Suggestions/corrections/additions welcome, to: sandy125e@aol.com with Phillips Journal in subject line.
[I'm guessing by the careful recording of money borrowed and loaned mentioned in the diary that there was no bank in Danby/Four Corners, and residents acted as a 'community bank' for each other. An important part of a man's daily journal was the record of who owed him and who he owed and when repayment was made.]
MONDAY, JANUARY 1, 1866
I & Asel* stayed to Lucy (Leuty?) Dow's last night. We went to Fair
haven to Mandevill Boutwell* Lawsuit. We come home in evening about 4?
oclock. I let George have $10. Very good wagoning, mild winter
weather.
["Asel" may be Asael Thornton who married Joseph's daughter, Jane, according to The History and Map of Danby, Vt by John C. Williams, 1869]
*[a Mandeville Boutell is mentioned as a freeman of Danby, Vt in 1866: p. 64, The History and Map of Danby, Vt by John C. Williams, 1869]
TUESDAY, JANUARY 2
I went to the corner afoot, got 3 yards of cotton cloth for me a shirt. Paid $1.01 for it. Doctor Lock had a fit.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3
I went to the corner afoot. I stopped to Docter Lock's awhile &
took dinner there. It is mild winter weather. George & Matt &
[W...] went to Cuttingvill [present-day Cuttingsville, VT?] to a ball.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 4
I went to the corner afoot. Got 3 yds. cotton cloth, 90 cts, and Skein of thread etc, Rosin 3 cts. In all $1.00, had it charged.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 5
Nathaniel Gillett (1) went & carried
Lurena & I to Ransons Sherman's (2) avisiting & come after us
at night. Very cold today. George Eddy is to George's.
1.May have served in co.1, 5th Vermont regiment according to Tinmouth town history. under heading The Great Rebellion.
2. Ransons Shermans may be Ransom Sherman, a neighbor of Joseph Phillips mentioned in the Business Dir:ectory for Danby/Rutland County 1881-1882.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 6
I paid Marthey Jane greens* school order for keeping school last winter
of $33.00. I paid it to her father. I Borrowed $9.00 of Edmund
Sherman. Very cold. The thermometer is 15 to 19 degrees below zero. I
went to the Corner afoot.
*may be the Martha Jane Green mentioned on p. 153 of The History and Map of Danby, Vt by John C. Williams, 1869? She married and moved to Iowa. Father was Rowland Green.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 7
I stayed to home all day. It still grows colder. The thermometer is 20 degrees below zero.
MONDAY, JANUARY 8
Last night is the coldest night we have had. The thermometer stood 22
& 23 degees below zero this morning. I went to the corner afoot,
got 1/2 pound of coffee, 20 cts, had it charged. A little milder this
afternoon.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 9
I borrowed fifteen dollars of Josiphene*. I
went to Edmund Sherman's, paid him the 9 dollars that I borrowed of him
last Saturday. Then I went to the Corner afoot, got 10 yds. of calico
for Lurena a dress. It come to $3. Had it charged. It is some warmer
today.
*spelling is from The History and Map of Danby, Vt by John C. Williams, 1869]
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10
I had Ransom's wagon to get to Middletown to get some medicine of Dr.
H?for Lurena. I got 2 shoes set on old gray mare. Paid 10 cents. I went
to Corner in evening. Got one pint of brandy that ? got to Rutland for
me. I paid $1.50 for it. I got half pint of alcohol, paid 33 cts for
it. Got ?
THURSDAY, JANUARY 11
I took home Ransom's wagon this morning, then I went to the Corner
afoot. The school teacher come here tonight. Stute Thornton came here,
stayed all night. Mild winter weather. Etsel went to Poltney. We
foddered the last hay in the Sherman apple meadow yesterday. We took
the cows home this morning to fodder.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 12
I rode down to the Corner with N. N. Gillitt. He went & told
Harrington to fetch my hay home. He fetched it home-- one of my sows
was a racing! I Bought one 2 inch chisel & one 1-1/2 inch chisel of
Gideon's. I paid him 75 cents for them. Mild winter weather ...
flurries of snow yesterday at night.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 13
I went to the corner afoot. I bought of Gideon's one hoe 17 cts, one
frying pan 34 cents, one dinner pot 48, in [all?] 99cts. I paid him
$1.00. I rode home with George C? It has thawed all day. It rained a
little in afternoon.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 14
It froze hard last night. Very cold. The wind in the north, a little flurry of snow last night. I stayed to Asel's all day. Asel & Nathaniel went to Wells [Wells, VT?] after Asel's harness. ["Asel" may be Asael Thornton who married Joseph's daughter, Jane, according to The History and Map of Danby, Vt by John C. Williams, 1869]
MONDAY, JANUARY 15
Very cold last night & cold today. I went to the Corner afoot to Uncle Ben Fisk's funeral. I went across the pond*.
I got Delphine a book, had it charged, cost 35 cts. Seneca Smith is
very sick. [Smith served as Justice of the Peace 1848-1850 according to
The History and Map of Danby, Vt by John C. Williams, 1869]
*scroll all the way to the right, halfway down to see Danby Pond, which may be the pond he refers to.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 16
I went to town to ? John ?'s funeral & to the Corner. I rode home with Aesel. Warmer today.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17
I went to Rutland to Agriculture meeting. Had N.N. Gillitt's
Wagon. I got one pint of Brandy paid $1.50 cts for it. I come
back to Charles Sherman. Stayed all night. We wrote 2 letters to Iowa.
George Shot Warren Vaughan's dog so they tell me.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 18
I stayed all night to Charles Sherman's last night. I come home
in forenoon. I went to Senica Smiths funeral in the
afternoon. I went afoot. It thaws some today. I got
half pint of alcohol. It cost 39? cts. Had it charged.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19
Lurena*, Delphine*, and I went to Dr. Locks avisiting. Went with a wagon. It thaws some today. Dr. Hains come here. Stayed all night. [Lurena, Joseph's wife; Adelphine, Joseph's daughter]
SATURDAY, JANUARY 20
I went to G.H. Vail's with Mandevill
Boutell. I Borrowed ($100,) one hundred dollars of Vail for Boutell.
Give my note for it. I paid 5 cents for stamp. Lurena Josephein and I
went to the Corner in a wagon. Quite muddy. It thawed all last night
and all day today. Rained some in afternoon.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 21
It froze up hard last night & snowed ?
flurries, very slippery, very cold. The wind Blown and ? Aesel went to
carry his mother home to Castelton. I stayed to home all day.
