335 – Eliza Cheney’s Diary

On a snowy Sunday in 1905, Eliza Cheney sat down to pen a diary entry:

“It is 28 years today since we moved on this farm…” — April 16, 1905

That simple sentence represented nearly three decades of hope and survival, joy and sorrow, family and neighbors. Eliza must have paused to reflect on her life since coming to McPherson County, Kansas in 1877.

Eliza Watkins Cheney kept a diary from 1901 through 1911. It’s a fascinating insight into her daily life, and it’s in her own words.

Several themes are predominant in Eliza’s writings – farm work and chores, the weather, people, and sickness and health. Let’s explore.

Farm work and chores

The seasons dictated much of the farm work – spring planting, summer wheat harvest, and fall orchard picking. Other chores were done whenever they were needed.

Garden: (March 18, 1903): “I have our early potatoes planted today.”
Livestock (Dec 1, 1904): “Working at Cow shed.” There required constant care of chickens, hogs, and cattle.
Butchering (Jan 31, 1906): Butchering was often a group event with neighbors. “We butchered and it was warm and fine.”
Harvest (June 23, 1906:) “Wheat all cut.” – One of the most important milestones of the year.
Clothing and shelter (Feb 5, 1903): “Down to Sallies, making shirts.”
Everyday chores (March 10, 1903): “Jessie is ironing, I am getting dinner.”

The weather

What’s a diary without reports of the weather? Weather influenced farm work, crop health, and everyday activities. In the days before forecasts or early warnings or sirens, weather surprises were noteworthy.

Six More Weeks (Feb 2, 1902): “Groundhog saw himself.” Subsequent diary entries proved the groundhog correct.
Spring Rains (May 28, 1903): Eliza records “Creek bankfull,” and the next day “Over flow.”
Birthday Blizzard (April 8, 1904): On Pa’s 66th birthday, “regular blizzard, snowed and blew all day.”
Record Cold (Feb 13, 1905): The coldest recorded temperature in the diary; “24° below zero at 6:00 AM.”
Tornado (May 8, 1905): Eliza records a tornado in Marquette, noting “24 dead and 85 injured.”
Spring Frost (May 8, 1906): A late frost so severe it “cooked our early beans.”
Fine Day: Eliza also records many a day of nice weather, often recording “Fine day,” followed by an outdoor chore. “Fine day, Jessie washes.”

People

Family, friends, and neighbors; they’re all in the diary. They dropped by to visit, celebrated birthdays and holidays, helped each other work, and traveled together.

(April 4, 1903): “Quite windy. Mrs. Shaffer came over. Jim, Sallie went to town. Lena & Norma came up.”
(June 11, 1906): “Tuesday, Dr and Mollie and Mrs. Hestwood came.” There are frequents visits between McPherson farm and Cheney household in Gypsum.
(July 3, 1905): “Uncle J.D. took Rollo and Ned with them to McPherson.”
(Nov 29, 1906): “Take Thanksgiving dinner at J.D. This is my 67^th birthday.”
(Dec 29–30, 1906): “All our children are at home.” (Sallie Poulson, E.R. Cheney, Will Cheney – and nephew-almost-son Glen Cheney)
(March 20, 1907): “Our 43 Anniversary dinner at Will’s with Mr. & Mrs Hutto.”

Sickness and Health

Birth and death and illness are important diary events. Eliza notes the events, sometimes then adding a weather report.

(Oct 16, 1904): “E.R. and Molly have a new boy.” (Oct 19, 1904): “Baby died, 7:30 P.M.”
(Jan 1, 1904): “Aunt Lizzie died while clock was striking 12 midnight, she was 78 years old.”
(March 20, 1904): “Our 40th anniversary, Children could not come, Measles everywhere. It rained some.”
(Nov 7, 1904): “Grandma Watkins died.” (Nov 9, 1904): “First snow of season, Jim and Sallie go to Grandma’s funeral.”
(March 29, 1905): “Mollie took to her bed for one month.” (May 18, 1905): “Operated on Mollie.”
(April 16, 1905): “39 yrs since Grandpa Cheney died, snowing lively.” Grandpa is Shadrach Cheney.

The diary – transcription

We are indebted to Jan De Weese, who painstakingly transcribed the original diary. Jan is the 2nd great-granddaughter of Eliza Cheney. She’s a great-granddaughter of Enos and Mollie Cheney, granddaughter of Fred and Ethel Cheney, and daughter of Edwin Milton and Emily Virginia Cheney Perdue.

Here is Jan’s introduction to the diary and her thoughts:

The present recension is faithful to Eliza Cheney’s original, but I have taken the liberty to reorganize the text, to clarify the dates. In some cases where Eliza used initials I have printed the name of the person.

I have identified many people as neighbors of Eliza and William. Others were family and I was unable to identify. It seemed as if this diary had a cast of thousands.

We owe our sincere appreciation to Jane Cheney Redden, who was kind enough to allow me to copy the diary and share with the family members. Without her generosity we would not have any insight to these two wonderful people.

Eliza and William could not have known the joy that they were going to bring to their descendants when they wrote in the diary. I hope that as you read these few pages you will feel the sense of family history and delight that the diary has brought to me.
Janice Perdue De Weese – August 1993

The diary – cast of characters

Here’s a cast of the characters in the diary. It helps identify and understand who Eliza is writing about.

The Immediate Cheney Family

Eliza: Eliza Watkins Cheney; wife of William T. Cheney, mother of Sallie, Will, E.R.
Pa or W.T.: William Thomas (W.T.) Cheney: Eliza’s husband, father of Sallie, Will, E.R.
Sallie: Sarah Cheney Poulson: daughter of Eliza & William; wife of James Poulson
J.D. or Jim: James Davis Poulson, husband of Sallie
Will: James William (J.W.) Cheney: son of Eliza & William; husband of Bessie
Bessie: Bessie Hutto Cheney; wife of Will Cheney
E.R. or Dr.: Enos Ralph Cheney; son of Eliza & William, husband of Mollie
Mollie, or Mary B. Cheney: Mary Belle “Mollie” Hestwood Cheney: Wife of E.R.
Rollo, Ned, Fred: sons of Enos and Mollie Cheney
Vera, Lena: daughters of Sallie and J.D. Poulson
Boys: Will and E.R.; sons of Eliza and William

Other Cheneys

Charles Cheney; brother of W.T. Cheney, died before this diary in 1884
Laura: Laura Cheney: widow of Charles Cheney; mother of Nellie, Glen, Nuna
Glen (William Glen Cheney): son of Charles and Laura, nephew of W.T. and Eliza and grew up in their household
Nellie: Nellie Cheney Dean; daughter of Charles and Laura Cheney, wife of Dr. Dean, Nellie died 1903
Dr. Dean: husband of Nellie Cheney
Nuna: Nuna Cheney Enns; daughter of Charles and Laura Cheney, wife of John Frederick Enns; mother of Harlow, Nuna, and Winifred Enns
Harlow Cheney Enns: son of Fred and Nuna Enns
James F Cheney: brother of W.T., lived in Christian Co. Illinois, died in 1906
Mrs. Hestwood: mother of Mollie Hestwood Cheney
Mr. and Mrs. Hutto: parents of Bessie Hutto Cheney, wife of J.W. Will Cheney
M.P. Simpson: Matthew P. Simpson; W.T.’s brother-in-law, married Margaret Cheney deceased 1876; M.P. was prominent attorney and one of McPherson’s founders
Inez: Unknown, associated with M.P. Simpson, maybe his 2^nd wife’s nickname

Other Watkins

W.W.W.: William W Watkins; Eliza’s brother, died 1903
Sallie: Sarah Watkins Atkinson: Eliza’s sister; wife of W.H. Atkinson, died 1902
W.H. or William Atkinson: Eliza’s brother, husband of Sallie
Phebe: daughter of W.H. and Sallie Atkinson
John: John A. Watkins, Eliza’s brother
Ernest: Ernest Watkins: Eliza’s brother
Lee and Lib: Lee Watkins and wife Lib, Eliza’s brother and sister-in-law
Clara Watkins: wife of John A Watkins Eliza’s brother
Josie Watkins: Unknown
C.C. Watkins: Christina Watkins, wife of Enos Watkins who was Eliza’s brother
E.L. Watkins: Enos L. Watkins, Eliza’s brother, eponym of Enos R. Cheney
Rosa W: Rosa Watkins; daughter of John and Clara Watkins
Charles Edwin Scott: husband of Rosa Watkins
Clara Louise Scott: daughter of Charles and Rosa Watkins Scott
Grandma Watkins: Mary Keys Sitts Watkins, 2^nd wife of Eliza’s brother John A Watkins
Will Sitts: son of Grandma Watkins and 1^st husband Daniel Sitts

Other Poulsons

Mrs. Poulson: Sarah Poulson; J.D. Poulson’s mother, died in 1904 in Scott City, Kansas

Neighbors

Mr. and Mrs. Gray:
Tom Cooprider, C. Cooprider:
Mr. Walker, Sarah Walker:
Sarah and Orvill: Orville Sitts, Sarah Landfair, niece of Warren Clark, married
Mrs. Zink: Elva Zink
Ed and Julia: Ed Zink and Julia Flowers, married January 24, 1904
Ike Barhyte, Grandpa Barhyte: lived next to Poulsons
Mrs. Graham, Mrs. Miller, Mrs. Balentine, Mrs. Newland:
Ima P: Ima Powell
Mr. Hempstead: died 1903, W.T. and J.D. were pallbearers
Ed and Pearl: Ed and Pearl Schlatter
Emmet and Veda: Dr. Emmet Kasey and Veda Almgren married 1903
Ida Law and Babe: Ida died 1903
Mrs. Shaffer:
Mary and Bob: Mary Shaffer and Bob Smiley, married
Jessie: Jessie Shaffer, Cheney’s helper and housekeeper, married Roy O. Jessie in 1905

Others

Norma: Norma Chisholm, friend of Nuna Cheney, lived in Inman
Rev. Buck: Rev. E.F. Buck, Methodist Episcopal Church, Inman, Kansas
Rev. Randals: Rev. H.P. Randall, Methodist Episcopal Church, Inman, Kansas
Gatha: Gatha Eitzen, friend of Nuna Cheney Enns, from Inman
Mr. Broyles, Dr. M, Effie Crone, Eve, W.B. and Emma: Unknown

You can see that many of the families in the diary were nearby neighbors.

Map – Cheney neighborhood in Groveland Township, McPherson County, Kansas

Eliza Cheney’s Diary

1901

Dec 3: First snow
Dec 13: 16 below zero

1902

Jan 30: 14 below zero
Feb 2: 14 below zero. Ground hog saw himself
Feb 29: Snowed
March 30: Freezing 4 below.
May 20: E.R. came home and Mrs. Gray buried
June 19: Mollie & boys came. M.P. Simpson & Inez came
June 25: Finished cutting wheat. Boys came
July 9: Mr. Walker buried
Aug 5: We went to Kingman. Another big rain
Dec 8: Sallie died at Wichita

1903

January & February 1903

Jan 2: W.W.W. died at Carthage
Jan 16: Nellie Dean died at McPherson
Feb 1: Fine day, Laura, Nuna & Dr. Dean are here & Jims folks
Feb 2: Fine day, Jessie washes
Feb 3: A snow blizzard
Feb 4: Pa goes for Roosters to town
Feb 5: Down to Sallies, making shirts
Feb 6: Snowed. Jim & I went to Inman
Feb 7: Snowing & sun shining, thermometer up to 48°
Feb 11: We went to Kingman, arrived home the 18th. M.P. Simpson & Inez came
Feb 16: Monday morning 14 below, Sallie & Lena start to Gypsum Friday
Feb 20: Nice day snow melting
Feb 21: Nice day snow melting
Feb 22: J. D., Vera & W. H. here for dinner and Jessie comes this evening
Feb 23: Wind North quite cloudy
Feb 24: J.D. starts to Gypsum and Dr. takes Mollie to K.C.
Feb 26: Biggest snow of the season is 8 inches deep
Feb 27: Thermometer up to 23° and sun shining & quite windy
Feb 28: J.D. & Sallie came home last night from Gypsum

March 1903

March 1: Cold two above zero and this is E.R.’s birthday
March 2: Cold and windy. wind in the south
March 3: Cloudy & misting rain J.D. & Sallie go to see Ima – Glens birthday
March 5: Foggy and gloomy
March 6: Still foggy & gloomy
March 7: Sun shining
March 8: Quite windy
March 9: Cloudy in morning & quite windy/rained in the evening
March 10: Real pleasant Pa just take Sallie home, Jessie is ironing I am getting dinner
March 11: W. H. & Pa go to McPherson. Norma and Rev Buck spend the evening very foggy until noon then sunshine
March 12: Still foggy W.H. takes potatoes to town get 40 cent per bushel
March 15: Foggy most all day I go to Church first time in a year, Rev Buck preaches his last sermon of the year
March 16: Foggy
March 17: Very windy but Pa & Jessie make garden
March 18: Still windy and has commenced to thunder & sprinkle rain. Dr. M comes out to see Ima P. and calls here. I have our early potatoes planted today. Wheat looks fine, big rain until midnight
March 19: Colder and windy
March 20: Pleasant then windy in afternoon. Our 39 anniversary
March 21: Stormy & snowing
March 22: Snowing until noon
March 23: Sunshine until 8 A.M. then snowing and blowing by spells, thermometer 24°. 5 or 6 blizzards but snow melts between blizzards
March 24: Thermometer down to 20° this A.M. Pa & Sallie go to town & take carpet. sun shining & warming up
March 25: Windy but pleasant
March 26: Windy then sprinkles rain all night
March 27: Foggy and misting rain & freezing some. Last day of Phebes school
March 30: Dr. Dean comes out
March 31: Goes out like a lamb

April & May 1903

April 1: Very warm summer heat
April 2: Some cooler Pa & Lena go to town. Trees are leafing out
April 3: Quite a snow last night & 1° below freezing thawing quite fast at 9 A.M., last day of our school
April 4: Quite windy. Mrs. Shaffer came over. Jim, Sallie went to town. Lena & Norma came up
April 5: William H. Atkinson & Phebe take dinner with them. They go home this evening
April 6: John & Lees birthday, nice day
April 7: Nice day, warm & windy girls clean two south rooms
April 8: Pa’s 65 birthday
April 12: Easter Sunday, Jessie’s folks here & W.H. and Phebe
April 13: Glen comes home & goes at 6 in the evening, quite windy
April 14: Nice day
April 26: Phebe & Vera go to Inman, Nina’s school closes May 1st. White frost & ice
April 27: Very windy
April 29: Pa goes to Williams, Rollo & Ralph comes. rained last night and till 4 P.M. when it turned to hail and snow
April 30: Clear this morning 16° every thing frozen, ground covered with snow. 8 o’clock 32°
May 1: 2 degrees below freezing this morning. Heavy frost and some ice. Ground frozen. W.H. helped haul posts and wood. Warm this P.M.
May 3: Frost & ice 2 below freezing
May 6: Foggy then cloudy all day
May 7: Rains all day
May 9: Paid Jessie up to the 14th May
May 10: Rain in evening and at night
May 11: Rain all day
May 12: Rain
May 13: Rain
May 14: Very foggy
May 16: Mollie, Lee & Lib came
May 18: Rain
May 19: Clear this A.M. Bessie came
May 22: Lee & Lib went home
May 24: Effie Crone came here
May 25: Mollie comes from Canton
May 27: Mollie went home
May 28: Creek bankfull
May 29: Over flow
May 30: Still raining Decoration Day
May 31: Still raining thermometer down to 48°

June & July 1903

June 1: Raining & cold have to have fire last 3 days
June 4: First day it did not rain for a long time
June 5: Paid Jessie up to 6 of June
June 6: Nice day
June 7: Nice day I went to church
June 8: Nice day
June 9: Cloudy
June 10: A.M. misting rain
June 11: Clear 14° above freezing, James cutting alfalfa, PA to town, I have fire to keep warm
June 19: Rain
June 20: Rained again last night, Boys go home
June 21: We all go to Gypsum
June 28: Came from Gypsum
June 29: Very windy
June 30: Very windy
July 1: Sprinkled rain this A.M. & quite windy
July 3: Quite a nice rain
July 4: Nice day Pa went to town Nina came home
July 5: All gone to Mr. Hempsteads funeral but me
July 6: Quite windy
July 7: Quite windy
July 8: Quite windy
July 13: Rained in the night
July 15: Terrible hot thermometer 104° in shade yesterday & same today
July 22: 106° at 7 P.M.
July 23: Pleasant wind from the north at 11 o clock A.M. 80°
July 24: Cloudy
July 25: 106°
July 26: Laura’s birthday
July 28: Normal closes & Laura goes home
July 30: Nice rain on Corn but not enough to help plowing
July 31: Cold 58° this A.M.

August & September 1903

Aug 1: Stormy, rain, hail and wind at 2 A.M. lasted 30 minutes, rained 1 7/8 inches
Aug 5: Another big rain
Aug 11: Another big rain all night
Aug 16: Rains this P.M. Jessie went home
Aug 17: Rained all night & still raining
Aug 26: Papa sick & Will comes home goes home 28th
Aug 29: Sat. Laura & Nuna comes and Glen the same evening
Aug 31: E.R. and family come
Sept 2: William H. is thrashing, quite windy today
Sept 27: Frost & some ice
Sept 29: Rain
Sept 30: Fair

October 1903

Oct 3: First trip to McPherson, Sallie went along with her Pa
Oct 7: Ernest Watkins died
Oct 11: Commenced raining at church time
Oct 14: Still raining day & night
Oct 20: We went to Gypsum
Oct 24: Came home from Gypsum, stayed over night at McPherson, pleasant weather
Oct 28: Commenced raining
Oct 29: Still raining
Oct 30: Still raining
Oct 31: Raining, Laura & Nuna come up

November & December 1903

Nov 1: They go home and it rained all night
Nov 2: Still raining
Nov 4: Still raining, Emmet and Veda’s wedding day
Nov 6: Jessie went home, paid in full except .50 ct
Nov 8: Ida Law’s funeral, very windy last night and today. Lena stayed with us Friday night and Vera last night
Nov 9: Quite windy
Nov 10: Shlotters sale & windy
Nov 11: Heaviest freeze of season
Nov 14: Lizzie had stroke paralysis
Nov 17: The coldest morning thermometer down to 13° this freezes the petunias Josie Watkins died
Nov 18: Clear this A.M. 10° everything
Nov 20: Very smoky 23°
Nov 21: Still smoky
Nov 23: Quite pleasant Pa and Sallie go to town
Nov 28: Went to Newton
Dec 4: Returned from Wills and paid Jessie in full
Dec 6: Nice day
Dec 7: Nice we washed
Dec 9: Snowed some last night Dr. Dean Came out to see Lena
Dec 20: Nice sunshiny day
Dec 23: Nice rain & cloudy all day
Dec 24: Still cloudy Jim & Vera go to Glens wedding
Dec 25: Glen & wife come home
Dec 27: Glen & wife go to Inman
Dec 28: J D’s all go to Inman
Dec 30: Very Nice warm weather Phebe & W.W. go to town Jessie goes home is paid up in full .75 over

1904

January & February 1904

Jan 1: Fogy & misting Surprise party at Will Sitts, snowed in evening. Aunt Lizzie died while clock was striking 12 midnight she was 78 years old
Jan 2: Quite windy but growing calm this P.M.
Jan 6: J. D. butchered
Jan 24: Ed & Julia were married
Jan 25: Coldest of season trying to snow
Jan 30: Ed & Pearl’s 10 lb boy
Feb 1: Nice day
Feb 2: Clear & cold ground hog saw himself
Feb 8: We butchered
Feb 9: Ground white with snow
Feb 10: Down to 6° this A.M. coldest. Sarah & Orvill wedding day
Feb 14: St. Valentine day quite cold 10°
Feb 15: Thermometer down to 10°
Feb 16: 10° Jim takes hogs to town
Feb 19: Nice day Jessie goes home is paid until Feb. 10
Feb 28: Rev. Randals last Sermon. Clara Watkins died at Lawrence, Kansas

March & April 1904

March 19: Jessie went home
March 20: Our 40th anniversary, Children could not come Measles everywhere. It rained some, Sallie & Lena spent afternoon and W.H. & Phebe called on way to school
March 22: We went to Inman
March 26: Spitting snow 20° and E.R. starts to Illinois at midnight
March 29: Very windy Vera getting over measles
April 1: Jessie paid in full
April 2: Pa goes to town & Vera takes examination at Center
April 6: Pa goes to Hutchinson
April 8: W.T. 66th birthday and a regular blizzard snowed and blew all day
April 20: Rained a little last night cloudy this A.M.
April 21: Quite foggy & rained some blowing pretty hard
April 22: We clean kitchen
April 23: Quite a good rain Glen & Laura come
April 24: Good rain and a cyclone in afternoon at McPherson and Jessie went home. Laura & Nuna come up go in evening
April 25: Cloudy & Windy Glen & Laura go home
April 29: Jessie came back

May, June & July 1904

May 10: M.P. Simpson killed in automobile accident
May 14: Buried at McPherson. Eve and family started to Exposition at 9 A.M. Will and Bessie started at 1:05 P.M.
May 15: Rained all P.M.
May 17: Vera’s graduation exercises at Conway
May 18: Rain
May 19: Still rain
May 20: Rain
May 21: Still raining, in good rain shape
June 4: Mollie & boys come
June 6: Vera starts to Normal
July 1: Rained either day or night for the last month
July 4: A big rain about 2 inches we were at home & Sallie spent afternoon with us
July 5: Another hard rain 1 1/2″ this A.M., NO wheat cut yet
July 6: Another rain 1 1/2 inches creek very high
July 8: Friday bright & fair
July 9: Rain this A.M. 1 1/2 inches
July 18: Bright & fair
July 19: Thunder storm, cloudy this P.M.
July 20: Big rain the P.M. rained two hours stopped cutting wheat
July 21: Cloudy
July 23: Nice day Rosa W. came
July 25: Raining all day

August & September 1904

Aug 1: Still cutting wheat
Aug 3: W. T. went to Gypsum & Rosa & I spent day at Jims
Aug 4: Rain this A.M. W. T. and boys came this P.M.
Aug 5: We went to Inman
Aug 16: Raining and commenced thrashing
Aug 17: Rosa & Phebe go to Inman and Jim & Sallie to McPherson, cloudy all day
Aug 23: We and Rosa went to Kingman
Aug 26: Came home from Kingman
Sept 1: Sallie takes Mrs. Poulson to Scott & boys to Gypsum. Rosa is over with Phebe
Sept 3: We went to Newton with Rosa on her way home
Sept 5: Returned home
Sept 14: J.D. and Sallie went to Hutchson
Sept 16: Saturday, Mary & Bob were married
Sept 17: Jessie went home

October 1904

Oct 1: Bessie came
Oct 10: Will & Bessie go home we make cider
Oct 16: E.R. and Molly have a new boy
Oct 19: Baby died, 7:30 P.M. Thermometer marks 44°, A very windy day, storms abide at A.M. and clouds all gone, Sallie went to Gypsum
Oct 20: Sallie came home
Oct 23: The first frost this A.M.
Oct 25: William H. Atkinson picked apples
Oct 30: Laura and Nuna go home
Oct 31: Mrs. Poulson buried at McPherson

November & December 1904

Nov 1: We washed
Nov 2: Vera went to Hutchinson
Nov 7: Grandma Watkins died
Nov 9: First snow of season, Jim and Sallie go to Grandma’s funeral
Nov 10: Snowing
Nov 12: Snow left today
Nov 13: Nice day
Nov 22: Ida and Babe married at home
Nov 23: Bright and fair, Jessie came
Nov 24: Thanksgiving Glens and Mollie and boys
Nov 27: Vera goes back to Hutchinson
Nov 28: J.D.’s birthday, Pa goes to town
Nov 29: My birthday, 65 years old J.D.butchered a beef.fine weather
Dec 1: Working at Cow shed
Dec 2: A cold wave
Dec 3: 15° very cold
Dec 10: Put in phone to W.H.A.
Dec 11: Stormy
Dec 12: Wills 30th birthday
Dec 13: Snowed some last night, Lena gets dinner for us, Smallpox everywhere
Dec 14: Sallies 39th birthday, Dr Dean brings Bessie
Dec 22: Vera came from Hutchinson
Dec 25: We take Christmas dinner at Uncle William H. Atkinson
Dec 26: Stormy rain and sleet so far turned to snow, a blizzard. Lee goes to Wichita ???
Dec 27: Blizzard cleared up this A.M. Mrs. Graham died
Dec 28: She is buried, clear and cold
Dec 29: E.R. came home
Dec 30: He went to Inman and brought Laura and Nuna, they went home Wed eve

1905

January & February 1905

Jan 1: Fog in January frost in May, but is clearing up
Jan 2: Papa and E.R. go to Newton. Dr. Dean have a boy J.A.W.
Jan 10: Biggest snow of season
Jan 11: Very cold
Jan 12: Cold
Jan 13: Very cold
Jan 14: 16 below zero deep snow
Jan 15–18: Below zero, W.H. and Lena are with us
Jan 25: Very cold 12 below zero
Feb 1: Vera came from Hutchinson
Feb 2: Freezing 12 below zero, trying to snow all day
Feb 6: Very cold 12 below A.M.
Feb 8: Sun shining 16 above zero. Jessie is married today. Vera and Lena go up to wedding
Feb 11: 4 below zero all day
Feb 12: 12 below zero, snowing, blowing and drifting, letting up little this P.M.
Feb 13: 24° below zero at 6 A.M. and 22° at 8 A.M.
Feb 14: Cold and stormy

March – May 1905

March 9: Gatha came in evening
March 16: Commenced raining at 9 A.M., rained until 5 P.M. when it commenced thundering and looks quite stormy
March 17: St Patrick’s day, John Watkins went home today
March 25: We went to Gypsum and E.R. took Mollie to Kansas City
March 27: E.R. and Mollie came back, we came home
March 29: Mollie took to her bed for one month
April 1: Vera came home today, went back 4th
April 5: 2 below freezing this A.M.
April 12: Bessie is sick
April 14: Quite cold 2 below zero and snowed a little
April 15: Still cold and cloudy
April 16: We went to Groveland to preaching. It is 28 yrs today since we moved on this farm and 39 yrs since Grandpa Cheney died. snowing lively
April 23: Easter Sunday, we take dinner at Atkinsons, raining lively this evening
May 5: John went to Harper
May 8: Tornado at night, 24 dead and 85 injured at Marquette, Ks
May 10: Another tornado north of Conway
May 12: Sallie went to Gypsum
May 18: Operated on Mollie

June – August 1905

June 1: Nuna and John are married. Glen and Laura arrived for the occasion
June 15: Big rain and some hail, beginning of harvest
July 2: A heavy rain, creek high
July 3: Quite cold 50°. Uncle J.D. took Rollo and Ned with them to McPherson
Aug 11: Mollie took boys home
Aug 21–22: Hottest days since 1901 106° in shade

September – December 1905

Sept 10: Freeze ice thicker than window glass, we will put in heater today
Oct 19: Froze hard. E.R.came home 21st. Homer and wife arrived from hospital at Wichita
Oct 27: We went to Inman and Vera came home. Ike Barhyte goes home to Oklahoma
Oct 28: Snowing, our first
Oct 29: Gloomy all day, we take dinner at Jims with Grandpa Barhytes.
Nov 4: A great rain
Nov 5: Nettie’s boy born the 3rd. Tom Cooprider married
Nov 8: Homer and wife were here
Nov 23: Heavy rain, hail and thunder and lightning
Dec 20: Snowing lively
Dec 23: Mrs. Zink died
Dec 25: Christmas dinner at William H. and Phebes
Dec 26: The boys came home
Dec 30: Snowed one hour real hard
Dec 31: Sallie and Jim go to ???

1906

January – March 1906

Jan 1: Dark and gloomy all day
Jan 4: E.R. and Mollie come
Jan 6: E.R. and Mollie take boys home this A.M.
Jan 9: James F. Cheney died
Jan 12: Sleeting and snowing
Jan 14: Still sleeting, ground covered with ice
Jan 20: Warm, like spring. W.B. and Emma come this evening
Jan 22: Coldest day 4 above zero
Jan 23: Moderating. Jim, Sallie, W.B., and Emma go to Inman
Jan 24: Warm and pleasant all week
Jan 29: W.B. start on their homeward trip to Gypsum
Jan 30: Warm and pleasant
Jan 31: We butchered and it was warm and fine
Feb 1: Warm and fair
Feb 2: Groundhog Day bright and fair
Feb 3: Warm 70°
Feb 4: Cold and stormy and snowing
Feb 11: Stormy
Feb 12: Warmer and showers, J.D. starts to Scott County
Feb 13: Snowing and a cold wave
Feb 14: 6 above zero and clear
Feb 18: Very pleasant
Feb 22: Went to Kingman and returned on 25th
Feb 26: Blowing terribly and colder
Feb 28-29: High strong winds
March 1: Came in stormy with high winds
March 6: Biggest snow of the season, Sarah Walker died
March 9: Sarah Walker buried at McPherson, E.R. was in town
March 10: Snowing lively all day
March 11: A blizzard sleeting 18° above zero down to 8° above zero
March 15: Snowing all day Mrs. Mewland here
March 18: Snow, snow every day
March 20: Our 42nd Anniversary, cold this A.M. 19° above zero
March 25: Misting rain, conference at Hutchinson
March 29: Glens have a new boy

April – June 1906

April 6: Harlow Cheney Enns born
April 8: William Thomas 68th birthday
April 10: Pa and Sallie go to Inman
April 12: Quite a big rain am, Vera and Lena come home from Hutchinson
April 17: Went to Gypsum
April 20: Came back by Salina, visited Mr. Broyles
April 24: Uncle William Atkinson helping plant our sweet corn and J.C. commenced planting corn
May 8: Killing frost, cooked our early beans
May 18: Commencing a much-needed rain
May 23: C. Coopriders have a girl
May 25: Jim replants corn
May 27: Cold, down to 49°
May 28: Boys come
May 30: Went to town, Decoration Day
May 31: Hail and rain, Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Balentine here
June 11: Tuesday, Dr and Mollie and Mrs. Hestwood came
June 15: They went home but Ned stayed
June 17: Thunderstorm some rain
June 19: An inch of rain and thunder
June 21: Will came home
June 22: Will went home
June 23: Wheat all cut
June 26: Mollie Cheney was born in Corydon, Iowa 1869
June 29: Blowing a gale for the last 4 days
June 30: Blowing all day rained all night

July – September 1906

July 3: Very cold fire seems good
July 4: Cold last night but warming
July 5: Five days north wind, cold
July 16: Rained yesterday and cold this am thermometer down to 53°
Aug 24: Rain and very hot
Aug 25: Very hot rain in evening
Aug 26: Very cold 46°
Aug 27: Wind out of north quite cool, Laura and Nuna came up

October – December 1906

Oct 12: Arrived at McPherson from our visit to Illinois
Oct 27: Glen and Laura came
Oct 28: We all went Inman
Nov 11: Jim and Sallie go to Mead County and Pratt and Kingman
Nov 19: A snow blizzard, thermometer down to 18°
Nov 29: Take Thanksgiving dinner at J.D. This is my 67^th birthday. I was born in Carroll Co, Ohio, Nov 29, 1839
Dec 3: Very pleasant
Dec 4: Almost like spring
Dec 29–30: All our children are at home, E.R. went home with J.W. to Kingman. The little boys and Philip go to McPherson Jan 2nd and meet their folks to go home

1907

Jan. 1: Monday, gloomy all day.
Jan. 2: Rained all day.
March 19: Very warm. We went to Kingman
March 20: Our 43 Anniversary dinner at Will’s with Mr. & Mrs Hutto
March 21: Very hot 94 in shade, We start home – all night
March 22: Arrived home
March 23: A record breaker, so hot no fire & doors open for a week
March 29: Rollos birthday, Lena & I are in Gypsum
March 30: Came home
April 13: hard freeze, fruit gone up – are finishing our new well putting in pump
April 16: It is snowing – It is 30 years today since we came on the farm
April 17: Thermometer registers 20° A.M. everything frozen
April 29: First rain in 4 weeks – and freezing ice on everything down to 30°
April 30: Cold 26°
May 1: 28° cold.
May 3: 27° rained most of the night, turned to snow and almost a blizzard this morning.
May 4: Ground froze, 23°.
May 15: Cold, 27°.
May 17: Quite warm; we went to town.
May 26: Quite cold all day.
May 27: Cold 23°, froze ice.
May 28: 41° cold.
May 31: Whole week of winter.
June 1: Moderating a little.
June 2: Quite pleasant.
Dec. 1: Mary B. Cheney died.
Dec. 31: C.C. Watkins died.

1908

Feb. 18: A general blizzard with snow drifting; no mail today.
Feb. 25: Went to Newton and Kingman, came home the 29th.

1909

Apr. 11: E.L. Watkins died.
Apr. 28: Rose J. Watkins marries Charles Edwin Scott.
May 1: 10° below freezing.
May 26: Cold, 2° above freezing.
Sept. 1: Went to Gypsum.
Dec. 27: Wills come home.
Dec. 29: Will went home.

1910

Mar. 3: Very nice and warm, 75° in shade.
Mar. 10: Wills came home.
Mar. 12: Enos and family came.
Mar. 13: Wills went home.
Mar. 14: Enos and family went home.
May 23: Clara Louisa Scott born, Rose’s girl
June 12: Thermometer 46° this A.M., cold.
Sep. 3: W.T. and Vera start to Illinois.
Sep. 6: Below zero.

1911

Feb. 11: Wills got home from Philadelphia, Pa.

Sources:

Diary – Eliza Cheney’s Diary – Transcription and Recension by Jan Perdue DeWeese – 1993, Original diary from Jane Cheney Redden
Image – Woman writing diary at kitchen table – AI generated – Google Gemini
Images – Two women doing farm chores, Storm clouds over Kansas farm, Porch party, Patient and healer, Family portrait, Farm neighborhood – AI generated – Google Gemini
Map – Cheney neighborhood in Groveland Township, McPherson County, Kansas – Plat Book of McPherson County Kansas – North West Publishing Co. – Minneapolis, Minnesota 1903 – McPherson Public Library – https://macpl.org/map-room/plat-book/
Audio – Bergen County Farewell – Glenn Jones – Free Music Archive – https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Glenn_Jones/Live_on_WFMUs_Irene_Trudels_show_-_July_1st_2013_1868/Glenn_Jones_-_05_-_Bergen_County_Farewell_1852/

Family Nibbles

Stories of our Jarvis and Teply ancestors