My Grandfather kept diaries most of his life. This is from his 1902 journal when he was 16 and living in Sycamore, Illinois. I post a month each Monday.
Tuesday, July 1, 1902
It has been partly fair and partly cloudy today.
I have picked red raspberries nearly all day. I went up to Grandma’s for a little while after supper tonight.
Wednesday, July 2, 1902
It has been partly fair and partly cloudy today but it commenced raining hard very suddenly after supper tonight.
I have worked for Mr. Dobbins all day.
Thursday, July 3, 1902
It rained very hard last night but cleared up and has been very hot today.
I worked for Mr. Dobbins all day but went up town after supper for a little while.
Friday, July 4, 1902
It has been a very nice day.
I rode the pony over to Lily Lake this morning for a man to ride in the parade there. I staid there and got some dinner and then came home riding in all over 25 miles.
I milked six cows for Mr. Dennis tonight who had hired me to milk ten but Papa milked the other four.
I went up town tonight to see the fireworks and did not get home until eleven o’clock.
Saturday, July 5, 1902
It has been a nice day.
I have hoed corn all day and tonight I went to a surprise party out at David Wilkinson’s and had a very good time going out there in a bus. Louise also went there.
Sunday, July 6, 1902
It has been a very nice day only very hot.
I took the milk up to the factory this morning and went to Sunday School.
Papa went into Chicago this morning to see Aunt Mary Tapper who is very sick.
I went up town for a little while after supper tonight.
Monday, July 7, 1902
It has been cloudy nearly all day and raining every once in a while.
I started for Chicago at 11.07 this morning and at 8.15 P.M. I started for Maine. I staid in Carson Pirie’s most of the day.
Tuesday, July 8, 1902
It has been partly fair and partly cloudy today.
I rode on the cars all of last night and today until about two o’clock when we stopped until half past ten in Toronto, Canada. We rode around the city in the street cars and then took a ride on a boat over Lake Ontario over to an island for a little while.
Wednesday, July 9, 1902
It has been cloudy and cold all day.
We rode on the cars all night and arrived in Kinston, Canada early this morning. As the boat we intended to take did not arrive we had to stay here all day. At noon we all took a steamer and went down the St. Lawrence through the “Thousand Islands” which are very beautiful. We got home about six o’clock and ate supper at a hotel where we will stay all night.
Thursday, July 10, 1902
It has been a nice day.
We all staid at a hotel all night and at six o’clock in the morning took a steamboat and went down the St. Lawrence river to Montreal where we took a train and will arrive at Portland early tomorrow morning. The boat we went down to Prescott on was called the Toronto and at that place we changed to another which was smaller and could shoot the rapids in the river. We ate breakfast on the Toronto a little lunch on the Bohemian and ate supper just before we got on the train in the depot.
Friday, July 11, 1902
It has been a nice day today.
Arrived at Portland in the morning and had to wait there until 12.40 P.M. when we took a train to Damariscotta and from there we came to Round Pond in a four-seated buggy getting here about supper time.
I went out rowing for about ten or fifteen minutes after supper. At Portland I went up town for about an hour in the morning and bought a few things.
[Amos’ grandmother Eleanor Townsend’s sister is Georgia Wild Townsend who married John Yates whose family lived in Round Pond, Maine.]
Saturday, July 12, 1902
It has been a very nice day.
I went hunting in the woods just back of the house this morning but did not see anything. Just after dinner I rowed the boat over to the town and got some lines and fish-hooks. I went fishing as soon as I come back for about fifteen minutes and got four fish, one a large-sized codfish. I then drove Grandma, Aunt Jennie and Aunt Mary out to the Cox farm and then to town. After supper I rowed Louise and Marion over to town to get the mail. Frederick, Charles and Pierce have been fishing and rowing all day.
[This Aunt Mary is probably Mary Boynton Townsend, wife of Frederick Townsend from Sycamore. Amos’ Aunt Mary Tapper lives in Chicago and earlier in the diary Amos mentioned that she was ill.]
Sunday, July 13, 1902
It has been a nice day only it clouded up about five o’clock.
I took a walk among the rocks this morning – when the water was at low tide examining them. I went to church at two o’clock and staid to Sunday School eating dinner when I came back. I rowed over there with Charles and after dinner went out rowing with Pierce.
Monday, July 14, 1902
It has been a nice day only a little cloudy.
I got up a little early and rowed around the harbor for abut an hour. After breakfast I picked about a quart of blueberries. I rowed over to town just before dinner to get the mail. After dinner I went fishing off Pulpit Rock and caught twenty-one rather small fish most of them cunners. Just before supper I rowed over to town to get a yeast cake. Fred, Charles and Pierce have been fishing almost all day. Aunt Mary, Aunt Jennie and Charles went out driving this afternoon.
Tuesday, July 15, 1902
It has been cloudy nearly all day and rained a little this afternoon.
I went rowing for three quarters of an hour before breakfast. Fished part of the time this forenoon and rowed Aunt Jennie over to town just before dinner to get some things. Caught two fish. Also went fishing this afternoon for a while and caught nothing. I started to get into the boat from the wharf tonight to row over after the mail and lost my balance and either had to go head or feet first. Chose latter and landed in three ft. water. Changed clothes and then went over with other mishap.
Wednesday, July 16, 1902
It has been partly cloudy and partly fair today only a little colder than usual.
I rowed a little this morning and over after the mail just before noon. I staid around the house most of the afternoon except to go with a man after some ice and also hoed in the garden for about an hour just before supper. Aunt Jennie, Aunt Mary, Louise, Marion and Charles drove over to town this afternoon. Fred and Pierce rowed over to town this forenoon and fished some of the afternoon. The ocean was a little rougher than usual.
Thursday, July 17, 1902
It has been cloudy all day and a little cold.
I hoed the garden nearly all the forenoon but went over after the mail at noon.
Grandma rented a cow yesterday and I began to milk her this morning. I fished and rowed this afternoon but only caught two fish. Marion, Louise and Fred went over after the mail tonight.
Friday, July 18, 1902
It has been a nice day.
I went with Aunts Jennie and Mary, the girls and the boys to the porgie factory to fish but only caught four. I rowed over in the boat alone but Fred came back with me. I then fished a little near the old wharf and rowed some. Rowed over for mail just before dinner. Fred, Charles and I rowed over to town this afternoon and played ball for about two hours. I went fishing off Pulpit rock for a while after supper and caught twenty fish making twenty five in all today. After this Fred and I went rowing for a few minutes.
Saturday, July 19, 1902
It has been cloudy all day.
I went fishing this morning off Pulpit Rock with Fred and caught ten fish. He caught fifteen in the same time. We all went over to the rock for dinner and then I drove Grandma, Aunt Jennie and Aunt Mary around to make some calls. Grandma, Louise and Marion drove over to town this morning and got the mail. We received letters tonight tell us that Angeline Allen, my old nurse, died Tuesday night at eleven o’clock. The cause was the enlargement of the glands of the neck.
In the back of this diary, Amos made the following entry and dated it July 15, 1902. “At the home of William Young, Angeline died at the age of 75 years. She was my old nurse and has lived most of the time with Grandma Townsend for the last forty years. She died of a goiter which troubled her for a few months before her death.”
Sunday, July 20, 1902
It has been cloudy all day and raining part of the time.
I walked a little over a half a mile this forenoon to get some chickens for dinner in the rain. I went both to church and Sunday School. Staid in the house rest of afternoon playing on Charles’ gramaphone. After dark tonight we boys took it down to the landing and played it for three sailors who came from a ship that was in the harbor to hear it. I rode in the buggy to church. I went out to a sailing boat to try to get some mackerel before breakfast but did not get any.
Monday, July 21, 1902
It has been cloudy all day and raining since about half past ten.
I put some paris green on the potato plants this morning but the rain afterwards washed it off. I then went out rowing and also rowed after the mail just before dinner. I have staid in the house most of the afternoon but went after the mail just before supper.
Tuesday, July 22, 1902
It has been cloudy all day.
I fished most of the morning and caught seventeen fish and again this afternoon catching nine making twenty six in all. I rowed over to the island this afternoon, which is just a mile from here and back again alone. Louise and Marion rowed over after the mail both before dinner and supper. Fred fished for about an hour and a half this afternoon and caught fifty three fish.
Wednesday, July 23, 1902
It has been cloudy all day.
I rowed first and then fished the rest of the forenoon catching fifteen fish. I fished most of the afternoon and caught fifty five fish making seventy fish in all today. I learned to clean fish this afternoon.
Thursday, July 24, 1902
It has been cloudy nearly all day.
I went fishing this morning and caught twelve fish and cleaned some for dinner. I went over to town this afternoon and played ball most of the time.
Friday, July 25, 1902
It has been a fair day.
I went fishing this morning and caught twelve fish. Aunt Jennie, Aunt Mary, Charles, Marion, Louise and I drove over to Damariscotta this afternoon and got back about eight o’clock tonight.
Saturday, July 26, 1902
It has been cloudy nearly all day.
I rowed over to town three times this morning and twice tonight. I went out driving with Grandma and Aunt Mary this afternoon. Aunt Jennie, Mrs. Sider, Marion, Louise and the three boys went on an excursion to Waldobord this afternoon on the Steamer Medomak.
Sunday, July 27, 1902
It has been cloudy nearly all day.
I owed over to town this morning before breakfast but have staid home the rest of the time. I went in bathing for a few minutes this forenoon but the water was too cold to have much fun. There was no church so we didn’t go.
Monday, July 28, 1902
It has been a very nice day.
I have fished nearly all day but have only caught thirty fish. Grandma and some of the others drove over to town this afternoon and Louise and Marion went in bathing for a while. I went out on the schooner this morning which got caught on a rock as it was going out and staid on it talking with the sailors until it floated off when the tide became higher. Fred, Charles and Pierce also went in bathing today. Some men began to cut the hay around the house today.
Tuesday, July 29, 1902
It has been cloudy nearly all day.
I went in bathing this morning for about an hour and a half and then went over after the mail. I fished a little this afternoon and caught twelve fish. Mrs. Fuller and Mrs. Smith with her little boy came on the steamer at noon. I rowed over to the island tonight after supper and saw some fishermen setting out their nets for mackerel.
Wednesday, July 30, 1902
It has been a very nice day. I got up early and took some mail over to town and fished a little before breakfast. I fished or rowed all the the forenoon and caught twenty fish altogether. I dug a few clams and went in bathing for a little while this afternoon. About three o’clock we got a telegram that Aunt Mary Tapper was very sick. We packed up as quick as possible and drove to Darmariscotta to catch the train that left here at 10.20 P.M.
Thursday, July 31, 1902
It has been cloudy all day.
We arrived at Portland at one o’clock last night and staid in the depot until morning. We then took the train at 8.15 for Montreal and got there about seven o’clock. We then waited in the depot until about ten o’clock when we got on the train that will take us to Chicago. I went out walking around Montreal for a little while after we ate supper in the depot.
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