The History Center on Main Street

61 North Main Street, Mansfield, Pennsylvania 16933

Community History & Genealogy


In Their Own Words - Diaries and Letters of our Ancestors
Diary & Ledger of Dwight Bliss - Table of Contents
Township: Charleston Township, Tioga County PA
Year: 1881-1891
Transcribed by Esther MAYS Harer 2005
Charleston Township Page
This collection includes eleven full years of diary notations and financial information for Dwight Bliss of Charleston Township. Not everyone is interested in Nineteenth Century farm economy. There's me and maybe three other people on the planet. However, do not overlook these pages. If nothing else is of interest to you, the last column, Memorandum, includes notation on countless deaths and other events in the area. It is at the far right and you'll need to use your scrolling bar to get over to it. Also the daily financial transactions give us great insight into the lives of people operating in a barter (trade) economic sytem. Don't pay too much attention to the prices. We'd need a Consumer Price Index to convert them to a 2005 equivalent to get significant comparative information from them. Many thanks to Esther for making this available to us. Back to Table of Contents
Diary of EVENTS, &c., FOR THE MONTH OF__May 1889
Day of Week WEATHER Wind/Asp'cts Principal Occupation of the Day Sales Purchases Contracts Made & With Whom Cash Received Dollar/ Cents Cash Paid Out Dollars/ Cents Bills Receivable Dollar/cent Bills Payable Dollar/ cents Memoranda
1 Wed North Cldy i am a fixing fence on Hill                   C. Bliss lumber Paid 1.00  
2 Thurs North Cldy i am to work for C. Bliss               C. Bliss 1day Paid 1.00      
3 Fri North Cldy i am the home all-day                       Kit had a colt
4 Sat South Clear i and Charley made fence by the hen house       J. Sears for eggs 1.20 J. Sears For Grocery 1.20          
5 Sun North Clear i went over to Loid Bliss                       Went To meeting
6 Mon 80 South Clear i am to home to work today                       Docter Shant
7 Tues 80 South Clear i am to home a time with my head                        
8 Wed 90 South Clear i am to home a doing nothing                       Lil will have a calf 40
9 Thurs 90 South Clear i a laying around having a time with head                       Round
10 Fri 90 SW Clear i am to home planted Some Corn                        
11 Sat 80 NW Clear i am to home to work                        
12 Sun South Clear i went up to Backus                        
13 Mon South Rain Marked Corn Ground it rained                        
14 Tues South Clear i planted potatoes and corn                        
15 Wed South Clear i am a planting corn for Charley               C. Bliss 1day Paid 1.00     Lil will calf
16 Thurs South Clear i am to work for Charley               C. Bliss 1day Paid 1.00      
17 Fri South Clear i am a planting potatoes for Jake               J. Kimball 1day 1.00 C. Bliss 1 Pig Paid 2.50  
18 Sat South Clear i am a planting or before Jake   C. Bliss 1 Pig $2.50           J. Kimball 1day 1.00 J. Kimball lumber 1.84  
19 Sun South Clear i am to home all day       M. MaConell for Shugar 0.85              
20 Mon South Rain i helped Jake 1/4 day       W. Forest 1 pail But 8.67     J. Kimball 1/4 day 0.25      
21 Tues South Cloudy i am to home to work                        
22 Wed NE Cldy i am to work for Jake       Blossburg man One Cow 28.00 Jones Bitters 1.00 J. Kimball 1day 1.00      
23 Thurs North Clear i plowed for Buckwheat helped Jake 1/4 day           {1 chair Bruster Pail 1.85 .75 J. Kimball 1/4 day 0.25 W. Jones team one day Paid .50  
24 Fri South Clear i am a plowing for Jake           {Max Burncroft on account 21.00 J. Kimball 1 day 1.00      
25 Sat North Cldy i helped Jake 1-2 went to Wellsboro 1-2               J. Kimball 1/2 0.50      
26 Sun North Cldy i am to home all day   L Bliss 1 Pig $2.50       L. Bliss 1 Pig 2.50         Birt & Allis was here
27 Mon South Clear i am to home drawing wood               J. Kimball 1/2 0.5      
28 Tues South Clear i plastered my corn i helped Jake               C. Bliss 1 day Paid 1.00      
29 Wed North i am a pealing Bark for Jake               C. Bliss 3/4day Paid .75     very Bridge in the County
30 Thurs South i am a peeling Bark for Charley                        
31 Fri South Rain i am to home all day                        
Diary of EVENTS, &c., FOR THE MONTH OF__June 1889
Day of Week WEATHER Wind/Asp'cts Principal Occupation of the Day Sales Purchases Contracts Made & With Whom Cash Received Dollar/ Cents Cash Paid Out Dollars/ Cents Bills Receivable Dollar/cent Bills Payable Dollar/ cents Memoranda
1 Sat SW Clear i went to Wellsboro to see the ruins                   Max Burncroft 1 pair boots 3 Spot took the bull
2 Sun South Clear i went down to Babs                       I saw six dead deer
3 Mon SW Cldy i am to home i planted corn                        
4 Tues SW Cldy i am to home and i worked on the Road                        
5 Wed SW Cldy i am to work on the Road                        
6 Thur North Clear i am to work on the road                        
7 Fri NW Cldy i worked on the Road 1-2 helped Jake 1-2           Medison med J. Kimball 1/2 day 0.50      
8 Sat South Cldy i am to home 1-2 went to Wellsboro           Grets for beef .40 .60 J. Kimball Amount Bord 1.00      
9 Sun South Cldy i am to home all day                       Star took the Bull
10 Mon Cldy i Comenced work for Bowen               L. Bowen labor 0.20      
11 Tues South Rain i am to home it Raining                        
12 Wed South Rain i went to the Boro Cut logs for Bowen               L. Bowen 1/2 day Paid .75      
13 Thurs S Clear i am a Cutting logs for Bowen & Evens               L. Bowen 1 day Paid 1.50      
14 Fri South Clear i Cut logs for Bowen 1-2 Cultivated Corn               L. Bowen 1/2 day Paid .75      
15 Sat South Clear i Cuts logs for Bowen 1-2 it rained               L. Bowen 1/2 Paid .75      
16 Sun South Cldy we are down to Broughton                       we are down to Broughtons
17 Mon Rain i am to home it rain                        
18 Tues Cldy i am to work for Bowen                        
19 Wed   i am to work for Bowen               L. Bowen 3/4 day Paid 1.12      
20 Thurs Clear i am to work for Bowen               L. Bowen 1 day Paid 1.50      
21 Fri Cldy i am to work for Bowen & Evens               L. Bowen 3/4 day Paid 1.12      
22 Sat Clear i am a cutting logs for Bowen               L. Bowen 1 day Paid 1.50      
23 Sun Clear i am to home all day                       Blackey took the Bull
24 Mon Cldy i am to work for Evens               Bowen 1 day Paid 1.50      
25 Tues Cldy i am a Cutting Logs for Even               Bowen 1 day Paid 1.50     John Elliott died this day
26 Wed Rain i am to home today it rained                        
27 Thurs Clear i Cut logs for bowen & Evens               Bowen 1 day Paid 1.50      
28 Fri Clear i Cut logs for Bowen & Evens               Bowen 3/4 day Paid 1.12      
29 Sat Clear i am a Cutting logs for Bowen               Bowen 1 day Paid 1.50      
30 Sun Clear i am to home went to Broughtons                       we went down to Broughtons
                      16.11 103/4 days    

Published On Tri-Counties Site On 01/23/2005
By Joyce M. Tice