MARCH 1880

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First Day of March 1880     Frank getting ready to leave   I am boiling a ham for him as he is going   I wish he would go on and be done with it     McLane come to See about the corn     I cut out a bask for Lillie So She could have Something to do    Mr Totty brushing in his oats     Frank and Willie C here to night get ready to Start in the morning    Lillie Says Frank is trying to Show out because he has Willies gun coat on
[BTM] What is a “bask?” that Rhoda cut out for Lillie.  Frank and his cousin making a trip, but Rhoda does not say where they are going.

2   Day    Frank and Willie Started    commenced raining before they got to the top of the hill and rained six hours dont know how they got along but they are gone    I feel to night like there is Somebody dead      I told them to be good boys and not to try to make folks believe they was but to be good and let their actions Speak for them for actions Speak louder than words      Frank Said he intended to do that
[BTM] Made a hard first day for them to ride in the rain.  Rhoda is feeling sad at his leaving and like a good mother she gave him good instructions on his expected behavior.

3    Day   Doutit or dofunny or Something Come     him and Mr Totty Traded     Scivily taken dinner and talked Some he is a needagag       I went to Mr Taylors this evening   I and Mrs Taylor talked about 20 minutes   but we put in all the time I Staid       warm to night hear geese going over while I am writing       think Spring is comeing    Sure enough
[BTM] Rhoda must mean that Scivily is a big talker who needs a gag to shut him up, quaint way she described him “needagag.”    Is this a different Taylor family or is this the same where Rhoda saw “Uncle George” in February?   It is so good to read her words about hearing geese going over as a sign of Spring.  It is interesting to set and watch them fly in formation and know that the season is about to change.

4   Day     Mr Totty put up my other window      feel like I have another another room  (very warm)     Me and Lillie been Sewing on her dress      my pen wont hardly write no way     got nothing to write     I will wait till night and See if any thing will happen and if not I will write no more
[BTM] Must be awful cold for Rhoda's pen and ink not to work. Don't you know Rhoda was excited about getting a new window in her house.  I can just picture her twirling around with glee enjoying the sunshine coming into her room, not to mention the light for working.

5   Day  I am like the man that quit keeping his diary because he had nothing to write and the next day the Cart run over him and a great many things happened      I had nothing to write yesterday but great many things happened to day   the Cart has not run over me   but Douthit moved in on of my rooms    Margaret come paid up for the turkeys   I was glad to See her   always am glad to See Margaret    Lillie was in ecstacies about Mrs Douthits pet lambs in yard  ….. herd again
[BTM] Nothing like a little excitement to bring Rhoda out of the dumps.

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March the 6 Day    Freeman Sounded his mill whistle    Mr Totty had the wagon ready to go to the Burg      Douthit went to Freemans  did not get any grinding      Mrs Simpson Spent the evening   I looked for Some of my children but they did not come
[BTM] Mrs Simpson was the new neighbor on the hill.

7    Day   Sunday     we got in the wagon went to Bens   Bettie and Tilda come was glad to See my children one more time    Lillie went home with Bettie to Stay and to to school    Tilda and her babys come home with us    glad to have them So lonely when all the children are gone   blew up Cold from the North this evening
[BTM] Rhoda does miss her children being gone from home.  The ones that moved away to Arkansas must really be on her mind when she does get the see the nearer children for a visit.

8   Day   Cold and misting    Mr Totty planting irish potatoes

9   Day  Tilda Still with us      be lonesome when she goes home    got dinner went to Mr. Springers to See Bally      She had just gone home     Spent the evening with Mrs Springer and the girls     Dave Sick this evening
[BTM] Dave is the infant son of Matilda “Tilda” Totty Traylor and grandson of Rhoda and Capt. Totty.

10   Day   I and Tilda got up early got breakfast   Sutton come for me to go See Mrs Alan   I went got acquainted with Mrs Young and Mrs Sutton Staid till night    dressed Mrs Alans boy and Staid all night
[BTM]  Not sure if this would be the family of George or Bailey ALLEN who lived near the TOTTY family.  Both families had a infant in HH.

11   Day   Mr Alan brought me home was riding along in the Lane    Georges old hounds jumped over the fence Scared the horse that I was riding  he jumped from under me and threw me off   I got up more mad that hurt    wish Frank was here that dog would not live no longer than he could get his pistol to fire    old man come back from the Burg brought a letter from John   I was glad to hear from one of my boys
[BTM] Sounds like Rhoda had a tad bit of a temper, anyway from earlier entries, she did not care much for dogs and was a little frightened by them.   Too bad Rhoda did not write what news she got from great grandpa John Whitfield Totty, would love to read all his letters.

12   Day     Cold as blazes to day    Mollie Spent the day     Douthit went to Mill     Tom White took dinner he wanted to buy cattle and I wanted him to have a better over coat
[BTM] There was a neighbor Thomas White living in Forestburg in the 1880 census.  Maybe Rhoda likely  wanted to do some selling with Mr. White other than just the cows, was the coat a part of the deal? 

13   Day    Cold  Cold    Bart come in his buggy   Jase and Bettie come Said they was not much cold
[BTM]  Bart is Rhoda’s son in law Barton A. Traylor and Jase TILLMAN was married to Rhoda & Capt’s daughter Mary Elizabeth “Bettie”  Totty.

14   Day  Sunday    Pea come  Still cold all hands parking round the fire     all gone home but Pea   looks mighty good to See him here when all the rest are home
[BTM] Pea is Lewis Pete Totty, youngest son of Rhoda and Capt Totty.

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15   Day   well I believe this is the worst day that has been this winter   the men hauling wood me and Mrs Douthit Seting round the fire
16   Day   Sun Shining   Men all gone to Jases to the working    Mollie come Said She had heard from Frank    I was glad to hear it
[BTM]  Frank has been gone almost two weeks from home. He could have covered a lot of ground in a two week period.    He must be getting pretty sweet on Mollie for him to contact her before he did his mother.

17   Day   Cold wind from South    Pea come from Jases   Douthit plowing   Mr Totty and me planted Some of our garden     he is Sick to night      I will be glad when it ever gets warm again
18   Day   pleasant to day    Pea gone to Harvilles     feel Sorry for him dont think he much wanted to go but his pap kept urging him to go      I washed this evening      Mrs Douthit cutting cotton stalks   She helped me finish my washing    Set down to Supper just Mr Totty and me      thought how my children used to crowd round the table and Some of them have to wait    my heart ached as I thought where are they now    all grown or nearly so and Scatered almost to the four winds

19   Day   Harville and Walter rode down in the field to See Mr Springer     I got dinner  looked for them but they went on home      Mr Totty and me went out to plant Some in the garden      while we was there Frank and Willie C come   got back from the nation    Lillie come from Jases
[BTM] Frank and Willie C. had gone to the Indian Nation now Oklahoma,  were they looking for new land and just out sowing wild oats like adventurous young men.   Lillie come home from school to see her brother and parents

20 Day      wrote a letter to John Sent it to the office by Douthit       planted Beets and Beans    feel almost as big as Goliath      Frank Lillie and Willie have dread for all of them to leave     will be So lonely   but will do the best I can      will Still have Mrs Douthit and I realy like her   I find her just what She is no put on and humbugging about her
[BTM] Most likely Rhoda told John about his brother Frank’s and his trip to and from the Nation to seek his fortune.  Doesn't Rhoda have a quaint way of saying things!

21   Day   Sunday   Ben and Louisa come Spent the day    Frank and Willie left this morning    Lillie going off with Louisa    Mr Totty Started to Mr Taylors    I get my bonnet to go with him     have a pleasant time    Mr and Mrs Ross there we take Supper   the men talk Some     Mrs Taylor and me try hard to get in a word
 

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March the 22 Day     I Set down to write    Mr Totty got the paper and Mrs Douthit the novel      So the best thing I can do is to write while I am waiting patiently for them to get through     this is a beautiful morning     look like Spring     I put my martin box up

23    Day   drawing water and putting it on the hopper   hunting wood    very tired     Mr Totty commenced to plant corn   Mr and Mrs Douthit helping him   I See to hopper a while and run back and read Grifith Gaunt    I am interest in it   it is well written
[BTM] I have not read this work, does anyone know if this was a book, newspaper or what.  I will now have to go try and find "Grifith Gaunt," to see what Grandmother Rhoda enjoyed reading.

24    Day     get up dont feel refreshed   hands Sore from drawing and carrying water yesterday    got Some young Chickens    first this year      all planting Corn      See Mr Crosses and Mr Springers Simpson and all planting    Wagner called talked a little    high wind from South     cant hardly boil my soap      Frank and Willie C got back    think now they will Stay  a while     nearly done sowing their wild oats     thought when I Set down I would write some things which I will let along and think awhile yet
[BTM] The Cross, Springer and Simpson families were all neighbors of Capt. & Rhoda.  Rhoda takes such meticulousness in what she writes in her Diaries.  Sometimes I wish she had time and paper to have written lots more about her family and pioneer life in Texas, such would help us in our research.

25   Day   Willie gone again    Frank went to Jases    Come back  Said there is to be preaching at high point to night      I am awful tired carrying water and boiling Soap   Mr Totty Come to the house asked me if I wanted to go to meeting      I just pulled the fire from under the kettle and got Supper     got in the wagon    almost forgot that I was tired      saw the new School House   met a good many of the neighbors    heard brother Castleman preach      beautiful moon      light night      come home      Frank and Lillie with us
[BTM] Nothing like an outing or preaching to put energy back into Rhoda, seems she was always ready to go anywhere and break the monotonous job of every day work.

26   Day   extremely high wind from South     I finished Soap making for this year    Frank gone to Jases and Harvilles      his pap bat of his flack reading Griffith Gaunt   all day    got up to dinner and went back again      Storm to night hail and rain
[BTM] Not only Rhoda reading Grittith Gaunt, but so is Capt. Totty, must be fine reading.

27   Day   Mr and Mrs Douthit gone to the Burg      Lillie gone with them    Bettie come Staying with me Pedlar here    Bart and Tilda and Willie C come Staying all night

28   Day   Sunday   boys gone to Meeting   Douthit to McLanes    Lillie went to Mr Springers    very warm    great contrast in to day and this day was two weeks ago there    Bart put hot rocks in his wagon did not need them this evening
[BTM] Back then the pioneer's put hot rocks in their wagon to help keep their feet warm on very cold trips in their wagons.

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29th Day of March    Frank and Jase plowing   Douthit planting corn   Smith and me on a trade about the turkeys    Lillie gone to School    I got dinner and Started to See Dolly   met Mollie and Mag at the well     we go on together    Mollie Sick with Sore throat    See Dollie and the Children    Come back Stop at Mr Springers
[BTM] Has anyone identified how or if Dolly Hunt was connected to Rhoda or the TOTTY families?

30    Day    high South wind had to quit planting corn    Frank got a letter from the unkle he quit the field mounted Josh rolled out for Springers      Spent the evening    Dolly come     Smith traded for the turkeys   I got Lillie and my self a dress    glad the pedlars are beginning to come round
[BTM] Who was the Uncle that Frank got a letter from?  Was it in regard to the trip to the Oklahoma nation?

31   Day   Douthit finished planting corn   Frank and Jase got done planting    Mrs Taylor Spent the evening    I have Smoked and pottered and pottered and Smoked   and this is the last day or rather   the last night of March and I am feeling well   So much better that I did a year ago   I am thankful to my maker to night for the health I enjoy through the use of the lives pad which I think has carried me 
 

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