I just posted the old campaign ribbon from the 1850's found in a family bible. I also found a chronicle my great aunt wrote in 1906 about her father (my gg grandfather) and growing up on a homestead. I found it interesting. I hope some of you do too:
Concerning the Life of Daniel Leedy
Daniel Leedy was born in Pennsylvania in 1815. Moved to Montgomery County, OH, with his parents, when but two years old. From there moved to Miami Co, IN in 1838. Father married Elizabeth Nelson in 1840. They had 12 children, 3 of whom died in infancy. He died September 3, 1866.
Father and mother moved to Cass Co, IN, on a farm of 160 acres, most all in timber. Often have I heard mother speak of the hardships they went through, of how father would get up at four o'clock in the morning, and by daylight with his ax and dinner pail, start for the timber, it being so cold that the sundogs would follow the sun the live long day; and he would eat his frozen dinner and work until sundown, I well remember what a great crop of maple molasses and sugar he would make every spring; would keep fire going day and night in the camp. I have one of those great heavy wooden troughs that he made to catch the sugar water in. I was a small child and was not allowed to go to the camp often; but most every day after stirring a batch of sugar, father would send us a nice bunch of taffy on a large white chip.
These are child memories that will never be forgotten. I can see as of yesterday, the great piles of large sugar cakes, and barrels of sugar that would be upstairs in a spare room. They were shipped to Cincinnati; also barrels of molasses they shipped there. Logansport was but a small place at that time.
I will never forget how father and mother, in fact all the children who were large enough to work, would work in the flax to get it ready for the weaving machine. For many years, we had nothing in the way of sheets, pillowslips, toweling or bed ticking, but this homespun linen, and for a keepsake I have a couple of towels that hasn't been bleached, that money couldn't buy. I was almost a young woman before allowed to wear in the winter, garments made of flannel, and made with their own hands. I can imagine yet that tired feeling we children would have, picking wool and also washing it and drying for the picking time. It did seem that it was wool, wool and more wool. The spinning wheel was a constant hum from morn till night, and from night till morn. Father worked awhile in the night, then mother taking his place; father then in early morn taking her place, and mother retiring to get some rest. We children can't realize the hardships our parents had in those early days.
Father was a great hand with bees. I can't remember just how many stands he would keep at a time, but can remember the great long rows. He would sit on the porch and watch, and could tell by the bees actions if there was any trouble in the camp; he just understood them so well. There was always a patch of buckwheat sowed just for the bees' benefit, and the flour came in place for the family's food in the form of good cakes, and at that time it took a stack of them. It was said that two great things were noted of the Leedy family, their big appetites and big feet. I tell you I think these two features are very essential to us. The honey that father took from these stands would most all be strained by mother, and barrels of this beautiful food would be shipped to Cincinnati market.
While father was a great worker and good financier he was always ready for fun and would help the boys along with their frolics. My brothers to this day love to tell of some of his jokes he would help them along with. With hard work and exposure father shortened his life with us. He was an invalid for six or eight years.
Often my sister younger than myself and I would comb and fill his hair with feathers, and then we would call him Indian. It seemed that our pleasures would be his, and he would seem to enjoy foolishness with us.
After these years of suffering our best doctors advised him to go out west for his health but for only a short time was he gone, with brother Barton with him to care of him, to be brought back to be laid away in the church yard nearby, until the resurrection morn.
Father and mother were devoted members of the Conservative Dunkard church. Father was in that day called a very large man. I can't just tell now his height, but near six feet. Mother could walk strait under his arm when he would hold his arm out. Her weight when married was ninety pounds.
These child memories of facts and incidents of father and mother are written by the third child; and who was born, raised, owns, and is now living on the old home place. I am fifty years old. With the exception of one year I have always lived here. Here we children often meet and have our family reunions together. Oh how I do pray we may all be able to meet on that celestial shore together without the loss of one.
Dear cousin, by your request I have written these few things that come to mind, about my parents, and perhaps could write more, but feel that it would be of little interest. I have written so little in my life time to be put in print that I feel I had better close; telling you and all who read this chronicle, what a great desire I have to receive every number.
Concerning the Life of Daniel Leedy
Daniel Leedy was born in Pennsylvania in 1815. Moved to Montgomery County, OH, with his parents, when but two years old. From there moved to Miami Co, IN in 1838. Father married Elizabeth Nelson in 1840. They had 12 children, 3 of whom died in infancy. He died September 3, 1866.
Father and mother moved to Cass Co, IN, on a farm of 160 acres, most all in timber. Often have I heard mother speak of the hardships they went through, of how father would get up at four o'clock in the morning, and by daylight with his ax and dinner pail, start for the timber, it being so cold that the sundogs would follow the sun the live long day; and he would eat his frozen dinner and work until sundown, I well remember what a great crop of maple molasses and sugar he would make every spring; would keep fire going day and night in the camp. I have one of those great heavy wooden troughs that he made to catch the sugar water in. I was a small child and was not allowed to go to the camp often; but most every day after stirring a batch of sugar, father would send us a nice bunch of taffy on a large white chip.
These are child memories that will never be forgotten. I can see as of yesterday, the great piles of large sugar cakes, and barrels of sugar that would be upstairs in a spare room. They were shipped to Cincinnati; also barrels of molasses they shipped there. Logansport was but a small place at that time.
I will never forget how father and mother, in fact all the children who were large enough to work, would work in the flax to get it ready for the weaving machine. For many years, we had nothing in the way of sheets, pillowslips, toweling or bed ticking, but this homespun linen, and for a keepsake I have a couple of towels that hasn't been bleached, that money couldn't buy. I was almost a young woman before allowed to wear in the winter, garments made of flannel, and made with their own hands. I can imagine yet that tired feeling we children would have, picking wool and also washing it and drying for the picking time. It did seem that it was wool, wool and more wool. The spinning wheel was a constant hum from morn till night, and from night till morn. Father worked awhile in the night, then mother taking his place; father then in early morn taking her place, and mother retiring to get some rest. We children can't realize the hardships our parents had in those early days.
Father was a great hand with bees. I can't remember just how many stands he would keep at a time, but can remember the great long rows. He would sit on the porch and watch, and could tell by the bees actions if there was any trouble in the camp; he just understood them so well. There was always a patch of buckwheat sowed just for the bees' benefit, and the flour came in place for the family's food in the form of good cakes, and at that time it took a stack of them. It was said that two great things were noted of the Leedy family, their big appetites and big feet. I tell you I think these two features are very essential to us. The honey that father took from these stands would most all be strained by mother, and barrels of this beautiful food would be shipped to Cincinnati market.
While father was a great worker and good financier he was always ready for fun and would help the boys along with their frolics. My brothers to this day love to tell of some of his jokes he would help them along with. With hard work and exposure father shortened his life with us. He was an invalid for six or eight years.
Often my sister younger than myself and I would comb and fill his hair with feathers, and then we would call him Indian. It seemed that our pleasures would be his, and he would seem to enjoy foolishness with us.
After these years of suffering our best doctors advised him to go out west for his health but for only a short time was he gone, with brother Barton with him to care of him, to be brought back to be laid away in the church yard nearby, until the resurrection morn.
Father and mother were devoted members of the Conservative Dunkard church. Father was in that day called a very large man. I can't just tell now his height, but near six feet. Mother could walk strait under his arm when he would hold his arm out. Her weight when married was ninety pounds.
These child memories of facts and incidents of father and mother are written by the third child; and who was born, raised, owns, and is now living on the old home place. I am fifty years old. With the exception of one year I have always lived here. Here we children often meet and have our family reunions together. Oh how I do pray we may all be able to meet on that celestial shore together without the loss of one.
Dear cousin, by your request I have written these few things that come to mind, about my parents, and perhaps could write more, but feel that it would be of little interest. I have written so little in my life time to be put in print that I feel I had better close; telling you and all who read this chronicle, what a great desire I have to receive every number.
