The History Center on Main Street

61 North Main Street, Mansfield, Pennsylvania 16933

Community History & Genealogy


In Their Own Words - Diaries and Letters of our Ancestors
Diary & Ledger of Dwight Bliss - Table of Contents
Township: Charleston Township, Tioga County PA
Year: 1881-1891
Transcribed by Esther MAYS Harer
Charleston Township Page
This collection includes eleven full years of diary notations and financial information for Dwight Bliss of Charleston Township. Not everyone is interested in Nineteenth Century farm economy. There's me and maybe three other people on the planet. However, do not overlook these pages. If nothing else is of interest to you, the last column, Memorandum, includes notation on countless deaths and other events in the area. It is at the far right and you'll need to use your scrolling bar to get over to it. Also the daily financial transactions give us great insight into the lives of people operating in a barter (trade) economic sytem. Don't pay too much attention to the prices. We'd need a Consumer Price Index to convert them to a 2005 equivalent to get significant comparative information from them. Many thanks to Esther for making this available to us. Back to Table of Contents
Diary of EVENTS, &c., FOR THE MONTH OF__March __ 1887
Day of Week WEATHER Wind/Asp'cts Principal Occupation of the Day Sales Purchases Contracts Made & With Whom Cash Received Dollar/ Cents Cash Paid Out Dollars/ Cents Bills Receivable Dollar/cent Bills Payable Dollar/ cents Memoranda
1 Tues South Cldy i and Said went down to Broughtons                       We went down to Broughtons
2 Wed South Clear i drawed my Buckets Out helped Jake 1-2               J Kimball 1/2 day Paid .20     I drawed my Buckets Out
3 Thur North Cldy i drawed wood 1-2 went to the round top                        
4 Fri East Clear i went over to John Bliss to day                       Said and I was over to Johns
5 Sat SE Cldy i am a Splitting wood it snowed 1-2                        
6 Sun Souith Rain Birt and famley was here                       Birt & Famley was here
7 Mon South Clear i Scolded my Buckets & put them around                        
8 Tues North Cldy i taped my Bush fixed my Arch                       Spot will Calf 41 I taped my trees
9 Wed South Clear i am a Boiling Sap to day                        
10 Thur North Cldy i went to wellsboro with some shugar                   W Roberts for hardware Paid .75 Beauty will Calf 41 weeks
11 Fri North Cldy i am a Grunting with my head                       Lill will Calf 41
12 Sat South Cldy i am to home a tinkering                        
13 Sun South Clear i am to home went to meeting                       Elder Clarke preached
14 Mon North Cldy i Geathered my Sap today                       Blackey will Calf 41
15 Tues North Cldy i went to the Round top 3 doz of Eggs .45     C Church for Eggs 0.45 C Church for Goods 0.48          
16 Wed North Cldy i am to home Split wood                        
17 Thur North Snow i am to home Wellsboro 1-2           P lions for Shoes Kit 0.30          
18 Fri North Cldy i went down to Dave 1-2 Splitted wood 1-2                        
19 Sat North Cldy i Split wood 1-2 went to wellsboro 1-2           S Evens Taxes 7.50          
20 Sun North Cldy i am to home all day                       Lade will Calf 41
21 Mon South Cldy i am home Splitting wood               J Kimball 1/2 day Paid .40      
22 Tues NW Snow i am at home 1-2 it snowed                        
23 Wed North i am a Splitting wood today                        
24 Thur South Cldy i and Said went over to loyds                       We went over to Loyds
25 Fri North Clear i and Charley boiled Sap                       Zube will Calf 41
26 Sat North Clear i split wood 1-2 went to wellsboro       CC Mathers for Shugar 3.40 CC Mathers flour & Shu 3.40         14 lbs of butter $350
27 Sun South Cldy i am to home to day a fixing                       16 lbs of butter $4.00
28 Mon North Clear i am to home a Splitting wood                        
29 Tues North Cldy i am to home Splitting wood               H Macnonell mending Paid .30      
30 Wed North Clear i am to ome splitting wood                        
31 Thur South clear i am to home Splitting wood                        
Diary of EVENTS, &c., FOR THE MONTH OF__April __ 1887
Day of Week WEATHER Wind/Asp'cts Principal Occupation of the Day Sales Purchases Contracts Made & With Whom Cash Received Dollar/ Cents Cash Paid Out Dollars/ Cents Bills Receivable Dollar/cent Bills Payable Dollar/ cents Memoranda
1 Fri South Clear i and cora went out to George English           {D Winney 2 Shoes Set 0.20         I & Cora went to G Englishes
2 Sat North Clear i Sawed wood for Jake went to the round top       JA Kimball for labor 2.00 {JA Kimball 2 lb of Butter 0.50         {G Bliss
3 Sun South Clear i am to home all day George               A Tomb Butter Paid 1.50     {Said folks was here
4 Mon South Rain i and Charley are a Boiling Sap                        
5 Tues North Cldy i am to a Churmeat 1-2 drawed manure 1-2                        
6 Wed NE Clear i went to Wellsboro 1-2 drawed manure 1-2       CC Mathers for Shugar 2.35         W Roberts for hardware 4.91  
7 Thur North Cldy i am a painting the house                        
8 Fri   i and Charley are a boiling 1 ton of hay $10.00     Locerbum 10.00     J Evens Paid      
9 Sat South Clear i and Charley are a boiling       1 Ton of hay       200 of hay 1.00      
10 Sun South Clear i am to home to day                        
11 Mon South Clear i am a boiling sap and painting           DS Jones Bored money 10.00          
12 Tues NE Clear i went to wellsboro 1-2 went to Antrim 1-2     2 veal Marvin CC Mathers for Eggs & Shugar 2.25 C Mathers Grocery 0.80     W Roberts 1 gal paint 1.75  
13 Wed NE Rain i painted the west side of the house           Housel mending 0.60          
14 Thur North Clear i am to home a painting the house                        
15 Fri South Rain it rained 1-2 15 year Anniversary                       15 Year Anniversary
16 Sat North Cldy i am in the house Pain in my head                        
17 Sun North Cldy i am to home all day                        
18 Mon East snow it snowed all day Snowed a foot                       It snowed a foot today
19 Tues North Cldy i am to home a layimng around                        
20 Wed North Clear i am a Boiling Sap today                        
21 Thur South Cldy i am Boiling Sap     Ella H Baby                 Feched in 50 of Shugar
22 Fri South Cldy i am a painting Boiled sap                        
23 Sat South i Geathered my Buckets                        
24 Sun Nor Clear i am to home all day                        
25 Mon NW Clear i went to Antrim       Marvin 2 veals 3.12 12.48              
26 Tues NW Cldy i went to wellsboro fixed fence 1-2           W Roberts for hardware 9.64          
27 Wed SW Clear i was over to fathers 1-2 moved fence 1-2           C Bliss 1 bu potatoes 0.50          
28 Thur North Cldy i am a moving fence                        
29 Fri North Rain i am around the house Rain           {Trees 0.60          
30 Sat North Clear i am a painting 1-2 went to Wellsboro           {Pedler for Goods 2.75     Pedler Goods Paid 1.00  
                             

Published On Tri-Counties Site On 01/23/2005
By Joyce M. Tice