Following is a diary generously donated by Theresa Ruffing. Many thanks to Theresa. She writes,
"One VERY interesting thing I have is a handwritten diary. I am still trying to puzzle out who wrote it, I know it from the YOUNG Farm and belonged to the family of my gr-grandfather George Henry Wagner - adopted by the Young family. The writer of the diary mentions his 59th Birthday in the year 1867. The writer would have been born in 1808.The diary started in 1865. It states it was purchased in Canadauigua-Farmington June 21 1865. It is a daily account of what was happening on the farm and the weather and births and deaths of neighbors and information on hired farm hands."
ADDED LATER: "By now you know that this was written by John Young (8/18/1808 - 1892) If you look at the page that has 1867 at the top and look at the date 8/18 you will see him mention his 59th Birthday. John Young was actually the uncle to James A. Young. I was always very confused about who wrote this Diary because I only knew the direct line and that James A. Young's father was William and he was born in 1810.The 1870 Census shows John Powers living with the family as a farm hand. He is mentioned in the diary. The 1860 census also shows domestic help."
| Bought this Book March the 8,
1865 in Canandaigua. Farmington - June the 21 1865 John Win from Canada 1865 commenced work 3 months for $75 Dollars Last time Days y6 ../1 September the 4 1865 William Slater commenced work for a few dayes from wales formly from Ireland A C Clark Henderson Jefferson Co. hog man (Page 2) March the 4 Brother Ambrose Young came to my house on his way home from the state of Delaware March 4 tapt maple trees March 10 Brother Ambros went home Febuary the 1n Drawed in hay O Big Barne March 14 went to Rocheter horse power mended March 15 went to william to saw wood muddy March 16 water very high March 16 went to Redfields Auction March 18 bought 3 oxon for 250 dollars March 20 thermometer 35 above freezing March 20 went to Canandaigua as witnas March 21 thermometer up to 78 warm da At 8 oclock in the evening up to 65 March 27 yelow cow had her calf March 31 went to Canandaigua Also stopt and paid Joseph Wood $.428 Dollars on a note of 800 D Aprile 3 commenced plowing for early Aprile 5 commenced sowing clover seed Aprile 4 Sold red on to Rusel Bush for 1.05 Dollars Aprile the 6 went to Hiram Sheffield Auction (Page 3) 1865 in the eavning Aprile the 7 Cotton Dickinson Died Apriel 7 commenced sowing barly Aprile 9 Went to Hirams after corn Ap 11 finished sowing barly Ap the 13 Sowed peas Ap the 15 sowed cloverseed in chaff Ap 16 Sow had 12 pigs Ap the 16 Nathaniel C. Herendeens Child Died Age 1 yeare & 16 Dayes old April 18 First Lamb Ap 17 turned ews out to paster Aprile the 23 peach blowes coming out fast Apriel 29 warm and rain for the seas May the 1 Thomas N. Bradbury Died May 3 finished drawing out manure on corn ground May 5 hevy thunder storm of rain and hale in afternoon M 6 hevy rain all day, streems high for May May 10 turned beef cattle out to pasture for the first May 10 x 11 hevy rains ground verry wet May 12 went to victor to make out incom taxe Also to mill Got 20 bushels of corn ground May 16 & 17 verry warm themotor up to 86 degrees May 17 Nathan Aldrich Died Age about 69 ye (Page 4) May 14th S. Smith colt to pasture 1865 May 16 finished plowing corn ground May 17 warme themonotor up to 84 til 5 in the afternoon then the wind turned to the north themonotor down 60 May 20 commenced planting corn May 21 Sow had 10 pigs Conners Son May 21 thunder shower quite heavy rain May 24 sold sow 10 pigs to W. Redfield for 30 dollars May 24 finished planting corn west of the house May 23 3 of us planted corn for william May 29 put bay mare to Kentuckey, whip Canandaigua May 31 Portgibson mare had a mare colt Fenhunter May 31 Brother Oliver Young come from Michigan June the 3 commenced work on the (?) June the 8 washed sheep at freedon June the 13 went to Rochester June 13 Brother Oliver Young went home to Michigan also his wife June 14 bought new Democrat buggy of wache H Taber for $120 dollars June 15 rainy rain from the south June 15 sold to James Kairn one pare of stone boat plank for 50 cents. (Page 5) 1865 June the 15 Drove one pare of 4 yeares old oxon to victor for beef. price $180 Dollars also one stag 2 years old for $33 Dollars June 17 18 & 19 very warm thermomotor 88 90 June 17 commenced to ho corn very warm June 19 went to Canandaigua June 18 first swarm of bees June the 22 the secont swarme of bees June 26 commenced to sher sheep July 1 Drawed my wool to Isace Lapham for 50 cents per pound had 821 pounds July 5 commenced haing in isaac meadow July 8 Drawed in hay with 2 teems July 8 commenced cutting wheat July 14 & 15 drawed in wheat July 16 rainy day rain from the S. East July 17 went to freedn to mill July 18 finished drawing in wheat July 19 commenced drawing barly rainy in the afternoon July 19 short tale yelow cow went to bull July 29 Nathan Smith took colt home August 2 red cow fany to bull August 16 white heiffer to bull (Page 6) August 16 finished haing also cloverseed Front place August 19 old red cow to Nats Herendeens bull Aug 23 Young red cow fanny to bull Agust 28 Sold one pare of red oxon for $175 Dollars Aug 29 went to Shortsvill paid for plowpoint September 2 commenced thrashing wheat Sept 5 finished thrashing wheat had 340 bushels Sept 6 went to Canandaigua bough timothy seed 5.50 per bushel Sept 7 white heiffer to bull 3d time Sept 7 commenced sowing wheat on isaac meadow Sept 8 fine rain sowd one piece of wheat Sept 9 in the eavning fine rain Sept 11 rainy in the afternoon Sept 11 went to Fredon to mill Bazreare Sept 15 sowd wheat on the hill south 15 bushels Sept 18 rainey day Northeast storm cold rain storm Sept 10 Dick Colberts colt to pasture Sept 27 five bucks with my yerling ews Sept 28 cut secont crop of grass 2 tuns to acre Sept 29 drawed in 2 loads one load out yet Sept 30 weaned my 48 lambs Sept 30 went to Canandaigua got 12 Dollars premium money Sept 30 rainy in the afternoon (Page 7) October the 1 1965 coold morning Oct 7 Sold 68 Ews for $6 Dollars per head $408 Oct 7 went to Canandaigua as witness Oct 8 Richard Coblet took colt home 4 weeks Oct 9 bought of Semore Aldrich 20 Ews for $3 Oct 17 sold 20 Ewes $4 per head $80 Oct 19 rainey Day and cold high wind Oct 22 fine morning but cool Oct 27 rained all day from the S. East cold Oct 25 Gushom Waybourn of victor found Ded in his Lot in the Eavning Oct 28 rainy day from the E. in the forenoon west afternoon November 3 put Buck with ews No the 8 bought 24 Ews of A. Barnes for $108 Dollars No the 10 Finished huskin corn had 650 bushels N the 11 Stact stalks Noveber 17, 4 of the barns Ews took the rame No the 17 bought bore pig weight 110 price $11.50 No 18 bought sow pig weight 90 price $9 dollars No 20 fed the Last of our pumpkins to the cows N 22 Snowed all Day from the west. Not very cold No 21 put up Ews for the first this season Also the cowes for the this fall (Page 8) 1865 November 27 John Powers commenced work December 3 sow went to bore De the 5 Dug up some Lead pipe betwene hous and spring De 6 Laid over fence on north End of west Lot De 6 turned buck Lamb with Ews De 6 went hunting squirls shot 2 red ones squirles De the 14 Dogs bit 3 of my sheep De 15 Lisher Gardner Died Ag About 85 y De 18 the funerl at the North meeting house De 18 24 Degrees below freezing morning De 19 went to palmyra with Lead pipes De 21 cold with son snow verry high wind from the west December 23 Mr. Read brought my buck home De the 26 warm day 6 Degrees below tempret December 29 went to manchester De 30 choped and sawed some De 31 some snow on but peasant sun shines 1866 January 4 went to mill with corn for the pigs January the 1 went to Hiram Bloodgood took diner Jan the 4 cold windy day squalls of snow Jan 5th 18 Degrees below freezing 5 fifth Jan 6 24 Degrees below freezing 6 sixth Jan the 7th 5 Degrees below zero Sunday in the morning (Page 9) 1866 January th 8 Monday January the 8 4 degrees below zero morning Jan the 13 14 Degrees Above freezing in the morning At noon 8 degrees at nite freezing Jan 14 20 Degrees below freezing which makes 33 Degrees Differance in 24 hours Jan 13 cut wood also snaked out with horses on the ground with chain hul trees from obituary; rai Jan the 13 went to Joel Pains tuction cold Jan 15 thenomotor 26 Degrees below freezing Jan 15 paid taxes town house the amount $198.28 Williams Young tax was $86.73 Jan 19 went to pelps verry warm day Jan the 16 Barns 3 Ews had a lamb Jan the 20 in the morning at 8 o'clock thenomotor to within 6 degrees of temperate at noon down to freezing at 5 o'clock 12 degrees below freezing At 8 o'clock in the eavning 14 below freezing Jan the 24 butchered hogs six pigs 9 months 8 old Jan the 25 went to palmyra with 3 pigs Febuary 12 went to pelps Feb 13 went to geneva paid for paper Gazette Feb 14 come home from phelps Feb 15 cold windy day down to zero in (Page 10) 1866 Feb 16 thenomotor in the morning down to zero Feb 17 pleasant for the season Feb 18 pleasant morning Feb 18 Hanah Hoesy furnal at the Locks Feb 22 thenomotor up to temprat warm day Feb 22 drawed up timber for shed Feb 23 verry warm day for the season Feb 23 filled the wood house with wood Feb 25 cold windy day 25 degrees below freezing February 28 went to phelps to an Auction C. Dickinsons March the 1 drawed in hay big barn, fine day, warm Mar the 2 verry warm i was at Phelps Mar 3 came home from Phelps warm day Mar 4 cold, Stormy, Snowey blustering day Mar 5 cold blustern windy day wind west Mar 6 cold winday day Mar 6 paid John Powers for 3 months labour $45 Dollars Mar the 7 cold windy Day Mar the 8 cold snowey windy blustering day Mar the 10 Moses Powers Died Age 93 Mar the 10 sold the old horses one 19 one 20 years old $175 Dol. Buse 20 yeares old Silk 19 yeares old March 11 Sunday stormy some snow (Page 11) 1866 March the 12 went to victor and Drawed a load of barly March 14 went to william Redfields Auction bought 2 sleighs for 6 Dollars March 14 warm day up to tempert March 15 rainy cloudy Day March 22 sawed wood March 23 Finished sawing wood at noon Mar the 24 sawed wood for Nathan Smith Mar 25 cold windy snowey day Sundy Mar 24 commenced splitting stove wood Saturday Mar 27 went to rochester for harness Lether Mar 28 went to phelps with J. Brownan Ma 29 drawed some manuere Mar 30 sow had pigs 2 live Mar 30 bought one pare of red oxen 5 yeares old this spring for $250 Dollars Mar 31 went to mill to victor with corn Mar 31 young sow went to bore rainy Aprile 4 commenced hewing timber Ap 5 yellow cow had a calf Apr 9 big sow went to boare Apr 10 made cart tung (Page 12) March the 26 on Monday John Powers commenced to work Eight months 22 Dollars per month Ap 10 one Dollar cash $ 1.00 May 13 one Dollar cash 1.00 June 9 five Dollars cash 5.00 June 10 two Dollars cash 2.00 July 15 five Dollars cash 5.00 August 11 ten Dollars cash 10.00 October the 4 Fifty one Dollars cash 51.00 October 25 two dollars cash 2.00 December the 2 on sunday 101.00 December 4 Tusday 2.10 December 4 setled in ful of account $180.10 Eight months for Labour (Page 13) 1866 Aprile 10 sap run well wind cool but south Apr 12 soad clover seed soad 2 bushel Ap 12 commenced plowing for barly Ap 11 drawed in corn in big barn Ap 13 drawed up the last sap Ap 14 finished plowing barly ground Ap 14 went to canandaigua with apples Ap 14 turned Ews to pasture first time Ap 17 finished sowing barly west of the house Ap 18 & 19 verry warm Aprile 23 cold hevy rain from the N. E. Ap 24 snowed from the west Ap 23 thrashed corn in big barne Ap 24 cleaned up corn snowey day Ap 29 went to victor took out potatoes May the 3 soad oats south of the house May 4 drawed the Last of oure hay home May the 6 young sow to boare May the 11 went to canandaigua for plow poynt May 13 fine rain from the south then North May 15 first days work with 3 years old Morgan colts Also a new barnes sold corn ground May 16 rainy morning bids fare for a rainy Day (Page 14) Aprile the 8 on Tusday Franklin Dickinson began work May the 7 one Dollar cash $ 1.00 May 26 five Dollars cash 5.00 June 16 three Dollars cash 3.00 June 30 two Dollars cash 2.00 July 4 two Dollars cash 2.00 July 31 fifteen Dollars cash 15.00 August 26 ten Dollars cash 10.00 38.00 horse and buggy 1.50 70.50 Due on work $69 Dollars 108.50 paid C. F. Dickinson seventy fifty cents Settled in ful for work Lost time Half Day yfof dayes 1111111111111 March the 5 1867 Michal Cahhab commenced work Junene 16 ten Dollars cash $ 10.00 Fifty cents to go to the hook 50 August 23 nine Dollars 9.00 Sept 20 half pound of plug tobacco 50 Sep 24 thirty Dollars cash 30.00 June Let Michal have one Dollar 1.00 (Page 15) May 21 1866 commenced planting corn 5 men planting May 22 finished planting corn 3 men planting May 22 boughton mare had her colt Hunting whip May 24 Ready child Dide Age about 1 year May 24 Hiram finished plowing corn ground May 26 cut also drawed seder to mill for shingle 15 3 loads May 29 Portgibson mare to godnos horse May 30 Boughton mare to Goodno horse May 30 yellow short tale to bull June the 1 finished shingling the big barn June 2 commenced laying wall under corn house shed June 3 turned 3 head of young cattle 1 cow over to front place to pasture June the 5 verry hevy raine June 6 rainy rainy weather June 7 plowed 9 Acres of fallow 4 tiems June 7 at noon finished laying wall corn hse June 8 washed sheep down to Maclouths June 9 raised cornhouse and hay barn June 19 boath mares to horse June 22 finished Enclosing cornhouse June 23 finished Laying cornhousehouse flower June 29 finished shearing sheep No 165 sheep (Page 16) August 8 1866 went to victor to mill corn August 9 cultivated fallow on the hull August 10 Drawed manure with 2 yoke of oxon and 2 carts on hull lot August 13 rainy Day bids fare to be Au 16 commenced to thrash 17 finished had 250 of wheat 300 bushels of barly off of 6 Acres August 16 give boughton mare for 2 years ha colt August 21 Sold bay mare to John Read for $125 paible in one yeare August 16 traided a mare with Wm Bushmore for a tw yeares old colt Aug 23 old sow had her pigs August 24 sold my barly for $1 bus August 25 bougt one half pound plug tobacco September 6 commenced to soe wheat hill Sept 10 went to Canandaigua to pay incom tax $48 75/00 Dollars Sept 11 rainy morning Sept 13 Finished sowing wheat sowd 39 bushel Sept 15 cold day frost at nite off in morning Sept 22 in the evening frost hard one Sept 21 weaned Lambs sorted out Ews (Page 17) Oct 8 commenced huskin corn Oct 8 Bought of J. Maltman one Buck 1 yeares old for $50 Dollars Oct 6 put buck with old Ews Oct 15 commenced picking apples Oct 26 rained a litle the first since the fare or for one month Oct 26 Drawed in corn Oct 26 commenced Drawing stalks 5 loads Oct 30 weaned my pigs Oct 29 fine rain verry mutch needed November 6 finished huskin corn on west lot No 20 put Buck with Young Ews No 21 finished drawing stalks No 22 Snowed all day and evening No 23 Eliphas Willcox went home to phelps No 28 went to victor for a load of potatoes No 29 butchered a spring pig rainy day December the 1 snowey looks wintery De 4 rainy morning hevy rain at noon De 8 Drawed home 3 loads potatoes De 8 John Colwell came to board And go to school work for board (Page 18) 1867 Feb 28 Sold 55 weathers for $5 25 per head Feb 26 went and got my horse shod March 1 went to phelps warm Day Mar 2 come home heavy wind N. west cole Mar 3 cold ground froze hard Mar 4 went to Phelps got 29 bushels of cloversed give $9 Dollars per bushel March 6 went to Rochester to get my horspower repared March 8 drawed out railcuts Mar 9 drawed hay from victor Mar 11 tapt sugar trees fore noon Mar Mr. More of palmyra come and got 45 weathers price $5 37 cents per head Mar 2 went to mill with 10 bushels of wheat Mar 11 Tain cow had a calf Mar16 braut cow and calf from Hirams Mar 14 verry cold day also the weather continued verry cold up to March 19 when the sun com out warm Mar 19 went to fredon with a Load of wood Mar 19 went to Shortsvill with a Log March 26 Joh Joseph Woods funarl Ag 79 years Mar 31 fine day looks like spring (Page 19) 1867 May 5 warm looks like rain wind south May 6 rainy but warm grass grows May 8 rainy day also rainy nite Ma 9 rainy day verry heavy fall of rain May 10 plesant morning May 15 went to palmyra bought 50 pound nails May 16 Laid some flower in the house May 18 went to canandaigua bench saw May 18 commenced plowing corn ground May 19 plesant day May 24 finished Ditching South of the hous May 25 finished plowing corn ground May 26 rainy cloudy morning May 27 commenced to shingle my house May 28 Laid up chimney man and boy one day plastering and Laying chimny 5 dollars June 3 planted corn on Monday June 4 went to palmyra after paint June 5 Drawed deed for land of Aldrich June 6 Made fence on Aldrich place June 7 washed sheep on friday after noon |
GO TO PART TWO OF DIARY
Photo of Wedding Invitation of Abbie C. Smith and Julius F. Aldrich
Photo of Home which may be Residence of the Young Family