February 1880

First   Day February  Sunday   this is my dead babies birth day 34 years ago to day it was also on Sunday morning it is very vivid in my mind this morning my babe died when he was near Six weeks old but he has never been forgotton by me      went to See Bettie She is getting along very well but I again think poor little Rob is bound to die     we come back and eat dinner at Bens they are all up yet     Willie C  Here when we got home    Said he is looking for the measles   he has been waiting on Lewis he is getting well       dark cloudy to night sleeting a little   looks like it will rain or Snow this time   got supper  Lillie was hungary eat and gone to bed sleeping   I think She will Soon be well and then I will be glad    Mr Taylor come over to day him and Mr Totty talked some on politicks   they trotted the greenbackers through  took up the Radicbls  and gave them a shaking and finely wound up on Grant       met Mr Hester at Jases they went through pretty much the Same process on poloticks and Same on the electoral vote and quit
[BTM]  Rhoda is talking about her son Robert H. TOTTY who died in Hickman Co., TN before they made the trip to Texas.   No wonder she is so stressed out about her grandson Robert being so sick, must be want is making losing her son long ago so vivid in her mind. 

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2 Day   February     Snow on the ground this morning all melted off     Mollie come Said her pa and George were gone to Montague     her uncle Jim and family gone to Bourlands   She felt mightly glad they was all gone    heard Bettie and baby are geting better    awful glad to hear it
[BTM]  Mollie’s father was Franklin Anderson Springer.  Her Uncle Jim has been unidentified by me.  Was Uncle Jim from the mother or father’s side of the family?  Can anyone tell us who this “Uncle Jim” was to Mollie SPRINGER?

3    Day     Mr Totty went after Mrs Houston  She come    gone to washing     wind blowing cold    Jase come Said Bettie has milk in her breast     Rob Still better     I cant hardly believe it but I recon it is So hope So at least
[BTM] Mrs Houston maybe the same as Marthy Houston 39, listed as a widow in the 1880 census in HH#442/443 with her three children, Mary 14, Anthony 12, and Joseph Houston 11. 

4    Day      paid Mrs Houston up She went home      I and Lillie rolled out the machine   went to Sewing broke two needles       She wanted to quit and let it alone     I put in a big needle done the best kind     Frank been asleep all the forenoon  hope he is better      I have a pain in my left side     dont know what it is nearly in my Shoulder     always pain Some wheres or nearly So      hope I will be free from pain Some time if not this life    maybe in the next

5    Day     Lillie got on Joe and went to Jases     I Sewing on my dress finished it        it is as good a play to Sew on the machine      the old men runing the lines I guess they will get done running them Some time if they ever do       been a Sun Shining day but pretty Cold feel better than I did last night
[BTM] Sounds like Rhoda finally got the hang of our to operate her sewing machine, and enjoy’s it a lot, seems pretty proud of the work or play she can do with the sewing machine.   Capt. and the possibly his boys running the lines checking to see if fence is all in good shape or fixing it if the fence is broken or down somewhere. This was a never ending joy for the cowboys. 

6    Day      got in the wagon went after Bettie got her and Rob in the wagon     brought them home feel glad they are here hope they will get well      Ben come   thinks his children taking measles       been a beautiful day     hope Anna and Pea will come to morrow    Frank better to day
[BTM] Rhoda is a typical mother, wanting her child home so she can make sure she is being taken care of so she can get well.   Ben was Rhoda’s son in law who married her daughter Sarah Louise.   Pea must be staying with his sister Anna and brother in law John Harville.

7    Day     Men all gone to the Burg   Bettie and me glad of it    Lillie worried her Self in to a fever trying to Sew on the machine   John and Anna come was glad to See them    Mrs Springer come this evening     been looking for Bart and Tilda have not come     want to See Dave hope they will Come before long     don’t think there is any danger of catching measles here now      if I did I would not want them to come in a year  for I dont want to See any more measles this year nor next
[BTM] John and Ann come according to Rhoda, but she does not mention if Pea came and she was hoping to see him also.    Dave is David Spradling Traylor, infant son or Bart and Matilda “Tilda” Totty Traylor.

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8     Day Sunday       Bart and Tilda    Ben and Louisa come       all have now but John    I cant enjoy it much  I am So fraid Ferdie has the measles   if So I cant help it I will try my best not to think of it as it does no good for me to be uneasy      it looks good to me to See my children home  all gone home to night but Jase and Bettie    Dutch Staying till bed time
[BTM] John Whitfield TOTTY was living in Sebastian Co., AR and reason that he was not there to visit his parents with the other siblings.   Ferdie was Ferdinand Gage, son of Ben and Louisa Gage.

9    Day     monday Mr Totty gone to Morrises to find the School house Land again     Jase gone to the burg      Frank Bettie and Lillie about half dead or nearly So    Mag and Sue come to See the Sick     I have potered around till I have about half sences
[BTM]The measles are really making a lot of folks sick back then, seems Rhoda is always tending to sick family from one thing or another.   Mag and Sue were the Springer girls, daughter of Franklin A. Springer.

10    Day   trying new pen and Ink  believe the old one is the best    all grunting again     I have a pain In the Side of my breast hope it will get better      Mr Totty gone to Pentons       Jase rode even home      Bettie and Rob getting better  Frank  better     I think all here are better    to night   hope So at least    warm and cloudy   looks like it might rain   maybe it will Some time    feel like writing to night  but have not much to write  So I will quit
[BTM] Rhoda tended to not like change, because every time she tried something new, it was not quite as good as the old one.   Good to read that the family was on the mend again.   Here Rhoda also speaks of  the Penton’s again, I do not find a Penton family in the 1880 Montague Co., TX census, but in District 6 was the Allison Pendleton family in HH# 254/254.  Rhoda sometimes shorten names when she wrote them down, could Penton  possibly be short for PENdleTON? 

11    Day   all Seem better    I went to washing   left Bettie and Lillie to do up the work   Jase went to Bens   Said the Children have measles      Janey Hodges come going to Pella     Mollie got Jases pony and went with her     Mollie Mag and Sue come Staid till bed time    I Syringed Franks ear with warm Soap Suds it done good
[BTM] Could “Janey” Hodges be the same as, Mary J. Hodges, daughter of Ben Hodges? I did not find a Jane/Janey Hodges in the 1880 Montage Co., Census, but there was a Mary J. Hodges in the 1870 census age 11 living with father Ben Hodges.

12    Day     warm like Spring wind from South     Somebody moved in the house on the hill     gentlemen Says Cress Springers and Bean Called to See Something about running the lines again      Cold to night wind from west
[BTM] Getting new neighbor’s is always something to wonder about or want to get acquainted with, especially during those pioneer days, when some pioneer women were lacking in news from friends, family and every day happenings. 

13    Day    cold this morning     all the Sick getting well    old man got home from Pentons     Said Pea is Sick     I am very uneasy about him    I have just wrote a letter to John feel anxious about him and his folks think maybe will hear from them
[BTM] Rhoda must be very unhappy that her son John and Sarah Ellen moved to Arkansas so far away from them.  With all the local family sick, she worries about those loved ones she does not have frequent contact with.  The youngest son Pea is now sick.

14    Day   Jase and Better gone from home     his pap carried her in the wagon     Frank to See Pea   got back  says he is very Sick      I am nearly crazy about him dont think I can sleep much to night   I will go to bed and see him tomorrow
[BTM] Rhoda sent her son Frank to check up on his brother Louis Pete “Pea” and let her know how he is doing, news was not good and makes Rhoda worry.

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February the 15 Day    Sunday got up early got breakfast and went to Harvilles     found my boy mighty bad    Harvilles geared up his horses and wagon      put a good bed in it    Pea got in      his pap and Harville to help him      I am afraid for him to go and I cant leave him though    Anna and John are as kind to him as they can be       So we Started    drove Slow and Careful   Pea Said it did not hurt him     got here his fever rose very high   I am very uneasy about him but glad he is here where I can wait on him    feel better about it than I did last night

16    Day   he is no better this morning    Frank gone after Dr. Faning   Ben come Said Lou is very Sick got pneumonia    wants me to go See her     I got on Joe go up there find her Sick but not got pneumonia   Stay awhile come home Dr been here gone to Bens   think maybe Pea is a little better    I am about half Sick my Self my breasts Sore don’t know what it means    Filo Come all Seting round     Ben come again for me to go   I leave Pea with his father and Frank and with a heavy heart I Start again    got there Ben  goes and brings Bettie and Rob they are looking better   glad of that  (Staid all night dressed a pretty little girl left Louisa doing very well this morning   its name is Sallie  [      ]
[BTM]What a hard decision for Rhoda, being torn in two different directions with very ill children.   But what a wonderful thing to do in helping deliver your own grandchild.  This was Sarah Louise Gage, the fifth child of Ben and Louisa Totty Gage.   Can anybody ID who their visitor Filo could be? 

17  which is the 17th Day      come home So anxious about Pea find him no better but worse    very uneasy     Lillie gone to See the baby     Frank at work at the lot     Mr Totty sleeping    Harville and Anna come glad to See them    they set up with Pea I knew he was in good hands So I rested very well      Dr also here Staying all night
[BTM] Rhoda getting some much need rest from worrying about her family.

18    Day    Pea no better high fever   dont look like he can Stand it    if he dont get relief & fever gone this evening and he is almost gone with it      Harville gone to the Burg to get Some Whiskey   need it mighty bad     got back gave Pea the Stimulant      got better immediately     Mrs Taylor come and several others to Set up     had plenty of company     I cant sleep much for fear Pea will get cold   but Frank very close watched him
[BTM] Whisky was used quite a bit back then for medical purposes, sounds like it was just the thing to help rally Pea around

19     Day   Dr Faning come Pea better Mr Totty gone to Bens     Mrs Taylor spent the evening     I am in hopes Pea will get well    uneasy about Louisa and her children    I am always uneasy about some of my children   great deal of talk about Hixon ….ing his wife yesterday
[BTM] This entry was torn where it speaks of Hixon and his wife.  There was a H. M. Hixon living in Forestburg in HH#231/253  if this is the same family Hixon’s wife was Mary age 29 born MO.  Mr Hixon was age 33 born in OH, and their children in HH were Barzilla age 13 WF OH, Kenzia 8 MO, Walter 4 TX, John 4 TX, and Monroe 1 TX.

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20     Day  we all rested well last night   Pea Sleeping this morning   when he is awake he tries to be contrary but cant do much at that    Cloudy and misting   I got dinner went to See Louisa got in the yard heard such a talking thought old Mrs Chadwick was in the house   got to the door it was Louisa Seting by the fire nursing her baby all getting along very well but Ferd  his throat Sore     Pea getting perfect in Contrariness  to night dont know what we will do with him if he keeps improving in contrariness as fast to morrow as he has to day    but I think he will get well and then he will be all right

21    Day   Pea got head ache    fear he is taking measles but maybe not he is not quite as contrarie this morning or last night      Bart come after his horses Said his folks was well was glad to hear it    Harville come had been to Beans   his folks well  I am beginning to hope all hands will get well one more time    old man complaining this evening Said he had worked too hard    Frank gone to the Burg

22     Day   Sunday   Frank dressed up and left    Pea better got no measles     Lillie gone to Jases    wish I had quite a lot to write this morning     I am So well Situated got a chair and Siting in the Celler all So Still and quiet   old man Sleeping   Pea lying in Lillies room nothing  Seems to be stiring only the cows running from heel fly     I come out of the celler got dinner     Pea   Says he can take care of his Self   his pap and me to to Taylors   Mrs Taylor not at home     uncle George is     I got a book and read   While these old men go off into politics    come home     Pea Sleeping all the evening    go to milk   old yellow kicks me on the arm   I give her a beating with the gate pin      Frank and Dutch come for Supper
[BTM] Sitting in a cold musty celler would be considered still and quiet and a very private place to sit and ponder things while writing in her diary.    Now we have a “NEW” relative for Rhoda, on “Uncle” George.   This could likely be the George Taylor found in HH#354/355 age 65 which would be the right age to be an “Uncle” of Rhoda.  He was living with his young wife Mary age 36, and his two sons Wwilliam and James ages 19 & 13.   Living in same household was Widower Joseph May age 41 KY and his son Franklin age 11 KY.   How is George related to Rhoda and Capt. Totty?

23    Day   Frank got on Josh rode off   dont know when he will be back    Lewis Totty spent the day     he looks badly   coughing hard   McLane here about the corn   I feel lonely about Frank    Pea getting well      gone out with their gun
[BTM] Did Frank have words with someone in the family, why was Rhoda “lonely” about him after he rode off?   Lewis Totty was most likely the brother of Capt. F.M. Totty.  Pea is well enough now to go out hunting with his gun.

24   Day    commence to wash it is misting rain   keep on washing      dont Seem like it can rain   old man beginning to sow oats    Pea creeping about with the gun     Cleared off this evening  high Sound wind  near 9 oclock I got up got Lillie up ready to go to the celler but did not go
[BTM] It must have had a storm brewing for Rhoda to get ready to go to the cellar.  Rain was good on the oats Capt. was sowing.   Pea must really be on the mend for him to be out hunting. 

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February 25 Day   Cross  Bean Springer and Totty running the lines again   I recon they will get them fixed this time    Harville come after his hogs that he got from Frank    Willie C  come him and Frank getting ready to Start out to make their fortune     I am Sick to night tooth Sore from my washing      think I will not do such a big washing any more let everything go dirty first    got fever
[BTM] I am curious how doing a washing could make her tooth hurt.   Could it be because she gritted her teeth while rubbing clothes on the washboard?   What was Frank and Willie C. going to do to “make their fortune”?

26    Day   Martins come    Harville got a load of corn   I am all alone   all hands left after dinner     old man gone to Hodges   Frank to Dutches   Pea went with Harville      Lillie to Bens    Willie C gone home    I am Seting looking over the Simpsons believe I will put on a clean dress and go over there    went   Spent an hour or so with Mrs Simon   got back all wanted to know how I liked her    I am like Pea wont tell      old man brought the window Sash  I am glad of that     Frank come Said he had Sold his cow to Jase if he could get the money    his pap Said he had Sold her to Griffin
[BTM] The Simpson’s must be the “new” neighbors Marion and Laura who were living in HH#375/376 near the Totty families in the census for 1880.   Frank must have discussed selling his cow with his pap, since they both were trying to get it sold. 

27   Day   Griffin   come before breakfast    Frank waited for Jase   he come   Griffin got the cow   Harville come after more corn    Mr Totty  Sowing oats     Mollie come Sewing on the machine     Del Brothers come for her to go home   Said Grandma Sent her       I have been very busy all day      Sewing Some and potering round      I made a spoon holder this evening      went in the field to See the grass hoppers and I Seen them    think they will Starve for there is no green thing for them to get to eat unless they hop over to Springers wheat   got my window up have more light on the Subject or rather on the Table
[BTM] Jase must not have been able to get the money, so the cow went to Griffin.   With all the grasshopper problems we have had this year I know what Rhoda was talking about with everything green being gone in the wake back then.   Don’t you know Rhoda was really excited about getting a window put into her home.

28  Day   Norther blew up last night   rain and sleet cold as blazes to day   as bad a day as we have had this winter     I think   Frank gone to Springers this evening    Lillie and Gus eating ice   I made a apron for Dave   went to go and take it to him    I think the grasshoppers are all dead now
[BTM] Frank has really been courting out at the Springer’s, must be what he is doing this evening again.    Cold weather must have got the grasshopper’s.

29    Day  5  Sunday in February     good many people celebrating it   I Suppose    I am celebrating it by Seting in the corner by my Self    old man hauling wood    Frank and Dutch gone courting     Lillie gone home with Gus    She come back   I got to hear from Louisa and the children
[BTM] Leap year, guess many are celebrating the extra day in the year.   Hauling wood must be something all the Totty men did for their neighbor’s to earn extra money or goods.  My father [Vernon E.] told me many times about his father [Green Whitfield] and himself making their money by cutting and hauling firewood.    Grandpa Green talked about hauling wood with his Uncle Frank and his Uncle.   Frank Totty talked to Grandpa Green about hauling wood with his brother John Whitfield Totty [Green’s father] before he moved off to Arkansas.

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Transcribed from Original Diary by Birdie (Totty) McNutt ©2000