The Lucinda Lenore Merriss Cornell Diaries
Document Type
Book
Publication Date
1886
Abstract
The 1886 diary of Lucinda Merriss Cornell focuses on her life at home in Westerville with family and with friends and acquaintances. She keeps a thorough record of her homemaking activities (canning fruit, sewing, harvesting food, cooking, etc.). This was a hard year for Lucinda, who spends the year grieving following the death of her husband John in December 1885. Indeed, she frequently visits her husband’s grave to leave flowers. However, Lucinda also takes a trip by train and carriage in September and October to visit with family across the country.
This diary begins with shopping lists and cash accounts listed by month. Notable dates include:
January 25: Otto Cornell is “converted” to attend Otterbein University.
February 17: Laura R. Loose’s funeral.
February 24: Alice Garst died.
February 27: Alice Garst’s funeral; Mr. Foster died.
May 18: Fire at Weyant’s hall during play.
May 19: Lucinda grieves little Harry Evans and [Breka] Knox, who both died in the Weyant hall fire.
June 16. Mr. Ridenour died at noon; he had a paralytic stroke a week or so earlier.
June 27: Maud Dwyer died.
August 18: Bill Bardel [Bartel] and Mr. Mock [Moch?] visit to talk about the Cornell’s sheep getting into their corn.
August 23: Lucinda visits Esq Arnolds to talk about notice served by Bartel and Mock to sue for damage of corn by sheep.
September 7: Lawsuit between Lucinda Cornell and Bartel & Mock for damage in corn by sheep with Charley Rogers as her lawyer. The jury decides in her favor.
September 21: Lucinda and Abbie leave from Columbus for Western excursion on “Pan Handle Route” train.
September 23: Visits Uncle Wm. Merriss on farm in southern Missouri MO “near Indian Territory and Arkansas.”
September 26: Took trains to Rich Hill to visit with Zidana and Dan Merriss.
October 3: Left Rich Hill on train, arriving at Pleasant Hill at end of day.
October 5: Lucinda arrives in Columbus on train after several days travel.
October 19: Steven Brinkerhoff died suddenly in deep pond of water while fishing; Aunt Nancy Bishop’s funeral is held in Worthington.
November 4: Lucinda, Blanche, and Abbie attend Charley and Minnie Riger’s wedding.
November 24: Lucinda travels to Columbus on morning train to visit Mrs. Brinks.
December 31: Jessie Redding died.
Recommended Citation
Cornell, Lucinda Lenore Merriss, "Diary from 1886" (1886). The Lucinda Lenore Merriss Cornell Diaries. 31.
https://digitalcommons.otterbein.edu/cornell_diaries/31
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Comments
Transcribed in November 1993 by Kara Lynne Smith.