September 17, 1872

9/17/2026

Tuesday, September 17, 1872
I’ve got the blues so bad. Henry got to go to Westfield to Probate for Mr. Osborn. He is going to get things for ? (farm? fare? jars?). Carried my lozenge? I chopped mince pie meat, washed dishes and I baked. Made sweet pickles. Killed chickens and picked.

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We have now transcribed the diaries of Mary (Knox) Herrick from 1865 and 1866, the two earliest of hers that we have. The next diary of Mary that we have is from 1872 and we will be transcribing and posting from that diary every day this year.
Sadly, in 1867, Isabella and Bessie Herrick both died of Typhoid Fever Isabella at 18 years old and Bessie at 14 years old. Mary's son-in-law, Emerson Oatley, husband of Charlotte also died of Typhoid in 1867. All of that suffering could be why there were no diaries until 1872 but that is just my speculation. They could have existed and been lost.
We open 1872 with ‘Father’ Thomas Herrick having had a very bad cough for at least 7 weeks. We aren’t sure who else is in the home, but according to the 1870 census from two years earlier, Melissa and Abbie still lived there along with two hired men, Charles Alexander and Alonzo Daymon.
Please feel free to add suggestions for some of the transcribed words that may not be correct. For instance, in the January 1 entry, G.B.H. is just a guess.

1872 Diary of
Mary Knox Herrick