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Note: I been told that at 1 time the family lived Next door to the James Family Farm. I am assuming its was the James farm in St Joseph, Missouri.
Anyway the James brothers had dinner with the Brown family many a time. And that Grandpa Albert Brown really liked Jesse James. At One time so the story go's the James brothers hid out at the Brown farm while Thier farm was being searched for them and that Grandpa Nelson hid their loot under the porch. and he went and got some of the money and went to town and got supplies for the boys.
Transcribed from 10 pages of handwritten copies made from Original Diary Entries made by Nelson O. Brown throughout the years of 1871, 1872, 1875, 1899: I have left all but 1 typo alone, I have also added some notes of my own under allot of the following Dates.
Who cpopied the10 pages from the original Diary entries is Unkown,. I have typed this copy from those pages that were donated to me by J.Z.
1871, Nelson O. Brown, Allegon Mich.
Started diary March 6-Monday Schoolcraft Mich., Cousin Melissa lives here. Making fence for Mr. Nesbitt
April 2- Thursday, visiting sister Adaline, parents were there, all well
April- all month building a barn and working on fences.
May 4- Thursday, went fishing caught 3 small ones
May 17- Wednesday, left Schoolcraft, went to Casopulas. (I think he meant Cassopolis which is in Cass County in Michigan have been unable to find any town closer than that in spelling in Michigan.) (F.J.)
May 18- Thursday, started working for for the Penisula Rail Road. ( Am still stumped on what Rail Road he is talking about here did he mean Penninsula-----) (F.J)
July 2- Sunday, went to church in Lawton with sister Adaline.
(There are 2 Lawton's in Michigan one in Kalamazoo County which is a possibility since allot of th family is in this county, the other is in Van Buren County which I believe is the one he is talking about because Adaline is found to be living in this county in the 1870 & 1880 Census) (F.J.)
July 10- Monday, had a train wreck spent most of the day clearing.
Aug, 1- Tuesday Breakman was run over and killed.
Aug 6- Sunday little boy will stay with Mr. Renick
Aug 7- Monday went to Otsego and called on cousin Mary & William. Went to Mr. Eaton picked up little girl and had our likeness taken and left on evening train. Likeness cost $1 Dollar. (He is refering to his daughter Mattie here who was adopted by the Eaton family when his wife Mary died and he found himself unable to care for a little girl by himself and the cousin he mention's here were Watts.)
Aug 26- Saturday in Edwardsburg went to get boots I fixed and saw $2 Dollars missing from my pocketbook.
(Edwardsburg is located in Cass County as well)(F.J.)
Sept 4- Monday worked in Mishawaka putting in side track living in South Bend.
(Not exactly sure about this one since there is a Mishawaka in Colorado & Indiana but none in Michigan. Could not find anything similar in Michigan. Also could not find a South Bend in Michigan. Did find one in Indiana in St. Joseph County same county as Mishawawka. Could this be where he is temporarily at? (F.J)
Sept 6- Wednesday went to paper mill in South Bend to see how it worked.
Sept 21- Thursday went to New York Circus in South Bend.(There are a number of towns called South Bend but did not find any in Michigan the only likely ones are in Indiana & Nebraska.
1872 (Note the following is written at the top of the page)
Addresses in front of Diary
Cousin John Neff Calamine Wisconsin (I have found this to be in Lafayette County. Have no idea yet though who Cousin John Neff is) (F.J)
Brother George Brown Alligan County Mich.
April 16- Tuesday, Marian Flowers poisoned herself cousin William wrote in his letter.
(Am still trying to figure out how the Flowers line ties in with the Brown line. But in the 1870 Census for Pine Plains, Alligan County Nelson and his 2 son's Carl & Albert are found to be living in Cecil Flowers Home.)
June 13- Thursday got homestead papers for 5 acres in Jefferson County Nebraska, working mill dam.
Aug 5- Monday on way to post office in evening to get mail but a sad affair happened man run over with train car helped carry man to hotel and took handcar some 13 miles away to get coffin.
Aug 6- Tuesday went to burial 14 miles away.
Oct 8- Tuesday went to Steelcity for election
Nov 3- Sunday went to Filmore County to visit sister.(So far found only 2 Fillmore Countys which are in Nebraska & Minnesota)
(Do not know which sister he is talking about yet but am assuming it may be Louise.)
Dec 5- Thursday had my negative taken
Dec 28- Saturday driving stage coach.
Dec 30- Monday drove stage from Beatrice to Steelcity Nebraska.
(Actually is spelled Steele City which is in Jefferson County and Beatrice is in Gage County Nebraska.)
(Someone wrote the following under that last date)
Nelson attended several temperance meetings last few months of this year.
1875 Sandsprings Iowa Delaware County
( He was not here for long for I next picked him up living in Franklin County Iowa in the Census)
March 8- Wednesday stayed home most the day and made corn brooms.
March 22- went around inviting people to the party
March 23- Tuesday good times with the party
March 31- Wednesday made brooms most the day wrote letter to the Agriculture Department in Washington D.C.
(I wonder if they might have a copy of that letter still-----)
April 3- Saturday made more brooms and did some tinkering around the farm
April 7- Wednesday have been hauling manure for days
June 18- Friday fixed fences all day went to spelling bee in the evening.
July 3- Saturday worked in mill all day went to pick up buggy from the doctor and went calling on miss Lisa
Aug 26- Thursday done working in Corn Field for Mr. Philips left on train for Hoppington from there went to Deleware Center and onto Waterloo had to stay the night slept on bench
(Could Hoppington have actually been Harrington-----)
Aug 28-Saturday went to Shellrock River to bathe went to town in evening
Aug 29- Sunday went to church and went riding with brother George in Greene
(Do not know what Greene he is talking about need to investigate more)
Oct 16- Saturday Went to Montacello to do some shopping
Nov 14- Sunday went to church in Dyersville
(found a Dyersville in Dubuque County Iowa)(F.J.)
Nov 16- Tuesday sent letter to Mrs Crinklo with $5 dollars for my little boy.
(have to find out where Mrs Crinklo lived and which boy did she have Albert or Carl or both-----) (F.J.)
Dec 10- Friday went back home to Sandspring
Dec 13- Monday drove hogs to town
Dec 14- Tuesday had Frank Shod
Dec 30- Thursday went to Mr Wordles and paid for wagon
Nov 1899- Sept 1900 Montasano Wash. Was written in a diary dated 1863
Nov 7- Tuesday got to Montasono Wash daughters with us.
(I believe it is actually Montesano, Grays Harbor County, Washington) (F.J.)
Nov 23- Thursday brother Adrian came in on the train
Dec 6- Wednesday wrote letter to Carlos
Dec 13- Tuesday wife & I went calling wife fell and got pretty bad
Dec 19- Tuesday Adrian left on train
Dec 23- Saturday wife and I in camp only 2 men
1900 Jan 10- Wednesday changed enginemen
Feb 16- Friday Wife went to sew for preacher
Feb 24- Saturday got letter from Carl & Jennie, wife cut my hair
July 14- Wednesday wife was chairman of the -----
(Note made) dates in this diary say that Nelson and wife were at John Biles camp Dec 21, 1899 and Briscos Camp April 4, 1900, these camps are Lumber camps. Briscos camp in Washington state.
For the everyday enties the weather was written down. Pleasant, windy, cold, cloudy, frost, snowed some, fearful, snow and cooled some were all the words written down.
Also written on these pages are notes about Nelson only going to church about 7 times over the years. Some days he would go 3 times and when he first got to Washington State he would go everyday or have at least a Prayer meeting and most other writings in his diarys were about visits or worked all day.
Nelson did a lot of letter writing and would receive many letters. He visited the post office at least four times a week.
In 1872 Nelson did a lot of farming for family and friends, corn, wheat & putting up hay.
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