1857_ John C. Hart Shrub Oak Diary
Dublin Core
Title
1857_ John C. Hart Shrub Oak Diary
Source
"John C. Hart Memorial Library Historical News Clippings" Binder, Volume 1, xxxx - 1970
Rights
This item is made available for research and educational purposes by the John C. Hart Memorial Library. Rights status is not evaluated.
Format
PDF, 2 pages
Language
English
Type
Text
Coverage
1857-1871
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
A copy of the diary of John C. Hart has recently arrived at the library named after him, and will provide the reader with a fascinating account of the daily life of a gentleman farmer in Shrub Oak during the
years 1857 to 1871 when Yorktown was still a faming community.
The document which is handwritten was made from the original manuscript by his eldest daughter, Mary E. Hart Travis whose sister, Virginia Hart Mills, owned the original. The copy at hand was received through the courtesy of Viola Travis Crawford (Mrs. Charles) of New York City, a great-grand-daughter of John C. Hart .
Several features are immediately discernible to the casual browser:
the intense love of nature and land, the detailed observations on plantings and crops - the tremendous variety of vegetables and fruit raised and harvested is amazing - and the great dedication to detailed daily weather observation coupled with the pure joy of country living. The author watches the change of seasons with almost poetic sensitivity; he never tires of describing sun, wind, rain and snow and his thoughts on his rural life are put down with great sincerity and pleasure.
Letting the diary speak for itself, here is a brief sample. "Sept. 21,
1866 : a heavy shower - thermometer 78° - no frost yet - buckwheat not yet fit to cut - corn not all cut - it has rained nearly half the time for the last two months..." "Oct. 14th, 1866. Made a fire in the hall stove ... as we look out of the window we see great flocks of yellow and scarlet leaves go scudding by, borne by the autumn into great piles ... but the evergreens grow seemingly greener and oh! how grateful we feel to them for their stability, may we not say loyalty?" - "Nov. 3, 1866. Froze ice last night. 2" thick. Thermometer 26° this morning ... froze badly in the cellar - very cold in the night..." "Dec. 17th, 1866. Snow fell today and
yesterday, 3" deep..." "Jan 6, 1867. Thermometer 8° at 9 a.m!.
..." April 12, 1867. Still pleasant. Set out onions and planted peas - there is a promise of many pears and peaches - strawberries look pretty well"... "July 4th and 5th, 1867. Heat as high as 86°. Crops looking splendid..."
The diary goes on to October 1871 when the last entry reads: "Expect to go to tom tomorrow." However, Mr. Hart dies in 1872. His detailed account of the planning and building of the "new" Methodist Church in Shrub Oak follows the diary. Written before 1871, it discusses financial and architectural matters, the "drawing" of the stones by many of the families whose names are still very much alive in Yorktown today - the Fowlers, Strangs, Currys, Lousburys, Hyatts, Darrows etc.
The concerted effort by many people, enthusiastically led by Mr. Hart, resulted in the Church finally being completed.
Photostatic copies will be put into circulation at both branches of the Yorktown Libraries.
years 1857 to 1871 when Yorktown was still a faming community.
The document which is handwritten was made from the original manuscript by his eldest daughter, Mary E. Hart Travis whose sister, Virginia Hart Mills, owned the original. The copy at hand was received through the courtesy of Viola Travis Crawford (Mrs. Charles) of New York City, a great-grand-daughter of John C. Hart .
Several features are immediately discernible to the casual browser:
the intense love of nature and land, the detailed observations on plantings and crops - the tremendous variety of vegetables and fruit raised and harvested is amazing - and the great dedication to detailed daily weather observation coupled with the pure joy of country living. The author watches the change of seasons with almost poetic sensitivity; he never tires of describing sun, wind, rain and snow and his thoughts on his rural life are put down with great sincerity and pleasure.
Letting the diary speak for itself, here is a brief sample. "Sept. 21,
1866 : a heavy shower - thermometer 78° - no frost yet - buckwheat not yet fit to cut - corn not all cut - it has rained nearly half the time for the last two months..." "Oct. 14th, 1866. Made a fire in the hall stove ... as we look out of the window we see great flocks of yellow and scarlet leaves go scudding by, borne by the autumn into great piles ... but the evergreens grow seemingly greener and oh! how grateful we feel to them for their stability, may we not say loyalty?" - "Nov. 3, 1866. Froze ice last night. 2" thick. Thermometer 26° this morning ... froze badly in the cellar - very cold in the night..." "Dec. 17th, 1866. Snow fell today and
yesterday, 3" deep..." "Jan 6, 1867. Thermometer 8° at 9 a.m!.
..." April 12, 1867. Still pleasant. Set out onions and planted peas - there is a promise of many pears and peaches - strawberries look pretty well"... "July 4th and 5th, 1867. Heat as high as 86°. Crops looking splendid..."
The diary goes on to October 1871 when the last entry reads: "Expect to go to tom tomorrow." However, Mr. Hart dies in 1872. His detailed account of the planning and building of the "new" Methodist Church in Shrub Oak follows the diary. Written before 1871, it discusses financial and architectural matters, the "drawing" of the stones by many of the families whose names are still very much alive in Yorktown today - the Fowlers, Strangs, Currys, Lousburys, Hyatts, Darrows etc.
The concerted effort by many people, enthusiastically led by Mr. Hart, resulted in the Church finally being completed.
Photostatic copies will be put into circulation at both branches of the Yorktown Libraries.
Original Format
copy paper
Files
Citation
“1857_ John C. Hart Shrub Oak Diary,” John C Hart Library Archive, accessed April 29, 2024, https://hartarchive.omeka.net/items/show/382.