Trees covered with frost this A.M. 4 [degrees] below zero.
Done all the chores and made cream pie and oat flake cookies this A.M.
Rec'd letter from Christine- She passes Regents in Spelling 97, Arithmetic 90%
86 in Silent Reading*
Uncle Marell has a heart attack.
*The NY State Regents testing has changed a lot over the years. I know in the 1960s, my parents did not have Regents in Spelling or Silent Reading. Is Silent Reading just reading comprehension? When I was in high school (1988-1992) I took Regents in Course I, II, & III (math), Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Spanish, Global Studies, US History, & English.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 1936
Cold snowed in forenoon
plesant in afternoon-
Mother good all day-
Done all the chores and got a basket of corn from corn house
Death from cold wave numbers 260* in U.S.
In New York State 16-
*Well, this answers the question lurking in the back of my mind from Monday's post. I was wondering if the 150 deaths Irene reported on Jan. 27th were local or national. Here we get national & state numbers.
plesant in afternoon-
Mother good all day-
Done all the chores and got a basket of corn from corn house
Death from cold wave numbers 260* in U.S.
In New York State 16-
*Well, this answers the question lurking in the back of my mind from Monday's post. I was wondering if the 150 deaths Irene reported on Jan. 27th were local or national. Here we get national & state numbers.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Tuesday, January 28, 1936
Cold and windy
6 [degrees] below zero this A.M. and 8 [degrees] above this eve-
Done the chores and got meals today-
Have a stiff neck to day-
Mother has been good today
Aunty made a custard* for us-
*Many custard recipes say to scald the milk, & that is no doubt what Aunty did when she made it 77 years ago. This very simple, modern custard recipe I found does not call for scalding the milk. We now have pasteurized milk, & that process kills any harmful bacteria, so scalding is unnecessary. The occasional bread recipe will still require scalding, or bringing the milk to a boil first.
^Taken in 1948 & photographed by H.V. Rickner, 51 Chelsea Rd. Rochester 5, NY, Iliff Willard Dolton, Jr. (my father) & his parent's pasteurizer in their home in Cato, NY. The photograph appeared in a popular agriculture magazine.
6 [degrees] below zero this A.M. and 8 [degrees] above this eve-
Done the chores and got meals today-
Have a stiff neck to day-
Mother has been good today
Aunty made a custard* for us-
 |
| Iliff Dolton, Jr with the home pasteurizer in 1948^ |
*Many custard recipes say to scald the milk, & that is no doubt what Aunty did when she made it 77 years ago. This very simple, modern custard recipe I found does not call for scalding the milk. We now have pasteurized milk, & that process kills any harmful bacteria, so scalding is unnecessary. The occasional bread recipe will still require scalding, or bringing the milk to a boil first.
^Taken in 1948 & photographed by H.V. Rickner, 51 Chelsea Rd. Rochester 5, NY, Iliff Willard Dolton, Jr. (my father) & his parent's pasteurizer in their home in Cato, NY. The photograph appeared in a popular agriculture magazine.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Monday, January 27, 1936
Cold 10 [degrees] below zero
Done the chores and got meals and just daily work and tried to keep warm-
Mother has resented me and been restless all day-
Sent a letter to Florence Searles.
Papers report the storm and cold the past two weeks has not been equaled since 1888*
150 persons died from the storm.
*Irene is offering historical context here! The winter of 1888 was one of the worst on record. The blizzard of 1888, called The Children's Blizzard because so many school age children died in the Midwest, is the focus a great book. The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin is part history, part biography, part survival guide. I highly recommend reading it. In Central NY the storm wasn't as bad as in the Dakotas, Minnesota, & Nebraska, but the cold held everyone in its grip.
Done the chores and got meals and just daily work and tried to keep warm-
Mother has resented me and been restless all day-
Sent a letter to Florence Searles.
Papers report the storm and cold the past two weeks has not been equaled since 1888*
150 persons died from the storm.
 |
| About the Blizzard of 1888 |
*Irene is offering historical context here! The winter of 1888 was one of the worst on record. The blizzard of 1888, called The Children's Blizzard because so many school age children died in the Midwest, is the focus a great book. The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin is part history, part biography, part survival guide. I highly recommend reading it. In Central NY the storm wasn't as bad as in the Dakotas, Minnesota, & Nebraska, but the cold held everyone in its grip.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Sunday, January 26, 1936
Sunday plesant but cold
Made elderberry pie^ this A.M
Done all the chores-
Harry Baker came at noon
brought chunks of wood* and 2 bushels of potatoes and 2 qts milk
Iliff came this eve-
Mother has been pretty good-
*This seems to confirm my suspicion that Irene was heating with wood, not coal, but we will have to wait & see. The wood could be just for cooking.
^Elderberry pie recipes...
Food dot com
Namely Marley
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Saturday, January 25, 1936
Cold but plesant
Zero this A.M. rising to 10 [degrees] above just after noon-
Done all the chores and shovelled path to corn house for corn-
Made a layer cake with crabapple jelly filling. Made apple sauce*-
Charles came for list of groceries to get for us in town
Rec'd letter from Christine-
Mother difficult this AM-
*I wondered whether Irene was cooking apple sauce on Jan 16 when she stated she "cooked sweet apples." Since she used the term apple sauce on this date, I can only assume that 9 days prior, she was cooking something else.
Zero this A.M. rising to 10 [degrees] above just after noon-
Done all the chores and shovelled path to corn house for corn-
Made a layer cake with crabapple jelly filling. Made apple sauce*-
Charles came for list of groceries to get for us in town
Rec'd letter from Christine-
Mother difficult this AM-
*I wondered whether Irene was cooking apple sauce on Jan 16 when she stated she "cooked sweet apples." Since she used the term apple sauce on this date, I can only assume that 9 days prior, she was cooking something else.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Friday, January 24, 1936
Windy and cold 4 below zero-
Wrote a letter to Clara-
Done some washing and ironed this P.M.
Done all the chores and shovelled paths.
Mother has been good all day-
Wrote a letter to Clara-
Done some washing and ironed this P.M.
Done all the chores and shovelled paths.
Mother has been good all day-
 |
| Shoveling was a big part of Irene's chores in the winter of 1936 |
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Thursday, January 23, 1936
Clara's birthday
Christine's birthday*
Stormy and windy and cold wave-
Rec'd letter from Clara telling about a storm in Newburg-
Done all the chores today and hemed Aunty's dress and finished an apron for Mother
Mother has been pretty good all day-
*Christine refers to Christine Smith. I never met her, but I did meet her brother Chester Smith & his wife Laura when I was in high school. They grew orchids for Cornell University. You can see Chester & Christine's birthdays listed on the paper above.
Christine's birthday*
Stormy and windy and cold wave-
Rec'd letter from Clara telling about a storm in Newburg-
Done all the chores today and hemed Aunty's dress and finished an apron for Mother
Mother has been pretty good all day-
 |
| List of birthdays found in Irene's diary |
*Christine refers to Christine Smith. I never met her, but I did meet her brother Chester Smith & his wife Laura when I was in high school. They grew orchids for Cornell University. You can see Chester & Christine's birthdays listed on the paper above.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Wednesday, January 22, 1936
Windy and cold
Mother never went to bed at all last night.
She was tired but good all day-
I done all the chores and swept and dusted-
Electric light wire blew down so was without lights* and eat supper with lamp-
Men came and fixed it before 7-30 o'clock.
*Since they were probably heating with wood, being without electricity was not as big of a deal as it would be today.
Mother never went to bed at all last night.
She was tired but good all day-
I done all the chores and swept and dusted-
Electric light wire blew down so was without lights* and eat supper with lamp-
Men came and fixed it before 7-30 o'clock.
*Since they were probably heating with wood, being without electricity was not as big of a deal as it would be today.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Tuesday, January 21, 1936
Cold but plesant
Shovelled paths and done chores-
got corn from corn house and filled can with grain from barn for hens-
Baked oat flake cookies* and made butterscotch pudding
Rec'd a letter from Christine-
Mother has been a little uneasy and resented me some what all day-
Thinks I am here to watch her-
*Irene's "oat flake" cookies are what we would call oatmeal cookies & were a favorite of my father's when he went to visit her for a few weeks every summer. My father, Iliff Willard Dolton, Jr., was the only child of her only child, the a fore mentioned Iliff Willard Dolton, Sr. (Jan 3, 6, 12, 16, 18, 19). As I have mentioned, I do not have Irene's recipes, but I will share with you the recipe I use when making oatmeal cookies which my dad also likes quite a bit.
Tisha's Oatmeal Cookies (modified slightly from the Quaker Oats lid)
INGREDIENTS:
Shovelled paths and done chores-
got corn from corn house and filled can with grain from barn for hens-
Baked oat flake cookies* and made butterscotch pudding
Rec'd a letter from Christine-
Mother has been a little uneasy and resented me some what all day-
Thinks I am here to watch her-
 |
| Iliff Sr. and Iliff Jr. ca. 1950 |
*Irene's "oat flake" cookies are what we would call oatmeal cookies & were a favorite of my father's when he went to visit her for a few weeks every summer. My father, Iliff Willard Dolton, Jr., was the only child of her only child, the a fore mentioned Iliff Willard Dolton, Sr. (Jan 3, 6, 12, 16, 18, 19). As I have mentioned, I do not have Irene's recipes, but I will share with you the recipe I use when making oatmeal cookies which my dad also likes quite a bit.
Tisha's Oatmeal Cookies (modified slightly from the Quaker Oats lid)
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 c. plus 6 T. butter, softened
- 3/4 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 c. granulated sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 t. vanilla
- 1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 t. Baking Soda
- 1 t. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 t. ground ginger
- 1/4 t. fresh ground nutmeg
- pinch of salt (optional)
- 3 c. uncooked oats (quick or old-fashioned)
- 3/4 c. dried cherries (cut in half) or dried cranberries
- 1/2 c. chopped pecans or walnuts
Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
In large bowl, beat brown sugar, granulated sugar, & butter on medium with electric mixer
until creamy. Beat in eggs & vanilla. Mix in flour,
baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, & salt. Mix in oats, cherries, and pecans. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto cookie
sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove to wire rack & cool. Store tightly
covered.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Monday, January 20, 1936
Cold but plesant
Shovelled paths and done chores-
Mother as been good all day-
We three sent cards to Clara for her birthday*
I wrote a letter and sent with birthday card to Christine-
I need to go over the genealogy with my mother this week. After that I will know when Clara & Christine's birthdays were. I believe they were around the 23rd of January.
Shovelled paths and done chores-
Mother as been good all day-
We three sent cards to Clara for her birthday*
I wrote a letter and sent with birthday card to Christine-
 |
| Typical Birthday card ca. 1936 |
I need to go over the genealogy with my mother this week. After that I will know when Clara & Christine's birthdays were. I believe they were around the 23rd of January.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Sunday, January 19, 1936
Sunday
Cold and stormy & winds Zero weather-
Mother upset this afternoon-
Done all the chores and cleaned Mothers head and washed her neck and ears this afternoon-
Took my bath this P.M.
Iliff called this eve-
hurried away as roads were drifting
I have been in a book club for 12 years with 3 of my closest friends, & I just finished reading The Red Leather Diary: Reclaiming a Life Through the Pages of a Lost Journal by Lily Koppel. The diary featured in the book covers a 5 year period, from 1929-1934, a similar time period to what I am exploring here, but worlds apart in many ways. The diarist, Florence Wolfson, was an ambitious 14 year old writing about her upwardly mobile life in New York City. There is the typical teenage angst, as well as a touch of glamor, & people who would be famous.
In contrast, my great-grandmother was a 56 year old widow trying to survive in rural Central, NY, having to live & take care of 2 aged women, baking, cleaning, sewing. It sounds exhausting, but it was real life for so many, & a story worth telling. I hope you, the reader, enjoy delving into the past with me as I touch the surface of Irene Smith Dolton's life.
Cold and stormy & winds Zero weather-
Mother upset this afternoon-
Done all the chores and cleaned Mothers head and washed her neck and ears this afternoon-
Took my bath this P.M.
Iliff called this eve-
hurried away as roads were drifting
 |
| Tisha finished this book about a lost diary |
I have been in a book club for 12 years with 3 of my closest friends, & I just finished reading The Red Leather Diary: Reclaiming a Life Through the Pages of a Lost Journal by Lily Koppel. The diary featured in the book covers a 5 year period, from 1929-1934, a similar time period to what I am exploring here, but worlds apart in many ways. The diarist, Florence Wolfson, was an ambitious 14 year old writing about her upwardly mobile life in New York City. There is the typical teenage angst, as well as a touch of glamor, & people who would be famous.
In contrast, my great-grandmother was a 56 year old widow trying to survive in rural Central, NY, having to live & take care of 2 aged women, baking, cleaning, sewing. It sounds exhausting, but it was real life for so many, & a story worth telling. I hope you, the reader, enjoy delving into the past with me as I touch the surface of Irene Smith Dolton's life.
Thanks for reading,
Tisha
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Saturday, January 18, 1936
Cloudy and windy with snow and rain- turning to ice-
Mother been good all day but I have been uncomfortable in my stomach*-
toast diet all day
Done all the chores and got simple meals and necesary work only-
*Irene was still not feeling well after yesterday's upset stomach. No baking.
Mother been good all day but I have been uncomfortable in my stomach*-
toast diet all day
Done all the chores and got simple meals and necesary work only-
*Irene was still not feeling well after yesterday's upset stomach. No baking.
Friday, January 17, 2014
Friday, January 17, 1936
Sunny & plesant but cold and icy all day-
I ironed my table linen and pressed Mothers wool dress this morning and done all the chores-
Mother started for a walk and as it was icy I insisted on going too so she only went as far as Harings and came back mad-
I got nervous indigestion and vomited this eve- was so sick-
I ironed my table linen and pressed Mothers wool dress this morning and done all the chores-
Mother started for a walk and as it was icy I insisted on going too so she only went as far as Harings and came back mad-
I got nervous indigestion and vomited this eve- was so sick-
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Thursday, January 16, 1936
Quiet and plesant but cold all day-
Mother good today
I made tapioca pudding and cooked sweet apples* and done all the chores-
Iliff came & we went to Ithaca and bought birthday cards and Iliff got license plates^ for the car.
I wrote to Clara-
*Does this mean the apples were sweet before Irene cooked them? Or did she make applesauce? I am confused.
^Since Ithaca is the county seat for Tompkins County, it only makes sense that my grandfather would get his license plates there.
Mother good today
I made tapioca pudding and cooked sweet apples* and done all the chores-
Iliff came & we went to Ithaca and bought birthday cards and Iliff got license plates^ for the car.
I wrote to Clara-
*Does this mean the apples were sweet before Irene cooked them? Or did she make applesauce? I am confused.
^Since Ithaca is the county seat for Tompkins County, it only makes sense that my grandfather would get his license plates there.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Wednesday, January 15, 1936
Washed table linen and towels today and made cherry pudding*
Done chores for Aunty
Windy south wind turning to a little rain this P.M.
Called for Aunty to enquire of Alice Bristol's illness-
She is able to be around again
Mother has resented me all day and been uneasy-
*I found a great blog called One Hundred Years Ago. Here is the recipe for Cherry Pudding. Since it is January in 1936, I assume Irene is using canned cherries, possibly ones she put up herself.
It is a good thing I am trying to be healthier, otherwise I would be baking my way through this diary like Julie Powell & Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
Done chores for Aunty
Windy south wind turning to a little rain this P.M.
Called for Aunty to enquire of Alice Bristol's illness-
She is able to be around again
Mother has resented me all day and been uneasy-
 |
| Old fashioned cherry pudding |
*I found a great blog called One Hundred Years Ago. Here is the recipe for Cherry Pudding. Since it is January in 1936, I assume Irene is using canned cherries, possibly ones she put up herself.
It is a good thing I am trying to be healthier, otherwise I would be baking my way through this diary like Julie Powell & Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Tuesday, January 14, 1936
Bright but windy all day
Washed Mothers wool dress and my nubby crash* dress and ironed it and sewed on buttons
Done the chores-
Mother has been quiet and good all day- Rec'd a letter from Florence Searles and also one from Clara with check for $15.00 from Dec. 30 to Jan 20
*I had to look this up. Crash fabric is fabric made from "rough, uneven yarns." Crash fabric is inherently "nubby" because when uneven yarns a woven, they create bumps, or nubs, in the finished cloth.
Washed Mothers wool dress and my nubby crash* dress and ironed it and sewed on buttons
Done the chores-
Mother has been quiet and good all day- Rec'd a letter from Florence Searles and also one from Clara with check for $15.00 from Dec. 30 to Jan 20
*I had to look this up. Crash fabric is fabric made from "rough, uneven yarns." Crash fabric is inherently "nubby" because when uneven yarns a woven, they create bumps, or nubs, in the finished cloth.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Monday, January 13, 1936
Stormy all day with strong Northwest wind
Mother has been restless all day- She rec'd a letter from Clara-
I rec'd a letter from Christine
Mended Mother's dress and two pair of stockings- Done all the chores and got corn and wheat supply-
Mother has been restless all day- She rec'd a letter from Clara-
I rec'd a letter from Christine
Mended Mother's dress and two pair of stockings- Done all the chores and got corn and wheat supply-
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Sunday, January 12, 1936
Sunday
Mother has been fine all day
I combed her hair and washed her neck and ears and put a clean dress on her-
Made a lemon pie* for dinner
Took a bath this P.M.
Harry Baker came for eve
also Iliff came for eve-
Thawed to day but foggy and cloudy this P.M.
Harry brought us cottage cheese and cream-
* I don't have Irene's recipe, but this is my favorite lemon pie.
Mother has been fine all day
I combed her hair and washed her neck and ears and put a clean dress on her-
Made a lemon pie* for dinner
Took a bath this P.M.
Harry Baker came for eve
also Iliff came for eve-
Thawed to day but foggy and cloudy this P.M.
Harry brought us cottage cheese and cream-
* I don't have Irene's recipe, but this is my favorite lemon pie.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Saturday, January 11, 1936
Charles took Aunty and Anna to Ellen Beckwith Lyon's funeral. Susie Harrington called this afternoon-
I made a plain cake* and cleaned the kitchen- sewed on Mothers apron this P.M.
Mild and plesant all day-
Done all Aunty's chores today as it was icy-
* I was unsure what a "plain cake" might be. Is it just a yellow cake? Is it an unfrosted cake? I googled it & low & behold, there are many "plain cake" recipes. I was right. It is exactly as it sounds: a plain cake. (Which I think is my favorite.) Here is one I found. (125g = 1 cup/ 180 degrees C = 350 degrees F)
I made a plain cake* and cleaned the kitchen- sewed on Mothers apron this P.M.
Mild and plesant all day-
Done all Aunty's chores today as it was icy-
 |
| Plain Cake |
* I was unsure what a "plain cake" might be. Is it just a yellow cake? Is it an unfrosted cake? I googled it & low & behold, there are many "plain cake" recipes. I was right. It is exactly as it sounds: a plain cake. (Which I think is my favorite.) Here is one I found. (125g = 1 cup/ 180 degrees C = 350 degrees F)
Friday, January 10, 2014
Friday, January 10, 1936
Rain turned to snow flurries and colder with ice-
Done all the chores for Aunty today- She has not been out-
I made corn starch pudding* and sewed on Mother's aprons-
Mother has been good all day-
*I don't have many of Irene's recipes, so I had to go searching for this. Modern version here from the Argo Baking Power website.
Done all the chores for Aunty today- She has not been out-
I made corn starch pudding* and sewed on Mother's aprons-
Mother has been good all day-
*I don't have many of Irene's recipes, so I had to go searching for this. Modern version here from the Argo Baking Power website.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Thursday, January 9, 1936
Strong south wind with snow turning to rain this eve- Shovelled paths and done chores for Aunty-
Mother has been good all day
Iliff called* this eve-
Ellen Lyon^ died yesterday 2 A.M.
Lena Hamilton her daughter will miss her terribly-
Mother has gone upstairs to sleep-
*I feel compelled to explain (particularly for young readers) that throughout this diary "called" refers to someone physically coming to the house "paying a call on," or visiting. Iliff was not calling his mother on the telephone.
^A quick search has left me nothing on Ellen Lyon. I was not able to find an obituary or a grave. I will keeping looking. I may have my mother look on Ancestry.com for me.
Mother has been good all day
Iliff called* this eve-
Ellen Lyon^ died yesterday 2 A.M.
Lena Hamilton her daughter will miss her terribly-
Mother has gone upstairs to sleep-
*I feel compelled to explain (particularly for young readers) that throughout this diary "called" refers to someone physically coming to the house "paying a call on," or visiting. Iliff was not calling his mother on the telephone.
^A quick search has left me nothing on Ellen Lyon. I was not able to find an obituary or a grave. I will keeping looking. I may have my mother look on Ancestry.com for me.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Wednseday, January 8, 1936
Thawed some but icy
Made pumpkin pie and wrote a letter to Bertha and Christine*
Mother and I walked over to brick house to see Anna- Leroy going to town so rode home with him- Mother was up all night last night- never went to bed at all- Been good all day
Aunty's hand is better.
Rec'd letter from Clara to Mother of her safe return to Newburg-
*Please be patient. I will give you a cast of characters in the coming weeks.
Thank for reading,
Tisha
Made pumpkin pie and wrote a letter to Bertha and Christine*
Mother and I walked over to brick house to see Anna- Leroy going to town so rode home with him- Mother was up all night last night- never went to bed at all- Been good all day
Aunty's hand is better.
Rec'd letter from Clara to Mother of her safe return to Newburg-
*Please be patient. I will give you a cast of characters in the coming weeks.
Thank for reading,
Tisha
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Tuesday, January 7, 1936
Still icy but mild
Mother has been restless today- expecting Clara to come
Received a letter from Christine
Aunty got one from Lloyd-
Aunty has rheumatism in her right hand- It is swollen quite badly.
Updated 4/30/2019 to add image. PFD
Mother has been restless today- expecting Clara to come
Received a letter from Christine
Aunty got one from Lloyd-
Aunty has rheumatism in her right hand- It is swollen quite badly.
 |
| Lovely stylized end-papers of Irene's diary 1936 |
Updated 4/30/2019 to add image. PFD
Monday, January 6, 2014
Monday, January 6, 1936
Still icy, alittle snow
Mother has been good all day
I got grain and corn for Aunty and made a tapioca pudding
Iliff came this eve-
Washed the kitchen windows*-
*Random comment: I find it strange that Irene was washing windows in winter. Anyone else think that is odd?
Mother has been good all day
I got grain and corn for Aunty and made a tapioca pudding
Iliff came this eve-
Washed the kitchen windows*-
 |
| Title page to Irene's diary where she wrote in the year- 1936 |
*Random comment: I find it strange that Irene was washing windows in winter. Anyone else think that is odd?
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Sunday, January 5, 1936
Sunday
Clara and Harry left this noon- Seems mighty quiet and lonesome without them-
Mother has been good about Clara's going all afternoon-
Albert Hall called on Clara this forenoon- said his father has to leave the hospital without operation-
Terribly icy-
Clara and Harry left this noon- Seems mighty quiet and lonesome without them-
Mother has been good about Clara's going all afternoon-
Albert Hall called on Clara this forenoon- said his father has to leave the hospital without operation-
Terribly icy-
 | ||||||
| L-R: Grant and Alice Fletcher, Willet and Irene Dolton before 1930 |
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Saturday, January 4, 1936
Clara, Harry, and Mother went to Dr. Skinners at Genoa* and got medicine-
I cooked the rooster for dinner and made a cherry pie- Eleanor Evans called this afternoon-
Clara set up Aunty's new bed.
*Possibly the Dr. Skinner referenced in Irene's diary- Image from the Genoa Historical Association.
Updated 4/30/2019 to change image & fix broken link. PFD
I cooked the rooster for dinner and made a cherry pie- Eleanor Evans called this afternoon-
Clara set up Aunty's new bed.
 |
Possibly the Dr. Skinner (in front of his Genoa home) referenced in
Irene’s diary- Image from the Genoa Historical Association.
|
*Possibly the Dr. Skinner referenced in Irene's diary- Image from the Genoa Historical Association.
Updated 4/30/2019 to change image & fix broken link. PFD
Friday, January 3, 2014
Friday, January 3, 1936
Mother, Aunty, Clara, & Harry went to Ithaca- Mother and Aunty had their feet treated by Dr. Price
I made cookies and got dinner and dressed a rooster this P.M.
Iliff* came and spent the eve
He has rented the Horatio Smith^ place- to move this month-
Aunty's new cot bed came by express-
*Iliff (pronounced EYE-lif) refers to my grandfather, Iliff Willard Dolton, Sr. (1897-1981), Irene's only child with Willard Dolton.
^Could this refer to a house owned by Civil War veteran Horatio Williston Smith of Butler, NY, or his father Dr. Horatio Smith? Could they be relatives of Irene?
I made cookies and got dinner and dressed a rooster this P.M.
Iliff* came and spent the eve
He has rented the Horatio Smith^ place- to move this month-
Aunty's new cot bed came by express-
 |
| The front of Irene's diary |
*Iliff (pronounced EYE-lif) refers to my grandfather, Iliff Willard Dolton, Sr. (1897-1981), Irene's only child with Willard Dolton.
^Could this refer to a house owned by Civil War veteran Horatio Williston Smith of Butler, NY, or his father Dr. Horatio Smith? Could they be relatives of Irene?
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Thursday, January 2, 1936
Finished ironing to day- Clara made the door curtains and made fudge candy from one of my recipes and popped corn this eve-
Began to rain a little and freese* as it came- so is icy but seems to be getting warmer this eve-
*Yes, Irene did spell "freeze" this way in the diary.
Began to rain a little and freese* as it came- so is icy but seems to be getting warmer this eve-
 |
| The 1st entries in Irene's diary |
*Yes, Irene did spell "freeze" this way in the diary.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Wednesday, January 1, 1936
Beautiful day
Mother, Aunty, Clara, Harry, and I watched the new year in last eve. Drank a toast for health and happiness for all in Port wine- and enjoyed the radio-
Have baked a butternut cake and a pumpkin and an apple pies to day.
Harry took us for a ride to Auburn and back this P.M. Harry and Clara went to moving pictures of Jungle Animals by Buck* this eve.
*Jungle Animals by Buck probably refers to one of 3 movies made prior to 1936 by animal collector Frank Buck: Bring 'Em Back Alive (1932), Wild Cargo (1934), or Fang & Claw (1935). For more information click here. Above is a clip of Buck capturing an escaped leopard from one of his films. Thanks to schmausschmaus for posting it on YouTube.
This is the start of my great-grandmother's diary from 1936. She was a widow of about 56 years old & most likely living with her step-mother & step-mother's sister in a house near Auburn, NY.
Over the next year, I will attempt to post her diary entries day by day. Funny that 2014 starts on a Wednesday, just like 1936, but I digress. I have my father's permission to post these, as he is the nearest surviving relative. My plan is to keep true to Grandma Irene's writing style, punctuation, & misspellings, while offering historical references when needed, or just for fun.
Mother, Aunty, Clara, Harry, and I watched the new year in last eve. Drank a toast for health and happiness for all in Port wine- and enjoyed the radio-
Have baked a butternut cake and a pumpkin and an apple pies to day.
Harry took us for a ride to Auburn and back this P.M. Harry and Clara went to moving pictures of Jungle Animals by Buck* this eve.
*Jungle Animals by Buck probably refers to one of 3 movies made prior to 1936 by animal collector Frank Buck: Bring 'Em Back Alive (1932), Wild Cargo (1934), or Fang & Claw (1935). For more information click here. Above is a clip of Buck capturing an escaped leopard from one of his films. Thanks to schmausschmaus for posting it on YouTube.
This is the start of my great-grandmother's diary from 1936. She was a widow of about 56 years old & most likely living with her step-mother & step-mother's sister in a house near Auburn, NY.
Over the next year, I will attempt to post her diary entries day by day. Funny that 2014 starts on a Wednesday, just like 1936, but I digress. I have my father's permission to post these, as he is the nearest surviving relative. My plan is to keep true to Grandma Irene's writing style, punctuation, & misspellings, while offering historical references when needed, or just for fun.
Thanks for reading,
Tisha Dolton,
Historian &
Great-granddaughter of Irene Dolton (nee Smith)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)