Lorenzo Kinser's diary

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Lorenzo Dow Kinser's Diary

	Lorenzo Dow Kinser (#3958)(1856-?) kept a diary that reveals much about the routine of daily life on the farm during the period from September 1883 to October 1907. The Kinser family farm described here was in Lee County, the western-most tip of Virginia. He mentions a number of other members of the Kinser family. These extracts from the diary allow us to read between the lines so to speak, and observe life on a farm at the turn of the century. Money was scare. Notes were given for as little as $1.00. Bills were often paid with notes or by barter. Most are about the routine of life on the farm but other reflect the joys and tragedies of life in the entire community. Look at August 1886. Kinser's mentioned are in bold print. Several are as yet unidentified. There were a number of families in the Jonesville, Lee County, Virginia area who were very close and tended to intermarry. Some of these family names were Graham, Yeary, Stapleton, Russell, Turner, and Cox. Notes about other people mentioned are shown in colored italics
September 1883
14th	Will Delph got 2 bushels of wheat from me for the corn.
16th	Went to town for public speaking. Paid Alex Quesenberry 25 cents for foddering. .(Alex Quesenberry - Lorenzo's uncle James K. P. Graham married Mollie Quesenberry in 1879. Alex is Mollie's father.)
17	I paid Will Delph 50 cents for work
22	Cousin Cal Kinser (#6930) here.
26	Jefferson Marion *(Kinser)* twelve months out except for time lost. Paid Alex Quesenberry 25 cents for work in the fodder.
28	Me and Viney (Lorenzo Dow's wife) went to Cal's.
29	Went to see Mary and Douglas.
October 1883
1	Commenced sowing wheat. Pa settled with Jeff Marion give his note for $55.00 Gordon left us. Paid Jeff. Marion (Kinser ) $1.00 interest on borrowed money.
9	Sold 35 hogs average weight to A. L. Lloyd for 3-1/2 cents/lb.
12	Finished sowing the upper field in wheat 20 acres.
16	at court today. Political. Received of A. L. Lloyd #15.00 balance due for hogs. Redeemed a note $37.94 interest included.
November 1883
20	Went to town. Court.
22	I gave Jefferson Marion *(Kinser)* an order to Richmond's for $3.50
29	Paid T. J. Ely $3.00 for the gum coat bought on October 5th.
30	Had a corn shucking.
December 1883
1st	I was at Kile Turner's shucking.( Kile Turner - this may be a misreading of the name Giles Turner, husband of Lorenzo's aunt Ellen. The Turners were very close to the Grahams, familially and geographically. )
7	Bin cribbing corn this week. fine weather. Edd Travis hauled 5 loads for me for $1.25.
12	Killed 17 hogs today.
15	Last night first snow fell. Bought the children some Christmas candy.
23	Shaved and had my hair cut.
24	At the Christmas tree at Greens Chapel.
January 1884
14	Got Jan and Charlie shod. Made a new log shed.
20	Got 2 letters from Jeff Marion.
21	Wrote to Jeff and Aunt ____.
22	Went to town and mailed my letters.
23	Sold Bill Alden the fat sheep.
February 1884
1st	Assessment of property 14 sheep 1.00 14.00 Farming tools 20.00 one wagon 2.00 Household and kitchen furniture 8.00 2 clocks .50 1.00 2 saddles 1.00 4 work horses $75.00 each $300.00 work horses $75.00 each $300.00 3 yearling colts 35.00 105.00 2 work cattle 75.00 4 milk cows 15.00 60.00 8 calves 6.00 48.00 34 hogs 2.17 74.00 Total $87.00 The above is a correct list. L. D. & Jefferson Kinser
5th	Mary Kinser & Mint Hall's
23rd	Went to the mill with wheat. Bought 2 lbs of steel and 2 false collars of Pat wood for 50 & 90 cts. Sold my mare diner to H. L. Sprinkle
25th	Hired Will Price to work 4 months at $7 per month, sat in today. Went to town bought a padlock, a bottle of D. Paynes Alternative and a box of pills. Took my mare back from Sprinkle. Took G. M. McGee by 12-1/2 bu of wheat . bought horse collar & hames of H. L. Sprinkle for $1.00
March 1884
1st	Snowed all day. Pap hired Gordon Kinser(#3709) today to work 4 months at $6.00.
10th	E. G. Baylor came this evening. Gordon shot himself.
April 1884
15th	Got some more bitters for Pap. (Jefferson Kinser #3101) Paid Dr. Thomas $2.00 for Pap.
20th	Aunt Liz Kinser (#3106) came.
May 1884
1st	Sam spayed 6 hogs. Sheared 14 sheep.
2nd	Went to town took our bacon.
	For self: sides and hams 178 lbs shoulders 93. lbs.
	For Pap: sides and shoulders 116 lbs shoulders 23 lbs. Settled our accounts.
9th	Absolom Russell hanged.
17th and 18th	Quarterly meeting at Greens Chapel. T. P. Graham licensed to preach.
31st	Went fishing til noon. Went to Sprinkle's Store. Paid Sam Hyder $1.50. Paid Dan Hall $1.00 on gig. Went to town bought goods at M. D. Richmond's. 1 pair of shoes $1.50 2 pair of overalls @1.25 =$2.50 1 pair of shoes $1.50 2 pair of overalls @1.25 =$2.50
June 1884
23-24-25	Cut wheat.
July 1884
1st	finished cutting wheat.
2&3	cut oats. Mills 4 months out. Went to Cal Kinser's(#6930)
24	J. E. Aney? killed James Davis.( J. E. Aney - this may be a misreading of the surname Arey, which was another Lee County name.)
26	Cleaned turnip patch I wrote 4 notes by Edd Travis to Elizabeth Travis due Sept 28th, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888 for $10.00 each
August 1884
	Pap and mother got their picture made.
11th	Dillard Graham commenced his school at Green's Chapel. First day Norah went to school. (this is Lorenzo's eldest child, Norah Oneal Kinser who passed away in 1972 in Lubbock, TX. ) Dillard commenced boarding with us for $1.50.
30th	Weighed our hogs. 18 hogs averaged 135 lbs @ 4cts. Took Lloyd's note due 60 days. J. C. Kinser(#....) and wife came to stay.
September 1884
1st	Cut millet.
24th	Sold 20 bushels of corn to M. D. Richmond 2 $1.00 per bushel.
	Sold 1 bushel green peaches for $1.00.
	Hiram Kinser (#6927) has worked 2 months today.
October 1884
1st	Commenced sowing wheat.
2	Paid A. McElroy $20.00 which Pap had borrowed. ( A. McElroy, C. McElroy - Lorenzo's wife's maiden name was McElroy, so these men might be her brothers or her father.)
6-7th	Made molasses.
8th	Raised C. McElroy's stable.
November 1884
	At the President's election Cleavlin (Grover Cleveland?) and Blain. Larmar Fluget shot Bill Hall. ( Cleavlin - has to refer to newly-elected president Grover Cleveland.Lorenzo named his son born in April 1885 Marvin Cleveland Kinser. (Note that Cleveland's election is mentioned in the diary, but Marvin's birth is not.)
8th	Vance Green made 1 pair shoes 1 pair of boots for me and Viney.
25th	Killed 10 hogs today. They are having a jubilee tonight at town over the election of Cleavlin and Hendricks.
27th	Paid our tax $16.37. A team ran away and killed the Hyder boy today in town.
December 1884
	Settled with Edd Baylor due me $18.00 for which I took Baylor's note.
January 1885
	Received of E. C. Baylor $10.00 cash the same I credited on his note.
16th	Received from E. C. Baylor 2 notes on L. C. Roop for safe keeping til he returns from down the river.
22nd	Returned the 2 notes to E. C. Baylor which I took the 16th to hold.
April 1885
23rd	Peach trees in full bloom.
24th	Burned the new ground. Fire got out..
27th	Sheared the sheep and sold them to Richmond's 5 at $1.50 per hundred. Sold Stapleton 10 pounds of bacon at 10 cents.
28th	Paid Jin Poteet 53 lbs of bacon.
May 1885
3rd	Received of E. C. Baylor $8.50 on a note executed to me December 5, 1884
9th	Went to town in the evening. Bought me a suit of clothes and a hat of Russell for $9.00.
12th	Planted corn in the new ground. Hiram Kinser sat in to work for us by the month @ $9.50.
28th	Me and father settled our last year acct, between us up til May 1885. He payd me $50.00 more than me for my work and owes me one dollar in settlement.
June 1885
24th	Settled with Hiram this evening has worked one month and 7 days 122.05 balance due him $7.30. *Pap (Jefferson Kinser #3101)* gave his note due 1st of September.
July 1885
9th	Went to town. Took Orr & Russell bacon sides 155 lbs @10 cts. Shoulder 23 lbs at 8-1/2 which was credited on my account.
14&15	Worked on the new road in cliff above Sam Grahams. (- this is Lorenzo's uncle Samuel P. Graham. Lorenzo's mother was Eliza Graham.)
August 1885
3&4	cut trees for saw logs
9	I transferred church roll.
11	Me & Hiram worked the public road
20	Fixed up the straw stack. Bought a peach peeler $2.00)
27	Red spotted sow found, 7 pigs.
31	Halled logs. Sauire Lockheart brought his sow to the boar. Pap went to Cal Kinser's
September 1885
1-3	Killed Hogs. Gord Kinser went to work.
6	Went to camp meeting.
17	Been foddering, drying fruit for 10 days. Sold to M. D. Richmonds 694 pounds of peaches @3 cts. Bought 4 sacks of salt a $2.00.
26	Sam spayed 9 hogs. Made cider for vinegar.
October 1885
15	finished road til noon. Hiram plowed. I gathered apples afternoon.
20	Returned 4 lb &10 oz leather to Russell and Orr @6 cts. Had a grand Democratic Procession in honor of Fitzhugh Lee. Had a grand speech from Lee. The grandest ever known in the county.
25	Went chestnut hunting.
November 1885
7	Borrowed $25.00 from Jeff Marion (Kinser)
13	Borrowed $15.00 from Jeff Marion. Total amount borrowed from him $40.00.
24	Killed 20 hogs today.
25	Cut and salted meat. Loaned Mark Williams 20 lb of pork. Gave Mart Williams order to Orr & Russell's for 50 cts
26	Paid O. C. Lee $1.50 on evaporator. Gave M. D. Richmond $20.00 to pay our tax with.
30	Finished measuring Edd Travis corn. Raised 500 bushels on the field.
December 1885
11	Killed 5 hogs and a beef.
14	Jeff brought boar home. Tree fell on Bishop's oxen and killed him.
22	Hauled logs. Aunt Liz Kinser here.
23, 24, &25	Hauled logs.
January 1886
11	Ron and Jeff (Kinser) started to Texas.
13	Halled wood. Paul Kinser here tonight.
February 1886
2	Killed hogs til noon. Commenced snowing. Snowed 15 inches deep.
April 1886
9 th	Received of B. F. Thompson $70.00 in checks on Border Grange Bank. Danville, VA. Let W. P. Wood have one check for $20.00 Orr and Russell one for $50.00. I settled with Orr and Russell and squared the books.
July 1886
15	Bryant brought my mule home. Settled up with Hiram. Had worked nearly 8 mo. amounted to $61.00. Pap paid balance by note $7.00 due Nov 15, 86.
26	Settled L. D. & J. Kinser's account with M. D. Richmond's. Paid off up to this date.
August 1886
30	No one can tell what a day may bring forth. My dear father died suddenly today. Jefferson Kinser
31	Buried dear father today. These two have been the saddest days of my life. All my future hopes are blasted & all prospects gloomy. May the Lord aid us by his grace & save us in his Kingdom.
September 1886
20	Paid Vance Green 28 lb of bacon for Gord Kinser's boots.. Paid a note for J. Kinser to Hiram Kinser of seven dollars $7.00. Due Nov. 15th 1886.
27, 28, &29	Made molasses
October 1886
10	I have been to New Hope Church today & heard Noble Burkhart preach/ An excellent sermon general revival and refreshing from the presence of the Lord for which we are most heartily thank the Lord God Almighty. Praise God from whom all blessing flow.
14	Helped J. C. Geary raise his house.
16	Let George Lindsay have a cow to feed for its milk this winter, Yoked up the Bull and white steer to break.
November 1886
13	Bought a mule of Sam Poteat for one hundred dollars. Bought $50.00 from K. G. Bishop.
December 1886
25	Sam & Viney here for dinner
26	Mary McElroy, Ellen Lawson &Junie Kinser here for dinner.
January 1887
11	G. C. McEnnis pulled my tooth. Renewed my subscription to the Christian Advocate. Sent for Grandmother 6 months. Hers will expire July 17th, 87.
15	Settled with mother concerning father's estate. Father's part of personal property when amount of debts is paid. $530.00. I estimate mother's interest at $250.00 for which I gave my note to her bearing date of January 1st, 1887 bearing interest from date if so required by mother on collection. I have this day received one bearing date November 22, 1881 for $40.00 , another for #40.00 given April 5, 1883.
April 1887
2	Bought the children shoes & a corn planter @1.50.
June 1887
25	Settled up with Gordon Kinser and he quit work.
July 1887
17	I L. D. Kinser (Lorenzo Dow) left home this morning for Greenville, Texas. Went to Rogersville today. ( Lorenzo must have liked what he saw on his month-long trip to Greenville, TX. He moved there with his wife, children, and widowed mother sometime before 1906. Lavina "Viney" McElroy Kinser died March 13, 1906. Eliza J. Graham Kinser died August 3, 1911. They are both buried in Hunt County. By 1920, Lorenzo had remarried and moved to Lubbock, Texas where his son Marvin was living. Lorenzo died after 1930 and is probably buried in Lubbock. )
18	Left Rogersville at 9 A. M. to Morristown 12 O'clock. got through ticket to Greenville for $24.45. At Strawberry Plains, Knoxville 1:15
19	Between Little Rock & Texas
20	Got to Greenville at 6 P. M. to William Grahams
21	At Uncle Ran Grahams.
22	from Rans to Robisons, Blakemons and Johses.
23	At Mr Moses & at Quarterly meeting.
24	at meeting & dinner at H. Russells. got back to Will's this evening. ( H. Russell - this could very well be Harvey L. Russell, husband of William R. Graham's eldest daughter Orlena J. Graham. Yet another Lee County family which migrated west.)
25.	Will, Littie and I went to Davity's ( Lorenzo's uncle William R. Graham and his wife Eletta Poteet. )
26	Went to cemetary with Will & Anne & looked through town through Col Ross vineyard.
27	Will and I went to White Rock to Picnic.
30	Left Greenville for McElroy's. I went by Denison to Colinsville & to Mats.
August1887 4th	Started home from Collinsville by Denison through the Territory, Kansas,& by Jeffrey & St. Louis, Nashville, Chattanooga
8	Got back home safe and sound. Trip cost me bout $75.00.
January 1887
25-30	John Martin's trial for killing Henry Morgan. Fined $100.00 & released.
November 1888
27	Paid my tax $26.24. Deposited two hundred dollars in the Powell Valley Bank.
28	Our baby born.
December 1888
11 th	Charles Elliot surveyed my land. Beginning on South bank of Powell River on the stake corner to Robert Stapleton's land. Thence S. 31-1/2 degrees East 186 poles to a stake & 2 chestnut oaks marked as pointes on top pf Wallens Ridge thence on a Westward direction & with the top of said ridge 153 poles to a small hickory corner to the Robert Travis land thence 22-1/2 degrees W 174 poles to two Lyns corner to Travis land in a cliff on south bank of Powell River thence up said river to the beginning. ( Robert Stapleton - this is most likely the youngest son of Lorenzo's aunt Elizabeth Graham Stapleton. ).
31	Closed land trade business with B. F. Wilson. Made him a deed & he paid me twenty one hundred dollars in checks on Louisville Bank which I deposited in the Powell Valley Bank for collection.
January 1890	After this point Lorenzo Kinser's diary entries were sparse and very brief.
July 1905 31st	Threshed Bill Kinser's oats
1911	Last entry
2nd & 3rd	Lumbered