Luke Keith’s diary entries from February 17 – 28, 1858

To read the entire diary and/or to see the scans of the diary, previous footnotes, tags of people mentioned, click here.

Feb 17 – Cloudy 2 Abz. Got one bunch shingles. Whiting paid me 50 cts. Went over to Fathers. Oscar and Mary ann[15] here. Mother came with them. T. Flanders came here.

Feb 18 – Cloudy 2 Abz. Carried 4 bushels wheat to mill. T. Flanders went home. Lasher drawed ice for Beach.

Feb 19 – Snowey 13 Abz. Went over to Fathers. Wes[16] Boy[17] Born this morning. Snows & blows like fun. Azro Brot stove over.

Feb 20 – Cold 2 Below zero. Swep out shop sawed some wood. T. Flanders here in evening.

Feb 21 – Pleasant 23 Abz. Good sleighing. At home all day.

Feb 22 – Cold 17 Below zero. Lasher Brot brick. Sawed out some cornice. Uncle Ozen[18] here.

Feb 23 – Pleasant 3 Abz. Worked on cornice. Father came over here.

Feb 24 – Pleasant 15 Abz. Finished cornice. B. Whitcomb Bot A. T. Jones violin $6.00. The girls left. Letter from N. B. Betts.[19]

Feb 25 – Cloudy 24 Abz. Worked on shop put on some cornice. Mary Powlison here to day. Pleasant & warm.

Feb 26 – Pleasant 5 Abz. Put on cornice and some roof boards. Thawed considerable.

Feb 27 – Cloudy and warm 36 Abz. Not much sleighing. T. Flanders came here. Shingled some. Snowed in the night 6 inches deep.

Feb 28 – Pleasant 28 Abz. Thawes some. Mr Stebbens buried to day. Averil preached. T. Flanders here all day.

[15] His nephew and wife, James Oscar and Mary Ann (Batey) Keith

[16] John Wesley Keith who, according to the family Bible, was adopted

[17] Ellis A. Keith

[18] Ozen Keith, his father’s brother

[19] His mother-in-law, Nancy (Comfort) Crawford Betts, who had recently remarried (see February 16, 1858 letter)