The
The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and
Printed Ephemera
Henry Francis du Pont
5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur,
Delaware 19735
Telephone: 302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883
OVERVIEW OF
THE COLLECTION
Creator: Belding, E. E.
Title: Diary
Dates: 1834
Call No.: Doc. 1140
Acc. No.: 99x36
Quantity: 1 volume [28 pages]
Location: 31 G 5
BIOGRAPHICAL
STATEMENT
Nothing certain is known about E. E. Belding, other
than he probably lived in Vernon, Vermont. An Elijah E. Belding married Eliza
Frost in Vernon, Vermont, in 1836, and this may be the same man.
SCOPE AND
CONTENT
Brief account of a trip from Brattleboro, Vermont,
to Buffalo, New York, apparently kept by E. E. Belding. Along the way, Belding stopped at Albany,
Syracuse, Rochester, and Niagara Falls.
He described places along the Erie Canal and commented on crops. Belding used various conveyances in his
journeys: stagecoach, steamboat, and a canal boat named
"Buffalo." Unfortunately,
Belding did not include many details about his travels. Belding tried to secure work in Buffalo, but
found nothing that suited him.
Discouraged by his lack of success, and perhaps also by report of a
cholera outbreak in Cincinnati, he decided to return home. On June 1, he was in Troy with but 20¢ in his
pocket. A separate section contains
notes about weather conditions. The
entry with the latest date concerns the breeding of a mare in Vernon, Vermont. A number of names are recorded, probably
people Belding met on his travels.
ORGANIZATION
Diary entries are not in order; rather, they are
scattered throughout the book, and there are two entries for some days, located
on different pages.
LANGUAGE OF
MATERIALS
The materials are in English.
RESTRICTIONS
ON ACCESS
Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.
PROVENANCE
Purchased from Steve Finer.
ACCESS POINTS
Topics:
Men - Diaries.
Voyages and travels.
Erie Canal (N.Y.) - Description and travel.
Niagara Falls (N.Y. and Ont.) - Description and travel.
New York (State) - Description and travel.
Diaries.
Weather diaries.
TRANSCRIPTION
OF DIARY:
[note: some
punctuation and paragraphs have been added to ease reading]
Written inside
front cover:
Thomas S. Foster
Port Gibson, N.Y.
Ontario Coun [County]
E.E. Belding
May
12th 1834
Memoranda of
Journey to Buffalo
& Back 1834
[page 1]
1834
May 12th.
Started from Clares house Brattle- at half
past one in the morn – and arrived at Geo. Fox house a [sic, i.e. at] six to breakfast; again we started
& arrived at Preserve[?] & Rich house at half past nine a.m. with no
broken bones although we came very near having them all dislocated. Trunking[?] all the
way over the new line very bad owing to the softness of the road. Coach sometimes on one wheel & some times
on the other & as often as any way which and horses between two & three
feet in the mud wading along; however we arrived safe at Bennington &
immediately took the stage for Troy & arrived there at 9[?] pm
[page 2]
very much fatigued,
took supper & retired.
May 13th.
In the morning [illegible] to west Troy and spent half an hour, thence
back to East Troy in time to take the steam boat to Albany & immediately
went aboard & found myself riding the on the mag[illegible] water of
the Hudson, born [sic] along on its surface with a rapidity almost
unequaled. Raining[?] at Albany going on
one hour. Forty[?] cents for a passage
for one. After arriving went &
viewed the principal part of the city & publick
[sic] buildings in the city. We went to
the state house and see the court which was sitting at the time.
[page 3]
Our passengers on bord
[sic] the Buffalo were a mixture of English, Irish, New Englanders, and Ny-ers [New Yorkers]
all very agreeable & sociable.
Passage on board a [illegible] boat and [illegible] is ½ [?] cents per
mile.
May 15th.
Frost enough to kill all the mandrakes & injure the fruit which had
the prospect of being very abundant.
May 16th . But very little corn planted & a good of
land that is not yet ploughed, wheat generally is very promising.
May 17th.
Arrived at Syracuse at 6/4[?; i.e. 6:15?] PM
[page 4]
& saw where they had had their great fire 2 mo [months] before, also visited the extensive salt works
in that place & also had a night view of Lake Onedaga
[sic, i.e. Onondaga], ½ one way & ½ the other.
May 18th.
Sunday morning arrived at Weedsport a pretty place with two meeting
houses. Arrived at Montezuma which is
just east of Seneca River & Montezuma marshes which we are passing. I can see immense number of cattle feeding on
the marshes of all colors & size. At
three arrived at the Clyde where there is a glass manufactory.
[page 5]
Arrived at Lyons at six, a very flourishing pretty
place. Arrived at Lockville
at 7 pm, 3 locks. [see additional entry for
this date on p. 20]
May 19.
Arrived at Rochester at one pm.
Put up at the Munroe House, board 2 ½ a week or 50 cents a day.
May 20. Took
a walk around among the principal streets & saw where Sam Patch took his
last jump. [Sam Patch’s last jump was in
Nov. 1829 at the High Falls on the Genesee River in Rochester.] Then took the railroad car & went down to
the steam boat landing 13 [?] miles from the Franklin House, fare ninepence. [see
additional entry on page 17]
[page 6]
May 21. Took
the stage at Rochester for Lewistown & arrived at Lockport at 6 pm &
from thence to Lewistown and arrived there at 10 pm after a very interesting
ride over the ridge road all day stayed there over night.
May 22. Took
the stage for the falls & viewed them on both sides of the river & then
took the steam boat for Buffalo & arrived there the same day. [for more about visit to Niagara Falls, see
entry on p. 14-15]
May 23.
Looked around for business & had some chances but not to suit us.
May 24.
Nothing worth noticing this day only not finding business to suit us.
[page 7]
Sunday May 25.
This day concluded to return.
Cholera in Cincinnati Ohio.
May 26.
Arrived at Rochester again about 6 p.m.
Stayed until the next day 2[?] pm.
[see additional entry on p. 19]
May 27.
Nothing worth noticing.
May 28.
Passed Montezuma marsh 7 miles.
May 29.
Arrived at Syracuse at 4 pm. Long
level from there to Utica 69[?]
[page 8 –
blank]
[page 9]
Vernon.
Thurs. June 19th 1834.
This day agreed to put our grey mare to a horse
tended by a Mr. Bellows (called the Cock of Rock) on these conditions if she
had a colt eight dollars, if not notanything [sic].
EE
Belding
[page 10 –
blank]
[page 11]
Scio Allegana [sic, i.e.
Alleghany] County, NY
But[?] land west 10/
[pages 12-13 –
blank]
[page 14]
These few lines was wrote on May 22, 1834. At ten o’clock am arrived at the tavern kept
on the American side and immediately crossed to the British side & visited
the table rock, descended the spiral staircase & went under the sheet.
These few lines was wrote on table rock about noon.
From thence we went up to the house (about 1 mile)
that is kept on purpose for the reception of travelers & went on to the top
& had a grand view of the surrounding scenery, from thence
[page 15]
Brocks monument 20 feet base, height 230. We proceeded back on to the American side
& took the steam boat for Buffalo at 3 pm.
[page 16]
When lovely woman stoops to folly
And finds to [sic] late that men betray
What charm can sooth [sic] her melancholy
What art can wash her grief away.
The only art her guilt to cover
To hide her shame from every eye
To give repentance to her lover
And wring his bosom is to die.
[page 17]
May 20.
Settled up with Ashly[?] at the Monroe House
for board wich was 7/ & prepared to start for
Lewistown at 4 o’clock next morning which is 86 miles from Rochester. Fare in the opposition [name of boat?] one
dollar & fifty cents.
The Niagara River just below the falls is 58 rods,
depth of the water just below the falls is found to be 200 feet by sounding.
May 22. This
day had a peep at the Devils Hole where a detachment of French were destroyed
by the English & Indians everyone except two. [Battle of Devil’s Hole, Sept. 1763; Belding’s
facts are incorrect.]
[page 18]
Miles I have wandered
Some twenty score & more
But never saw so grand so
Sublime a sight before.
[page 19]
Leonard Church of Ashfield,
Mass.
L.G. Porter of Dover Ohio, Cuyahoga Coun- [County]
Edward Donnly of UC [i.e.
Upper Canada?]
Richard Richardson, Rochester NY, preacher
May 26. This
morning help kill a black squirrel on the fence close to the ditch.
[page 20]
May 18th.
Sunday. Attended divine services
in the state room on board the Bufalo [sic]. Our preacher a Methodist; read in the 7 chap.
of Matthew & delivered a fine discourse from first epistle of Timothy, 1
chap & 5 verse.
[page 21 –
blank]
[page 22]
May 14.
Severe cold & cloudy with high wind.
15. [ditto marks for above report] & some snow
16. [ditto marks for report of 14th] with
a good drift of snow on the ground
17. rather
more pleasant on the deck for the first time to stay[?] since we came aboard.
18. Sun. [i.e. Sunday] Cloudy but warm & pleasant
19. Monday
warm & pleasant, birds sweetly singing
20.
Tues. cloudy but warm and
smoky[?]
21. Wensday [sic]. Warm & dusty[?] this morning, broke down
the stage 5 miles from Rochester & the driver had to return to get another
coach & we in the meantime had to proceed on foot to the ½ mile to a tavern
to breakfast & wait.
[page 23]
May 22. Clear
sky, warm & pleasant.
23. fine
weather, warm & clear
24. fine & warm weather
25. fine shower in the morning, cleared up, warm,
about noon started for home & D- agreed to work our passage to Troy, sick
of the west, particular [sic] of the people.
26. The sun
rises with increased [?] splendor, warm & clear
27. This day
commences with clear & warm weather
28. clear,
warm weather, wind south
29. This day commences with cloudy & cold
weather, moderation sets in & rains hard from 8 am
30. this day cold & cloudy
[page 24]
For the first time see corn up about 2 or three
inches; clears of [sic, probably meant off],
pleasant before night.
May 31st.
rather cold & cloudy, about nine it begins to rain. See a man & boy hoeing corn. About two o’clock arrived at Schenectady,
homeward bound. Also saw clover heads blowed out.
Sund., June 1. Clear warm & pleasant. Arrived at Troy this morning with but twenty
cents left & don’t know what to do nor where to lay my head yet I still
trust in Divine Providence knowing that he will take care of me.
June 2.
Cloudy & warm with a strong south wind & some rain.
June 3. Very
cold & clear in the morning, night rather warmer-
[page 25]
1834 Julia E.
Buel age 18 last Jan.
Susan Lockwood 21 next Nov.
June 4. Fine, clear & warm weather
[page 26]
5[?] We [?]
arrived from troy at Schenectady the 15 2 am.
May 13th
Daniel Grider.
John Ambrose Philip Boyer.
[page 27]
May 17th.
Sylvia Smith of Wardsboro[?] Vt[?] going[?] to Ripley Chetoker[?]
County NY [there is a Ripley in Chautauqua County, NY]
Manchester Vt
Julia E. Bull, St. Albans
Vt.[?] Louise[?] Passenger going to Elmira
James Clark St.
Albans Vt.
[illegible] Gould Jones
Vt.[?] Erving[?] White of
Lorain[?] Coun- Ohio
One mill in Rochester grinds daily 600 bbl or 2000 bush [bushels].
It is computed that no less than 15000 or 20000 bush- are ground daily
in the City.
[page 28]
Charles R. Winter
St. Johnsbury Vt.
[two illegible words] Grand Caravan
May 17th at noon
May the 16 at 6 pm arrived at Utica
May the 16 went ashore and [illegible] a Dutch oven
May the 17. Saw
some Indians at their camp.
May the 19[?] embarked aboard P.L. Stearnbury’s[?] line[?] boat for Rochester
Weather 14 Tues. cold & cloudy
15 Thurs. [ditto marks for “cold &”] snowy
16 Friday [ditto marks for “cold &”] cloudy
17 Sat. – rather more pleasant, saw some men
planting for the first time.
[inside back
cover]
Passengers 1834
Sylvia Smith of Wardsboro,
going to Ripley Schetoker [sic] Coun
NY, age 19 next Oct.
Grand Isle 2810 inhabitants
Saw mill 150 Syracuse
[letter chart – see original diary]
sum
60 saws
C & M Morse
No. 17 Exchange St.
Susan Lockwood
Manchester Vt going
to Perry Gerose[?] County
Ohio
E. W. Bond[?]
Commercial Street
Erie Building