went down to Aunt Celinas and stayed this afternoon to visit with Wesleys folks. They start to night for Kansas. I have got the tooth ache.
May 5 – Pleasant. Tooth aches to day. Ma has got some greens for dinner the first I have had.
May 6 – Pleasant. My tooth ached fearfully all day. Ma & I went over to Mr Barbers[52] this afternoon. Ida is at home, going back tomorow.
May 7 – Pleasant. Intended to went down to Fathers this morning but was sick. Did not go till this evening. They have got the house all cleaned except the cellar.
May 8 – Pleasant. Toothache again. Have not done much sewing. I went out to our babys grave and fixed it up as well as I could with my hands.
May 9 – Pleasant. Went up to Pas this forenoon. Hank came this evening. My tooth uclerated and broke. Hannah came home this afternoon.
May 10 – Warm. Hannah, Hank and I went down to Fathers. Ethan was not well enough to go. Hank & Hannah went up to see Lois a little while.
May 11 – Pleasant. Hank, Aunt Jule and I went a boat riding this afternoon. Delia Berge died to night.[53]
May 12 – Pleasant. Father took Hank to Kalamazoo this morning. He is going home to day. Father took me up to Pas after he got home.
May 13 – Pleasant. Had the tooth ache all day so did not do much work. Delia Berge was buried to day.
May 14 – Pleasant. Ma & I went to Loises this afternoon. I did not go home with her.
May 15 – Rained hard this afternoon. Have had the tooth ache all night and all day.
May 16 – Pleasant. Dell, Sate[54] and Lois went to the Burg this morning. I went down to Pas with them.
May 17 – Pleasant. Had an awful time with my tooth.
May 18 – Pleasant. Ma was up all night with me. My tooth was so bad I could not sleep any. Pa took me down to Fathers to night.
May 19 – Pleasant. Father and I went to the Burg this morning. I had Miller Pull my tooth, one prong broke off.
May 20 – Pleasant. Do not feel very well. Hank came to night to attend the law suite.[55] Is most sick.
May 21 – Pleasant. When the men went to town I went down as far as Aunt Kates. Aunt K– is out to Hellens.[56]
May 22 – Pleasant. We stayed to Aunt K– all night. Hank is all broke out with the scarlet rash so he cant go to town to day. Will have to use his old testamony.
May 23 – Pleasant. Hank is some better. Father beat Allerton, got twenty six dollars judgement.
May 24 – Pleasant. Will took Hank and I up to Pas this forenoon. Father, Mother and Aunt Jule came up a little while this afternoon.
May 25 – Pleasant. Ida Barber came home sick Saturday. We came home to day.
No more daily entries for the rest of the year.
Accountings from the back of the dairy
Cash Account January: Rec’d. Paid
1 .65
5 One pair gaiters 2.50
12 .4
14 .13
15 Let Hank have 2.00
21 Hank gave me 2.50
Cash Account February: Rec’d. Paid
4 One lemon .8
4 Candy .5
Week Ending February (29) 10.75
Week Ending March (6) 11.95
Week Ending March (14) 18.45
Week Ending March 21 20.29
Week Ending March 28 20.09
Week Ending April 4 11.90
Week Ending April 11 16.43
Week Ending April 18 14.12
Week Ending April 25 17.80
Week Ending May 2 22.55
March 20 Work for Dr McKinney 5.35
March 23 Work for Beach 2.00
March 28 Work for wood 1.00
Mrs Robinson 2.50
(The next page with the heading Cash Account, July, is illegible except for the words Rail Road.)
Miss Alice Crawford
Patch Grove, Wisconsin
Miss Nellie Tomlinson
Perry, Wyoming Co., New York
Miss Ida E. Barber
Battle Creek, Michigan
Miss H. M. Keith
Battle Creek, Michigan
Mrs. H. A. Brown
Lawton, Box 169, Michigan
——-
[51] Michigan Death Records at Ancestry.com reveal that Edward S. Lay, the son of Alexis & Anna Lay, died of spasms in Comstock, Michigan on April 19, 1874
[52] Neighbor, Richard Barber
[53] A search at FindAGrave.com reveals that Fidelia (Bronson) Birge, age 43, died May 11, 1874 and is buried in McKain Cemetery, Pavilion, Michigan
[54] Sarah Skinner, the sister of Adelbert Skinner, the husband of Nancy’s half-sister Lois
[55] Luke Keith and Nancy & Hank Brown all wrote in their 1873 diaries of the Brown and Allerton lawsuit. There was a judgment entered on March 6, 1873 awarding Ambrose Brown $22.00 plus costs. It is unknown whether this was a new lawsuit or if John Allerton had requested a retrial
[56] Helen (Bradley) York, Aunt Kate’s daughter by her first husband, Ethan Bradley
Letters & Diary Entries From the 1860s through the 1890s 