Cleared away & no rain. Carrie, Harvey, Fred & Clara, Chauncey & I went to Medina to Pitts office to see about settling our dear father’s estate. Wallace L’hommedieu called this evening. Harvey’s father came (to spend the night) from Wilson. In the afternoon H___ hitched team on to the double wagon & he & Carrie, Fred & Clara, Chauncey, Belle, & I went to the woods & over to the other road
Finding Other Journals
By that I don’t mean that I am looking for modern journals telling all about people’s current day-to-day lives (although I enjoy those, too), I mean that I have wanted to find other examples of old journals/diaries/letters that people are making come to life through the magic of blogs. I tried basic internet searches for awhile but didn’t really find what I had in mind. I wanted to see how other people presented their information and to just see more history up close!
I gave up looking for awhile until I ran across Grandma’s Diary at the blog party. She is currently posting pictures and diary entries that her Grandma wrote when she was just getting to know her Grandpa. Through her, I then learned about this site that lists a huge amount of genealogy sites. I have been enjoying looking around there.
One of the more interesting pages to me was focused on diaries and letters. There is some great information linked on that page, so if you have an old diary or some letters sitting around and you have wondered what to do with them, check it out! Try this site, titled “What to do with a diary you have found” if you want to know where to get started.
Or maybe you don’t have any old family letters, but you have always really really wanted one. You can just go right on over to e-bay and pick one up for yourself. Apparently you really can find anything on e-bay!
May 8th Wednesday
Cloudy but no rain yet. Harvey went down to Medina to finish the yard & C___ went with him. They had just reached home & was eating their dinner when a team drove in and Fred Starr & Clara alighted so we have been busy talking this afternoon.
May 7th Tuesday
A very pleasant day but has the appearance of rain. Feel quite rested after a good nights sleep. & it is so pleasant here. The fruit trees are loaded with blossoms & front yard is looking so green & beautiful. After dinner Belle, Chauncey & I went to Millville to office. Found a letter from Chet. Said they had about 80 acres of corn in & was up nicely & they had had two or 3 good rains so felt quite encouraged about crops etc. all well. Then Harvey & he went to Medina & he sowed the yard with grass seed where we used to live.
Warm
May 6th Monday
Very warm. Rainy a little this morning. We leave this morning for Medina. Have had such a pleasant visit with Mrs. Millard & family & after bidding them an affectionate adieu left for Medina. Passed through Canada. Left Detroit AM & reached Suspension Bridge at 5:30 PM. Waited 30 minutes there & reached Medina about dark. Found Belle & and Harvey there to meet us & when we reached home how sad to see the two empty chairs of our Parents. I cannot realize they are both gone. And a feeling of sadness creeps over me as I gaze upon those vacant chairs.
Almost Home
When I first read that line about them almost being able to leave for home I was a little confused. At first I thought they were leaving to go back to Bellwood, Neb. but then I realized that she is talking about “home,” as in the place she was born and raised. They are nearly to Shelby County, New York.
Adaline has also been mentioning more of her family members so I thought I better get to work organizing who everyone is for you all. If you look over to the right side of the page I have started creating pages for each family. I hope to add to the list pretty regularly so keep your eyes open for any changes. I also plan to have them linked together so you can click on a name and see who their parents are or who their children are. Just run your mouse over the names if you want to see if there is a link there. Hopefully this will be a pretty easy way to make sense of all the generations.
Right now we see Adaline between homes. Behind her is her current home and the homes of her children; she just sent a letter to her oldest son and his wife, Dan and Minnie. On the road in front of her is the home of her parents and of her youth. They are almost there!
May 5th Sunday
A lovely morning. But the day proved to be very warm, 95 in shade. When it got cooler went out to look up & find Mrs. Gates, Mrs. Linnie Warren’s sister, who used to live at Orleans Co. & whose husband was once Co Superintendent of the poor in that place but has since died. She has lived here 3 yrs & found her without any trouble. Had a pleasant call. I never write the date of this month but I think of its being the birth day of my brother
who died
while returning from a visit to (Nebr.?)
Wrote to Dan & Minnie to day.
May 4th Saturday
Thought we’d get home today but do not seem to make it so expect to stay ’till Monday morning now. It is delightful this morning. Mr. Millard is at work for the Wabash RR co. as settlement clerk & they have a very pleasant place they bought for a home & every thing seems to be done for our pleasure & comfort possible. This afternoon Mrs. Millard, Chauncey & I went down on street & walked around, also attended the matinée “The Fast Mail” which was fine. Went home to supper then with Mr. Millard went down again & took in the sights by electric light which was beautiful & oh the crowds of people going to and fro-
May 3rd Friday
It is a lovely morning as had a little rain last night that revived things up nicely. And here we are now in Detroit, Mich. Reached here last evening after dark. Left Battle Creek between 3 & 4 o’clock and are now at the pleasant home of her that was Mrs. Walter now Mrs. W. Millard at 545 13th Street, Detroit, Mich. Arthur Walter, the little boy who used to be at our house with his mother so much, is now a bright young man of nearly 16. This afternoon Mrs. Millard and Chauncey & I went down street. Took street car to river & looked around & see the boats then went down street past stores & into the beautiful park with its fountain & had a rest, looking at so many things that attracted the eye, such beautiful flowers. Then started back going into one of the large stores. Took elevator going down into the basement then up eight floors to the top of building where we had a fine view of the city. Then came home & after supper Mr. Millard & Mr. Burch went over to the engine house. Were pretty tired when we reached home.
Meeting Sojourner Truth
While reading about Battle Creek, I found out about this fascinating woman named Sojourner Truth. One statement said that she was “perhaps the most famous African-American woman in 19th century America.” So why don’t I remember learning about her? By now I am pretty sure that I slept through any and all history classes I ever took. Or maybe she was never mentioned. I thought I would introduce you to her as well, just in case I wasn’t the only one asleep!
Sojourner Truth lived from 1797 until 1883. She was born into slavery as Isabella. She married in 1815 and had several children. In 1826 she walked to freedom with her youngest child; she had to leave the others but ended up seeing them all again. In fact she lived with a couple of her daughters in her later years. She became a Christian around 1828 and changed her name to Sojourner Truth in 1843. She wanted to travel, preach, and speak against injustices. She was illiterate and yet had no qualms about speaking against slavery, for women’s rights and sufferage, for temperance, and for the end of capital punishment. I found it incredible that she even filed and won three lawsuits… she was an ex-slave, a woman, illiterate, and apparently very determined. I especially like the story about how she went and retrieved her son, Peter, when he was sold illegally into slavery from New York into Alabama!
Adaline crossed through Battle Creek 12 years after the death of Sojourner Truth. I am glad that I got to learn about this incredible lady in our travels.
A Burch Tree 