“Was ditching part of the day. Saw a red fox. Shot two crows at one pull. Attended Calliopean public society. Had my shawl stolen.”
— March 21, 1873, diary entry by Ashland County bachelor farmer Alexander Smalley
The diaries of Alexander Smalley, who spent his first 30-plus years in the home that later became my sister’s, serve up a treasure trove of insight into the life of farm families in the mid to late 1800s.
The late spring and early summer of 1873 finds 27-year-old Alexander Smalley farming with his father as they adjust to life without the matriarch of their family who died suddenly at age 56 just a few months after taking in her deceased daughter’s three young children from Iowa.
This young man is clearly in search of a good woman to become his wife, and seemed to be attempting to decide between two young women who interested him equally.
“Took a little walk with Miss Allie Smith,” he writes on June 1. Two weeks later, after clipping sheep all day with neighbor James Boyd, “Had the exquisite pleasure of enjoying Miss Libbie Smith’s very excellent company to Templar’s ice cream festival in Jeromeville.”
Later in June, “I put in a full day for Uncle Sam on the roads. Frank and I together earned $4.50. Worked on a new road near Eckley schoolhouse. No pot of gold!”
Allie Smith was his chosen date for July 4th. “The glorious Fourth was ushered in with a beautiful morning spiced with booming cannon. I took another load of father’s wheat to Ashland. Received $1.45, with total of $44.55. Heard a splendid oration delivered there by Professor McCollister from Akron. John Smith, Allie, sister Jen and I went up to Ashland for fireworks. Enjoyed Allie’s company.”
On Sept. 16, a dinner bell prompted Alexander to drop what he was doing. “Out bright and early til Armstrong’s bell began to ring an alarm. Mr. Boyd and I went over and found Mrs. Armstrong lying helpless with heart disease. Is better this evening. Began drilling wheat about 3:00 and put in three acres.”
After several days spent making apple butter, then hauling in a big crop of buckwheat, on Oct. 6 he writes, “Got Adam Zimmerman’s fanning mill and cleaned ten bushels of clover by noon. Quite quick!”
A new woman’s name had appeared in September, and she is mentioned again in mid-October. “Did not attend church. Read part of the time and wrote a letter. Had a little fun in the parlor with Phebe. Very pleasant.”
October 15 he “arose at 4 and bustled about and was off for Yankeedom. We took dinner at Fitchville, (about 30 miles north of Smalley’s home) then drove on through Olena and Norwalk to Milan to uncle Peter Pittenger (this would be about 45 miles north of the Smalley farm). Have not disposed of our grapes yet.”
The next day they traded the grapes for fish which they took back to Ashland and sold, making a profit.
Back at home, Smalley writes of serving as a judge at a community spelling bee at Eckley School. “Big crowd and a big time!” A few days later he notes, “Mr. Smith died yesterday at 11. Assisted in digging grave, helping A Bahn, Daniel Porter, William Glenn.”
Smalley writes of watching 25 young boys and girls in Hayesville “out en masse on skates. That’s right, young Americans, dash on with vigor while you can!”
