Eyes ofHistory - The North Star Monthly

8 SEPTEMBER 2009 THE NORTH STAR MONTHLY
The diary of Emily Bickford Kinerson
Recording the history of a well-known Peacham family
BY LOIS FIELD WHITE
Emily Bickford Kinerson,
of Peacham,
kept diaries, which
she called memorandums,
for a nine-year period from
January 1, 1891, through December
31, 1899. The 10year
diary is an interesting
and informative glimpse into
life in Peacham Corner, Vermont,
in the 1890’s and is a
good resource for historians
and genealogists. Her diaries
were discovered by chance in
an old desk that had been
tucked away for many years
in a Peacham home.
In addition to her diary, Emily
also kept a record of payments to
several engravers (carvers) and profits
from sales of the Kinerson butter
molds and prints. James
Richardson Kinerson, her husband;
Flora and Mary Bickford, her nieces;
Lucy Bailey Kinerson, her daughterin-law
(wife of her son Russell); a
Mrs. Etta Darling; a Mrs. Dr.
Thomas, and John Varnum, a
neighbor, engraved the butter prints.
James Kinerson later sold his business
to John Varnum.
James and Emily were in their
late 60s and living on the farm about
one mile north of Peacham Corner
as the diaries began. The farmhouse
is shown in the book “Historic
Homes of Peacham” on page 206.
The “Little Kinerson House” is attached
to the farmhouse in that picture,
taken in 1897.
Emily is seated in the buggy,
with James standing alongside.
Grandchildren Ray, Ellen and Minnie
are standing in front, with Lucy
holding the hand of little Philip at
the far right. Granddaughter May is
seen at the far left; next to her is
Flora Bickford, then Carrie Bickford
Varnum, Emily’s sister. The elderly
lady in front might be James’ sister
Ellen Kinerson Ferguson.
James and Emily purchased a
house in Peacham Corner from the
Mary S. Underwood Estate on June
3, 1892, and soon moved there.
That house sits on the corner of the
road going towards East Peacham,
across from the Peacham Library,
and is pictured in “Historic Homes
of Peacham” on Page 46.
The Kinersons rented rooms in
their farmhouse and the Corner
house to students at Peacham Academy
and other folks, a common
practice in that era.
Emily fell out of bed on July 6,
1895, when she was 74, and was
lame for the rest of her life. It is said
that she got around by pushing a
straight chair. Several months after
her accident she was walking across
the road to the store with help. It is
likely she broke a bone or bones.
She never consulted a doctor.
Emily duly recorded her families’
illnesses, accidents, and the
childhood diseases and other epidemics
raging around town. Her
daughter-in-law Ella (son Charley’s
wife) had frequent bouts of asthma.
Emily often wrote “I have been up
home,” meaning her earlier years on
Cow Hill and Penny Street. She described
the weather, church doings,
and the activities of her sons and
their families. Her two Peacham
sons sugared and planted in spring,
hayed and went berrying in summer,
harvested, worked in the
woods, got up woodpiles and
butchered in fall, and broke out
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(rolled) the Peacham roads in winter.
Emily often wrote, “Breaking
roads is the order of the day”. The
boys worked on their farms and on
town roads in between times. Her
oldest son Jerome, a traveling salesman,
and his wife Jennie occasionally
wrote home. Emily and James’
grandchildren (four born during
that decade) visited often, especially
May the oldest.
Notable events during that
decade were the Spanish-American
War; the Columbian Exposition (the
Chicago World’s Fair); the election
of William McKinley as President
of the United States; the erection of
and blowing down of the Observatory;
the centennial celebration of
the founding of the Caledonia
County Grammar School (Peacham
Academy); the installation of a telephone
in John Christian Frederick
Richter’s Store, and visits from
Emily’s sister Carrie and her husband
Harvey Varnum from Marshalltown,
Iowa.
James and Emily’s home farm,
called “the farm” in the diaries, had
been conveyed to their son Russell.
Their son Charles purchased a farm
on East Hill from Charles and Kate
Hutchinson in January, 1898, shown
stop by and see katie at the corner of route 2 and Hill Street in Danville VT• 802.684.9900
open: tuesday - saturday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
in “Historic Homes of Peacham”
on Page 154. Prior to that Charles,
Ella and their children, Charles Raymond
(Ray) and Minnie Florence,
lived in the “Little Kinerson House”
pictured in “Historic Homes of
Peacham” on Page 208.
Emily’s last diary ended on December
31, 1899. She became 80
years old on February 16, 1901, and
received many congratulatory letters
from her Western siblings and their
children. Emily and James lived on
in the Corner house for a while;
then in declining health they agreed
to deed that property to Augusta
Hunt for $1,100. They went to live
at the homes of Russell and Charles.
James died September 23, 1902, of
prostatic disease at age 78; Emily
died November 27,1903, of bronchitis
at age 82.
Sons Russell and Charles were
appointed executors of James and
Emily’s “joint will”. One expense
shown was a “crape (mourning)
bonnette” (sic) for $4.75 and gloves
for 25 cents for Emily, for James’ funeral.
Russell and Charles held an
auction, sold the Corner house to
Augusta Hunt, paid the debts, settled
the estate and divided the remaining
assets among themselves
and their brother Jerome.
The oldest son Jerome continued
traveling around the country,
occasionally visiting his brothers
and their families. He had no children.
He died in Colonie, New
York, in 1937 of myocardosis at age
87. No further information is
known of his wife Jennie.
Sons Russell and Charles continued
farming, raised their children,
became upstanding citizens, town
officials, and were elected to the
Vermont Legislature. They lived to
see over 20 grandchildren, and there
are now many descendents. Russell
died in Peacham in 1926 of chronic
myocardosis at age 69. His wife
Lucy died in 1930 of cancer at age
69. Charles (Charley) died in Woodstock,
Vermont, in 1944 of pneumonia
at age 84. His wife Ella died
in Peacham of measles and pneumonia
in 1913 at age 51. Charles’
second wife, Jane Rebecca Warner,
died in Boston, Massachusetts in
1944 at age 65.
Lois Field White will discuss the contents
of the diaries, numerous family letters
from Emily’s siblings who went West,
account books and other documents at the
Peacham Library at a date to be determined.
The public is invited.
Visit us
at the
corner
of
route 2
and
Hill St.
in
Danville
VT
tuesday
thru
saturday
10 a.m.
to
6 p.m.
802
684.9900