Feb 1 – Went over to burg after money no get it. Worked in shop on buggy boddy.
Feb 2 – Went over and moved Hank into Schroeders house. Received of Township Treasurer 56 fifty six Dollars. Paid Minnie Randall 40 forty Dollars.
Feb 3 – At home all day. Mrs Betts went over to burg with Harry Streator. Mart, Lucy[38] and Jo York[39] came up after Hannah. Mercury 6 below zero.
Feb 4 – Mercury 10 below zero in morning. Filed saw for Erve Hall.[40] Went over to burg in afternoon.
Feb 5 – Drawed one load wood. Mr someboddy put shelf on Nancys stove.
Feb 6 – Worked in shop some. Made jacks for Simmons buggy. Charley Howlet called here from Perry.[41] Said the folks wer all well.
Feb 7 – Worked in shop some. Not very cold.
Feb 8 – Went to Comstock to mill. Carried 4 bushels buckwheat. Snowed like fun afternoon and Evening. Barbers folks[42] over here.
Feb 9 – Blustrous day. Sawed and drawed two loads wood. Hank and Nancy came over stayed all night. Dick Lamkins came down left his violin.
Feb 10 – Cold. Henry called here. He went up to Jo Flanders.[43] Ethan went over to Nancys.
Feb 11 – Worked on buggy pole for Will Brown.[44] Not very cold mercury at zero.
Feb 12 – Worked in shop some on pole. Dick Lamkin got his violin. Went down to A. Browns in afternoon. Some Snow. Folks draw some logs. Mrs Jane Sunderland died to day.[45]
Feb 13 – Fine morning mercury 28 A. Carried Sarah over to burg. Carried Alfleda[46] down to Browns. Worked in shop some. Had Ernests cutter. Ernest had my sleigh to go to Kalamazoo.
Feb 14 – Finished Simmons box to day. Not much sleighing. Filed saw for N. L. Randall. Hung ax for Ernest Whiting. Mrs Jane Sunderland was buried to day at Waukegan Illinois.
Feb 15 – Worked on my wheels. Put the bolt through the floor to hold wheels down. Mrs Sam Kingsley buried to day.[47]
Feb 16 – Went down to browns. Ground axes. Went up in woods sawed some wood. Mrs Betts went over to burg with Sarah Dunning. M O Streator and wife[48] here in Evening. Ethan came home.
Feb 17 – At home. Rain some snow some. Not very cold. No sleighing. Mart and Lucy called here in Evening on their way home from Jims and Puts.
Feb 18 – Went over to burg in morning after oil and paint for Simmons. Hung ax for E Whiting. Got hogs head and shoulder of Whiting. Went down to A Browns in Evening. Saw Skinner at burg.
Feb 19 – H. A. Taylor[49] came down here in morning. Hat and Lib[50] came down in afternoon. Jo York brot Hannah home. Painted buggy boddy.
Feb 20 – Jo went down to Katharines. Went over to burg. Hannah went over to Nancys. Painted buggy box over. Nigger concert at the Methods Epikettle Church this Evening.
Feb 21 – Rainy day. Not much done. Fixed new fiddle some. To paid T C Ford[51] $16 sixteen Dollars. Rained all night. Hank Johnson called here just at night. Rain. Wm Aldrich little Boy buried.[52]
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[38] His niece (Katharine’s daughter by her second husband, George Clinton Lee) and husband, Lucy (Lee) & Martin Milham
[39] Joseph York, the husband of Katharine’s daughter, Helen (Bradley) York, by her first husband, Ethan Bradley
[40] Believe this to be his neighbor, Irwin I. Hall
[41] Perry, New York, where George & Marion (Sprague) Tomlinson lived; Marion was his niece
[42] Richard & Mary (Knowles) Barber’s family
[43] After Luke’s first wife, Minerva (Payson) Keith died, Joseph and Amanda (Hobbs) Flanders cared for his son, Henry, for a period of time. The Flanders raised Henry even after Luke married his third wife, Sarah (Crawford) Keith. They wanted to adopt Henry but Luke said no; however, it looks like Henry lived with them throughout his youth. This seems to be corroborated by the 1860 census showing “Henry L Flanders,” age 16, (who it is actually believed to be Henry L. Keith), living with Joseph & Amanda
[44] Ambrose & Matilda’s son, Willis Brown
[45] Jane (Comfort) Nelles Sunderlin was his mother-in-law Nancy Betts’ sister
[46] Alfleda (Starr) Keith, the widow of Luke’s brother, Harvey Keith
[47] Michigan Death Records show that Betsy (Judson) Kingsley died February 13, 1878 in Comstock, Michigan
[48] Marius & Laura (Rawson) Streator
[49] Neighbor, Hannibal “Hat” A. Taylor
[50] Betsey (Clapp) Taylor
[51] Neighbor, Thomas Clark Ford
[52] FindAGrave.com records show that Fay Aldrich (born June 16, 1876), the son of William & Henrietta Aldrich, died on February 19, 1878 in Comstock, Michigan (which agrees with Luke’s entry and the Oak Grove Cemetery records) and is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, Galesburg, Michigan. However, Michigan Births & Christening Index records show his date of birth as August 14, 1876, and Michigan Vital Records reveals that Fay C. Aldrich, same parents and same date of birth, died in Comstock from croup on February 14, 1879
Letters & Diary Entries From the 1860s through the 1890s 