Monday, May 28, 2012

Herbert's Log Book

Memorial Day, 2012.  My grandfather, Herbert Campbell, was a careful, methodical man, laconic and bright. He left Syracuse University, where he was studying Chemistry, to join the army during WWI.  The war ended as he was crossing the Atlantic, so his time in France was spent working in the military post office.  He returned home to Athens, PA, and did not graduate from college..  He loved stamp collecting, photography. astronomy, meteorology, and especially DXing, the hobby of receiving and identifying far away radio stations.

When I struggled with the concept of square root in high school.  He wrote me a letter which explained the procedure step by step, and suddenly it all became clear.

Reading through his meticulous diary recently, I realized that I had in my possession photographs he and others had taken of many of the places and events that were mentioned.  Sifting through albums, and boxes of photos, I have put together this illustrated diary in his honor. 

Herbert at home with camera.



Herbert's Diary - a US Navy Log Book



Herbert Campbell's Diary 1925-1956

transcribed by his granddaughter – Angela Candela 2012

1925

Chickens for year. Started in with 4 R.I. Reds at first of year with three roosters. Killed two roosters for table and sold one. Borrowed another hen to set, who raised 3 pullets and one cockerel. Put her in with the laying flock in July.
The first egg was laid Jan. 15 and the last one, Dec. 6. They laid a total of 645 or 53 doz. 9 eggs.
Eclipse and an East Athens hill


Jan. 24 Total eclipse of sun.
Jan. 28 22 ° below zero at 6 A.M.
Feb 28 9:25 P.M. Earthquake
May 24-25 night. Two inches snow
Sept. 22-23 night. First frost
Oct. 10 First snow. 4 mo. 15 da. From last snow to first snow.
Oct. 25 Fire started in heater


1926

To begin 1926, Mother gave me 3 pullets, making a flock of 1 rooster, 5 hens a year or more of age and 6 pullets.
Candace Brainerd Campbell
Jan. 7 First freezing temperature of the new year.
Jan. 8-9 Snowfall of about 14 inches
Jan. 16-22 “January thaw”

Jan. 18 471/2 rating became effective. “London Fog” day. Fannie Brainerd buried.
Jan. 28 Big blizzard
East Athens snowfall - January 1926
The Campbell home and barn after 20" snowfall - 1926



Feb. 3-4 About 20 inches of snow during night.
Feb 11-12 10° at Montrose.
Feb 14+15 Slush + rain
Feb 16 O.O. Claffin 80 today living on Elm St. Athens says this winter has had the most disagreeable weather since the Civil War.
Feb 21 Mrs. Helen Cole died
Mch. 1 First spring like day
Mch. 6 3° below at daylight
Mch. 13 Grandma Wands went home on the 1:12. A bitter cold day. 6° in the morning. There have been only 2 days this month on which it has thawed except at noon in the sun. (Grandma is Herbert's mother-in-law - ac)
Moon's mother, Olive Sherwood Wands.
note: (Mazie and Moon are nicknames of Herbert's wife, Mary Lavinia Wands, who grew up in Collamer, NY. Beezum is a pet nickname for his daughter, my mother, Janice Irene Campbell.   - ac)
Mch. 19 3rd thawing day of the month.
Mch. 21 First day of spring – springlike. This continued until the 26th.
Mch 24. T.W. Cat died.
Apr. 13 First “peeper” heard.
Apr. 20 In the night Spring arrived
May 30 An exceptionally cold month with frost nearly every night. No rain since the first week in month.
May 31 First of heavy rains
June 1 9:05 P.M. Remarkable display of Northern Lights
Pierce family at home in Tully, NY. Moon standing at right

June 6 Family went to Tully
June 27 Went to Tully reunion. Returned with family.

Janice on a pony.
July 3 Janice broke her arm.
July 9 Hot. 85° at 10 P.M. 80° at 5 A.M. On the 10th H.R.X.
July 17 5 P.M. Heard the explosion of U.S. Naval Arsenal at Dover N.J
July 20 One of a three day spell of great heat.
July 22 Spell of heat broken by disastrous wind and rain.
July 27 Grandma and Frances arrived for visit
Frances Pierce
July 31 Took last of bandage off of Janice's arm.
Aug 11 Grandma and Frances went home
Sept 10 A light frost in the morning. No damage
Oct. 2 Grandma arrived on train for visit.
Oct. 9 A light frost at 9:30 P.M. Rained off. Some nearby touches on the 7th and 8th.
Oct. 18 Two or three light frosts that rained off. A frost last night was followed by rain and snow this morning. Little damage done.
Northern lights have been quite conspicuous this fall.
Oct. 17 Lighted first fire in heater .
Oct. 20 About an inch of snow in the morning.
Oct. 25 The first good sharp white frost. First skim ice
Oct. 27-28 Sharp hard freeze. 24° at 6 A.M.
Than Pierce
Nov.. 7 Than and Kathryn came and got grandma.
Nov. 12 Harrison 13 month old and can feed himself. (Their second child Harrison Sherwood Campbell)
Nov. 16 Great rainfall. Bridge near Morse's went out. Water over concrete road on forenoon of 17th.
Dec. 5 The month started very cold. 1° at 8:30 last night. Great Blizzard all day from daylight until 4 P.M. With temperatures between 5° and 9°
Dec. 7 Temperature 6:30 A.M -7°
Dec. 11-12 Mild enough to melt the snow in thin places.
Dec. 18-19 -5½° at 9 P.M. -8° at 7 A.M.
Christmas at the Campbell's, a doll stroller and "Our Gang" paper dolls.
The temperature went below zero on 3 occasions this month. X'mas was rather mild. It was -2° on the morning of the 29th.

1927

Chickens.
Began the year with 11 hens and 1 rooster. Hatched and raised 4 roosters and 4 pullets. Total 14 hens + 5 roosters.
Killed the 1925 rooster and two hens. Sold 2 young roosters. Oct. 23 for $2.50. Balance 13 hens + 2 rooters to start 1927 with.
Sold eggs to value of $8.64 making cash receipts $11.14.
Hens laid 108 7/12 dozen eggs.

Jan. 2 -3° at 7:30 A.M.
Jan 9 -10° at 7 A,M. Lowest on Esterbrooks recorded was -14°F
Jan. 10 -3 ½ ° at 6:30 A.M.
Jan 15 Blizzard. Very similar to Dec. 5 except that wind was from north.
Jan 16 -3°F at 7:15 A.M.
Jan 18-20 January Thaw
Jan 23 Explosion of Gas Plant
Jan 26-27 -13° at 10 P.M.
-15½° at 6:30 A.M
 (I feel that I must add that my grandparents, had an outhouse some hundred feet from the house, behind the barn.  Personally, I can't imagine using an outhouse in the above mentioned weather!   The house had no indoor plumbing until the 1960's when the porch on the east side of the house was converted to a bathroom, and the kitchen got running water.  My grandparents were made of tough stuff. - ac)
Followed by a week of very warm weather. Snow and ice disappeared and about all the frost went out of the ground.
Feb. 16 A thunderstorm in the evening lasting a couple of hours. Up to this time it has scarcely frozen this month.
Feb. 18 About 6 in. snow in the night.
Feb 19 About 6 in. more snow in the night. The most is now on the ground that has been on this winter.
Mch 18 Peepers heard.
Mch 23 13½° at 6:30 A.N. This is the coldest of the month. Feb was like a mild march. March so far resembles May. The grass in lawns is quite green.
Downing Brown drank poison hootch tonight.
Mch 25 Ada Walker died
Mch 17 First snowdrop blossomed.
Apr. 14-17 Visit to Tully
Apr. 29 Hens laid egg circumferences of which were 6 7/8 x 8 ¼.

June 21 Pierces came and brought grandma for a visit. (The Pierces are Than and Katie. Katie is the sister of Herbert's wife Mary Wands Campbell. Than and Katherine have daughters Olive, Lois, and Frances. They live in Tully, NY. Grandma lives near Tully, in Vesper. - ac)
Than, Katherine and Olive Pierce

July 4 Clear with cold north wind. Initiated “boom car” with 42 rounds. K.K.K. Parade and fireworks
July 15 Grandma, Mazie and Beezum went to Tully on 3:56 P.M. train. Will attend Collamer Old Home Day on 16th and Ruth Johnson's wedding on 18th.

The old family farm in Collamer, NY
Saw rainbow in the east at 7:37 P.M.
July 23 Bill Armstong hurt.
July 30 First pea canning.
Single Spike - first seeding 1927
July 31 First gladiolus, “Sweet Lavender” bloomed. (Mary Wands Campbell grew and loved gladiolus and was humor editor and cartoonist of the American Gladiolus Society magazine - ac)
Moon and tall glad
Aug 10 7:57 P.M. Saw bright meteor in N.E. Sky.
 Sept 16 Pierces came and brought Grandma.
Sept 23-24 Light touch of frost in some localities which did no damage.
Oct 2 N.B.A meeting in Athens. 93° highest official temperature ever reported here in October.
Oct. 20 Flood which did much damage. Water over the road about 36 hours.
Flooded flats - East Athens
Oct. 23-24 First white frost on places.
Oct. 26 Grandma with the rest of family left for Tully on 1:16 train.
Nov. 3 First snow laid white on hill tops for several days.
Nov. 4 Last gladiolus bloomed - “Apex”. Other buds brought into house.
Nov 5 Agnes Swezey died. Buried P.M. of 8th
Harrison and Janice with Olive's children, Cynthia and Than Stanton
Nov. 6 Than brought family home. Hugh + Olive came along with Than Jr. + Cynthia. (Olive Pierce married Hugh Stanton and they had two children, Nathaniel and Cynthia - a)

Pierce's Car

Dec. 4 Month starts cold. 11½° at 8 A.M.
The weather of 1927 in a nutshell
1928

Year started in rather cold, but became warm in a few days.

Jan. 11 Attended lecture of Sir Wilfred Grenfell
Jan 13 Thunderstorm and high winds.
Jan 15 Towanda weather bureau reports the 1st half of the month to be the warmest since
weather records have been kept here.
Jan 20 Warm spell broken by blizzard and high winds at about 10°.
Jan 27 1° at 6:30 A.M. Coldest yet this winter
Feb 17-18 First real snow 6 ins.
Feb 21 +2° at 6:30 A.M.
Feb. 22 +2° at 6:30 A.M.
Feb 23 Too warm for comfort
March the most windy month.
17th Had dinner at Phebe's. Started snowing about midnight. Snowed about one foot – the heaviest snow by far.
Apr. 13 6 P.M. A remarkable sun dog was seen over the setting sun. Up near the zenith, three rainbows were visible. No noteworthy spell of weather except some rain seems to have followed.
Apr. 28 The rest of the month proved exceptionally cold. On the night of 27-28 and all day of t he 28th it snowed and rained, causing much damage. In the hills 13 in on the level and drifts about 6 ft. deep are reported.
Herbert shoveling snow
May 26 We all went to Tully on 3:56 train.
May 27 I returned on 9:18 P.M. Train.
May 31 Than, Olive and Than Jr. came with the rest of the family bringing grandma also.
July 1 The June past was the wettest June on record and was exceeded as a wet month only once – July 1915
East Athens Community Hall in winter
July 4 Big celebration at Community Hall. Very hot. Fired 40 rounds on the Boom Car.
July 7 Electrical phenomenon in sky during the evening similar to Aurora – red + green
July was a hot month. Rainfall slightly below par.
July 27 Puss finished the 6 weeks of summer school.
Sept 1 Than Catherine, Lois and Frances came and took Grandma back to Tully


LVRR Storehouse
LVRR Locomotive Shop

Herbert Campbell in back to right of pole, with the "SGS Gang"  He worked for the Lehigh Valley Rail Road in Sayre.

Sept 14 Had Friday P.M.  + Sat AM off for the Fair
Sept 24-25 First touch of frost.
Harrison S. Campbell
Oct. 12 Harrison's first trip to the movies as a birthday treat.
Oct 27-28 First “black freeze”
Oct 20-21 Meeting of North Branch Association
Best October weather possible.
Nov. 10 Last ripe tomato used.
Nov 25 Tedious day with blizzards. 14°F at 9 P.M. First bad Sunday since last summer.
Nov. 26 Beezum came down with chicken pox. Misses school for first time.

Additional Weather
Jan 25 - Hurricane - Sayre, Troy and LeRaysville suffered great damage.
April 4 – 81° reached
Aug 5 – 92° and on the 6th a cloudburst at Alba. On the 10th was a more widespread cloudburst.
Dec. 31 – The last day was like summer. Little rain since July and almost no snow. Driest Dec. on record here and the warmest since 1916 except 1923.

1929

Jan 16 -4° at 5:30 A.M.
Jan 26 Mrs Boardman died at 10 A.M.
Jan 27 -1° at 7 A.M.
Jan. 29 Went to the Capitol (Waverly) with the Hazards.
Feb. 5 0° at 6 A.M.
Feb. 23 Coldest of winter – 0° - 10° in morning
March was very warm
Apr. 1 Great Wind Storm
Apr. 5 Thunderstorms doing great damage
Apr. 6 Repairs started on Cooper place.
Apr. 16-17 Heaviest snowfall of the season.
Apr. 21 Following heavy rains, river is over road for the second time this spring.
Apr. 7 Rich “Easter” supper
Apr. 20 Mrs. Boardman's sale
May was a wet cold month , with many frosts. On the morning of the 10th it was 26°F. Decoration Day was 88°F in the shade.
June 1 Went to Tully on the 3:56
June 2 I came home on the 9:18
June 5 Than brought the family and Grandma home.
June 10 Millie Hadlock dies.
June 19 F. L. Esterbrook dies.
June 20 Eliza Carmer dies.

So far this has been the hottest June on record and one of the direst.

June 25 Drought of about one month broken.
Bradford County cemetery
July 1 Grant Park dies.
July 4 Warm with very strong South Wind. Grant Parks buried.
Rich's complete for supper and celebration.
July 18 Terrific thunderstorm.
July 20 First Gladiolus bloomed

Aug 8 Grandma, wife and kids went to Tully on 1:12 P.M. Train.
Aug 11 Wife, kids, Olive and kids returned on 3:56 train bringing Mother Machree.
Aug 12 Earthquake about 6:30 A.M.
Aug 15 Than and Grant French came after Olive and kids. (Grant French was a business partner of Than - ac)
Turn of Rocks overlooking the Susquehanna south of Athens
Aug 24 H. Bull reports that Susquehanna is at lowest water level in 35 years.
Aug. 26 Emily Merrill died at Frank Perry's

Aug 31 6 P.M. Gertie, Ben + children arrived. (Gertie and Ben Hall - ac)
Sept 2 10 A.M. Hall's left.
Sept 6+7 Refreshing rains, following a drought of great severity. River below zero stage. Since June 1 there has been a deficiency of 5.41 in. rain. August was slightly cooler than usual but September opened with torrid heat.
Towanda hard hit for water. Schools fail to open.
Sept 9-14 Fair week. Rained practically whole week. Had Thursday P.M. Off
Sept 18-19-20-21 White Frosts.
Sept. 21 “Los Angeles” over Sayre (This refers to the zeppelin, Los Angeles -ac)
Sayre train yard
Oct. 11 Than, Hughie, + Frances brought Grandma for a visit.
Oct. 12 N.B. Association meets at Standing Stone
Oct. 17 First snow.
Nov. 10 Mazie escorted Grandma home on the 1:12 train, returning on the 11th on the 11:58.
Nov. 28 Thanksgiving. About 1” of snow on the ground and numerous blizzards.
Nov. 30 6 ½° at 6 A.M. 50 mile gale all night. -28° in midwest. Coldest November night ever known (Except 11-24-14 which was same here) River froze across and remained so until Dec. 5
Dec. 15 Saw a robin.
The weather in detail from the local paper, and Grandpa's letter opener, which I use daily.  ac
1930 (See diary of year)

1931

Jan. 2 -2½ ° in morning.
Back row:Walter Tubbs, Lillian Bostwick, Cornelia Campbell Bostwick.  Front Walter and Lillian's son, Sally DeGroff Campbell, Herbert's Grandmother. Taken in 1913 on her 90th birthday

Jan. 8 Aunt Cornelia Bostwick dies – my last aunt.
Jan. 25 Edith Emerson dies. Buried the 28th – the same day that Hulda Campbell was buried.
Jan. 27 The nearest approach to a breakup that we have had this winter. The sleighing on concrete road is poor for the first time since xmas.

Feb 3 -8° in morning. Struble's lowest -12°
Feb. 4 Hens produced a strange egg. 7” x 8 5/8” Inside contained a regular hard shelled egg instead of expected yolk.
Feb. 11 -4° at 7 A.M.
Feb, 17 Sleighing spoiled on concrete road. 55 days of good sleighing on this road.
Mch. 1 Jim Miller dies in Franklin, N.Y.
Mch. 3 Burns move.
Mch. 4 Fire in town hall.
Mch. 18 Saw robin.
Mch. 23 First spring like day.
Mch. 26 Snowdrops blossom.
Mch. 28 Yard completely free of ice and snow – first time since before Xmas.
Apr. 1 Mrs Mallory dies.
Apr. 7 Heaviest snowfall of season.
Apr. 9 First spring like day – first peepers - first crocus.
Apr 25 Used last of Greenings.
June 3 Than and Kathryn bring Grandma for a visit.
June 14 Claude Brink dies.

The last few days of June and the first few days of July were the culmination of a terrific heat wave causing 1400 deaths in the U.S. It was broken by a great storm at 4 P.M. July 2.
July 18 Count Wolcott killed.
Sept. 5 E.A.S.S. Picnic (East Athens Sunday School -ac)
Sept. 16 Olive, Lois + little Helen came down and returned the 17th with Grandma.
Sept. 27 N.B.A. at Athens (North Branch Association of Universalists – ac)
Oct. Bert building his new house.
Nov. 1 First fire in Homer – a wood one.
Nov. 6 First coal fire. First snow flurries.
Nov. 7 Puss gets the new Lizzie. (Herbert's sister Hazel, nicknamed Puss, got a new car. A favorite pastime was taking leisurely drives through the countryside.  Herbert never drove, but Moon later learned to drive bought a Model A Ford which she drove  for many years– ac)

Hazel and her new "Liz"Hazel took great pride in her many automobiles
Nov. 10 Let fire out in furnace, starting it again 
Nov. 19 to dry out glad bulbs.
Nov. 22 All go for ride in new car – Milan, Ulster, Towanda, Wysox, Myersburg, Rome, N. Orwell + Nichols.
Ulster Bridges
 
Forsythia has a few blossoms.
Nov. 26 Started Homer again.
Nov. 27 Two inches of heavy wet snow.
Nov. 29 Elisha Rich died. Had Rev. Gay at supper.

1932

Jan. 6 Bert sows rye.
Jan. 12-15 Thermometer stands at 70° thru most of sunlight hours.
Jan. 13 Meyers fire – 2 children die of suffocation.
Rainbow at 8 A.M.
Jan. 15 Rainbow at 7:30 P.M.
Feb. 15 Winter sets in.
10° at 6 A.M. Feb 16
6° at 7 A.M. Feb 21
Mch. 6 Rain at 3 P.M., turning to snow with high winds and falling thermometer produces most disastrous storm in point of damage to transportation + communication that has perhaps been recorded. Without lights from 9 P.M. Sun. the 6th until 2 P.M. The 8th.
Thermometer at 0° at daylight the 9th.
Mch 28 Duplicate of storm of the 6th. About 20 in, of snow but not wet at first and so not as damaging.
Apr. 30 Planted sweet corn for Struble. Furnace out until May 2 – first time
May 29 Big botanical trip – Lix and back
June 2 Dora Vosburg died.
Bumptown Church
June 19 Hunt Hollow, Osborne Hill and Bumpville trip.
Windham Road
July 3 Windham, Warren Center and Lake O'Meadows trip
July 5 Blake Wolfe killed.
July 3rd to 7th heavy rains.
July 14 Than and Katie took rest of family to Tully.


Windham Cemetery
July 15 Bumpville – Lix + Windham trip with mother and Maggie. (possibly Maggie Rich - ac)
July 19 Steam Mill Hollow trip.
July 22 Than and Katie brought back family. Hail storm in afternoon – stones larger than walnuts.
Janice in the passenger seat of Hazel's new Model A
Aug. 5 Puss and family went to Ann's
 At Ann's - Moon on far right
Aug. 6 Tuscurora trip.
Aug. 7 Returned with Ann via Stevensville and Le Raysville
 
Aug. 11 Attended and exhibited at Glad show in Elmira (Gladiolus show - ac)

Janice with in the garden with glads
Aug. 18-19 Exhibited at flower show at Iron Kettle near Waverly
Trinket in Ghent

Aug. 23 Trinket – Ghent – Ulster – Riggs picnic supper trip. Saw a deer.
Springfield Universalist Church
Aug. 28 Ridgebury Twp. - E. Smithfield – Springfield – Columbia x Roads – E. Troy – W. Burlington Luther's Mills Trip – 65 mi.

Luther's Mills


Aug. 31 Eclipse of sun starting at 2:18 P.M. Nearly total.
Sept. 1 102º + 103º in shade in P.M.
A Penna road.
Sept. 25 Trinket and vicinity via Sheshequin trip.
Oct. 7 Than and Katie brought Grandma down.
Nov. 18 Than, Katie and young George arrived at 11:30 and took Grandma home.
Started furnace fire.
Rev. Gay for Harvest supper.
Last of 4 night meetings.
Nov 26-27 12º with high wind.
Nov. 28 9º at 7 A.M.
Nov. 29 12º at 7 A.M.
 
Dec. 7 Went to Sheshequin and heard Rev. Gay.
Dec. 8 Gus Eaton and Aunt Linnie Horton died. Aunt Linnie died on her 76th birthday.
Dec. 10 Closed about 10 days of fine Indian Summer weather.
Following an intensely cold spell. Night of 15-16 low was 4º. 5º at 6 A.M. ½º at 6:30 A.M. 9º at 7 A.M. On the 19th.
The thermometer was above freezing at noon on the 20th for the first time in 7 days.
Christmas Day – Fair and very warm – 64º in P.M. Reputed to have been the warmest x'mas since 1847.
Dec. 27 Bob Catlin dies.
Dec. 28 Eugene Hulett dies.

1933
1931 See diary
1935 for
1936 these years.
1937
1938

Jan. 18 -2º at 6A.M.
Jan. 19 -13º “ “
Jan. 20 -1º “ “
The first sub zero temperatures since 1935-37.
Feb. 3 Curt Bowman dies.
Mch. 3 -2º at 6 A.M.
Mch. 19 C.H. Scofield buried.
Mazie goes to Tully with Puss a/c illness of Grandma.
Mch. 30 Chawb goes to Tully on train and stays until Apr. 1
May 7 Call from Oxy.
May 11 Very killing freeze.
Harrison, Peggy and Clarence Moore
May 22 Visited “Five Bros. Lodge”. Harrison spends May 19-30 there.
May 30 Mills saloon in Sheshequin burns, in which Eddie Daniels, fireman, loses life.
July 3-4 Visit from Herbert Tucker
July 6 + 9 Visits from gliders.
July 7 Death of Roy Van Scoten.
Sept. 12 Harley Spencer dies.
Sept. 20-21 Hurricane and disastrous floods in N.E.
Sept. 25 First touch of frost.
Oct. 22 Tom Moran and Frank Watson die.
Nov. 11 Fire destroys County House at Burlington.
Nov. 13 George Page dies.
Nov. 16 Brinkley killed at work in shop.
Nov. 24 Thanksgiving. 8 or 9 inches of snow. Bill Vosburg dies.
Nov. 25 1º at 7 A.M.

1939

Mch. 19 0º at 7 A.M.
May 31 Ida Bottom funeral.
Grandma liked to style Janice's hair in curls!
June 6 H.S. Commencement for Janice ( no mention of the fact that she was valedictorian! - ac)
June 12 Extreme drought – practically no Spring rains to date.
July12-16 Rest of family visits Tully.
July 13 Eva Chandler funeral
July 23 83rd day of drought – had a substantial thunderstorm.
July 25 Coleman Place (Arthur Macaffee) bar burns to ground.
July 26 Another substantial shower. Both of local nature.
July 28 Clayton Struble dies.
July 29 Martha Stulen dies.
Aug. 3 Anna Cash died.
Aug. 12 Death of Ira Merrill.
Janice and steed
Aug. 13 Janice returns from a week at Wysox.
Sept. 2 Well goes dry.
Sept. 5 52 ½¢ rating becomes effective.
Sept. 15-16 Heat wave. 99º at 2 P.M. On 16th.
Sept. 17 Morley's barn burned by lightning at 4 A.M.
Sept. 18 First light frost, which did no damage, bought to close the worst growing season on record.
Oct. 8 Aunt Sarah Chandler dies at 93.
Oct. 16 First killing freeze.
Moon at the pump as Herbert looks on.
Nov. 1 Started using well again.
Nov. 6 57 ½¢ rating became effective.
Dec. 15 Perry car accident on Sheeler's corner. (the Perrys were neighbors- ac)
Dec. 25 A. Towner dies at 2 P.M. He was buried Dec. 27 P.M.
Dec. 28 -4º at 5:30 A.M.
Dec. 30 E.B. Arnold dies.

1940

Jan. 10 Will Emerson dies.
Jan. 12 First thawing temperatures since Dec. 23.
Feb. 6 N.F. Walker fire and tragedy
Feb. 14 Famous snow and blizzard – worst in 44 years since the Towanda Weather Bureau was established. 31 in. of snow at Towanda. 5 more a day or so later.
Feb. 22 -3º at 6A.M.
Harrison's homemade ski jump
Mch. 12 0º at 6 A.M. Funeral of Inza Donlin Nussbaum.
Mch. 13 Death of M. Benedict.
Renewed C.U. Reports for two years.
Mch. 30 Death of Jennie Brainerd.
Flood conditions following 24 hr. rain on one of the largest accumulations of snow ever recorded.
Apr. 5 2nd flood crest. Water over road again.
 Apr. 8 3rd flood crest. Water over road again.
Lucy Smiley and brother, Mr. Thompson
Apr. 27 Weasel appears – later kills chickens for Smiley. (the Smileys were neighbors – ac)
May 4 Forsythia starts to bloom.
May 10 Willow St. school burns.
Nazis invade Holland and Belgium.
Balance of year filled with nothing but tragedy.
July 3 Mother died.
1940 -John and Hazel Boyd on left at Niagara Falls on their honeymoon.  Hazel's mother said that if Hazel married it would be the death of her and sure enough it was. She died days later.  Suicide suspected, but unconfirmed, as far as I know.
Thanksgiving Day
Nov 28 Eugene Carpenter buried.
The house on Short Street where Herbert grew up, and where his sister Hazel with her mother.  She and John Boyd lived there until the 1970's. 

This photo of the house was used for their 1940 Christmas Card
1941

Jan 2 Huston Bresssler dies.
Harrison has great luck in seeing meteors. On Feb. 26 at 7:30 P.M. He observed one which is described in clippings, in scrapbook. On Mch. 30 at 7:40 P.M. He saw a second large one.
Apr. 19 Had 10 days of torrid weather. Forsythia and apricots in bloom. Practically all spring flowers in bloom.
May 7 Nettie Carmer dies.
May 16 Ida Chandler buried.
June deaths included Robert Munn and Fred Morris.
July 7 Very wet summer so far, here. A sharp thunderstorm at 9:45 A.M.
July 14 Beezum gets job at Belle. (13) eve. Sparkplug leaves with Jerry. (I think Sparkplug was dog belonging to the Kinney family – ac)

July 21 Weekend. Called on Hazards at Lake.

Highland Lake, West Warren, PA

Hazard's Dock at the Lake



Hazard's Cabin


Slater's Riding Academy burns – Roswell Wolfe beaks leg – Big Freight wreck at Ulster – Walter Feigles killed.
Aug. 31 Moon, Beezum, and I attended NRC banquet in Buffalo and visited Niagara Falls. (Moon was another nickname of Mary Wands Campbell, Herbert's wife.)
Harrison in Tully, Sept 21, 1941
Thorndon Park, Syracuse Sept, 21, 1941 - Janice, John Boyd, Moon, Harrison
Sept. 18 Special display of Aurora Borealis. The brightest ever seen..
Oct. 5 N.B.A. At Towanda. Leaves not pretty this fall.
Oct. 12 Hughie and Kathryn call.
Oct. 17 First frost of any soil.
Oct. 19 Bill Armstrong and I put up chimney.
Oct. 27 First fire in new kitchen range. “Trojan”

1942

Jan. 6 -7º at 5 A.M.
Jan. 8 -20º at 5 A.M.
Jan. 9 -6º at 5 A.M.
Jan. 10 zero during night before.
Jan. 17 17º -2 at 5A.M.
Jan. 19 January thaw commencing and ending
Jan. 20 Geezil dies about supper time of complications incident to old age, after spending 6 years and 20 days with us. He was the best cat in the world.

Janice and Geezil

Feb. 9 “War Time” starts
Feb. 10 Charlie Brainerd dies. Puss + John attend funeral.
Hazel and John Boyd and their 1940 Plymouth
Feb. 23 Loron Pierce dies.
Feb. 24 Moon's operation.
Feb. 26 Jay Vosburg dies age 64.
Mch. 3 Barometer reads 28.88 at 4 P.M. in midst of 11” snowfall.
May 24 Chas Cleveland dies.
Ed Rich clowning around with eggs
May 25 Ed Rich dies.
July 24 G.L. Van Scoten deis.
July 25 Franklin Decker dies.
Sept. 25 First touch of white frost in A.M.
Nov. 7 Sally Collins dies.
Dec. 20 -11º at 4:30 A.M.
Dec. 21 -10º “ “ and colder during previous night.

1943

Feb. 14-15 Worst night I ever saw. -14º at 6 A.M. With blizzards. This was followed by a very warm spell of weather.
Early part of March abnormally cold.
4th 3 below in A.M.
8th 4 “ “
9th 8 “ “
This was followed by a week of very warm weather.
Mch. 6-14 Bug home for Spring vacation. (Bug, yet another name for Janice – ac)
Janice painting Earl Bryant
(As I mentioned, Herbert never learned to drive and never owned a car.  I have been told that his sister Hazel took him to work and brought him home most days.  By the 1940's he may have been working at the I-R, Ingersoll-Rand, where he was employed as a machinist until he retired. -ac)

Rode to work mornings, with H. Wanzo
"Mt. McKinney:"
Mch. 25 Ida McKinney dies. During winter months H. VanWolfradt and J.B. Kerrick died.
Mch. 27 Paul Henry goes out of business.
Mch. 28 Mrs. Ellery Bressler dies.
April was a month of diabolical weather. Reported, for first half to be coldest April in 44 years in Philadelphia, on the 21st we saw a formation of 75-80 wild geese going north.
May 6 Forsythia blooms
May 16 Death of Lottie Morley
April and May were very wet months and disastrous floods occurred in some parts of the country. Records for 90 yrs. were broken. 

Campbell home on Center Street with new rock wall along the street
Garden was not ploughed until Memorial Day. June, particularly the last two weeks were the hottest on record and everything was burned by heat and drought. It was during this spell of weather that the stone wall was laid in front of the place. The heat wave broke on June 29th, the day of Grandma Wands' funeral.
Janice and Moon with Grandma Wands - the date on the photo must be wrong.
Moon's garden
July 24 Death of Lea Hulett.
Sept. 25-26 First frost following weeks of drought.
Sept. 28 Shrimp enlists. (Shrimp is Harrison's nickname, given to him by my mother. He enlisted in the Navy and served as a radioman in the Pacific – ac)

Oct. 1 All day rain – none in September.
Oct. 6 Death of Emma Johnston.
October's Bright Blue Weather.
Oct. 24 Started fire in Homer. (the furnace-ac)
October was a month of record rainfall.
A.J. Wheaton had a farm at Sheshequin and State.  His barn is pictured below.
Nov. 6 Death of A.J Wheaton
Nov. 11 First snow.
Nov. 18-25 Shrimp leave, at end of Sampson training.
Dec. 15 morning -1º
Dec. 16 “ “ -4º
Dec. 19 Beezie comes home for vacation. (Bezzie, from Beeezum, is Janice - ac)
Dec. 27 Death of Fred Marvin
Except for first week, December was very cold.

1944

Jan. 20 Agnes Brainerd dies.
Except for the first few days, January weather was much like April. The 22nd was wintry. This warm weather lasted well into Feb.
Feb. 12 Saw first snow of winter that really covered the ground, about 5-6 in.
Valentine's Day -1º B.S.
Feb. 19 -1º
Feb. 26 Henry Lanz dies.
Feb 27 John Ammerman dies.
Mch. 1 James Vancise dies.
March comes in like a lion.
Mch. 5 Old “People's Hospital” fire.
June 20 Funeral of Bertha Young.
July 15 Funeral of Clara Morse. Minna Donlin dies.
Chas. Cullen died in July.
Aug. 25 Funeral of Bert Clark
July and half of August were pf record breaking heat and drought weather.

Moon and Gertie Hall
Sept. 1-3 Moon visits Tully – on 3rd Gertie and Ben called.
Sept. 24 First frost – very light.
Moon, Shrimp and Janice
Oct. 7 3:30 P.M. Shrimp arrives on leave with Beezie who returns to Syracuse on 3:30 P.M. LV (Lehigh Valley train -ac)
Nov. 30 Storm of ice and 4” of wet snow does much damage.
 
Dec. 19 Beezie comes home for X'mas
Dec. 22 -14º at 8 A.M.
Dec. 27 -3º at 5 A.M.

1945

Jan. 3 -5º at 5 A.M.
Jan. 10 -12º at 8:30 A.M.
Jan. 19 -11ºat 8 a.M.
Total snow 41” to date
Jan. 21 0º at 7 A.M.
Jan. 26 -13º at 5 A.M.
Feb. 4 -10º at 8 A.M.
January coldest in 51 years.
Feb.5 Temp. reaches 32º first time since Jan. 1st.
Feb. 6 -2º at 8 A.M.
Feb. 11 Death of Dr. Harrigan
March was a very warm month. Furnace flu was out during the last ten days. Apricot and sweet cherry trees bloomed Apr. 3
Harrison with Lyle Carpenter (on left)  and his grandmother.   East Athens School in background.



Apr. 7 Carpenter hen house (brooder) burned. (the Carpenter's were neighbors – ac)
Apr. 12 Death of F.D.R.
Apr. 20-23 Visit from Beezie.
May 5 Puss, John, and I attended the funeral of Rev. J.D. Herrick
May 8 Official VE Day. Worked until 9:30 A.M.
May 9 Ann Biles comes for recuperating visit.
May 10 Snowed nearly all day. Has been a most miserable Spring since April 1st. Frost destroyed all fruit and even the leaves were frozen from some of the trees. Rained almost every day.
Aug. 14 Japan accepts surrender terms.
 
Aug. 18 Attended Elmira Glad show.
Sept. 1 We (with Brigham) attended Cortland Glad show.
Sept. 3 Labor Day plus Victory Day Celebration in Valley.
Sept. 30 First frost which did very little damage.
Oct. 12-16 New York trip with visit to Ruth's. Followed by a week of nicest weather of the year.
Nov. 22 Thanksgiving at home with Than, Kathryn, Cynthia and the Boyds.
Dec. 1 Mrs. Lawlor's funeral
Dec. 13 Howard Brigham killed. (Trying to beat the train at Main Street crossing – ac)
Dec. 18 Harrison comes home on leave, with Janice.
Dec. 30 Janice leaves for N.Y.C.
1946

Jan. 10 Harrison leaves for San Diego. Elvira Paulsen dies.
Feb. 12 Agnes Brainerd funeral
March very warm. Forsythia out on 29th.
April very cold.
Apr. 25 Moon goes to Akron as a delegate. (church convention – ac)
Apr. 26 Shrimp comes home as a civilian.
May 1 Moon returns from convention.
May 4-5 Trip with Ann Biles – 330 miles. Vestal – Montrose – Brooklun – Carbondale – Forest City – Honesdale – Bethany – Starlight – Susquehanna – Halstead – Binghamton.
May 25 Trip to Eagles Mere
View of Tioga Point - Athens
May 28 + 29 Athen's most disastrous flood of this century.
May 30 Beezum home until June 2
June 16 Visit to Camptown folks.
Harrison and Warren Wood

 
June 20-27 Shrimp goes to Thousand Islands with Moore's. (Clarence Moore and family lived across the street – ac)
July 27-28 Moon and I go to Tully for visit.
Aug. 4 Trip with Puss and John to “Hawk's Nest” etc.
Harrison, Herbert, Moon and John Boyd at Hawk's Nest
View of the Delaware River from Hawk's Nest

Aug. 8 Received Farnsworth Receiver (the Farnsworth was a radio that allowed Herbert to receive radio broadcasts from around the world. A large antenna was erected behind the house for this purpose. - ac)
Moon in the kitchen and Pop in front of his receiver.
The Antenna
Aug 10-11 Visit from Janice and Jean Rogers. (Jean was a college roommate of Janice - ac)
Sept 8-15 Beezie and I both have vacation week. Finish most of barn painting. Vishnu Bhide here. (Vishnu was a friend of Janice's childhood friend Leona Towner. They attended Syracuse and then Leona went on to study at Ames, Iowa, where, I believe she met Vishnu – ac)
Moon, Vishnu Bhide and Janice

Sept. 14 Geo Collins funeral.
Sept 27 Mrs Charles Merrill dies.
Mrs. Frank J. Kinner dies.
Oct. 12 Fred Hadlock buried.
Oct. 19 Started furnace. No frosts yet.
Nov. 3-17 “Institute of Liberal Christianity”
Kinner home
Nov. 5 Barn on Frank Kinner place burns.
Nov. 15-16 First killing frosts.
Nov. 28-30 Beezie home with Joe for Thanksgiving. (Beezie's boyfriend, Joseph Candela, my father - ac)
Joe Candela, Janice, Harrison with Joe's nephew Jo Jo (Joseph Candela)

Dec.. 27- Jan. 1 Shrimp home for X'mas
Dec. 26-29 Beezie home.

1947

Feb. 2 Up until this date the winter had held no cold weather. A reading of 7° was registered this morning. Immediately after this date, cold waves started sweeping the country. Feb. 6 morning was -6°.
Feb.. 9 Shrimp goes back to MIT after a ten day mid-term vacation.
Feb. was a rugged month.
Feb. 26 Call from Miss Hsiung Ya-na. (a graduate student at Cornell writing a thesis on the family life of preschool children in a Chinese rural town. -ac)
Mch. 2-3 Big snow of the year.
Mch. 25 Bar. Reading at 4 A.M. Was 28.88
Sheshequin Church

Apr. 6 Easter Union services at Sheshequin. Water over the roadside. Lovely day.
May 23 We, with Mrs. Gore attended Penna. State Conv. Of Universalists at Towanda.
May 24 Went to Ithaca and saw the Shrimp row against Yale + Cornell.
May 25 We, with Puss went to Towanda for church and were caught in flash flood.
May 30/June 1 Beezie and Joe visit
June 7 and 8 Moon visits Tully.
June 10 Shrimp home from MIT.
Aug 11, 1944 - Mrs Burns, Myra Munn, Moon. Alice Miller, Maggie Rich, Hazel Boyd. Seated Jessie Miller, it was her birthday,
July 2 Funeral of Maggie Rich.
July 4 Worst hail storm in memory of anyone.
July 5 Janice home for a week's vacation.
Janice Campbell studio portrait
 July 6 Moore – Wood Wedding (Peggy Moore and Warren Wood – ac)
Warren Wood and Peggy Moore
July 13 Last of poplar tree.
Aug. 1 Ebel comes to visit Harrison.
Aug. 11 2 P.M. Gladys Moore
Morley Bennett dies.
Aug.17 Visited Ann and Emma with Millers.
Jim Miller and wife, Hazel and John Boyd, Paul Miller, wife and son
Aug 30-Sept 1 Beezie + Joe here. Attended Campbell-Courtright wedding in Owego on 30th. Went to Mountain Lake on 31st.
Group shot at Mountain Lake - Hazel is second from the right.  The man seated behind her is clowning around and holding a horseshoe over her head.

Sept. 9-13 Attended, with Moon, General Convention of UCA at Canton, NY.
Sept. 14 Call from B. Duck and Vishnu. (B. Duck is the childhood nickname of Leona Towner Rem)
Leona Towner Rem, childhood friend of Janice.  They attended Syracuse University together.

Sept. 18 Visited Dick Vandervort. Barometer, at 7 A.M. Read 29.58 during hurricane in Florida.
Sept. 23 First killing frost followed by 3 more during last week in Sept. closes worst growing summer on record.
Oct. 5 NBA at Standing Stone.
Nov. 24 7 P.M. Bar. 29.28
 
Dec. 25 Joe + Janice home at X'mas. (My parents had gotten married in November -ac)
Shrimp home. Returned to MIT Jan. 4 on LV #8

1948

Jan. 15 -11° first sub zero
Jan. 19 -20° at 5 A.M.
Jan. 24 -13° at 4 A.M.
3° at 2 P.M. - snow starting at 12 A.M.
Jan. 26 -15° at 5 A.M. Said to be -22° at 8 A.M.
Jan.28 -1° at 5 A.M.
Jan.30 -4° at 5 A.M.
Jan. 31 -22° at 6 A.M.
Feb. 1 -21° at 7 A.M.
Feb. 6 -4° at 5 A.M.
Feb. 7 0° at 6 A.M.
Feb. 9 -13° at 5 A.M.
Feb. 10 -17° at 6 A.M.
Feb. 11 -8° at 4 A.M.
Mch. 1 Funeral of Anna Depew.
Mch. 5 -8 ½°F at 6 A.M.
Mch. 6 -8 ½°F at 7 A.M.
Mch.12 -5° at 6 A.M.
Mch13 -6° at 7 A.M.
Mch. 20-21 Water over road at Athens. Stayed over until P.M. Of 24th. Off work 22nd and 23rd A.M.
Apr. 9 Mazie goes to NYC on 10:30 PM Bus for the weekend.
May 2 Make acquaintance with Wynecoop Creek and Dry Brook.
Herbert did not mention this event, but it did make the evening papers.  Yes, that is he on the far right!
 June 19 First fire (wood) in Pittston range.
Aug. 14 Moon + I went to Tully and were joined by Puss and John on 15th.
Aug. 22 Visit to Ann's and Emma's.
Emma Biles, Moon, ?, Alice Miller, Ann Biles, Jessie Miller
Aug. 25-29 Hot weather record for all Augusts on 28th. Visited Burlington, Troy, Sylvania and Armenia (Covert) with L. smiley.
In P.M. were struck by “typhoon”, in which the “the oeophiest tree” (sic) was torn out by the roots.
Sept. 13 Shrimp returns to MIT.
Sept. 24 Vacation (2 weeks) started.



Lew Fellows, Moon, Frances Fellows, Herbert, Janice, Katherine Pierce, Cookie, Than Pierce - East Athens
Oct. 9 Joe, Beezie and Soggins arrive 1:45 P.M. For a week visit returning Oct 10 at 11:15 A.M. Visit from Than, Katie, Louis and Frances on 3rd. (Soggins is me, born on July, 3, 1948 -ac)
Oct. 4th A.M. First killing frost. 25º at 7 A.M.
Oct. 8 Mrs. Conrad dies.
Oct. 22 Went to Univ. State Conv. Church of Restoration, Germantown, Phila. Went down with Mr. + Mrs. Elwood Rogers, via Wilkes-barre, Hazleton, Tamaqua + Allentown. Returned on “Maple Leaf”. Stayed with Mr. + Mrs. J. W. Saurman, 344 Greenwood Ave., Wyncote. Visited Leona + points of historic interest.
Dec. 19 Dumped cistern – it had ½ in. of ice on the water.
Dec. 22 Shrimp arrives for X'mas
Dec. 26 0º at 8 P.M. Reputedly

1949

Jan. 1 Shrimp returns to MIT. (2:04 P.M. Bus)
Jan. 29 John Boyd's operation.
Feb. 1 Marguerite Paddock dies.
Feb. 3 -2º at 6 A.M. - coldest of winter Skim ice floating on the river, for the first time.
Feb. 17 Winter Aconite in bloom.

Janice and Cookie - NYC
June 4-12 Beezie, Joe and Cookie visit. (Cookie is my nickname, having outgrown the previous, Soggins -ac)
June 14 Went to Phila. (via DL+W and Newark PRR)
June 15 Moon went to Tully and I went from Phila. To Tully. Both returned on the 16th.
June 18 Geo Lord buried. Work on removal of Sattarlee Creek gravel bar commenced.
July 1 Dryest (sic) June ever recorded in Towanda. (records cover 55 years)
July 11 Attended Louis Miller funeral.
July 12 Visit from Fred Van Voorhes.
July 17 A very fine rain totaling nearly ½ in. fell over a period of 20 hrs and relieved the drought for a couple of days. Heat wave enters 7th week unbroken.
July 29 A good soaking rain broke a 9 week that wave.
Aug. 6 Made trip with Lloyd S. - Columbia X Roads – Austinville - Gilette – Fassett – Troy and Leona.
Aug. 10 Tillie Parks dies.
Aug. 12 Most satisfactory rain of the year. Mowed the lawn twice before it dried out again – first time since June 1st.
Aug. 24 Call from Leona T. (Towner – ac)
Aug. 23 Calls from Lyman Achenbach (Rev. -ac) and Phyllis, with Betty and her children.
Aug 28-29 2.51 in. rain. (Towanda report)
Grandpa and Soggins
Sept. 3 Janice, Joe, Soggins and the Shrimp arrive at about 5:30 P.M. (I guess I had not outgrown the soggy stage after all - ac)
Sept. 6 Janice, Joe and Soggins depart at about 2 P.M.
Sept. 17 Shrimp leaves on 3:04 bus for MIT.
Oct. 9 First ride in the new Boyd Plymouth – Owego, Gibson Corners, Babcock Corners, Windham, etc. Fall colors best ever.
Oct. 13 We went to Rochester (LVRR) to attend General Assembly.
Pierce home on Railroad Avenue, Tully, NY
 Oct. 14 Went to Tully, by bus, via Palmyra, Clyde and Port Byron
Oct. 15 Returned by DL+W
D.L.&W. - Syracuse
Oct 23 NBA at Towanda
Oct. 24-25 First white frost followed by a killing freeze Oct. 27-28
Oct. 28-29 Attended Pa. Universalist Convention at Reading. Made the trip with the Gores, via Bloosburg and Pottsville. Entertained, with Mrs. Freeman and Miss Tiffany of Kingsley, by Mrs. Mabel Vize, 1605 Perkiomen Ave. Outside, or non-clerical speakers were Edwin A. Hill, pictures and Dr. F. Lee Terry. (The Gores are artist, Lou Gore and his wife, Genevieve - ac)
Nov. 1 First fire in Homer.
Dec. 20 Ida Corbin died.

1950 – see diary for year

1951

Feb. 2 Moon left on Diamond to visit kids in N.Y.C.
Feb. 5 Moon returned on bus at about 6 A.M.
Feb, 9 -1º at 6 A.M.
Feb. 10 -2º at 7 A.M.
Feb, 18 John Grippin died in Wilkesbarre. Age 83.
Feb. 26 Funeral of Clyde Drake.
Mch 5 Death of O.S. Rogers.
Mch. 18 Call from Phyllis and James
Mch. 25 Easter. Morning fair (mostly) cold + windy.
Apr. 6 Went to Phila. by bus, to attend Trustee Meeting, returning immediately.
Harrison

June 2 Harrison + Candelas arrived at 3 A.M. (In those days it was an 8 hour journey mostly on two-lane roads, from NYC to Athens - ac)

Cookie and doll carriage
June 3 Candelas departed
June 4 Harrison departed at 5:30 P.M.
June 8 Earl Hullett in school bus crack up.
June 16-24 Vacation
Dobbs Ferry house nearing completion
June 19 Visited Dobbs Ferry (We were building a house in Dobbs Ferry – ac)
June 21 Moon, Janice + Joyce go to show. (Joyce MacDonald and Harrison were married on June 10th 1950– ac)
June 22 West Point excursion
June 23 Home on “The Star”
July 1 Puss, John, Moon + I visited Tully folks.
July 3 Mary Jeanette Moore arrived (I believe this is the birth of the daughter of Peggy Moore and Warren Wood -ac)
LeRoy Campbell died.
July 8 Mrs. Helen Boroman, ate 91 died.
Aug. 8 Call from the Achenbachs, including Gail.
Aug. 18 Beezie, Cookie and Boogey arrived on “The star” (Boogey, aka Marjorie Alice Candela, my sister – ac)
Cookie and new sister, Marjorie Alice Candela

Aug. 19 Beezie returned to N.Y.C. On the 7:04 PM Bus
Aug. 26 Beezie arrived on 5 P.M. Bus
Aug. 27 Beezie, Cookie + Boogey departed on Diamond at 2 P.M.
Harrison, Moon, Joyce, Herbert and Bert Hall at Bert's cabin
Sept. 1 Joyce + Harrison arrived at 11 P.M.
Sept. 3 Joyce + Harrison left for Washington about 10 AM
Sept. 15 Moon attended George Lamson's wedding, in Tully, going up on “The Star” and returning on the 10:28 PM D.L.+W. Train.
Sept 29 AM First white frost – little damage except to corn. Very dry.
Was sick with grippe, losing nearly all of first 2 weeks of Oct. from work.
Oct. 19-20 Attended State Universalist Convention at Scranton. Made trip on bus and stayed at Holland Hotel, 408 Adams Ave.
Oct. 28 NBA at Sheshequin.
Nov. 2 Winter arrived 4” snow.
Nov. 2 Clint Weller died – age 88
Nov. 11 South radio mast collapsed while guy wires were being repaired.
Dec. 8 Phila. Trip. Left at 3 AM on Maple Leaf. Back by DL+W at 10;28 P.M.
Dec. 20 -5º at 6 AM
John Glen, Cookie, Joe, Herbert

Dec. 22 Candelas + John Glen arrived at 7:30 AM. Shrimp and Joyce came in at 9:15 P.M. (John Glen, friend of my parents was an architect who helped them with the design of the house in Dobbs Ferry. He was from England and changed his name from Glenbott. His wife was Natalie - ac)
Dec. 25 Candelas and John left at about 1:45 P.M. And were home at 10:30 P.M.
Dec. 27 Joyce and Harrison left at 10:30 AM.
Dec. 29 Fred Donlon (“Theosophist”) died at 2 AM following a stroke suffered on previous day.
Dec. 31 We attended the Donlon funeral at Jenkins' Home. At the same hour, the funeral of George “Tim” Drake was held from Lowery's Home.

1952

Jan 30 -3º at 6 AM
Mch. 2 First service by Rev. Carl Voss
Mch. 8 Went to Ithaca.
Mch 27 Isabel Van Cise died.
Alice Loubris, Cookie and Joe Candela, NYC
May 9 Moon went to N.Y.C. To attend wedding of Alice.(Alice Loubris Wilson -ac) Went by bus to Newark + visited Helfrichs. Returned on sun A.M. Bus.
May 24 Trustees meeting at Scranton – Jones driving.
Ed Ross died.
June 13-14-15 Visit to Dobbs Ferry. Trip via DL+W
June 28-July 4 Visit to Washington, DC. Trip by LVRR – Reading + B+O (PRR returning)
July 10 Good rain after 6 weeks of very dry weather.
July 23 Achenbachs (except Ruth) called
All night thunderstorms break up heat wave for a few days.
Drought did not really break until first week of Aug.
Aug. 9 Puss, John + I took NC 183–D up to Ithaca to have fixed.(NC 183-D is Grandpa's ham radio - ac)

John with Lady and Pup
Aug. 14 John's 2nd hernia operation.
Aug. 16 Call from Mr. + Mrs Adolph Krein (B. Duck) (I thought her married name was Rem, not Krein - ac)
Aug. 19 Candelas arrive with trailer at 6:10 AM
Aug. 21 Candelas leave at 12:15 PM with piano, etc. and Moon.
Barrel curls on both Grandma and Cookie
Oct. 1 First killing (or any) frost.
Oct 17-18-18 Great Univ. State Convention at Towanda
Oct. 19 Started Furnace fire.
Oct. 20 Two inches of wet snow. James L. “Rev” Jones died.
Oct. 21 20º at 6 AM
Walter Patterson died at 92.
Oct. 25 2:15 PM Harrison and Joyce arrived.
Oct. 26 1:30 PM H+J left
(Laid up by gastritis until 29th)
Nov. 1 Moon went to Cortland and then to Tully with Hazards.
Nov. 2 Moon returned – NBA
Nov 17 Harrison and Joyce arrived about 12:30 AM.
Nov. 30 Harrison and Joyce left at 1:10 P.M.
Dec. 6 A.J. Donlon died.
Dex. 26 Emptied cistern.

1953

Feb. 2 6ºF – coldest so far this winter.
Feb. 4 Call from F. Van Voorhees and Carrol Seth
Mch. 13 Cousin Mary “Bert” Farrell died in Elmira
Apr. 6 Easter. Spent day with Tully folks, going up via Ithaca and returning via Binghamton.
May 5 Let furnace out after a mile but very wet winter. 6º on Feb 2nd was lowest.
'Apr. 16+17 Moon spent at Dobbs Ferry.
June 9 Ethel Catlin died.
June 29 Candelas arrived at 6:10 AM, leaving 1:30 PM July 4th.
July 25 Death of Leo Bustin. (Picket fence erected) (on the east property line – ac)
Aug. 1 Call from Mr. + Mrs l. Achenbach + Mr. and Mrs. C. Achenbach
Aug. 8 To Geneva, with the Mullens to see Glad seedling show. (gladiolus – ac)

Cookie sitting by the barn with glads
Aug. 17 Attended Floyd Bronson funeral at Athens Baptist Church (on vacation from Aug 10-24
Aug. 19 Harrison + Joyce arrived at 1:10 AM.
Aug. 21 Trip to Collamer, DeRuyter, Tully, etc.
Aug. 23 H + J left at 3 P.M.

Story of great drought is told in clippings in “Scraps”. An extremely wet spring turned dry about June 1st. A light rain occurred about Aug. 1st. The break in the great heat wave, described in the clippings occurred with rain at 11:20 A.M. On Sept. 5th.

Oct. 7-8 First frost
Universalists at Jones' on Orange Hill - Herbert standing second from left Moon standing fourth from right, Hazel to Moon's left.  Photo taken by M. Lou Gore
.Oct. 16 To Phila. With Jones to attend State Conv. of Univ. at “Restoration”. Left 7:15 AM and got back at 3:02 AM Oct. 18th
AUW (Association of Universalist Women) meeting at Mazie's back for: Ann Mahon, Geneiveve Gore, front row: Mazie, Bessy Cook, Hazel Boyd, Marion Jones
Nov. 6-7 Snowfall totaling about 8” here – as much as 26” in parts of the East. General drought conditions have continued since may.
Nov. 23 Thunderstorm in early A.M.
Nov. 24 Attended funeral of Daisy Bowen in evening.
Puss and John get the new Ford.

John Boyd and '53 Ford
The Athens Susquehanna Bridge was repaired and new floor and walks laid between June 25 and Oct. 1
Dec. 6 The first really rainy day in 6 months.
Dec. 25 Left by DL+W on 2 AM train for NYC to spend X'mas with kids, returning on 1:40 Am train, Dec. 27th.

1954

Jan. 13 -1/2º at 5:30 AM
Jan. 18 -9º at 5:30 AM night's low in Towanda -1followed by 21/2 days Jan. thaw.
Apr. 4 Jackie Moore burned out.
Apr. 6 First Peepers heard.
Apr. was very cold up tot he 6th. Jan-Feb-march were full of march weather.
May 19 Born Bruce Macdonald Campbell at 9AM – Beth David Hospital.
May 25 Moon left on Diamond for Dobbs Ferry.
Portrait of Nancy Sherwood Candela by Janice Candela
May 27 Born Nancy Sherwood Candela – Dobbs Ferry Hospital

Moon loved to relax in the hammock, here with a neighbor's dog.
June 8 Moon returned on early AM bus.
June 13-20 Moon camped at Lake O'Meadows



July 1 Frank “Pat” Parks died.
Cookie heading for the shed
Aug. 14 8:20 AM Candelas arrived. (Which means that we drove all night, as this was before Route 17 was a highway, and we too two lane roads most of the way. -ac)
Aug. 15 Harrison Joyce + Bruce arrived.
Aug. 18 Candelas left at 10 AM.
Moon holding Bruce

Aug. 27 Harrison, Joyce + Bruce left at 11:15 AM
Aug 29-30 About 4” of rain from Hurricane 'Carol” breaking drought conditions since June 1st.
Sept. 1 Phone installed. (Before this, when he referred to someone “calling” he meant that they had visited -ac)
Oct. 6 First frost.
Oct 15-16 Went to Reading with Cliff Jones (in Hurricane Hazel) Stayed at Berkshire Hotel.

1955
Jan. 27 -1º at 6 AM
Feb 3 -7º at 6 AM
May 7 Candelas arrive at 9:30 Am in new Ford, leaving at 1 PM next day.
June 1 Entered hospital
Katherine Wands Pierce
June 6 Death of Kathryn Pierce
June 13 Discharged from hospital.
July 6 Death of John Brainerd
June 3 – July 18 Period of IR strike (Ingersoll Rand, where Herbert worked)
July 20 Received glasses
July 28 Chas. O.D. Snyder dies – aged 101
Aug. 3 “Babe” Archer died. Returned from D.F on 10:30 P.M. Train.
70º at noon – coldest since June 26th.
Aug. 18 Super destructive “Dianne” hit E. Penna, N.J., S.E N.Y. State, etc. Heavy rain but no great damage here. Penna. Death toll (Aug. 24) 201 known and over 100 missing.
Aug. 22 Returned to work.
Aug. 23 Break in 9 weeks heat wave.
Oct. 7 Left at 8:30 AM with the Jones for state convention in Linesville, getting home at 9:45 PM, Sun, the 9th
Oct 2-15-16 Big storm of nearly 5” rainfall – most disastrous in Connecticut. Locally Milltown worst hit. Bar. Reading at 7 PM in 15th was 19.51. Went to NBA at Towanda, had to return bu Smithboro.
Smithboro Bridge, at Nichols, with tollhouse

Oct. 22 First frost of season. Candelas arrive at 9:30 AM.
Oct 23 Candelas left at 2:00 PM
Oct. 25 – Nov. 7 Off work with grippe.
Dec. 20 -2º at 8 PM
Dec. 21 -7º at 5:30 AM
Dec. 22 -4º at 5:30 AM
Dec. 23 Left for DF on the 10:23 PM train to DF for X'mas arriving home (Waverly) at 7:55 on Dec. 26th.
Dec. 24 Born, at 8:30 PM EST, in Fort Worth, Texas, Alan Wands Campbell
Portrait of Alan Wands Campbell by Janice Candela
1956

Jan. 25 -1/2º at 5:30 AM
Feb. 22 Death of Ida Sampson
Feb. 23 Death of Della Burns
March 8+9 Water over the road into town.
March 16 13” snow
March 24 7” snow
Uncle” Than died Sat. AM, March 31st. . Attended by Moon and me.
April 5 Water again over the road into town.
April 7-8 8” wet snow.
At Syracuse, this made 146 ½ in. for the season – the most ever recorded.
Apr. 9 Water over the road again.
Apr. 21 8:30 AM to 1 PM.
Apr. 22 visit of Candelas
Apr. 28 Death of Anna Burns
"Rock" garden - spring
Forsythias come into bloom
June 2 – 25 Vacation, the events of which are to be found in the new volume.

Nancy Sherwood Candela and Bruce Campbell

















2 comments:

Kay Kring Rhinehart said...

Very interesting to read. Thanks for taking the time to enter the material. I lived just below the Sheshequin church. Graduated from Athens in 1965.

Angela Candela said...

Hi Kay! Thanks for you comment. I am glad that my blog appeals to local history buffs in addition to family members and art lovers!