June 1881

Page 86
June the first Day   Cap..n gone to the Burg with Sam   Frank come after me    I go dress Mollies little girl   [   ]   go home with Bettie    Stay all night   Jase seting up at Broomfields with a coiyes<sp?>
[BTM]  Captain Totty gone to Forestburg aka the Burg.   Son Frank and his wife Mollie had their first child, a girl named they named Edith.   Rhoda went home with daughter Bettie to spend the night and her husband Jase setting up with ?? coiyes.   I could not determine what this was, does anybody have a guess what Rhoda ment Jase was setting up?  Could it have been coyotes trying to get to his chickens or farm animals?

2 Day    come back to Franks find Mollie and her babe doing very well   Lillie come to See the baby    Armstrong moved up to the Bourland House   Said he is just from the Nation   (may be a very clever fellow)
[BTM] On the way back home Rhoda stop to see her newest grandbaby.   New neighbor Armstrong moved in from the Nation, soon to become the State of Oklahoma.

3 Day  hot   hottest day of the Season  Summer in earnest
4 Day Tildas birthday  26 to day   Cap..n and Dick plowing Pea gone to base ball club this evening   I fixed my dary at the well    going to have good milk
[BTM] Dick Coffey helping the Captain with his work.  It is so interesting to know that even back in 1881 baseball was a big sport that the Totty men played and watched.   My grandfather Green Whitfield Totty and my father Vernon Totty loved baseball.   Did Rhoda mean to write diary or dairy since she  mentioned milk in the next comment?

5 Day Sunday    geting ready to go across the creek     Volkman the Dutchman Seting with the Captain   also Bruce and the brothers Coffey    went  taken diner at Franks    Cap..n Started to Montague   Jase and Bettie come home with us     glad of that
[BTM] Are they talking about setting up at the annual picnic at Forestburg? Or are they likely setting up to sell some of their farm produce?  So many were mentioned.  What ever the occasion there were many families represented.   Rhoda went to son Franks to have dinner and most likely to see how little Edith was fairing. 

6 Day   Lillie gone with Bettie to go to School     the Mrs Coffeys and Armstrong at the well   washing and Scolding their children..    night Willie Taylor and Bud May come boys all having  good time  talking of making a black beard out of a nigger and now they are turning Summer Sets and laughing and doing as they please    Cloud in the North west   lightning
[BTM] Mrs Coffey may likely be the wife of Dick.  Mrs Armstrong is the new neighbor living the the Bourland house that just moved back from the Nation.   Willie Taylor is most likely William Taylor, son of Uncle George and Mary Taylor.  Bud May is most likely Franklin May living in the same household on the 1880 Census. 

7 Day    want to try my pen going to write to John    I think this pen will flitter out..   well I wrote to John and got in the wagon with Pea went to the Burg got a pair of shoes and a bowl     thought I would meet the Captain and haul him home but did nt    he come after we got back
[BTM] Sounds if though Rhoda just got a new pen to try out by writing a letter to her eldest son, John Whitfield Totty, who was living in Sebastian Co., Arkansas.   I would love to see the style of shoe that Rhoda bought on her trip to Forestburg, TX and also see the bowl she picked out.  It would make a wonderful keepsake today.   Captain making the little woman unhappy by being away from home so much, I could just picture her hauling him home where he belonged with her<VBG>.

8 Day   very warm   Frank come helping the boys hoe cotton   Cap..n gone to the Burg to take the horse home
[BTM] Off the Captain F.M. Totty goes again, she can’t seem to keep him home for long.   Son Frank was most likely helping Pea and Dick hoe the cotton.

Page 87
June the 9th 1881     Pea and Dick gone to Franks to help him work    come up a cloud this evening Storm of wind and dust no rain..     Sun come out just before it went down  every thing looked Strange     wish that hadn’t been  Jase went home mad ………….
[BTM] The last sentence was rubbed out with the last words written very very small.  Wonder what made Jase so mad?  Was it someone, the weather or what?

10 Day    Cap..n gone to ……………………… again..   I finished my dress   Lillie at home   School marm Sick
[BTM] Part of this sentence was also missing, but most likely he was gone to the “Burg” again.

11 Day   got on ball went to See Louisa     Lillie to See Ida     I got back nobody here  I expected to Stay by my Self     didn’t care feel Satisfied with my self and all the world      Cap..n got home   Dick and Pea come in the night   moon in eclips   I got up watched it till 12 oclock  very dark
[BTM] Rhoda rode the horse “Ball” to see her daughter Louisa Gage, wife of Ben, while her youngest daughter Lillie went to visit her friend and neighbor Ida Marshall.   Rhoda is getting better about staying by herself with out feeling to uneasy.    Sitting out to watch the moon eclipse on a warm summer night sound’s peaceful.

12 Day  Sundy     boys gone Dutchman Come as am writing   Harville come brought Sid    So Glad to See the little fellow  but think of his mother all the time..   Sam Baird come taken supper  always glad to See Sam   Lillie and Ida went to High Point this evening    Pea and Dick to Pella   they got back after 12 oclock in the night            (Rose)
[BTM] Rhoda spelled Sunday wrong above, she must have been in a hurry while writing.   Was the Dutchman the same as Dutch Charley Rhoda spoke of in her diary before.   John Harvill was widower of Anna (Totty) Harvill who died in Oct. 1880, less than a year ago.  He brought their son 5 year old Sidney Elijah Harvill to visit his grandparents.    Sam Baird was the widower of Sarah (Totty) sister of Capt. F. M. Totty, they were always glad to see their brother in law.   All the young folks busy with their own plans.   Rhoda did not write the reason why she wrote the name Rose. 

13  Day  I told the boys I was Sorry for them this morning   they looked So tired but they would never be Satisfied untill they was Stuck off in Some little old Smokey Cabin   commesed to cut oats
14 Day  hot and dry..   Cuting oats and plowing cotton   Lillie makeing her fine dress    I cooking beans and potatoes every thing beginning to need rain  don’t look like it will get it    havent Seen as big as a mans hand yesterday nor to day   but this is the Burning skies of June that we read of    Dick quit Said he has a pain in his Side
[BTM] Hot weather setting in and according to Rhoda the dry spell is causing a need for rain to help everything keep growing and stay green.   The pain in Dick’s side caused him to quit cutting the oats and plowing the cotton with Pea and the Capt.

15 Day    Ida Come to get her dress made..    Dick brought the cradle     Pea and his pap cuting oats   I washed   feel very well this evening   don’t care what  what corn is a bushel when I feel well
[BTM] It is so good to see Rhoda is such fine spirit and felling so well and not in one of her depressed moods.

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June the 16th  1881  Coffeys gone to Gainsville in masses   Lambkins and Keith hoeing..  Lillie been Sewing for Ida    gone home with her to night..   Pea gone to the Burg to Singing   weathers hot and dry
[BTM] The Coffey family must have been a large one.   Here we have a couple of new individuals mentioned.  The Lampkin family was found in Precinct 3 of Montague County in 1880.  Harney Lumpkin age 22 born AR and wife Winsey age 21 also born in AR and her parents were born in Tennessee.   There was also William Keith age 27, living as a boarder in the household of William Walker in Prec. 3 during the 1880 census.   Both Keith and lambkins/Lumpkins were likely just hiring out as farm laborers for Captain Totty, since Dick Coffey got a pain in his side and went off to Gainsville.   The hot weather is setting in for the summer.

17 Day    girls finished their dresses   Frank come helping to work..  I go to See the babys told Mollie I thought hers would die if She wasnt awful careful of it     Betties as fat and lazy as ever   Pea gone to the Burg to night     Lambkins and Claiborn here
[BTM] Daughter Lillie and friend Ida Marshall finished sewing their new “fine” dresses.   Rhoda went to visit her son Frank’s wife Mollie and voiced her concern over the health of Edith.   While Rhoda May Tillman, new baby of Bettie and Jase was doing well.  Harney Lumpkins now (working?) there with William Clayburn.  He was age 26 on the 1880 census living in HH#451/452 with his wife Mary age 24 and young daughter Viola age 3.

18  Day  Mun Etter and his family Come   Lillie gone with Ida   Mary Jane and Gus Come   I was Sorry for them  they was So disappointed when aunt Lil was gone  they got in muns wagon and went back home
[BTM]  There were two Etter families living in Montague Co. Precinct 3.  In HH#251/252 was James Etter age 20 TN, his mother Marthey age 47, a widow born TN, and brother Allen age 16 also born in Tennessee.   In HH# 344/345 near Ben and Louisa (Totty) GAGE was living James ETTER (age 27 TN), wife Arminda (age 29 TN), dau. Jane (age 3 TX), and daughter Susan (age 7 months).   I am not sure if “Mun” was a nickname for this James.   However, I would tend to believe that Mun Etter was a nickname for the neighbor to Ben and Louisa (Totty) Gage, since their children  Mary Jane and Gus GAGE also come to visit Lillie, only to be disappointed to  find their “Aunt Lil” not home, and got back in the wagon of Mun Etter for the trip back home.

19  Day  Sunday we geting ready to go to Mrs Marshalls   Ben and Louisa Come I was glad 
[BTM] Daughter Louisa and husband Ben Gage come for a visit, she did not mention if Mary Jane and Gus came back and got to see their Aunt Lil or not.

20  Day   got up before day went to Coffeys then went and Spent the day with old Mrs Davis  Come home   Bart and Tilda here   men cutting millet   Frank and Mollie  Come Staying all night first time they have brought their baby 
[BTM]  Old Mrs. Davis, may likely have been Dorthey Davis (age 62) living with husband Prescott, (age 66) in Prec. 3 of Montague Co., in the 1880 census.   Also living in house were dau. Mary age 27, dau. Manerva age 19, grand dau. Emma age 17, son Henry C. Davis age 16 and their son in law Chet C. MAY, age 30 MO.   He could likely be somehow kin of Joseph and Franklin MAY,  but that is just speculation. 

21 Day     boys cuting millet    Cap..n plowing Corn   Lillie gone to the Burg    Me and Tilda cooking and Sweating.   (Still dry and hot)
22 Day     Bart and Tilda gone home   Lillie and Ida  trying their fortunes at the well..    Pea gone to the Burg this evening    I helped the Cap n Stack his oats     I think it is the hottest time I ever Saw in June   would like to See a good rain     Jase and Bettie Come   geting ready to go to Eastern Texas 
[BTM] Earlier in diary, Rhoda mentioned Jase going home mad, now they are going to Eastern Texas, most likely Upshur Co.  Were they moving or just going to visit, we will likely find out in the diaries, I hope.   Daughter Matilda “Tilda” and husband Bart Traylor came to visit the day before and stayed the night before making the trip back home.   June and the hot weather making itself noticed by one and all, was Lillie going to try and cool off at the well with water? 

23  Day    Lillie and I Sewing for Bettie   Louisa come on Conch  I was glad to See her for I thought She was Sick   Capn and boys got done hauling millet
[BTM] Sounds like Rhoda and Lillie were making traveling clothes for Bettie for her trip to Eastern Texas.  Daughter Louisa Gage came to likely visit her sister Bettie before she leaves.

24 Day    Frank Come  Pea gone off with him  Cap n getting ready to Start to Sams  glad of that do as we please no men to boss around
[BTM]  Rhoda sounds pleased that she will have no men folk around to wait on and could do anything she wanted without being bossed around.  A little freedom never hurt, but I thought she was upset with the Captain for being gone so much.  I suppose it was different when she had a house full with her girls visiting.

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June the 25     made Peas uniform   he gone to the base ball club     I and Bettie geting ready to Start to Denton in morning    Lillie gone to Mrs Marshalls to go to m….
[BTM] Wouldn’t it be nice if the baseball uniform of Pea’s had been saved for a Museum or a picture of him wearing the one made by his mother Rhoda.    The Captain & Rhoda making plans to see Jase, Bettie and family off on their train trip to Eastern Texas.

26 Day  Sunday   Start to Denton with Jase and Bettie  go through part of 2 counties got in Sight of town   Staying….. night
[BTM] Most likely the two counties mentioned were from Montague to Wise and into Denton Co. May have been overlooking the town from a hill top were they stayed the night.  They most likely went by wagon and camped out on the train to Denton.  Part of the message was lost due to the page being curled and edges worn off.

27 Day   go in town early go to the depo  See the car…   go in with Bettie wait for the east train   enjoy my….  Looking found in the car   hear the train comeing  I got out   they move off   See Bettie at one win…. And Jase and Rob at another   as they go thundering off    come back Start for home   Camp on the prairie….   Watch the commet
[BTM]  What a delight it is to picture the trip to Denton and the train depo and the excitement of seeing the train coming and then watching the window’s for their loved ones faces before they were gone from sight.   The trip home was most likely sad and did not sound as hurried as the one on the way to Denton.  Can’t you just see them sitting on the wagon seat watching upward to see the comet streaking through the sky.

28 Day   get up    Start home get here at ……   Mollie and Lillie keeping house    Mrs Coffey run… the machine
[BTM] The trip to Denton was made in two days by wagon according to these dates, and we can make it in just hours by car today.   Mollie and Lillie were keeping the home fires burning and watching after things while the elders were on the trip. 

29 Day    hot and dry  made a shirt   tired qu….. 
[BTM] The last of the sentence was loss due to edge of paper worn.

30 Day last of June     I havent Seen a drop of rain in… month     Sim come round trying to make up a School  I wish him well but will not Send Lillie     Ben and him and Coffey Swaped horses   Bart cut Franks millet   all talking about the commet  dont know why it goes from west to east
[BTM]  Rhoda still waiting and watching for rain to help their dry farm lands.   Sim Hester trying to get a School started, but Rhoda not too eager for Lillie to be included.   Frank and brother in law  Ben Gage and Dick Coffey swapped horses, she did not say who traded for which one.    Frank had help from his other brother in law Bart Traylor on his crop of millet.   A little excitement by all discussing the comet.
 

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Transcribed from Original Diary by Birdie (Totty) McNutt ©2002