Diary of H H Walters - 1879 Donated by and transcibed by Lori Craynor ************************************************************************ USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ************************************************************************ Jan 1, 1879 Wednesday Snowed nearly all forenoon. Taught school having dismissed the week before. A memorable day in the nation's history owing to the resumption of specie payments. March 7, 1879 Friday Last day of tenth term of school. A large crowd were present. Took super at Mr. Allen's with Minnie. March 13, 1879 Thursday Left Mr. Fisher's for home traveling on foot. James Williamson overtook me three miles southeast of King City and I rode nearly home with him in his wagon. I had made a trip up to Conception before starting for home to see the work on the railroad. Found Will Brown on a visit on arriving at home. March 23, 1879 Sunday My twenty-seventh birthday. I left home the day before to visit Minnie, taking dinner with Clarence Bray near King City. Made the trip on horseback getting in by 5 o clock. Spent the day with Minnie at home and discussed the propriety of getting married soon. Left for home the next day and made the trip without stopping for dinner. April 7, 1879 Monday Commenced my eleventh term of school with an attendance of sixteen. I had secured our home school at Willow Brook for three months at $30.00 per month. I boarded at home during the summer. April 11, 1879 Friday Minnie having sent me notice that she would be ready for our marriage on the 12th, I dismissed school early in the afternoon and rode up to meet the appointment. Arrived by 11. P. M. ++++++++++ entry undated Our wedding day proved to be very fine. We spent the forenoon together and were married about 3 P. M. by Elder Israel Christie of the Baptist Church as he was Minnie's pastor. Only members of Mr. Fisher's family were present. As Minnie and I both had secured schools, we chose Saturday as our wedding day so as not to interfere with our school duties. We had been engaged just fourteen months. and were married on the very spot where that engagement had been made. Our marriage was not suspected at the time, as I was supposed to be in DeKalb having made the trip to Mr. Fisher's in the night. The next day I returned home and on Monday morning was at my school room as usual. as was Minnie. We had agreed to regard our marriage simply as a matter of business and acted accordingly. Knowing from observation that matrimony brings many expenses, we had determined not to make them heavier by a wedding trip. Our friends, with two or three exceptions, were first informed of our marriage through the newspapers; and even then but few would credit the news, by reason of our being apart for three weeks following the date given. I was twenty-seven on the 23rd of March, while Minnie eighteenth birthday was on the 26th of January previous. I had no definite plans made for the future but decided to follow whatever our judgement pro____ted. Neither of us received or expected any assistance from others and with a determination to "paddle our own canoe" started out on the ocean of life on which we trust it will not be ours to wreck. +++++++ May 3, 1879 Saturday Left home, after dismissing school on the evening before, on my first trip north. Rode on horseback and arrived shortly after midnight. Made an application for the Carr school going down and back on horseback. Minnie and I took a walk over the railroad grade on Sunday. Left for home after dinner. May 11, 1879 Sunday Minnie and I attended the Island Branch Church, Baptist, being the first time since our marriage. I had left as usual on Friday after dismissing my school and rode as far as Clarence Bray's near King City where I staid all night. The next morning, I called on Stevens at his boarding place, and stopped at Mr. Wm. Sibalds where I drew up a contract to teach the Karr school for the coming winter term for six months at $40.00 per month. Passed through Island City or properly speaking, stopped there on my way to Mr. Fisher's. Minnie and I took a walk in the afternoon to the railroad grade where the hands were at work. On Monday, I went with Minnie to her school and spent an hour there before leaving for my own. Arrived at home about dark. June 7, 1879 Saturday As Mr. Beatty and wife were going to visit their son-in-law, Clarence Bray, I accepted their offer to take me that far on my way to see Minnie. Took dinner at Clarence's and started to make the rest of the trip on foot but was overtaken by Mat Van Deveer(?) and rode six miles with him. June 8, 1879 Sunday Minnie and I went over to Bud Lilly's the evening before and staid all night; his wife being her only sister. Took another walk over the railroad grade and went to church with Bud and his wife. Wils Stockton and wife came back with us and took dinner at Mr. Fisher's. On Monday, Will Fisher took me in a wagon to the county line as it was quite muddy owing to the rain the night before. Found Mr. Beatty waiting for me at Clarence's. Arrived at home shortly after noon. July 1, 1879 Tuesday Last day of eleventh term of school, and also the last day of school ever taught in the old school house at Willow Brook. Walked to town and drew my money after closing school. July 2, 1879 Wednesday Walked from home to Mr. Fisher's going by way of Winslow and King City. Carried a valise from home and stopped at Clarence Bray's and got another that I had left there. Saw the hands laying track on the Narrow Gauge. Made the whole trip of thirty three miles on foot carrying eight pounds in a valise all of the way and as much more from King City. Mother's fiftieth birthday. July 4, 1879 Friday Spent the Fourth with Minnie at the grove west of the Stanberry depot site. The day proved to be quite lively as the country was excited over the railroad. On the day before, I was present at Minnie's school which closed then. +++++++++++++ Transcribers notes: 1) "mother" was Anna K. Ballou, b 1829 Darmstadt, GE Will Fisher (Willis E. Fisher), Minnie's bro, was b 1857 Fairfield Co., OH. 2) I would be interested in knowing if any of you have families moving from this area of OH. The Fishers moved in 1865. +++++++++++++ August 20, 1879 Wednesday Left Mr. Fisher's and walked up to Isadora to deliver my books which had been sent there. After getting through this work, I walked down to Mr. Fisher's again on Wednesday Aug 27th. Sept. 1, 1879 Monday Commenced my twelvth term of school with an attendance of 22. Boarded with Jno M. Skinner from Monday night till Friday noon of every week. The rest of the time I boarded at Mr. Fisher's though 8 miles apart. Taught at the Karr school house. November 8, 1879 Saturday Mr. Skinner and I went down to our old home in DeKalb in his wagon. Rained nearly all the way. He was to come for me the next day to take me back to my school, but failed to do so. I waited for him till nearly sundown and then left for my school on foot. I traveled about four miles before dark and the rest of the way by starlight, there being no moon. The roads were muddy and my road at one place crossed a strip of prairie without a fence or improvement for 5 miles. I made the whole trip of 22 miles before midnight. Lost my way once or twice. Mr. Skinner made the trip the next day in a drenching rain. On Monday, I had 35 pupils in attendance and felt well paid for my efforts to reach my school. I made another trip to DeKalb after New Years going on horseback, but as I did not continue keeping pocket diary after 1879 the date is lost. 1879 (this is long - tells of beginning of Stanberry) The year 1879 was an important one and particularly so to me. The winter was cold with a heavy snow-fall giving us good roads for sleighing for several weeks. This prevented deep freezing and as a result the wheat crop was very good. While at Mr. Fisher's in the spring, he dug some potatoes which had remained where they grew, during the winter. But few of them were injured. The spring was dry, giving farmers a fine chance to cultivate their crops. In fact, the small grain and hay would have been much better had there been more rain. On the 7th of June while on a trip to Gentry, I saw that most of the meadows were quite bare, so much so that they would not hide a rabbit. In a few days it began to rain and rained hard every few days till fall. The meadows sprouted and produced a fair crop of hay while the small grain was good though the straw was shot. The corn crop was the best I have ever seen in the West. After we were married, we finished our schools and had not as yet formed any definite plans for the future. After closing my school, on July 1st I had nothing to do before Sept. 1st, when my winter term began. Wishing to recruit my health I canvassed for "Chase's Receipes" in Worth Co. and met with fair success. I did my canvassing on foot which required a great amount of walking. During my winter term of school, I boarded three days of the week at Mr. Fisher's and the other four days at Mr. Jno. Skinner's. With one or two exceptions, I made the trip of 8 miles ot my school on foot on Monday morning and back again on Friday evening. My expenses at both places were about the same. Financially, the year was one to be long remembered, as specie payments were resumed on Jan 1st. during the war it was thought necessary to suspend specie payments and many evils came therefrom. From that time until 1876 there was no specie in general circulation. About that time fractional paper currency gave way to silver coin of denominations less than one dollar. After business confidence was restored and resumption proved a success, gold and silver circulated freely and money that had been hoarded for years was invested. Business became brisk, commodities were no longer sold at a loss to the producer, and for a time it seemed as if speculation would produce bad results. At last, after some of the most venturesome had met with losses, affairs began to arrange themselves naturally. Railroad building, which had almost been on a standstill since the panic of 1873, was now resumed with more interest than ever before. The great army of tramps that had been such a nuisance for years were now able to find employment and none but those who were too lazy and vicious to make good citizens remained to infest quiet industrious communities. Before the panic, a railroad company had commenced building a road from Brunswick, MO to Omaha, Nebr but had finished their work no farther than Pattonsburg, Mo when the hard times interfered with further operations. The road was sold to the St. Louis, Kansas City and Northern and by that company was completed. After this the road was united to the Wabash system and is now known as the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific. A division town became a necessity after the road was completed to Omaha and a tract of land was purchased by the Western Improvement Company north of the depot three miles southwest of Mt. Pleasant. It was surveyed into town lots and a sale of them was made on the ____(blank) of September. This was the beginning of Stanberry and building at once commenced. The following winter proved to be open and work was pushed forward without any serious interruption. Within a year the town contained over 2000 inhabitants and has been improving ever since. About February, Mr. Fisher by way of trade secured a forty acre tract of land not costing over $100 00/100. Before the year closed, he sold it for $1500 00/100 and that tract is now known as "Moore's Addition to Stanberry." The solitary road that I had traveled two years before after night when going back and forth to attend our debates, is now Main Street in Stanberry. Mr. Fisher rented his farm and built a house and implement warehouse in town and has been selling implements there ever since. A good market was created which gave me an opportunity to make a better choice of means to gain a support for us.