'A Farmer’s Diary - Cheshire in 1873'

The following is a preview from the Cheshire Historical Society on a program available Monday, April 22.

Jeanné Chesanow, our Town Historian, will share highlights from a Cheshire farmer’s diary, making a fabric of one man’s journal entries.  This fascinating story shares in a very real and personal way what life was like in 1873, after the Civil War and before World War I.

Franklin Hall's diary is only one of several sources used including censuses of 1870 and 1880, Beers 1868 map, Bailey 1882 map, Booth 1865 map, list of church members (First Congregational Church) supplied by Martha Lape, cemetery records, diaries of Ellen Linsley Hall, land records, agricultural and land use histories of CT, and more.

Some of the ideas that are explored are those embodied in small communities of that time: devotion to family and work; strong religious beliefs and practices, giving to the community and getting back (barter, working with and sharing with others), and making do rather than buying new.

This event, held at the historical society at 43 Church Drive in Cheshire, is free and the public is welcome to attend. The event begins at 7:30 p.m.

For more information, visit the Cheshire Historical Society website by clicking the link provided or see the complete event listing on Cheshire Patch.

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