An Eldred Christmas, 1905

by Louise Smith Posted on December 16, 2011

Jennie Crawford, Eldred, N.Y., to Lillie Austin, Bethel, N.Y.
December 25, 1905
Dear Lillie,
Let me tell you of my Xmas presents. Mrs. Maier gave me a summer shirt; George, a pound of Sparrow’s chocolates and more small boxes; Mom a pair of mittens and 2 pairs slacks; Edna, a bunch of artificial leaves; Dad, a cake plate and some candy; Uncle Joel, a bag of nuts; Aunt Maude a stocking bag, a hat pin, and a collar; Lillie either a clock or a cream set, but I don’t know which was for Xmas.

I had a very nice Xmas, only Lillie Austin wasn’t here. Darn her. I was home all day. George came up; he went home at 8 p.m. It is 20 past now.

Tomorrow we have to wash a three weeks washing. I just dread it. George and I, also his Aunt Phebe went to the Congregational Xmas tree.

What did you have for Xmas dinner? We had chicken, jelly, mashed potatoes, tomatoes, Hydeen salad, mince pie, raisin cake and cocoa nut cake, coffee. Wasn’t that wonderful?

Come out! Well I will close.

Lovingly,
Jennie Crawford

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1892 Dry Goods, Groceries

by Louise Smith Posted on December 9, 2011
C.M. Austin in account with M. Quick and Co., Dealer in Dry Goods and Groceries, Hardware, Crockery, Hats and Caps, Boots and Shoes, Clothing, Fancy Goods, Notions, Etc.
September 1892.

Building supplies
35# hammer 2.80
3 cans paint .75
30 gal. paint 42.00
1 boot oil .10
5 L. nails .75
1 bbl. lime 1.50
4 bbl. lime 6.00
5 bbl. lime 7.50
3-1/2 plaster Paris .35
5 gallon b. oil 3.25
2 cans shellac 2.00
35 Bricks .35
10-4D nails .40
77-10W nails 2.31
5 gall. b. oil 3.25
1 w. hand oil .60
1 turpentine .60
3 cans paint .75

Food staples
1 b. powder .15
3 b. powder .25
2 cans beef .50
1 can beef .25
5# butter 1.25
3 cake .37
4 cinnamon .10
2 coffee .50
2 coffee .60
2 doz. eggs .40
4 ginger .05
5# lard .50
100 meal 1.35
50 meal .25
4 mustard .10
25 sugar 1.50
10 sugar .60
1 tea .50

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Christmas New York City 1881

by Louise Smith Posted on December 8, 2011

From Aida Austin’s 1881 Diary.

N.Y.C., Saturday, Dec. 24, 1881
Net out this forenoon. Maria and I over to Macy’s this afternoon. Harry and I have just got in from Ridley’s.

N.Y.C., Sunday, Dec. 25, 1881
Quite pleasant. We went to Willett St. after all, speaking and singing.

N.Y.C., Monday, Dec. 26, 1881
Net, Baby, and I around to Ad’s this afternoon to the Christmas tree. It was very nice. We all got some nice presents.

Ida, Uncle Gustus, Aunt Maria, and I went around to the Baptist Church to Lizzy Brown’s wedding. Back to Ad’s. I had to dress up as Santa Claus.

1886 lithograph of a busy scene on Broadway in New York City entitled, “A glimpse of New York’s dry goods district; The largest in the world, covering a space of 135 acres; containing 4,500 firms; employing $800,000,000 capital.”—Source: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division: LC-USZ62-2662.
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1880 Christmas Gifts

by Louise Smith Posted on December 6, 2011
“On the back road to Barryville from Yulan.” Postcard shows Yulan Road near Barryville, possibly near where the Schoonovers lived at one time. Courtesy of Kevin M.

(The memoirs of Daniel Rowlee Schoonover play an important part in the story told in “Echo Hill and Mountain Grove.”)

It was in 1880, and I was 8 years old that things was pretty tough: no work anywhere and Pa who was good at most any kind of a job, hired out to a man named Madison who lived over on the back road to Barryville from Yulan.

Butcher wagons went through the country for those days you had to buy everything from the peddler wagons. There was John Bower, the butcher, and Joe Sturns, the peddler, with everything from crown combs to Jew’s harps and they took all the rags, bottles, and boxes that we had saved up in part payment.

So we moved over to the Madison Place and Pa did the butchering and what a big time Em and I had. I remember we had the attic strung full of bladders blown up and dried. And Ma used to bind the tops with red tape and put strings in them and give them away for tobacco pouches for Christmas presents.

The family stayed that winter and came back home to Eldred early the next spring, for Pa would never let a spring go by without going down the river on a raft.—Daniel Rowlee Schoonover.

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