HomeMy WebLinkAboutDIARY NEWSLETTER 2001 Sue Thompson NL ArticleThe Diary
Sue Thompson (Enfield Town Historian) and Karen Dickson (Enfield Historical Society Member)
On June 20th Karen Dickson shared her great grandfather’s diaries with the Enfield Historical Society. His name was Asahel Lovell Harvey. He was born in the Town of Enfield in 1819.
He was the son of Joseph Harvey who was came to the Enfield area in 1808. Joseph’s wife was Hannah Lovell and they settled permanently in Enfield in 1817. Asahel married Jane Ann Mack
and they had one daughter Hannah Alice. At the time of the writing of the diary they lived on the farm that was the Marshall farm for many years and now is "City Lights Antiques" located
on Mecklenburg Road just outside of the Ithaca city limits west towards Enfield. The diaries tell of the comings and goings of life on the west hill and Enfield and Ithaca. Of course
he travels to Jacksonville, Mecklenburg, Searsburg and Trumansburg. During this time the war between the states (civil war) was raging. Listed in the military records 4 Harvey family
members were involved in the civil war.
January 1864
1. Got up before daylight. Warm. Went to Father's. (Joseph on Harvey Hill Road) Nice wheeling (sleighing). Boy's all home. Paid mother (Hannah Lovell) for sugar and honey $2.25.
Home at sundown. Getting cold fast. Coldest day yet this winter.
6. Killed 12 turkey. Sold cow and calf to McLune for $28.00. Went to town
with sleigh. Took 11 turkeys. Sold them for $12.60. Saw Fin Burlow's cattle.
7. Cold snowed a little. Mike come across the field after fox. Went after him saw the fox 2 times. Kate Howland (Mrs. S.B.) come in evening to make dress.
14. Went to Brad Alma(y). Got foot measured for boots. Have them in 3 weeks. (Brad Almy Jacksonville shoemaker and farmer).
February
2. Roderick went to War. Paid M.A. Sexton .75c for one gallon molasses.
Warm and muddy. (Roderick Byrum from Enfield fought in the Civil War, there are references of Roderick visiting until the end of April.)
15. Cold. Chas. Hosner come to put up banisters. Father come here.
18. Went to town. Got lumber for bellisters.
19. Cold rough. Went to look at some cows. Took Father home 5 o'clock.
20. To town. Sold clover seed to Halsey's. (Halsey’s Mills – Ithaca) Sold horses to Lampkins. Paid $20.00 on them. Roderick here.
March
19. Cold and raw. Went to town. Got boots tapped at Van Orman's. (John VanOrman’s Ithaca boots and shoes 44 East State Street). Paid 63c. Silas (Uncle brother to Joseph) came home
with me.
23. Cold north wind. Went to Tommy Hopkin's vendue. To Mr. Lanning. Miss Bundy got seed. Paid $4.88. Got boots of Alma.
31. Warm snow. 6 inches deep. Sowed some grass seed. Went to town. Got money of Halsey's for seed, $271.89. Got money of Burrett for timothy seed, $16.85. (Greenly, Burritt & co.
Buckwheat Seed for Sale – Ithaca) Paid G. B. Harvey, $51.20. Paid John Lewis interest $35.00. John Elston come to paint.
April
7 Warm. Loaded Frank Harvey's piano on the wagon.
8. Warm. Took Frank's piano to Ludlowville. Hard wheeling. Got home 5 o'clock.
17. Cold wind. Froze hard in morning. Went after Doc Morgan at night. Got some medicine for Hannah’s measles. (E.J. Morgan Ithaca, Homeo. Physican and Surgeon 22 East State Street,
Ithaca).
June
2. Went to town. Got Hannah and Anna Culver. (Married Reuben Harvey, Jr.) Maria went to (Uncle) Henry Willet's. (Jacksonville). No rain to day. Got 4-bush plaster.
4. Worked on road. No rain to day. Kate Van Order paid $2.25 for corn and work.
6. Took Hannah and Lina to school. (Ithaca Academy listed Hannah Harvey on the Honorary list for Spring semester – I.J. 7/6/1864) Divided line fence with Rhodes. (Wm F.) Rhodes paid
borrowed money $1.50. Gipseys (Gypsies) camped down on corner
7. Ordered the Gipseys away. Went west. I went to look for cows. Got none. No rain to day. Very dry. John Van Dorn put two cows in pasture.
August
2. Rained last night. Rained all day. Tore up floor. Cut wall in old house.
3. Rained forenoon all day. Worked in old house. Set 100 tobacco plants.
7. No rain. Went to Uncle David Purdy's funeral.
18. No rain. Went to Enfield to Father's. Got Pears.
September
21. No rain. Cut some corn. Took in drove cattle, 89 head sheep, 350 cattle.
22. No rain. Went to lawsuit. Rhodes and Ruben Chamberlain paid for
drove keep $10.50. (Their farm was used for drovers who passed through on the turnpike to leave their livestock in his pastures overnight, and he charged them rent per head.)
October
17. Rained some. Father died 6 3/4 o’clock in the morning. Went up there
towards night. (sick three weeks, two days. Asahel visited his father almost daily from September 25 until he passed away)
19. Rained some. Went to Father's funeral at 11 o’clock.
November (November 8 - Abraham Lincoln is re-elected president)
10. No rain. Picked apples to Myron's. Took apples to cider mill. Paid $9.00 for sugar and $1.00 for trade.
12. Snowed all day. Went to Enfield.
December
16. Rained and snowed some at night. Killed 14 turkeys. Sold to Greenly,
5 chickens, for $26.20. Paid $3.00. Hannah's vail, $1.00.
17. Rained last night. Went to Enfield with sleigh. Good in the morning,
poor to come home on.