DIARY OF HESTER ALICE (CLINGMAN) DIEMER

Thursday, May 8, 1873
Rainy, staid at Father's, took supper with Frank's folks¹⁴ .

Friday, May 9, 1873
Rainy, staid at Father's¹⁵. Took supper with George's folks¹⁶

¹³Davis, Illinois is located in the upper northwest corner of the state, About 2-3 miles from the Wisconsin border.
¹⁴Relationship of Frank is unknown.
¹⁵Hester’s father was Abner Briggs Clingman b. July 7, 1797 d. September 7, 1895.
¹⁶Possibly George Osterhout’s folks. George Osterhout is mentioned throughout the diary as Mr. Osterhout.

Saturday, May 10, 1873
Started from Father's and arrived at Freeport¹⁷ and camped about noon at the steam mill. Started again, got a short distance and broke our waggon tongue¹⁸, patched it up and drove six or eight miles and camped for the night.

Sunday, May 11, 1873
Lay in camp all day, quite warm, had quite a visit with Mrs. Nor, "Amos Diemer's Mother in law"¹⁹. Charley²⁰ had been up for dinner.

Pioneers began trekking west as early as 1835 in wheeled wagons, or prairie schooners. These wagons were adaptations of the heavy Conestoga wagons of Pennsylvania that brought a generation of pioneers over the eastern mountains in earlier immigration. The vehicles were generally very sturdy but light transports designed for hauling heavy loads over distance rather than providing creature comforts for passengers or for speed. The wagons consisted of three basic components – bed, undercarriage with wheels, and a fabric cover. Most were constructed of hard wood such as maple, oak and hickory. Iron was used for the tires, axles and the undercarriage connecting rods. Springs were unnecessary for freight hauling and these wagons carried loads of 2500 pounds and more. The only allowance for comfort was a cloth or canvas covering supported by ash or hickory bows that shielded occupants from the snow, rain, and dust. This covering could be rolled back in the summer to let air circulate. Lack of springs encouraged those who were able to walk to do so. The jolting movement of the wagon would incapacitate a healthy person quickly, and the severely limited space precluded many passengers anyway. The covered wagons were pulled by slow moving teams of oxen or mules, assisted frequently by muscle power of occupants, which could only travel fifteen to twenty miles on a good day. The bed or load area was about four feet wide and ten to twelve feet long. Large enough for household necessities and not much else. A jockey box on the front of the wagon contained the basic repair tools such as a wagon jack and spare metal fittings. A grease bucket swung beneath the carriage held some type of lubricant for the wheel hubs and axles. Key traits of the sturdy pioneers who undertook these journeys in spite of all the odds were endurance, and iron determination. They were ordinary men, women, and children determined to make the trip.

Monday, May 12, 1873
Started from camp about six o'clock, drove to Shannon and had our waggons rigged, ate our dinners, bought a bottle of peppermint, drove about two miles past Mount Carol and camped in a barn yard. Weather pleasant.

¹⁷Freeport is about 5 miles southwest of Davis.
¹⁸Wooden beam protruding from the front of a wagon to steer it.
¹⁹Amos Diemer’s relationship is unknown.
²⁰Charley Bradley later mentioned in the diary

Tuesday, May 13, 1873
Started from camp about eight o'clock, traveled ten miles and crossed the Mississippi about noon. Camped at Sabula for dinner, had a mess of fresh fish. Gust Cowen started back home. Started from Sabula²¹ about four o'clock P.M.. Drove six miles and camped for the night. Weather pleasant.

Wednesday, May 14, 1873
Started from camp about eight o'clock, drove through some of the roughest country imaginable. Roads bad and weather rainy. Halted at Maquatie²² six o'clock P.M. Found Osterhouts²³ waiting for us. The first little town after leaving Sabula was Mt. Elnor, the next Spragueville. Stormy all night.

Thursday, May 15, 1873
Lay in camp until noon and drove within three miles of Midland and camped in a barn yard. Weather pleasant.

Friday, May 16, 1873
Started from camp about seven o'clock, passed through Midland and Monmoth²⁴ and drove within six miles of Wyoming and stoped for dinner in a little grove. Theodore broke his doubletrees²⁴ and made a new one and started again. Went through Wyoming, drove about six miles and camped for the night close by Norwegian. Had another company from Stephenson County camping near us. Wyoming is a nice little place. Saw no beer saloons as in all the other places. Roads bad. Weather pleasant. Jackson county is a dreadful rough country, would hardly live ther for the best farm in it. Saw ten emigrant waggons today.

Saturday, May 17, 1873
Started from camp, passed through Ammosa²⁶ which is quite a nice place, stoped and the company bought bread. We bought beef and eggs. Passed along to Fairway, which is a small but old village, then on to Springville and camped on Big Creek and in the timber. Built a big fire in front of our camp and went to call on the neighbors, "that is our emigrant neighbors". Weather clowdy but pleasant.

Sunday, May 18, 1873
Lay in camp all day. Sat around our camp fire and chatted most of the day. Wrote a letter home and had several visitors. Heard of three funerals near here. Commenced raining in the evening and rainy all night. Went to bed about nine o'clock and can hear the rain patter patter on our roof. Seems just a little lonely.

Monday, May 19, 1873
Lay in camp until noon then started and drove within two miles of Marian²⁷ and camped near Judge Green's mansion. Rainy all night. Marian is a nice place and perhaps 1000 inhabitants. A great many splendid residences.

Tuesday, May 20, 1873
Started from camp and drove to Cedar Rapids²⁸, stoped in town and bought some steam baked pies, crackers, beef, pepper, potatoes, oil and yarn. Crossed the Cedar river on the longest bridge I ever saw. Drove out about a mile west of town and all the teams stuck in the mud except our team. Got the teams down and had two hours work getting out. Stoped for dinner on the green west of the mud hole. Ate a big dinner. Went on until evening and camped in the timber by the side of a dreadful cross OLD Maid. In the evening Mariah and Mrs. Osterhout called on her and found her anything but pleasant. Charley was very sick in the night.

²¹Sabula is on the Iowa side of the Missouri River.
²²The correct name of the town is Maquoketa. Named after an Indian tribe in that area of eastern Iowa.
²³Referring to Mr. George Osterhout b. 1828 d. 1901 and Mrs. Margaret Osterhout b. 1828 d. 1915.
²⁴Correct spelling of town is Monmouth.
²⁵The crossbeam on the wagon tongue. A doubletree is used for 4 oxen or horses.
²⁶The correct name is Anamosa, the County seat of Jones County.
²⁷In 1839, the site of the present town of Marion was chosen as the first Linn County seat. Residents of the newly formed town selected the name “Marion” as a tribute to the Revolutionary War hero, General Francis “Swamp Fox” Marion..
²⁸The first whiteman arrived at this site in 1837. Cedar Rapids had the finest oats in the country. In 1873, because oatmeal was becoming a popular breakfast food, Cedar Rapids was chosen as the site for the North Star Oatmeal Mill. The trademark of the Mill was a “Quaker” and the figure of a man in typical Quaker fashion. Today it is known around the world as Quaker Oats.

Wednesday, May 21, 1873
Started from camp about eight o'clock, about ten it began to rain very hard. Stoped with some very clever people. Lay in camp the rest of the day and washed in the afternoon. We are now in Benton county, Iowa and are passing through some very nice country. Plenty of shade trees all along the roads and about the dwellings. Passed along in sight of Norway and Florence, two small villages on the C and NW R.R²⁹.. Roads dreadful bad. Spirits good. Our cloths did not get dry so we left them out all night. Mr. Osterhout and Mary got supper and Mariah and myself finished washing.

Thursday, May 22, 1873
Had a dreadful hard thunder storm early in the morning. Rainy all forenoon. Managed to get some of our cloths dry, took a cold dinner and started from Mr. Merrivilles place. Watter and mud went into our chicken coop, and we came very near upsetting³⁰, went on the first hill beyond the slew and camped in a very pleasant place considering the bad weather. Weather tonight pleasant, but dreadful bad roads.

Friday, May 23, 1873
Started from camp quite early, drove within a mile of Maringo³¹, forded³² a small stream, Cowen's old team fell down in the watter and had to unhitch them to get them up. Went from ther to Maringo alright. Maringo is a small place and is in a perfect mudhole and we liked to stuck in the streets. Camped ther for dinner, started again and drove perhaps a mile, went through an awful bad place. Cowen's mules stuck and got down in the mud and watter. Worked over two hours with them, then got another imigrant team of mules to pull it out. No more bad luck today. This is Iowa county. The county is very rough and broken and the roads are the worst we have found yet. Saw five or six more imigrant waggons. We wimin folks make quite a nice appearance sitting right down in the road watching the men wading through the mud and watter over their boots, trying to get the waggons out of the slew³³. Weather clear and pleasant. Bought bread, cheese, coffee at Maringo and eggs of the lady near our camping place. In the evening we hung our cloths out to dry a little more.

Saturday, May 24, 1873
Started from camp quite early, drove over some awful hills and found another dreadful slew about eight miles from where we started in the morning. Had to double teams and draw Osterhout's and our own through, then went back and brought Theodore's load over for him. While the men wer at that, the wimin wer getting dinner in the dreadful hot sun. Hitched up again after grub³⁴ and drove about seven miles, camped in a Yankee's³⁵ barn yard. We saw a hard storm coming so we went in the house and made coffee, then ate our supper in the waggons. The peoples name is Daily, rather rough, but very clever. Stormed dreadfully through the night and had to get up to hold the front end of our cover down. Charley and Mary got up and went in the stable. Ostehouts had the worst time of all, could get no light, matches all damp, could not get their cloths on but had to stand and hold their front door, but we all got through safe and had a good laugh at Mrs. Osterhout telling how they performed. Mary feels rather serious, so homesick that she took a good cry. Addie got two kittens today.

Sunday, May 25, 1873
Sabbath morning found us looking about as dirty as you generally see white folks, but all in good spirits except Mary. Rained about all day. Mrs. Osterhout had quite an argument with Mr. Daily on religion. We made our tea in the house. Wrote a letter to Eliza³⁶, Hiram wrote three and Eda one. Felt very lonely all evening and it rained some through the night.

²⁹Central and North West Rail Road.
³⁰To turn over.
³¹Marengo is correct spelling.
³²Place where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle.
³³To turn or swing forcibly out of the forward or ordinary position.
³⁴Slang for food.
³⁵A federal soldier on the Northern side during the Civil War.
³⁶Eliza Clingman, Hester’s older sister b. February 01, 1832 d. 1903.

Monday, May 26, 1873
Started from camp about seven o'clock. Rainy part of the forenoon, roads perfectly awful. Drove about five miles (baked custard and browned coffee for breakfast) and stoped for dinner on the very high prairie³⁷. Hitched up again after grub, drove about two miles west of Grinell³⁸ and camped for the night. Grinell is the county seat of Powesheik county, has several large buildings. The colege is a very nice building. Should think it quite a lively place. Saw a corn sheller that run by steem and more corn than I ever saw in any two places. Bought bread, shugar, pickels and a ham. Paid ten cents a dozen for the pickels, was first rate. Had to walk considerable through the day. Mrs. Osterhout felt a little more out of heart this morning for the first time. Camped for the night between two high hills, got hay at the Travilers home and got a good raking³⁹ from the landlady. Wind blew in the evening & rained a little. Wolves wer barking in the night. Drove about twenty miles.

Tuesday, May 27, 1873
Started from camp about six o'clock drove to Kellog stoped ther and bought some butter. Went on a short distance and camped in the woods for dinner. Passed quite a number of emegrant waggons. Drove about ten miles after dinner and camped on a small creek. Ther wer eleven teams on the same ground and more in sight. Had a very nice camping place. After supper Mrs. Osterhout and I went to call on the other campers and found them to be very nice people. Some of them wer from Illinois. Wrote a letter to Cornelia⁴⁰ in the evening. Went up some very steep hills. Potatoes on Jasper county are selling for eleven cents per bushel⁴¹. Weather cool but pleasant. Made about twenty miles.

Wednesday, May 28, 1873
Started from camp about six o'clock, drove through some awful roads in the Skunk river bottoms. Saw all of a dozen snakes. Crossed the river, passed through Colfax and a few miles west of ther stoped for dinner. Ate a cold dinner and went on to Michelville. Stoped ther for the horsed shod⁴². Maria and I went into the drug store and dry good store and tried to get a newspaper, but could find none. Drove on within two miles of Altoona and camped on some high and beautiful prairie, in Polk county. Walked considerable today, feel a little sore. Saw some nice country and a great deal that was not so nice. Saw a great many immigrants today, the most of them a rough people. Have hardly been out of sight of the cars a half day since leaving Freeport. Helped to drive the cows through an awful mudhole. Prairie her is worth $20.00 per acre. Pleasant weather.

Thursday, May 29, 1873
Started about six o'clock, drove within two miles of Des Moines and stoped for dinner, under some trees near a creek. Had some sharp talk in camp. Drove on to Des Moines stoped ther for a couple of hours and bought crackers, soap, peanuts, and a few rusk and matches. While passing over the river, we saw them fishing for a body of a little boy that had been drowned a few hours before. Drove a few miles beyond the City, and camped in the timber. Mrs. Osterhout and I had a hard tramp⁴³ after eggs. Rainy all night. Ethel was sick. Bad cold was the trouble.

³⁷Large area of treeless grassland.
³⁸Correct spelling of town is Grinnell.
³⁹To revive the memory of a past argument.
⁴⁰Cornelia Clingman. Hester’s older sister, b. November 06,1827 d. 1912.
⁴¹Measure of capacity for grain.
⁴²Past tense for shoeing a horse.
⁴³Walk heavily and firmly on foot.

Friday, May 30, 1873
Started from camp about ten o'clock, drove a few yards and had to stop and fix a bridge. Went on till noon, stoped and took a cold bite for dinner. Went through some dreadful mudholes. Osterhouts tried to go around the mudhole but stuck. Had to pull him out again. Went on through mud and watter to Wakee⁴⁴, drove a few rods⁴⁵ and in going through an awful hole our horses fell and could not get on their feet. Hiram went in to unhitch them and went down above his knees and fell down. Hitched the horses to the end of the tongue and with hard work pulled it through. Dallas county is a perfect slough⁴⁶. Would not live ther for the best farm in it. Ther is plenty of prairie land in this county sells for $10.00 per acre, worth about ten cents. Camped near a deaf and dumb mans residence. Had some thought of the danger of letting our waggons stand over night in this county for fear they would go down out of sight before morning. Charley is homesick, weather pleasant, but the roads are just horrid. Walked so much through the mud that I feel pretty lame⁴⁷. The mud here is so sticky that our feet get so loaded it is hard work to drag them along. Browned all our coffee this morning. Weather pleasant this afternoon. Made about twenty miles.

Saturday, May 31, 1873
Started about seven o'clock and the deaf and dumb man piloted⁴⁸ us through or around the worst places. He is a Gentleman. Crossed mudhole in the afternoon where they wer building a bridge. Doubled teams again and went through without much trouble, but had some sport. Osterhouts rode over and drove one team, and the bottom was so rough that he rocked from one side to the other about as fast as it was possible for him to get around. It looked comickle enough. Drove to Adell⁴⁹ the county seat of Dallas county, and bought eggs, potatoes, and syrup. Saw a doctor that looked very much like Dr. Benton. Drove on about two miles west and stoped for dinner on a little creek. Watter not fit to use but had enough in the keg for tea. While we wer eating our grub a gentleman came along and told us that with our teams he had seen twenty five emigrant waggons that day. Hitched up after dinner and drove through Redfield and camped in the timber on the west side of town. Redfield is a small place about one third as large as Davis and has no railroad. Weather pleasant and made about twenty miles. Saw a lady ther hunting a sow as she said.

Sunday, June 1, 1873
Lay in camp all day and wrote a letter to Mrs. Springer. Hiram wrote to Father⁵⁰. Weather very warm and quite clowdy in the evening. Early Osterhout quite sick all day. So warm we had to sleep with our door open.

Monday, June 2, 1873
Started from camp quite early and drove about twenty miles. Stoped in the road for dinner. Bought some butter for 18 cents per pound. Very warm. Hitched up after dinner and drove about six miles and it began to rain. Went on to Dalmamitha⁵¹ and camped in a barn yard, an awful dirty muddy hole. Could get no watter fir to use. Saw Elk, Buffalo, and a Wolf. Paid 25 cents for stabling for the horses. The lady milked twelve cows. It rained very hard all night and I never was in such a miserable place. Could cook no supper and nothing but the drainings of the barn yard to make tea of.

Tuesday, June 3, 1873
Still looking rainy, had to take a cold bite for breakfast. Hitched up and left the place as soon as possible and stoped among the hills for dinner. It began to rain before we had our cooking done and we had to eat our vitals⁵² have cooked, nor could we wash our dishes. We waited about an hour and it slacked up a little and we hitched up and drove to the timber by the side of the village Anita, which place is about one third as large as Davis. Cold and rainy. Charley cooked his supper on our stove. We drove eighteen miles. The southern half of Guthrie county is nothing but hills. It is the roughest country we have traveled through and is not fit for a white man to live in. Ther is no danger of neighbors quarling in this country, as they cannot get near each other. It is my opinion that this country will not be settled until every other part of the world is filled up. Weather in the evening more favorable.

⁴⁴Waukee is correct spelling.
⁴⁵Measure of length of 5 _ yards.
⁴⁶Swampland, marshy pond.
⁴⁷Disabled
⁴⁸Guided
⁴⁹Correct spelling of town is Adel.
⁵⁰Michael Diemer, Hiram Diemer’s father, b. about 1806 d.. March 1879
⁵¹Correct spelling of town is Dalmanutha/
⁵²Food

Wednesday, June 4, 1873
The sun is shining nicely this morning and we feel in better spirits. We started from camp about seven o'clock, drove ten miles and stoped for dinner in the road by the side of the deepest ditch I ever saw. Hitched up again after grub and drove four miles to Atlantic, the county seat of Cass county. It is quite a nice place on the prairie and should think ther was a great deal of business done ther. Bought bread, beef, shugar, and coffee. Should think ther was 400 inhabitants ther. Drove on a short distance from town and Theodore broke his singletree⁵³. We stoped to fix that and went on five miles and camped for the nite by the side of the road near a small creek and some timber. Mosquitoes very bad and we made some fires to keep them from eating us up. Ther is some very nice country in the western part of Cass county. Weather very warm, horses very tired and myself about sick. Drove nineteen miles today. Arthur and Frank⁵⁴ take turns riding old Fox.

Thursday, June 5, 1873
Got up in good time, but feeling rather bad and started from camp about seven o'clock. Drove through Lewis in the forenoon and saw one very nice building, a dwelling on the north side of town. Bought two shoulders and a half bushel of potatoes. Paid seven cents per pound for the pork, and 25 cents per bushel for the potatoes. Drove about five miles beyond town and stoped for dinner among the hills in Pottawattiemy county. I was feeling rather slim all forenoon and did not eat much for dinner. Addies kitten got badly hurt, which made her have a good cry. Hitched up and went about twelve miles and camped on a side hill near some dwellings and a good spring. We stoped in the afternoon and bought some corn and saw two very nice little dogs. Mrs. Osterhout and I went in the house and found the lady of the house moping. She was very clever and came from Michigan. Heard ther was a Ritchart living a short distance ahead. Weather pleasant.

Friday, June 6, 1873
First thing in the morning we had to kill Addie's kitten. We got our breakfast over and started about seven o'clock. Traveled over prairies, crossed the Nisharabotna river and on to Silver Creek and camped for dinner. We sent to one of the neighbors and got some butter, it was very good butter too. Drove on and crossed the creek and drove within eight miles of Council Bluffs and went into camp about five o'clock. We got supper and then did quite a washing. Mosquitoes dreadful bad tonight. We heard today that Jimmy Richart lived in the village of Avoca. Saw some families that wer living in their waggons and breaking up their farms. Weather very pleasant, roads excellent. Drove twenty two miles.

Saturday, June 7, 1873
Started from camp in good season, drove to Council Bluffs⁵⁵ and took a good view of the great City. It is long narrow place under large bluffs. Only one street of very importance and that is about one mile long. Saw them gardening on side hills where it would be all I would want to do to walk up. Went on to the river⁵⁶ which is about for miles. We got on the ferry and rode over a mile on the river, then drove into the City of Omaha which is the largest City I ever was in. Some monstrous large buildings and saw more style ther than I ever saw all put together. They claim 20,000 inhabitants. Saw an Indian and a squaw⁵⁷ ther. These wer the first I had ever seen. Bought some bread here. The people are very clever. Drove about five miles from town and camped on a little creek and near a splendid spring where they wer herding cattle. They wer a rough set. Weather pleasant and quite warm.

⁵³A singletree is the crossbeam on the wagon tongue used for 2 oxen or horses.
⁵⁴Frank Osterhout, son of Mr.George Osterhout.
⁵⁵At this point, the Lewis and Clark trail, from 1804-1808, was crossed and joined with the Old Whitman Trail. The Whitman Trail started in Missouri, went north to Council Bluffs, and followed the Platte River west finally joining with the Oregon Trail at Ft. Kearney, Nebraska.
⁵⁶This is the Missouri River
⁵⁷Native American woman or wife

Sunday, June 8, 1873
Looks rainy, and began to rain by the time we got our breakfast things put away. This part of Nebraska⁵⁸ is rather a hard place. Saw them hauling hay today and they seem to pay no attention to the Sabbath. Rather rainy all day. I had quite an argument with Mrs. Osterhout on Masonry⁵⁹. This is my first Sabbath in the state of Nebraska, and when will be my last- - - - - -? Here we saw a great many Texas cattle. I saw more cattle through the western part of Iowa and the eastern part of Nebraska than I ever saw before.

Monday, June 9, 1873
Started from camp in good time, drove twenty five miles and camped on the high prairie within two miles of Bellcreek station. Passed through some splendid country today. Mrs. Osterhout and Eda and I saw a big snake while walking ahead of the teams. While they wer getting wood, we heard some frightful stories about high watters. Saw the Elk river which was wild. Weather pleasant. Bought eggs for 12 1/2 cents per dozen. Worth 8 cents in Market.

Tuesday, June 10, 1873
Lay in camp all day on account of hight watters. I mended my dress and hemmed two towels and Mrs. Osterhout came visiting and was sewing on a shirt in the forenoon. The men wer trying to learn the truth concerning the rivers and returned with the tale that ther will be no crossing for two or three days. In the afternoon Hiram had the headache rather hard, and Mariah washed and ironed a few things at one of the houses near by. Mrs. Osterhout bought one loaf of bread for 15 cents and potatoes for 20 cents a bushel. On one of the trains we saw passing today , ther wer quite a number of Indians wrapped in red blankets. I am not well and Addie is doing most of the work. Weather pleasant but Mosquitos about to take us. A very pretty moonlight night and have some thoughts of home in Davis.

Wednesday, June 11, 1873
Started from camp, drove about two miles and halted near Bellcreek station while some of the men rode on to reconnoiter⁶⁰. They came back in the evening and reported dreadful high watter on the Elkhorn river. We read and talked the day away. In the evening killed a snake about five and a half feet long and as large as a mans wrist. Mosquitos by the millions. Weather pleasant. Bought two loaves of bread for 27 cents and one bushel of potatoes for 20 cents, and corn for 16 cents per bushel.

Thursday, June 12, 1873
Drove eight miles to Fontenel until noon and layed in camp the rest of the day waiting for the watter to go down. I finished a letter to Frank⁶¹, and bought corn meal for 2 cents per pound, butter for 12 1/2 cents per pound, tea $1.75 per pound and eggs 10 cents per dozen. Rainy all through the night. Saw an Indian wigwam⁶² and four Indians, two small ones.

⁵⁸Nebraska joined the Union as the 37th state on March 1, 1867
⁵⁹Referring to the Masonic Order, distinguished from other fraternal orders by its emphasis on moral character, its ornate rituals, and its long tradition and history, which dates back to at least the 17th century. Move ahead of the group to survey the area for the best route to take
⁶⁰Frank Clingman, Hester’s older brother b. August 25, 1837 d. November 26, 1926.
⁶¹Native American hut or tent of skins or bark on poles, a Teepee.

Friday, June 13, 1873
First thing we arranged our waggons for crossing the river⁶³. We hired Mr. Peters and Mr. Holden to take us over with their oxen. The wimin all started over in the first waggon and in the first deep watter the oxen got stuck. Mr. Wilson carried myself and children out to shore and Mr. Osterhout carried his wife out on his back and all the men waded through. After they got the team out we got in again and road a few rods and stuck in the mud again

and had to get out. We then walked to where we had to take the boat. Mr. Wilson boated us across along with our goods and in trying to cross the slough right west of the bridge, Osterhout got fast and his horse fell and he had to have the oxen to draw him out. The men had to carry us wimin and the children over that place. We worked hard all day to go one mile and a half, paid the men with their teams $8.00. Mr. Wilson $2.00 and another $1.00 for helping us through the Elkhorn river. The watter near the bridge was about five foot deep and our chickens came very near drowning. Weather very warm and mosquitos almost eating us up alive. I never saw the like. We camped near the river and saw some very nice people that wer living in the depot. Bought some bread of a Mr. Rogers and got supper for our hired help.

Saturday, June 14, 1873
Started for Freemont and in going through a very bad slough we got stuck and hitched the mules with our team and went through without anymore trouble. We stoped in the suburbs of the town and took dinner. Went on into town after dinner and bought bread, shugar, coffee, and pants and hat for Arthur. We found goods rather cheaper than in Davis. Went on to the Platte river⁶⁴ and had to pay 30 cents toll for crossing the two bridges. I saw the steepest hill I ever thought of and we had to hitch four teams to one waggon to get up it. It is almost straight as a roof, and it is a long narrow road through and up the hill. When you come through to the top of the ground it seems like you are in another world. I heard one man that was climbing with the rest express his opinion that when time was no more, the hill would still remain. Charley thinks he never will emigrate again. We have been through bad places and up monstrous hills, but this caps the climax I think. We have gotten clear above all mudholes at last but it looks stormy. Camped about a mile from where we came out of the ground, made tea in a house and found clever folks. They took Mrs. Osterhout for my mother. Mosquitoes worse and worse.

Sunday, June 15, 1873
Lay in camp until afternoon then hitched up and drove about fourteen miles and saw some splendid land, one piece especially nice and would liked to have it for a home. We camped near the bluffs, and got our watter at a school house. Mosquitoes perfectly awful, and weather very warm. We are now in Saunders county.

Monday, June 16, 1873
Started from camp in good time and drove under bluff that I should think nearly two hundred feet high. Dreadfully warm and sweltry. Stoped at Linwood for dinner and got some radishes and onions, and bought a sack of flour and a sack of corn meal at the mill. Started from ther about three o'clock, drove ten miles and camped on the prairie near a farm house. Bought butter from them. Theodore traded off Old Fox and Flora. We are in Butler county but didn't like the valley. We are in sight of Schuyler⁶⁵. Mosquitoes very plentiful.

Tuesday, June 17, 1873
Started from camp about seven o'clock and drove through the Platte Valley six miles and then got on the table lands. Saw some very nice country and got to Mr. Flynn's about noon. We visited in the afternoon and helped Mrs. Flynn get her washing out and ate supper with them. Weather pleasant but spirits not very light. I feel a little homesick when I know we are about to stop. Weather pleasant.

⁶⁴Nebraska’s Platte River valley played an important role in the migration westward for thousands of pioneers. The Oregon Trail followed the Little Blue and Platte River Valleys. The Mormon Trail, which started from Omaha traveled along the North bank of the Platte River, and the Denver Trail, which went from the Missouri River to Denver the “steam wagon road” or Nebraska City Cut-Off, which led from Nebraska City up the West Blue River to the Platte River and on to Denver. Between April 3,1860, and October 24, 1861, Pony Express riders also followed the Platte River valley carrying the mail to the west coast.
⁶⁵Formally known as Shell Creek Station, (Sky-ler) was a railhead and cattle loading post.

Wednesday, June 18, 1873
Did some washing at the Flynns and ate dinner ther. Hiram and Mr. Osterhout went to Savannah looking for land, but found none that suite them. Weather pleasant but windy.

Thursday, June 19, 1873
Looked for land in the forenoon and in the afternoon we moved into Mr. Preston's house. We cooked in the house and slept in the waggon. This is rather a hard looking place to live in. We get use of the house and stove for two dollars a month. Only one room and it is not pleasant. Weather pleasant.

Friday, June 20, 1873
Went on the lookout for land. Got back about two o'clock but found no land. In the evening Hiram went up to see Mr. Preston and partly bargained for eighty acres. Today was Mrs. Osterhout's first attempt at baking biscuits in Nebraska and it has made her very homesick. It is a hard job to get fuel enough to bake and cook with. Weather pleasant.

Saturday, June 21, 1873
Did not do much but talk all day and the weather is pleasant. Hiram bought eighty acres of land of Mr. Preston at $4.60 per acre and paid him $10.00 to bind the deal⁶⁶. It lays two and a half miles west of Mr. Osterhouts land and three miles from the county seat⁶⁷.

Sunday, June 22, 1873
Rainy all day. Wrote to Eliza and Mrs. Potter and read in the Harpers magazine. Rather lonesome.

Monday, June 23, 1873
Hiram went to Savannah to put some letters in the office and hired a breaking plow. Weather pleasant. Paid one dollar per week for the use of the plow.

Tuesday, June 24, 1873
Hiram began to break on his farm while I did my washing in hard cold watter. No ashes to cleanse the watter and no wood to heat it. Weather pleasant.

Wednesday, June 25, 1873
Mrs. Osterhout did her washing, the men wer breaking and I tended to the baking. We have to bake bread every day and have no fuel, only what we pick up. Weather pleasant.

Thursday, June 26, 1873
The men are at their breaking⁶⁸ and we wimin folk trying to cook enough for them to eat. Have rather poor luck baking bread.

Friday, June 27, 1873
Men at their breaking. Osterhout came to the house about ten o'clock on account of the heat. Thermometer one hundred and ten in the sun. I did nothing much but cook and took a little nap in the afternoon.

Saturday, June 28, 1873
We all went out to the farm and staid all day for the first time. I got to see our own farm for the first time. Very warm and had quite a hard storm in the evening. We had very good biscuits for supper. Mrs. Osterhout and family wer at Mr. Flynns all day and all night.

Sunday, June 29, 1873
Clowdy this morning, and I felt real lonesome all day. I took a ride in the afternoon over the prairie. Mr. Osterhout, Mr. Flynn, and Mr. Bartholmew wer riding and Mr. Osterhout's took dinner at Mr. Bartholmew. Mrs. Osterhout bought some eggs and wrote a letter to Mrs. Campbell and one to Mr. Crommiller.

⁶⁶Hiram may not have gone through with the purchase of this land. See July 15, 1873.
⁶⁷David City. The town was named for William David who owned the land used for the courthouse square. Founded in the 1870’s, the town grew with the coming of the railroad and became the County seat of Butler County in 1873.
⁶⁸Taming the land, cultivating the land

Monday, June 30, 1873
Washed out a few things in the morning, baked biscuits for dinner and peeled potatoes a little larger than a hazel nut, and had quite a confab⁶⁹ with Mr. Osterhout. I sent one setting of eggs over to Mr. Flynn to be raised on halves. The girls had their hair shingles. Rainy in the afternoon. Eda went to meet her Pa and went all the way to the farm. Weather pleasant.

Tuesday, July 1, 1873
Hiram went to the valley and brought a load of corn. He went back in the afternoon and brought a load for Mr. Osterhout, and traded horses for a yoke⁷⁰ of oxen, a breaking plow, and one hundred dollars in money. Ther was not much of anything done in the house except talking. Weather pleasant.

Wednesday, July 2, 1873
Went to the farm with Hiram, took my knitting and passed the time quite pleasantly. Mrs. Osterhout went to Mr. Bartholmew's to wash. About nine o'clock the Dutchman came to trade back again, and we got the plow for trading back. Weather pleasant.

Thursday, July 3, 1873
Hiram hauled watter to wash and Mrs. Osterhout went over to Mr. Flynn's to keep house while they went to Schuyler to attend a celebration. The children and myself washed quite a large washing and wer alone all day. Weather pleasant.

Friday, July 4, 1873
Went out to the farm and staid until about two o'clock then went home. It was too hot to work. The thermometer was 98 in the shade and in the sun it was 120. It was cooler in the evening but never saw the mosquitoes so bad as on the night of the fourth of July 1873. We could hear the cannon at Columbus.

Saturday, July 5, 1873
I did a big baking which took about all day. Mrs. Osterhout came home about two o'clock. Hiram broke prairie until about four o'clock then came home and we went to Savannah and got a lot of papers. It looked quite stormy before we got home and was after dark. When we got home we found Addie had cut her finger quite badly. We received one letter from Frank and one from Henry⁷¹ and one from the land department on Omaha. How one enjoys receiving letters from absent friends.

Sunday, July 6, 1873
Mr. Osterhout and Mr. Flynn went to Mr. Martins on a visit. We took a ride and stoped a few minutes at Mr. Townsends which was the first time I was ever in a sod⁷² house. It looked rather hard to live in. Mosquitoes bad in the evening and in the night had a hard storm about two o'clock and some hail about the size of a partridge⁷³ egg. We saw some peanuts growing in the Townsend garden. They had but one chair and no floor in their house.

Monday, July 7, 1873
I browned coffee and Mrs. Osterhout baked bread but did not have very good luck. That is about the amount of our work today. Both men are breaking prairie. Weather pleasant. Set a hen in the evening.

Tuesday, July 8, 1873
Not well, but baked bread which took about all day. In the evening I set another hen but in the morning she was not ther. Weather clowdy. Breaking prairie.

⁶⁹Conversation, chat
⁷⁰Pair
⁷¹Henry Diemer, Hiram’s brother b. _____ d. _____
⁷²A Cut block of dirt from the ground held together with mud or water, much like Adobe
⁷³Game bird

Wednesday, July 9, 1873
Knit all day. Both men breaking prairie, and I am knitting Eda a pair of cotton stockings. Weather quite warm. Set the hen so she staid set.

Thursday, July 10, 1873
Mrs. Osterhout washed a good part of the day, and I was knitting and talking all day. The men are breaking prairie. Weather pleasant. Our talk today was concerning Davis people. Living on cornmeal.

Friday, July 11, 1873
Bought one dozen and a half of eggs and a pound and a half of butter of Mrs. Bartholmew for which I paid 30 cents. Men breaking and weather pleasant. Mr. Flynn washed in the afternoon and Mr. Bartholmew in the evening. Spent the day talking.

Saturday, July 12, 1873
Hiram breaking, Mr. Osterhout went to Schuyler and Mrs. Osterhout went over to Mr. Flynns in the afternoon. Mrs. Wright called on us on her way to Dr. Brown's to get some teeth taken out. She was carrying a babe five weeks old. In the evening we heard of a quarterly meeting about six miles from here. I ironed the children's cloths in the evening and made arrangements to go to the meeting in the morning. Quite stormy in the night. Bought flour at Schuyler for 35 cents a hundred. Set the third hen.

Sunday, July 13, 1873
Sunday morning and weather pleasant. We got ready and went to the meeting and heard a very good sermon from the presiding Elder from the words "He shall see the travil of his soul, and he shall be satisfied". This was the first meeting we had attended in Nebraska. Weather very warm, mosquitoes bad in the evening. We wer surprised to see the number of people that attended the quarterly meeting and did not suppose that ther wer as many people in Butler County as I saw at Church. I enjoyed the meeting very much.

Monday, July 14, 1873
Did not have much to do. Mrs. Ostrerhout baked bread and moped. Weather very hot and the thermometer over a hundred in the sun.

Tuesday, July 15, 1873
Baked in the forenoon and Hiram, Arthur and Eda went to Savannah⁷⁴ and filed on 80 acres of land and Arthur received a letter from his uncle Stephen⁷⁵. In the afternoon we all went out to see our homestead and hunted out a place to put our house. We stoped to see Mr. Dunnels in the evening and he gave us a basket full of potatoes, a mess of peas, and some radishes. I believe they are Christian people, at least they are friends in time of need. Weather pleasant. In the evening after going in the waggon we hulled our peas ready for breakfast.

Wednesday, July 16, 1873
Hiram breaking on the homestead. Mr. Osterhout's getting their things out of the house ready to have the plastering done. Mr. Martin plastered today while we had a good time getting dinner out in the wind. Never saw the wind blow harder. In the afternoon we went to Mr. Bartholmew's on a visit and Hiram came after us in the evening. Osterhouts went to Mr. Flynn's to sleep. A young man came to trade oxen for the horses. The girls went to Dunnels on a visit and found no one home except Aunty. Sent a letter to Cornelia.

Thursday, July 17, 1873
Hiram hauled watter from off the prairie and I washed in the forenoon and in the afternoon I knitted most of the time. Weather pleasant.

Friday, July 18, 1873
Very cold and a very high wind all day. I washed in the forenoon and knit in the afternoon. Had rather a serious time in getting a shelter for the stove fixed up. Saw a few snow flakes flying and suffered with the cold all day. Could not stay in the house as Mr. Yaw slept in the house. Mrs. Bartholmew stoped on her way to Mr. Flynn's to make me a call.

Saturday, July 19, 1873
Very pleasant all day. Hiram finished breaking at noon today. Eda went out to Mr. Dunnels and brought home some peas and radishes. Addie and myself baked and did some ironing, and cooked our peas for supper. Took Star over to Mr. Jackson's herd. Mrs. Osterhout was here all day but went to Mr. Flynn's to stay all night. I baked shorts, biscuits today for the first time.

^{Henry Diemer}

Sunday, July 20, 1873
Went to meeting with Mr. Dunnels at ten o'clock, went home with them and took dinner, then went to meeting in the afternoon with them and came home and took supper with them and then walked home. Attended class meeting in the afternoon at Brother Coon's. We had a very good meeting and felt that truly ther is a God in Nebraska. In the forenoon we listened to a very good sermon by Brother Lathrop. After preaching Doctor Brown came up to us, introduced himself and asked if we had any vegetable at our house and if not to send over to his house and see what he could put in our basket. Today we attended our first class meeting in Nebraska. Mr. Woodman was class leader. Weather pleasant.

Monday, July 21, 1873
Hiram went to the valley and bought a load of corn in the forenoon and in the afternoon he built a sod hens nest and went over to Mr. Dunnels and got a setting of eggs. This morning Arthur and Eda went over to Dr. Brown's to see what he would put in their basket (bucket). They came home with it filled with potatoes, beans, and onions, and he told them to come back next and see what he would fill it with the next time. Such kind people will have their reward. This afternoon Mrs. Osterhout and I went over to Mrs. Flynn's and spent the afternoon. We had an introduction to Mrs. Airhart, saw some gentlemen from Schulyer and had a hearty laugh over Sarah trying to get her shoes on before they got in the house, but she failed in the attempt. In the evening Hiram came after us with the team. Weather pleasant.

Tuesday, July 22, 1873
Mrs. Osterhout and I sat on the ground in the front of our waggons about all forenoon talking and scratching in the ground with a stick. It was all we had to do. Hiram rented Mr. Morgan's farm this morning and in the afternoon commenced harvesting for Mr. Flynn. Myself and girls walked out to Mr. Dunnels in the afternoon. Arthur and Mrs. Osterhout came after us in the evening and brought a mess of beans. I was dreadfully tired and think I will not walk so far again unless it is really necessary. Weather pleasant.

Dr. Brown

Wednesday, July 23, 1873
At home until afternoon then went home with Mrs. Bartholmew and bought two pounds of butter at 10 cents per pound. Hiram and Arthur harvesting for Mr. Flynn and Arthur carrying sheaves⁷⁷ and his Pa is binding⁷⁸. Eda is carrying watter and Addie is with me. Mrs. Osterhout is helping Mrs. Flynn cook. Mrs. Bartholmew and Mrs. Martin called on me this morning. Weather pleasant and have nothing much to do.

Thursday, July, 24, 1873
Hiram and Arthur helping Mr. Flynn harvest and I had a call from Mary Dunnel. Eda went with her to Doctor Brown's and when they came back Mary wattered the horses and cow. The men worked very late. Mr. Morgan came to see Hiram after the girls and I had went in the waggons and lighted the lantern. I was some scared until he told us who he was. Weather very warm, mosquitoes very bad and have nothing much to do but fight them.

Arthur Diemer

Friday, July 25, 1873
The men still harvesting. Myself and girls did our washing and baking. Mrs. Osterhout was sick all forenoon but in the afternoon she did some washing and I did some baking for her. Arthur came home in the afternoon not feeling very well. He could not carry sheaves. Freddy Flynn⁷⁹ was here all day while his mother was over to Mr. Bartholmew's cooking for her harvest hands. Weather clowdy but pleasant. Knitting for Pa.

Saturday, July 26, 1873
Ironed in the morning. Talked scriptures the rest of the forenoon with Mrs. Osterhout. In the afternoon, myself and children went to Savannah, Eda received a letter from Euta Diemer⁸⁰ with quite a lot of hair in it. One of Jessie Benton's⁸¹ curls was ther. Hiram binding and Arthur driving for Mr. Flynn in the harvest field. Weather quite warm. Got some pork of Mrs. Morgan.

Sunday, July 27, 1873
Rainy all day. Wrote a letter to Cyrus⁸², one to Frank, one to Henry, one to Stephen, one to editor of Chicago Journal, and one to the editor of N.Y.C. Advocate.

Monday, July 28, 1873
Did not do much but knit. Eda carried the letter over to Mr. Flynn's to be handed to the mailcarrier. Hiram still binding and Arthur still driving for Mr. Flynn. Weather pleasant. Took the things out of the big box in the waggon. Got ready to wash tomorrow.

⁷⁹Possibly son of Mr. Flynn..
⁸⁰Euta Diemer, Sister of Hiram b. ____ d. ____
⁸¹Jessie Benton appears to be a son of Dr. and Mrs. Benton of Davis, Illinois.
⁸²Cyrus Clingman, Hester’s oldest brother b. December 14, 1823 d. January 19, 1899.

Tuesday, July 29, 1873
Mrs. Osterhout and I did our washing together. She tried to bake bread in her stove for the first time since she had it set up. It would do nothing but smoke, just spoiled her bread. I never saw her so completely discouraged, had to try very hard to keep a sober face while she was complaining at the state of Nebraska because her stove smoked. Hiram and Arthur still working at Mr. Flynn's and boarding at Mr. Bartholmew's. After supper Mr. Flynn and Arthur cut Mr. Wright's wheat. Worked until late, about 11 o'clock when Arthur got home. Weather pleasant for harvesting.

Wednesday, July 30, 1873
Hiram helping Mr. Osterhout, Arthur at Mr. Wright's. Did not do much myself except knit and bake bread. I baked in Mrs. Osterhouts stove. I found it all right. All it need was cleaning out. Weather pleasant.

Thursday, July 31, 1873
Hiram worked for Mr. Jacksons. Arthur at Mr. Wrights. Mrs. Osterhout and myself talking and knitting. Mr. Bartholmew brought us a letter from Eliza and one from Ella Orth to Eda. Weather pleasant. Bought 50 cents worth of coffee.

Friday, August 1, 1873
Hiram helping Mr. Morgan, stack. Arthur at Mr. Wrights. Brought home a pail full of potatoes and cucumbers. I made yeast browned coffee, and knit. Weather pleasant

Saturday, August 2, 1873
Rainy in the morning, got up late, cooked our breakfast on Mrs. Osterhouts stove, baked bread, and in the afternoon we moved up to Mr. Morgans⁸³. Quite late when we got the last load up to our new home. Seems a little more like living when we get into a house. Weather quite pleasant this evening.

⁸³Until this time, it appears they lived out of their wagon with use of a house for meals and such.