Prior (1871)
Next (1873)
For the year 1872
Prior (1871)
Next (1873)
15 Feb CM has been preparing for the law case which was scheduled soon but his
lawyer is seriously ill and Judge Tremain telegraphed the parties in Troy
and they agreed to postpone it till the next term.
20 Feb CM goes to see Lawyer Wade to decide what to do in the court case because
their witness Edward Holmes wants to go to Kansas to live and the case is
now scheduled for the summer session.
21 Feb Have obtained a knitting machine from the SF and set it up for Adelaide to
use but something is missing.
Ruth is finishing up with her feathers; Lydia is working on baskets.
.24 Feb "Edward U. Blake came in the^ening. He thinks he is called of the Lord to
Sat. proclaim his word. He has traveled over 1000 miles with his little mare and
a small carriage filled with tracts."
25 Feb When Blake came "he had a long mustache or beard. This morning he appeared
minus a beard. He pretends to be in union with the elders at Watervliet Ohio."
26 Feb Had an auction at GF South Farm. John Ford is auctioneer. Benjamin Starks
and Graham were$. both leaving the farm. Graham has not paid the rent and
t the auction is for that purpose. CM will rent the farm to new parties.
Chris Talbot attended the auction and bid in some of the things for CM.
28 Feb Some of the young sisters from the SF came for a visit - Rosetta, Henrietta,
Cornelia and Ann.
29 Feb CM went to a court session held for the purpose of taking Edward Holm's
testimony.
1 March ' Benj . Starks comes to make a final settlement with CM. Leaves for Hudson
for a few days with his father before going west to meet his father-in-law.
Sisters Harriet Bullard and Rosetta come from SF to help Adelaide with
knitting machine.
3 March Now have 74 lambs, 10-11 calves, about 100 cattle.
"Betsey Hawkins is entirely helpless with the exception of one hand."
10 March Began preparing today for a convention to be held in Troy of"spiritualists
and Shakers. From the CF will be Brothers George Price & Philip Smith, Sis-
ters Catie, Samantha, Mary and Julia."
13-16 Mar A fair took place in Troy. Sisters were asked to bring things to sell and
took "one thing and another - mostly baskets."
19 Mar Adelaide, Matilda and the girls are working at the mill, labelling canned
goods. Some have to ber\d because of rust. Philip Wiseman boxes the
cans for shipment.
23-25 Mar The convention takes place in Troy.
30 Mar A man and woman came from the depot about noon with a boy about 10 years old
they wanted to leave. Nehemiah decided to give the boy a trial and "they went
in a great hurry to get back to Amsterdam today. We gave the boy some dinner
and it came over him while eating that he could not live here and he jumped
\'_ ' up from the table, cried loud and ran after his mother."
1 April A man named Dennis came to see CM. He has been living on the land that CM
bought in Kentucky and will return there.
2 April "Brother David Hawkins is taken with a chill like Brother Freegift. He goes
to the sick room this a.m."
3 April Brother David no better. Occasionally his mind wanders. CM went .and
watched with him.
5 April George & Philip watched with Brother David. "but his spirit took its flight
Fri. at 10:20 p.m. He suffered very little and did not have to be lifted, very
little, if any. He is 84... a generous Shaker." Brother Charles Brackett
is making his coffin. Geo. Price and Dan McCarty dig the grave, mostly
today but finish on Saturday - ground frozen 4 feet.
6 April His funeral. NF came, Elders and quite a number of sisters from 2d Family,
and elders from'JSF. "All the elders spoke of his godly life and pleasant
spirit."
7 Apr "We had a singing meeting this a.m. and a good meeting this p.m. Some of
the departed were with us."
10 Apr Ministry from Mt. Lebanon were in Albany but Elder Daniel had 'to go to Troy
to cross the river with his team.
"Armsdell Stephens, a boy, went to his mother.
12 Apr Walter Stephens, Armsdell 's brother, left yesterday and today Nehemiah went
to Albany to cancel the indentures "they being both to hand. They are old
enough to do us some good and they want to go and their mother wants them."
16 Apr "Charles Marks went to Albany. Brought home a load of Englishmen just over
6 of them. Had dinner and supper here. One, a nephew of the Ducks, is weak
and lame, took cold on the ship. They took him down to Ed Male's for Sarah
Ann to care for, while promising to pay here."
17 Apr Took Adelaide to 2d Order to see her mother who is sick.
21 Apr The Englishmen covered the fence with their clothes they brought from the
Sun. old country, they being damp aboard the vessel." H-
22 Apr "Lydia working on baskets, putting buttons on the long covered baskets and
loops to fasten etc."
23 Apr Eldresses Polly and Ann have made each sister "a nice ' grenadine cap."
24 Apr "The caps are finished today. They have starched 60 caps with 6 spoonsful
of starch."
Adeline Brach, a Swiss who has been at the SF for 5 years, moved to CF.
28 Apr Ministry went to SF. Released Elder Issachar and Eldress Lavina. Anointed
Sun. Elder Albert (Lomas) and Eldress Harriet (Bullard) first and Galen Richmond
and Rosetta Hendrickson second. Issachar will live at 2d Family and Lavina
come to CF.
1 May Eldresses Ann and Polly are making lace caps for the sisters "with one thread
and no strings."
4 May Eldresses Ann and Polly are starching, "the spider net caps."
7 May Eldeis Daniel (from Mt. Leb), Giles and Austin are painting the Ministry Shop.
10 May "Little Lewis, the boy that'ran away from here a few days since, came back
today and Nehemiah sent him away as he had been to Albany and put him in'
the asylum this week. He got out s'ome way and came back here. No one
knows where the father is."
12 May "The Society are all to attend public meeting and the CF are to take the
Sun. lead and direct it, also the ministry are to attend when here."
15 May Elder Giles goes to Philadelphia "to help our missionaries there"(Eldress
Paulina and Katie Samuel).
18 May "In our evening meeting we are informed that we were to go to to the Meeting
Sat. House at 9 a.m. tomorrow to be drilled and if the world came at 10, let them
in."
19 May "Bless the Lord for all his goodness." At breakfast there were signs of
Sun. rain. We had morning meeting and, if it cleared off, were to go to the
Meeting House at 2 p.m. but it rained more or less all day.
22 May 2d and SF came to. clean the Meeting House, they excused the NF except for
G. Dibble.
24 May George is putting new slate roof on Ministry Shop.
28 May On May 9 when Elder Daniel was visiting here, he cut some fans for Lydia and
she began braiding them. On May 13 she put them "in the press for Elder
Daniel to trim before he left." Today she put handles on the 3 doz. fans.
2 June There is public meeting. "We did not have a very large audience and they
Sun. had the appearance of the lower class and not very well behaved at that.
7 June "C. Miller went to Albany. The everlasting cabbage suit is about being
tried again."
Elder Albert and Sister Rosetta came to schoolhouse to teach the girls
something about singing.
10 June "CM went to Troy to find out if the suit commenced today but the judge re-
Mon. fused to try the case as it belonged to the judge that tried it before so -
it will lie over tell the fall term."
11 June The Strong woman, who had been sent for, came from Amsterdam, to get
her daughter.
13 June Charles Marks finished working for GF. 2d Family /is looking for Edward
Powers.
17 June CM took Lucy and Lydia to Albany to sell baskets at the fair. Ann came to
Office "to take care of all the things, not the least of them the hens and
chickens, cat and kittens."
They took a little German girl I,today.
19 June Chas. Brackett took Matilda, Abby and Barbara to Albany "for releasement and
to see how the fair progressed and they never had seen anything of the kind."
20 June Lucy and Lydia came home. Sold only about $30 and bought 3 barrels of
crockery. "No one at the Fair did a great deal."
21 June The young Englishman that had been laid up has begun taking care of the
stock this week, likes it and does well.
24 June Sam Waterman and his brother-in-law came to frame the new part tothe hired men's shop.
Henry Tribley and Philip Wiseman are helping at the mill to frame the building.
28 June Neheiniah's sister, Sophronia, is visiting and today he took her to the 2d Order to see Aurelia.
(White - another sister,apparently)
30 June Had a general singing meeting in p.m. at Meeting House, "partially learned a new "anthehem
Sun. (as John Spier used to say), composed by Elder Albert (Lomas). "
4 July "Edwin (Male) took his wife and family to the city to have their likeness taken for him to
send to the old country to some of their friends. "
5 July A man brought a 14-year old boy and they took him on trial.
6 July A man came from Brooklyn with a little girl"to keep her from her step mother. She is
8 years o l d . "
12 July Eldress Elizabeth and Sister Catie(Ferguson) (and also Augusta and FannyO) are moving to 2d
Order, the former two to be Eldresses. Will take over from Eldress Aureiia "her burden being
so great there. They have sent four in her place hoping to mend or make a new family."
18 July Sarah EllaHoulton was taken a few months ago; her cousin and husband came to see her.
22 July Three boys tried to ride a horse from the city. It fellor lay down nearby, breaking one
boy's ankle. They took the boy to Janett (Angus - a t the infirmary)and she "done it up."
The boys stayed all night.
23 July Turned out the boys had run away and the injured boy could not sleep because his mother
did not know where he was.
Got a girl from Albany whose sister is already here * Their father is German, mother Irish.
25 July Nehemiah's sisters Eliza and Orpha came to visit.
11 Aug Elder Frederick Evans "spoke to spectators in very plain talk, almost too much so for decency."
Sun.
12 Aug "Lydia is making some very stout dinneror fruit baskets this week."
15 Aug Severe storm took down large elm east of dwelling house and It fell
on the Ministry Shop
doing much damage to the new slate roof and cap.
20 Aug Sent a little girlhome to her mother in Albany.
23 Aug Began drying corn. Hired men do the husking, sisters the cutting, and Stanton Buckingham
sees to the drying.
25 Aug Seven from CF, 7 from WF and Elder Albert from SF go to Lyceum in Troy for a meeting
Sun. from 2 p.m. to evening. / Elder Albert speaks and 14 singers sing.
27 Aug Phebe Ann Smith died at NF last night/about 55. C. Copley came this morning to get
Sam Waterman to make her coffin.
29 Aug CM went to Schenectady and ordered blinds for dwelling house.
30 Aug Got a jgirl
about 11 years old from Troy whose mother had just died and who had wanted
her daughter to come here.
I Sept " "Elder Albert tookElder Austin to Troy to see Lyceum and they would probably also see Andrew
Sun. Jackson Davis who was expected there today."
17 Sept Hired men move into new "lodge," CM brought home from Albany new looking glasses for
hired men and 11 small tables for the sleeping rooms.
20 Sept Today CM got "beautiful green window curtains with string for$1 each and put them up
in the "lodge" and a "nice alarm for the cowboy."
8 Oct Abby's sister, Eliza, came to see her. Had not seen her for 40 years.
9 Oct "Two ladies came with a man calling themselves "little sisters of the poor. "
They take care
of old people and beg for it all ."
I1 Oct A Mrs, Seymour came with two children in the evening. She is a Spiritual ist and has some
acquaintance with the mother of the Gade children. She wants to leave her children;
"they w i l l
try them and see what they will do. They spent the day running around but eat
and sleep with their mother, "
14 Oct Mrs. Josephine Seymour taken to Albany. "The children appear quite happy, especially
Mon. the girl." She is about 8, named Cleopatra/ boy is about 10.
15 Oct This morning it was found out by something the girl said that their name was Burleigh and
the woman is the one who killed a man in Utica on the cars "but not theone she intended to
kill as her destroyer." The children were not to blame but we deemed it wise not to keep
them. CM went to Albany, found her and agreed to send the children to her tomorrow .
21 Oct Emma's father and brother came to see her and she went home with them. (Germans)
22 Oct "Emeline Clark7 Susan Smith and a boy came here visiting and had dinner. Susan is a
Bel iever but I ives out among some of her people. "
26 Oct Brother Galen Richmond robbed last night of his watch and $12 on his way home from
Schenectady. Two men came upon him, one held the horse's head, the other sprang into
the wagon and demanded his money or they would dirk him. He accordingly gave them all
he had. CM went with him to P. Lansing's and to Albany."
28 Oct About 9:30 p.m. "as all were in their first
slumber, we were awakendd by bells ringing -
the 2d Family was on fire. Nearly every brother, all hired men and some of the sisters went
to help if possible." Cow and sheep barns burned with 150 tons of hay, all of this season's
grain, and much farming equipment. Arson.
29 Oct CM offered CF woods and sawmill but 2d Family thought It best to wait untilspring to rebuild.
5 Nov Bells awoke them at 4:30 a . m . -fire atSF. Most of brothers and many sisters rushedover
to help, Stanton B. saw two men around CF Office and hailed them but they did not answer
and ran off. SF also lost cow and sheep barns. "We fear and tremble for our f a t e . "
Stanton
and Philip each watch part of the night and three of the hired men watch all night around
the barns and m i l l .
10 Nov Elder Daniel watched all night and two of the (hired) men. 'They travel all around all the
barns, mill, woodhouses, etc. They have a password whenever they meet so they may not
get shot for burglary . "
13 Nov Adeline is going to 2d Order to be their dairy sister. She is the 5th sister thathas gone
there while only one, Aurelia White, came here.
AntJ officer, Wands, came and, "under guise of selling sewing machines, traveled about
the neighborhood for some days trying to get information on arsonists."
17-8 Nov Two officers came from West Albany to patrol through the night.
21 Nov Frederick Hanks, aged 62, who has been at SF forseven weeks, move'd~Tt>CF *
29 Nov "CM went to Albany about the cabbage seed law suit. Itis about time to have itcome on. "
4 Dec Today Eldress Paul ine and Anna Dodson start forPhiladelphia. Cl intonBrainard and two
other sisters are goingon a trading excursion and accompany them on their mission to the
colored people. .,-
7 Dec CM went to Albany and Troy again about the lawsuit to get things arranged right.
10 Dec Jesse took his team with CM, Elder Austin, Stanton and Nehemiah to Troy to attend the
Tues. law suit. CM and Nehemiah did not come home; they are having a hard time of it.
A. Youngs (of WF), H, Hollister )a young brother from Mt. Lebanon who came to help
the families that had fires), G. A. Lomas and Isaac Anstatt went to Cohoes to dig up the
body of Edward Powers "but the stench was so bad they could not do i t . "
(Powers was a young brother of the WF who was becoming increasingly insane and, just
before they completed their arrangements to confine him, slipped away. Isaac searched
for him for several days but a couple of weeks later received word from Cohoes that a body
had been taken from the river. The body was identified as Powers and he was buried in
Cohoes on June 21, 1872.)
11 Dec Jesse and his team, with Elder Austin and Stanton, went to Troy to attend court again.
12 Dec Attend court again. All came home at night except CM. "The opposite side brought in
a lot of new witnesses."
13 Dec CM came home with the others. Has not been home since Tuesday. "The case was left
Fri with the jury so we are stillinsuspence."
14 Dec CM went to Albany about noon, "Brought home the news that the jury disagreed so we are
in the same fixwe were before. After allthe time and expense it is of no account, only
money spent for nothing. "
16 Dec Elder Giles came from Mt. Lebanon, met A . Youngs in Albany. He was going to ML to
see the Ministry. He is quiteout of his head, thinks he can buy all the plains and have it
profitable. The fire and other things have been quite too much for his nervous system. "
19 Dec Elder Giles is staying at2d Family, seeing to theirbusiness while A. Youngs isdoctoring
and being card for in the infirmary.
23 Dec Elder Daniel Boler came'from Mt. Lebanon to help.
24 Dec Dr. Wade came to see A .Youngs. "Says he does not think he can live, he has the brain
fever. IThe fire has overpowered his nerves and he has not been well fora long time. They
will miss him very much for he has given his allfor the cause. "
28 Dec Elders Daniel and Giles returned to Mt. Lebanon.
29 Dec Alexander Youngs "passed to the higher life this morning."
31 Dec Alexander Youngs funeral . (he is not buried in the cemetery !)
1873
2 Jan CM went to Rosendale with Augustus Blaze (of 2d Family) to see about renting the Vedder
farm to John Scarf forhis son for $900 per year.
"Lydia is making little baskets forcushions to be put in,"
9 Jan "Edwin brought home a hogshead of molasses and a sewing machine for his wife. The little
boy that carries the mail is topay for it with theproceeds from his part in the mail business. "
10 Jan CM is negotiatingto sell the WF river farm. A man named Ol iver is interestedin it.
Stephen Conway and his dog watch every night (for arsonists).
17 Jan Orin Haskins, who had been visiting, started for hdme this morning with the covered sleigh
and George went with him to see him safe over the river. They "had closed the gate thinking
itunsafe to cross but a man went ahead of the team and he crossed over safely. " But the ice
broke up in the afternoon and two ladies were on the ice and nearly drowned.
23 Jan "Now and then there^is a lamb comes into thiscold world of ours. Sarah Ann Male came
and helped both here and at the wash house. 11
25 Jan A Mrs. Wood came to fry and get them to take a girl 12-13 years old, no relation of hers.
Sent to the SF .
31 Jan Lydia is making covered ball or knitting baskets.
Charles Brackett finished teaching school at the WF and Chauncy Dibble is totake itand
move it back to the schoolhouse.
1 Feb Hauling two carloads of coal from Niskayuna depot. Woman from Troy came to see ifthey
Would take two boys, 5 and 77 "but nay, positively nay."
3 Feb By request Elder Giles begins a singing meeting for the purpose of instruction in theevening
in the Stgne Shop.
4 Feb Have visit from Elder Peter, Sisters Matilda Reed and Phoebe Van Houghton of ML who
have been visiting at Groveland for 6 weeks. Sister Phoebe is to show them about tailoring/
cutting, fitting and the like.
For the year 1872
Prior (1871)
Next (1873)