1896 diary

Andrew Jackson "Andy" Arnett (1868-1914) kept a diary all his adult life.

A few years ago I dove into my family tree and learned a lot about my family and found info on a little over 4,000 family members. This is a diary of Any Arnett in 1896. Enjoy reading. I read through these a year or so ago. Some things I noticed - watch the birth and death of children. They did not live very long.. A lot of them. Also notice the temp in the morning. Now in January it's not that weird but in July when it's 55 degrees. All can figure is it may be something like 4 am and the sun hasn't come up. Forenoon is before noon.

A family member typed this exactly how it was hand written.

He always lived in Monroe Twp. near Potsdam or in Potsdam, Darke Co., Ohio.

Every day’s entry started out with the weather conditions.

This is the complete year of 1896.

January 1896
Wed. Jan. 1….Mercury 10 above this morning Clear about all day, the snow is about 5 inches deep. I changed the locks on the summer kitchen door and the north door of the house & loafed the rest of the day. Paps brought Lydia home.

Thur. Jan. 2….Mercury 8 above this morning Cloudy & windy all day, its raining this evening. Me & Pete sawed wood till 2:30 oclock for me. I bought the babys both little picture books.

Fri. Jan. 3….Mercury 4 above this morning Cloudy & clear today, Mercury at noon 9 above zero. This evening at 8 its at zero, it snowed a while today. I gave J. E. Britton a note for $ 46.00. Born to Mr. & Mrs. Ollie Carroll a boy, it weighed 3 ½ lbs. J. E. Britton got a peck of apples today.

Sat. Jan. 4….Mercury 8 below zero this morning Clear & cold all day Mercury did not get higher than 5 above zero today. Its spitting a little snow this evening.

Sun. Jan. 5….Mercury 2 below zero this morning Clear about all day Cloudy this evening and its snowing. I went up to Paps this afternoon and got our butter. We was at Allie Carrolls this evening. Mr. Will Lutz & Mrs. Flory Snyder was married today.

Mon. Jan. 6….Mercury 14 above zero this morning Cloudy & clear today. John Wetzel commenced cutting ice today. H. E. Wissinger commenced cutting ice today.

I went down to Hank Ortmans with Dan Young in a sleigh this morning. This afternoon I came home and went up to Petes & Paps and home again. Warmer today.

Tues. Jan. 7….Mercury 32 above zero this morning Cloudy today, its warm today. I helped H. E. Wissinger to put up ice today. John Wetzel is cutting ice. J. E. Britton got a bushel of apples of me.

Wed. Jan. 8….Mercury 25 above this morning Cloudy & cold today I worked for H. E. Wissinger in the ice this forenoon. This afternoon I helped Perry Black to haul some logs up in his barnyard. Wetzel is still cutting ice.

Thur. Jan. 9….Mercury 23 above this zero this morning Cloudy & warm all day I went up to Paps this morning and ground my ax, then this afternoon I cut 2 trees down and trimed them up. I brought a crock of apple butter home. John Wetzel finished cutting ice today.

Fri. Jan. 10….Mercury 32 above zero this morning Cloudy & warm all day I worked in the ice for H. E. Wissinger today. He finished laying up ice today. Mr. Andy Millers baby died this afternoon, croop. Pap took 1 ½ bushels of wheat to the mill for me.

Sat. Jan. 11….Mercury 30 above zero this morning Cloudy this forenoon, clear this afternoon. Me & Dave Hissong finished covering H. E. Wissingers ice this forenoon. This afternoon I went up to Paps a while then came home & loafed. Est Spitler baby died this evening, dropsy.

Sun. Jan. 12….Mercury 30 above zero this morning Clear all day with a cold west wind. I went up to Paps & Petes this afternoon. Me & Pete went down and looked at Lewis Arnett old house & shed.

Mon. Jan. 13….Mercury 20 above zero this morning Clear & c9ld all day I hauled a load of wood with Petes team for my self. Est Spitlers baby was buried here this forenoon. Pete took my wife & baby up to his house this evening. I brought about 4 bu. of apples home & a bu. of corn.

Tues. Jan. 14….Mercury 12 above zero this morning Clear all day today Me & Pete went to Bills in Dayton this morning, arrived there 11 oclock, found them all well. We went up town after dinner and bought a cross cut saw, paid $ 2.50, a Shaffer. Born to Mr. & Mrs. Sam Huston a boy baby.

Wed. Jan. 15….Mercury 12 above zero this morning Cloudy & clear today Me & Petestarted home from Bills at noon. Pete brought Lydia home this evening. H. E. Wissinger filed my saw.

Thur. Jan. 16….Mercury 12 above zero this morning Cloudy & & warm today, it rained, snowed & sleeted a little this evening. Me & Coro Welbaum commenced cutting wood for Ammons this morning. We cut all day.

Fri. Jan. 17….Mercury 32 above zero this morning Cloudy all day We cut wood all day,Me & C. Welbaum. Miss Net Hatfield gave a lecture on Africans way of living in the U. B. Church. Lydia & the babys was there.

Sat. Jan. 18….Mercury 34 above zero this morning Cloudy all day & rained all afternoon and is still at 8 p.m. We cut wood this forenoon, Me & C. W. Cora got him a new ax.

Sun. Jan. 19….Mercury 23 above zero this morning Cloudy about all day I went up to Paps this forenoon and got our butter. I shaved my side whiskers off. I wrote a letter to John. We was over to A. P. Carrols this evening.

Mon. Jan. 20….Mercury 27 above zero this morning Cloudy all day, it rained, snowed and sleeted a little this evening. Me & Cora Welbaum & Allie Carrol cut wood for myself today in Paps woods. I stayed in H. E. Wissingers restaurant this evening for him.

Tues. Jan. 21….Mercury 29 above zero this morning Clear & damp all day Me & Pete made logs for a house for Pap for Pete to move in. I stayed in the restaurent for H. E. Wissinger this evening.

Wed. Jan. 22….Mercury 28 above zero this morning. Cloudy all day, it rained this forenoon commencing about 9 o’clock. Its been raining all evening. Me & Cora cut wood till it rained this afternoon. I went up to Paps and got 2 bu. apples for A. B. Carroll, 4 for J. E. Britton, 2 for L. N. Saul. Bare filed my saw today.

Thur. Jan. 23….Mercury 40 above zero this morning Cloudy all day, it raied about all day & lasted night. I loafed all day. Mrs. Dill Pipinger was here this afternoon.

Fri. Jan. 24….Mercury 38 above zero this morning Cloudy & it rained all day & last night. It snowed a little this afternoon, its cooler this evening. I went up to Paps this forenoon and was there for dinner, then I went up to Petes, then home and loafed. Ben Stoufers baby died today. Will Pansing wife died today.

Sat. Jan. 25….Mercury 31 above zero this morning Cloudy all day, it rained off & on all day. Me & Cora Welbaum sawed wood for Cora all day.

Sun. Jan. 26….Mercury 30 above zero this morning Cloudy & cold all day, it snowed a little several times today. Pete was at our house this afternoon. Dora started to Sunday School today.

Mon. Jan. 27….Mercury 25 above zero this morning Cloudy all day Me & Cora cut wood all day. Harve Wrights wife & three children was at our house for dinner.

Tues. Jan. 28….Mercury 27 above zero this morning Cloudy this morning Cleared off about noon and was clear all afternoon. We cut wood all day. I stayed in the restaurant this evening for H. E. Wissinger, took in 68 cts.

Wed. Jan. 29….Mercury 28 above zero this morning Clear & warm all day We sawed wood all day. I stayed in the restaurent this evening, I took in 67 cts.

Thur. Jan. 30….Mercury 28 above zero this morning Clear & warm all day Me & Cora Welbaum & Enoch Stoufer roofed the east side of John Blackburn house, the old part, Dan Young took us over. Bill came up today to commence on Paps house. Pete hauled me a load of wood. I stayed in the restaurant.

Fri. Jan 31….Mercury 37 above zero this morning Cloudy all day, it commenced raining about 6 a. m. and rained about all day. I went up to Paps with C. Sharp this morning and I stayed for dinner. I ground my ax this afternoon and ricked some wood

If you are interested in ready more please let me know. I have about 2 whole years worth.

Have you ever done your geneaology? It is fun, takes time but it's a lot of fun to find all the lines.