JOURNAL OF WEST FAMILY
Waterv I let
1 January, 1882 - December 31, 1892


This book has nothing to indicate who the authoress is, or specifically what family ftis about.
When reading it, you soon deduct it is about the West Family and finally conclude the author-
ess is Rachel McDonald.. Others who are mentioned or involved in the story ofthe West Family
at this period are Elder Augustus Blase, Elder Isaac Anstatt, Eldress AlviraConklirv/ Almira
Teachout, Deborah Knight, Mary & Neal ie Drumm, Clara Drumm, Mary Ann Mathews, Agnes
Baker, Kate Nelson, Nancy Wickes, Hester CrandalI, Lottie & Lucy Werner, Harriet Jones,
Lillie Cook, Jessie Small, May Weingarden, Lizzie Alexander and Ella Helmer; and Aaron
Sonberg, Charles Pretsch, Calvin Reynolds, Peter Smith, Richard Webb and Coon Diener.

It is soon apparent, and the evidence becomes almost overwhelming,that Isaac Anstatt has
become the mainstay, not only of the West Family, but of the whole WaterVliet Community.

These is an entry almost every day of these ten years. This always includes the weather, and
then as usual details the visits made back and forth among the WaterVliet families, and between
the WaterVliet community and other Shaker villages. Every Sunday is anotation of what type
and how many meetings were held and where; Elder Isaac made trips to Albany, Schenectady,
New York, taking the Sisters forrides, taking visitors from and to the train and boat. In the
late summer the canning takes place. Corn now seems to have been 'dropped for canning, and
the concentration ts on beans and tomatoes, and there are daily notations as tohow many cans
are .processed. These are noted here sometimes to give an idea of how much work they did.
Laundry for the family was now done every two weeks on Monday. All these regular noting
are, for the most part, omitted here, and we continue to note only the more out-of-the
ordinary happenings .

Excerpted by Elizabeth D. Shaver
1984 January

-1-882
1 Jan. Sun. Read the orders this forenoon. Singers from all the families all meet here.
2 Jan. Do the fortnight's washing.
17 Jan. Dr. Wade here to see Elinor Vedder, Peter Smith & Frank Miller. Frank fell
while playing In the school yard, and broke his collarbone.
26 Jan. "We learn from Albany papers that the murderer of Pres. Garfield, Charles J.
Guiteau, has been convicted and sentenced to hang."
17 Feb. Hester Crandall making apple sauce for sale.
22 Feb. Wm, Johnson here from the Church Family, cutting out some cotton garments
forthe brethren.
(There was no comment about any special services on Feb. 2^ for Mother
Ann's birthday.)
5 Mar. Eldres Paulina Bates released from the Eldress order and Alvira Conklin takes
her place.
14 Mar. "Sisters movingrom one room to another today. Rachel McDonald moves from
the Girls Shop into the Eldresses Room to live; the little girls move from the
Shop to the House; Sarah Drumm, her two children, & Deborah Knight move
into the Back Room; Mary A, Mathews, Lottie Werner and Anne Frisbie move
in the Sisters FrontChamber with Agnes Baker. "All look as ifwe had been
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