Amos Gorrell was born on 12 February 1837 in Beaver County, Pennsylvania to Amos Gorrell and Leah Wollam. He married Catherine Elizabeth (Shotts) Sayre, widow of Lemuel Sayre, on 6 February 1866 in Ross County, Ohio. They moved the next month to Missouri.
Amos kept a diary he purchased yearly that fit in a pocket. His daily entries were short and somewhat cryptic. This year's diary was found in the effects of William Amos Netherton, grandson of Amos, through his daughter Linnie Sarah (Gorrell) Netherton. Karen Netherton and Carolyn (Netherton) Clark transcribed it in 1982.
They had not yet moved to Cooper County and were living in Saline County. The nearest town was Arrow Rock.
Examples from the 1868 diary are below. Misspellings are Amos'.
Wednesday, Jan. 1st. Weather clear and pleasent New years day (of ears). Mr. Collins and wife comes down to our house. We have an Egg Nog and dinner here. We are engaged Salting away our meat, rendering lard, making Sausage, etc. Mrs. Collins help my wife as we butchered yesterday. Bob Garret and his wife has had a falling out and are going to part. Bob comes to me and borrow $10.00 as he is going to Boonville to get a divorce.
Thursday Jan. 2nd. Weather clear and warm most of the day, cloudy and rains a little in the morning early. We are invited to a Turkey-Roast at Mr. Washington Kincades. mr. Collins and wife and Liby and I go in the wagon to the turkey-roast. Miss Dash Turly, Miss Sallie Kincade and Miss Thomas are there. Have a quite a pleasent time. Get home about Sundown. We pay Collinses & Bobs their Sausage & lard.
Monday Jan. 13th. Weather cloudy most of the day and very cold. Begins to Snow about 3 o'clock and Snows until near midnight. I make 100 rails for Sam Collins in the A.M., $1.00. go to the Postoffice in the PM and mail our letter. Get a short letter from Sister Sallie. She tells us David Sayerses address. Sam Collins kills 21 hogs today. The last of his fat hogs.
Wednesday, Feb. 5th. Weather, cloudy most of the day with a little snow moderating most of the day. But turns very cold in the evening. Gather corn. bob, Dill and Jack helps. We gather 11 loads. Have two teams. Finish gathering all our stalk corn. I sell one load to Jack for seven dollars. He is to pay me against the 1st of March next. I have about 85 bbls of corn cribed or 4.25 bushels.
Wednesday, Feb. 12th. Weather, clear and moderate. Thaws a goodeal. I get the oxen and haul seven loads of wood. Get Bob to mend Libies Shoes. He puts 3 patches on and sews them up behind. Chrges 75 cts. I go over & get them in the Evening. This is the 31st aniversary of my Birth Day.
Saturday, Feb. 29th. Weather, clear most of the Day and warm. We have a child born at 15 minutes past 12 in the morning. a fine little Daughter, weighs 7 lbs. Liby gets along very well. Mrs. Collins and Eliza stays all night. The Dr goes home about 2 and charges me $10.00 for his services. I pay him. Eliza washes for us charges 50 cts. She gets 6 chickens from us $1.50. Dill comes after them in the evening. Mrs Collins stays all day. Mr Case & wife comes to our house to see my wife, and to buy some butter. They get 3 1/2 lbs at 30 cts per lb ($1.05). Saml collins takes Dinner at our house. I chop and haul a load of wood and do choers about the house. Dr. Ross calls to see how Liby and the Babe is getting along in the A.M. Pronounces all right. Mrs. Collins stays with us all night.
Thursday, March 12th. Weather, cloudy most of the day and cool. I get Bobs horse and go to Boonville. See my Claim Agt. about collecting Pension. He thinks it unnecessary to make out another Aplication. Buy 15 yds of muslin at 20 cts yer yd $3.00 --ruber for a net 5 cts. A Dress for the baby (2 yds) at 60 cts per yd $1.20. Eleven yds of Velain for Liby a dress at 35 cts per yd. $3.75. Eight yds of calico at 15 cts per yd. A Book for Bob 45 cts. Two Patent Bolts 15 cts. Pay 15 for ferrage. Buy two glass marbles for May and Landy 10 cts. Get home at Half past 8 oclock. Get leather to fix Boots 75 cts.
Monday, March 23rd. Weather, cloudy at intervales and very warm, with a sprinkle of rain. I go to Arrow rock. ride my young horse. He tries to throw me several times. But don't do it. I go to see Baker about buying a Piece of land (80 acres) from him. But he asks $20.00 per Acre. and I won't give it.
Monday, March 30th. Weather clear & very warm. I go to Col. Stapls. and buy 24 and 60/100 acres of land. Pay him $200.00 down and give him my note for $100.00 payable on or before the 1st day of Jan 1869. He makes me a title Bond for the land. Come home via Mr. Clarks to see him about his House & land which I am to rent. But he is not at home. Liby goes up to Mr. Collinses visiting. Mandy comes down & helps her up with the children.
Note. It is interesting that he made this purchase in March but the deed for 24 and 61/100 acres was recorded as having been transacted on 6 Aug 1869. Perhaps that was the day that Amos finally paid on the note. I'll have to check the 1869 diary to see what's up.
This is just a sampling of the 365 entries in the 1868. Individual entries don't say much but taken as a whole, one can study what farming was like in this part of Missouri. I see that he was busy most of the day. Many people came to visit and he went to many people's places. He or Liby wrote letters for others, so that gives clues that they both were literate and others in the community were not. He corresponded with family from Ross County, Ohio: the Shotts, Sayres, and Gorrells. Further research could be into who these neighbors he often mentions are.
I am also considering digitizing the diaries and posting them to the Internet Archive so others can view them. They make a good social history study.
#52Ancestors-Week 7: Letters & Diaries
This is my eighth year working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow (https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/) at Generations Cafe.
I write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family (https://mam-massouthernfamily.blogspot.com/) or My Trails into the Past (https://mytrailsintothepast.blogspot.com/). I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways.
You said that individual entries don't say much, but I beg to disagree. One of the aspects I noticed immediately is he gives other people's names a lot. That means there is so much information that so many people now could learn about their relatives, along with the broader background of what a farmer's life in Missouri at this time was like. I also noticed the reference to a pension application, so he probably served in the Civil War. This is a goldmine of information. I think your idea to put everything on the Internet Archive is a great one, and I encourage you to do it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that there is a lot of news about other people in the community. I have his pension file, but I think this mention of a pension has to do with his stepson's pension.
DeleteWhat a treasure you have in that diary! Would love to have something like that for my one CW ancestor. 0.
ReplyDelete