CB5 - Alice Hodge Journals Box - 41 Years of Journals
Born: 1868
Parents:
Osbert A. & Deliah M.
Wheeler
Alice C. Wheeler-Hodge
Husband:
Herbert R.
Hodge
Died: 1960
Children:
Daisy M. - born: 1892
Paul F. - born: 1901
Harry R. - born: 1905
Sheds Cemetery
Sheds Cemetery, is a small rural cemetery located in the town of Sheds, New York.
Alice C. Wheeler-Hodge
Alice was born in Madison County, New York on the farm of her parents, Osbert and Deliah Wheeler. At the age of 23 Alice would marry Herbert Hodge on March 4, 1891. Alice and Herbert will have three children, Daisy, Paul and Harry and raise them on a large farm owned by Herbert and Alice on Rathbun Road in
Cazenovia, New York.
Alice's Grave Marker
Buried next to her husband, Herbert, in her family's plot in Sheds Cemetery, Sheds, New York
Alice's Journals
Alice started her journals in the same year as the birth of her first child, Daisy. This was in 1892 and and was probably to document the early development of Daisy. Alice was a very prolific writer, writing nearly every day, day after day, week after week for a straight 40 years. In all her journals, there are less than a few handfuls of days that she has not made an entry, most likely from sickness. Alice housed her journals in a wonderful wood and pressed-tin box of the period. The tin is stamped to resemble alligator skin leather. The interior of the box is lined with a bright patterned paper. The handles on the side of the box appear to be leather straps, purposely, but are made from carved bent-wood.
Alice's journals are a detailed insight of farm-life in the late 19th and early 20th century. Written before many of the conveniences of the modern world, it’s a simple but hard life. Alice is not just writing about the weather, and her chores, but also the goings-on of society and the people around her. Many of the early journals have scribbles and practice writing on the fore and aft pages of the books by Daisy, which keeps her busy while her mother does the chores. Daisy is 9 years older than the next born, Paul, and 13 years older than the last born, Harry. Because Daisy was their only child for 9 years, and the only daughter, Daisy has a special bond with her mother, and it shows in the journals throughout the years.
I mentioned earlier that there are 40 consecutive years of journals, but there is a single journal (1939) written eight years after the main group. I am not sure as to why this is. Are there journals that are missing from 1931 to 1939? Did she have others after 1939? Alice died at the age of 92 in 1960, so the possibility that there are more is very high. Alice's life is in these journals, and to memorialize her, I have placed engraved brass plates on the top lid of the box. She is not forgotten, and her journals are testament to a life well lived.
Below:
Daisy's
Drawings and Writings
in the Journals
1895 - Journal
Daisy's Flowers
1900 - Journal
Letter to Momma
Below:
Bent-Wood Handles
mimicking
leather straps
The Journals
Viewing the journals, you can see that the type of journals change over time. The first ten years have a very standard pocket-size journal that limits the amount that can be written per day. The next journals are more like a small book allowing for more in-depth writing. Alice would, if given the space, document more and use that space. This means, that as the journal get larger, the information gets more detailed and explanative. In the future, I would like to transcribe the set of journals. This would be a laborious task but if time allows, would be a wonderful addition to the collection.
Alice's birds-eye maple slide-lid "pencil box"
Along with the box is her simple dip pen and ink well, which is missing the lid.
Due to the volume of the contents, there is no way to convey everything that Alice wrote over 41 years. Below I have listed words, by Alice, to describe The Farm and some of the chores that the family performed, Social Outings and a list of Entries Highlights.
​
The Farm
Extra farm hands employed, cows, chickens, sheep, pigs, goats, butchering livestock, smoking meat, feeding animals. Plowing fields, wheat, peas, potatoes, corn, oats, alfalfa, harvesting, picking, clearing fields, chopping wood. Taking animals and produce to market, buying supplies for farm, fixing wagon, caring for horses. Fruit trees, apples, pears, peaches, cherries. Berries, strawberries, blue berries, currants, gooseberries. Baking, cookies, making yeast, churning butter, pies, bread, milking cows, collecting eggs, grinding wheat and oats for flour. House, barn, stable and outbuilding cleaning. Carriages, sleigh, horses, shoeing; and Herb breaks his leg in the barn.
​
Social Outings
Prayer Meetings, Odd Fellow Lodge, ice cream socials, funerals, visiting friends, going into town to shop, Red Cross function, singing, boating, dancing and clam social.
​
Entry Highlights (only a few)
4/25/1892 - Daughter Daisy is born.
3/31/1899 - Used phone for first time.
6/8/1899 - John kills family dog - sick.
6/13/1899 - Agent leaves Singer sewing machine at home to try. Alice says that it is nice, but they cannot afford it.
11/14/1899 - One-arm Jack painting wagon.
11/17/1901 - Son Paul is born.
3/11/1902 - Mother Hodge dies at home.
9/17/1902 - Rev. & Mrs. Harris take first picture of newborn son, Paul, with Kodak.
4/21/1905 - Son Harry is born.
7/4/1905 - Relative, Guy Hodge, had hand
blown off by cannon during 4th of July
Independence celebration.
8/31/1905 - Saw first automobile drive by.
3/8/1907 - Saw American vaudeville
performer and naturalist Charles Kellogg.
9/17/1910 - Husband Herb has dream about
snake and kicks wall hurting toe badly.
4/16/1911 - Alice installed as Sunday
School Superintendent.
5/16/1911 - Daisy takes young brothers to
the "Sig Sautelles Circus".
9/18/1911 - Neighbor Lottie Combs
committed suicide today.
4/7/1912 - Neighbor Frank Helmer found
dead in creek.
6/24/1913 - Charlie Comb's barn burns down
(Lottie's husband)
9/12/1913 - Alice's first ride in automobile.
4/4/1914 - First telephone installed in house.
9/30/1914 - Daughter Daisy marries Merritt.
6/8/1918 - Watched partial eclipse of sun.
10/26/1918 - Setting clocks back 1 hour
on order of President Wilson (First time
imposed nationally just for war period.)
11/5/1918 - Alice votes for first time in local
elections.
11/2/1920 - Alice votes for first time in
national elections for Warren G. Harding.
8/15/1919 - Alice saw her first plane flying.
3/26/1921 - The boys (Paul & Harry) go to
the silent comedy movie "Mrs. Wiggs of
the Cabbage Patch".
5/28/24 - Came home to find a burning cross
on our hill from the Ku Klux Klan.
10/29/1924 - Picked up new range from
Montgomery Ward Co,.
1/24/1925 - Watched an almost total
solar eclipse.
7/15/1926 - Signed contract to have the
house wired for electricity for the first
time.
And so much more.
Grave Marker of:
Daisy M. & Merritt Smith
Shinnecock Indian Cemetery
Southampton, New York
The 1925
Solar Eclipse