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Oct 27 – Cool went over to the burg after the gals Paty and Catharine
Oct 28 – Rainy went down to Joseph Lees[40]
Oct 29 – Went over to the burg and white washed
Oct 30 – Went up to Lyman Earls cold and snowey left Patty
Oct 31 – Cold snow 6 inches deep thermometer Eight degrees below freesing point
Nov 1 – At home worked on my pump Patty came down with L. T. Earl went over to the burg with L. Earl got a letter from Edwin Crawford[41]
Nov 2 – Went down to Catharines with Patty rainy dol[42] was sick Mark & Joe[43] gone a hunting York killed a deer lost him in the Lake
Nov 3 – Stayed at home and worked some on my pump killed a pig Received a letter from Geo Tomlinson A rainy day
Nov 4 – Raining not very cold went to the burg to Election[44] got me some Boots quite a snow storm Paid Catharine $20. Dollars
Nov 5 – Cold and snows carried two loads over to the burg carried some wheat to mill sent James Sprague a letter Patty went down to Catharines Mrs Bennet left for N York
Nov 6 – Moved over to the burg J. Flanders helped me with his team carried over three Loads
Nov 7 – Carried over my pork soap lard molasses and some other things rained all the after noon and evening received a letter from Depere & Pavilion
Nov 8 – Went over to Fathers got my clock rather stormy cold some snow Flanders took the old cow
Nov 9 – Pleasant and cool very little snow on the ground went over to Fathers got my glass and thermometer rather cold it stands at 29 above zero
Nov 10 – Stayed at home cleaned out my stable and chored round the house
Nov 11 – Pleasant went over to Fathers and cut some wood drawed over one load carried my violin over to the burg
Nov 12 – Stayed at home cleaned up the yard pleasant warm
Nov 13 – Dug out the old stump near the gate set one fence post on the north east corner next the race pleasant
Nov 14 – James Sprague came this morning went over to Fathers
Nov 15 – Cool went over the river got the team drawed two loads lumber for fence Sarah & children went over helped Wesley dig bagas in the afternoon
Nov 16 – Snowey and cold stayed at home on train cars this morning Engine Delphia [?]
Nov 17 – Cold snowey James came over and we set fence posts
Nov 18 – Made fence pleasant and cool
Nov 19 – Went over to Fathers and took some potatoes to the burg let March have them for 3/ pr bushel
Nov 20 – Made some fence and bars wheeled out chip manure
Nov 21 – Went over and got my grave stones[45] and set them James Sprague and Lasher helped me got some mutton .32
Nov 22 – Stayed at home banked house some went and see the horse race James and Patty left for Home
Nov 23 – Stayed at home young one born in Ponds house Rivenburgh
Nov 24 – Built a corn crib received one load corn 14. Bushels
Nov 25 – Rainy some hail one load corn 15 bushel
Nov 26 – At home finished my crib Received one load corn 15 bushels
Nov 27 – Went over to the mill and got some plank for my stable floor Stevens went to Paw Paw laid my floor
Nov 28 – At home made my manger Catharine and Lucy[46] stayed here all night had an irish wake Bennet got home Lasher fetched over 12. bushels corn which make 56. bushels in all corn is worth 3/c [?] pr bushel
Nov 29 – Stayed at Home sawed wood some dun chores went over and got Doll in the Evening snow on the ground
Nov 30 – At Home all day Bennet stayed here Stevens got home
Dec 1 – At home part of the day got my hogs over home killed my rooster
Dec 2 – Very stormy Henry Bennet left this morning received one Dollar of Bennet for taking care of his horse he traded horses with Riley Bennet
Dec 3 – Cold and snowey went over the river and hung two doors for Lasher and got one load of wood
Dec 4 – At home filled some teeth for Billington $1.00. Paid
Dec 5 – Went over to Fathers and cut holes for his stove pipe and commenced his sled cold and fair sleighing henry child here
Dec 6 – To work on sled carried my hens home at Night Ed and henry here
Dec 7 – Ed and henry here Bennet left alone cold fair sleighing Sarah gone to meeting to the M. E. Church went to Church this Evening to the M. E. Church
Dec 8 – Worked on sled over to Fathers
Dec 9 – Worked on slead over to fathers Lasher fetched me load wood and some corn fodder
Dec 10 – Worked over to Fathers
Dec 11 – Worked over to Fathers Painted slead
Dec 12 – Got Dol Shod $1.50 went over to Fathers got Some potatoes Slead came over to the Burg to be Ironed
Dec 13 – Went over the river carried my corn to mill got it at night
Dec 14 – Cold and Blustering snows wind blows thermometer stands two Degrees Below freesing point at ½ past Eleven
Dec 15 – Very cold eight Degrees above zero went over to Fathers he paid me ten Dollars Received a letter from Geo Tomlinson stranger here from Kalamazoo
Dec 16 – Cold Eight Degrees above zero went up to Flanders got his thills[47] went down to Catharines with Lois in the Evening very cold Wesley and Lasher went after hay
Dec 17 – Rather cold 12 Degrees above zero went over the river and got load wood Catharine was there Eight in the evening 4 degrees above zero got ½ lb tea
Dec 18 – Cold 6 D above zero Killed my Pig got an iron for my slead went and cut some straw got 70. lbs midlings 53. Cents
Dec 19 – Pulled tooth not very cold 22 Above zero stormy in the morning middle warm and pleasant at noon 34 Above zero moved my bench over Rainy in the Evening warm 41. A zero got a clasp for my shop Door 25 cents
Dec 20 – Cold 16. AB zero morn snow freesing all ice at noon 12. AB zero Snow flies quite smart Pulled tooth for Mrs Clark latter part of the Day cold and blustering
Dec 21 – Morning cold 9 AB zero noon sun came out pleasant cool air
Dec 22 – Cold and blustering went over the river pond came home with me
Dec 23 – Comfortable worked in the shop put up my stove and bench got a cap for my stove pipe went up to Hellens in the Evening
Dec 24 – Cold and snows went over to Fathers and got a load of traps went up to Jesse Earls and Repaired his clock
Dec 25 – Christmas went Down to Kalamazoo stoped to Catharines and took supper attended a dance in the Evening
Dec 26 – Went over and got the plank for W. W. Earls car Crid came over with me 4. Blow zero pleasant at noon Crid & wife went to Battle creek
Dec 27 – Worked on Earls Car the Engine lay here all day being Repaired rainy in the Evening
Dec 28 – Not very cold 27 AB zero all ice very slipery people going to church as usual
Dec 29 – Went over the river called to Lashers
Dec 30 – Worked in the shop on car
Dec 31 – Worked in shop on car
[40] First cousin, son of his Aunt Rhoda (Keith) and Charles Lee
[41] His wife Sarah’s brother
[42] His horse
[43] First cousins, sons of his Aunt Rhoda (Keith) and Charles Lee
[44] James Buchanan was elected President; slavery was a key issue
[45] Perhaps he is referring to the grave stones for his first two wives, Minerva (Payson) and Jerusha (Crittenden) Keith. Family story has it that he often played his violin at their grave sites
[46] Lucy Lee, daughter of his sister Catharine (Keith) Bradley and George Lee
[47] The two long shafts between which an animal is fastened when pulling a wagon
Letters to and from the Keith and Related Families 