Henry Shearer Loehr was 17 years old when he began keeping this diary in January, 1865. At the time, he was the oldest son of the family living at home, his two older brothers having gone to fight for the Union in the Civil War. (Oldest brother Josiah survived the war, brother Washington did not.) Henry had an older sister and four younger brothers as well. The family lived in Mapleton, Ohio, an unincorporated community in Stark County.
Henry's father, John Jacob Loehr, was an immigrant from Bavaria who came to the U.S. when he was a child. The family lived in Pennsylvania for a time. John married Catharine Shearer of Mapleton in 1837 and they settled there.
The diary itself measures about 6.25" x 4" and the lined pages are sewn together. Entries are written in ink. There is no front or back cover. The last page has an oval embossed logo with a design of the U.S. Capitol building and the text CONGRESS above it and G. & T. MFG. CO. below.
Henry's diary entries are as brief as possible. He worked on his father's farm, and for neighboring farmers, and attended school in the winter months. He went to church some Sundays and spent others reading. Occasionally he visited the nearby towns of Waynesburg, Minerva and Canton. He notes his weight in a few places.
There are a few gaps in the diary. During one of these gaps, April 2-14, Richmond fell, Robert E. Lee surrendered and President Lincoln was assassinated. Henry may have had better things to do than write in his diary.
See full scans of the diary below the transcription.
Henry married Mary Elizabeth Barr in 1872. They lived in Michigan and Illinois, where Henry pursued a career as a miller, before moving back to Ohio where their third child was born. He died in 1921, just seven weeks after his wife.
No. 4(?) Diary : 1865
January weight 107
1 sun To Gregory Criswell's
2 mon Sundries
3 tue To School
4 we Sundries
5 thu Butchered
6 fri Sundries
7 sa Same
8 sun Reading &c.
9 mon Thrashing Oats 84 Wheat 30
10 tue To School
11 we Same
12 thu Same
13 fri Same
14 sa Sundries
15 su Reading
16 mo To School
17 tu Same
18 we Same
19 th Same
20 fr Same
21 sat Sundries & to Singer's
22 su At Singer & to Church
23 mo Same & Catechise
24 tu To school
25 we Same
26 th Same
27 fri Same
28 sat Haul coal
29 su Sundries
30 mo To school
31 tue Same
February 1865
1 we To School
2 thu Same
3 fri Same
4 sat Sundries
5 sun To Singer's
6 mon To School
7 tue Same
8 we Same
9 thu Same
10 fri Same
11 sat To church
12 su Same
13 mon To catechise
14 tue Same
15 fri Sundries
16 [unreadable] Sundries
17 [unreadable] Same
18 sat Same [he gets the days of the week wrong for the rest of the month, but starts March off on the right day]
19 sun Reading, &c.
20 Mon Sundries
21 tue Same
22 we Same
23 thu Haul wood 2 loads
24 fri Haul wood 7 loads
25 sat Sundries
26 sun Reading
27 mon Sundries
28 tue Same
29 wed Haul wood 3 loads
30 thu Sundries
31 fri Same
March 1864
1 we Haul wood 3 loads
2 thu Sundries
3 fri Same
4 sat Same
5 su Reading &c.
6 mon Tap trees &. gather sugar water 12 Trees galon 20
7 tue gather water &c. 32 [gallons]
8 wed Boil &c. gather 12 [gallons]
9 thu Sundries
10 fri Sundries
11 sat Same
12 sun
12 mon
14 Tue
15 wed
16 thu
17 frid
18 sat Haul manure 14 Loads gal 33r q
19 sun Reading
20 mon Plowing
21 tue Same
22 we Sundries
23 thu Same
24 fri Same
25 sat To H. Singers
26 sun To Christ's Church
27 mon To Catechise
28 tue Haul rails
29 we Plowed
30 thu Haul hay 2 loads
31 fri Sundries
March
April 1865
1 sa Haul hay
2 sun
3 mon
4 tue
5 we
6 thu
7 fri
8 sat
9 sun
10 mon
11 tue
12 we
13 thu
14 fri
15 sat To Catechise
16 su To church
17 mon To Catechise
18 tue To Wanesburg
19 we Harrow strown [?] Oats
20 thur Same &c
21 fri Harrow strown sundries
22 sat Haul manure
23 sun Reading &c.
24 mon Sundries
25 tue Plowing
26 we Plowing &c.
27 thu Same
28 fri Sundries
29 sat Same
30 sun
May 1865
1 mon
2 tue
3 we
4 thu To Catechise
5 frid
6 sat
7 sun To St. Paul's Church Wanesburg
8 mon To Catechise
9 tue Sundries
10 we Same
11 thu Same
13 fri Same [he gets the dates confused for a few days here]
14 sat To Canton
15 sat To Canton Reading
16 mon Plant corn at home,
16 tue Plant Corn for H B. Singer
17 we Same for Harris Criswell
18 thu Sundries
19 fri Same
20 sat Same
21 sun Reading &c.
22 mon Sundries
23 tue Cultivating potatoes
24 we Sundries
25 thu Sundries
26 fri To Catechise
27 sa To the preparatory meeting (& Examination)
28 su Confirmed & to the Lords supper
29 mon Cultivate corn
30 tue Sundries
31 we Same
June 1865
1 thu Cultivate corn
2 fri Cultivate corn
3 sat Wash sheet &c
4 sun Reading &c.
5 mon To church
6 tue Sundries
7 wed Sundries
8 thu Same
9 fri Shearing sheep
10 sat Sundries
11 sun to H.B. Sundries
12 mo Pack wool &c.
13 tue Cultivate corn
14 we Hoe corn
15 thu [indecipherable]
16 fri Wanesburg Weight 110
17 sat Sundries
18 sun To Christ Church
19 mon Mowed &c
20 tue Same
21 we Haul hay 2 Lo
22 thu Same 2 ---
23 frid Same 2 ---
24 sat Same 3 ---
25 sun Reading &c
26 mon Sundries
27 tue Haul hay & c 2 ---
28 wed Same 2 ---
29 thu Same 2 ---
30 fri Sundries
.J.ul.y. .1.8.6.5.
1 sat Sundries
2 sun To Christ Church
3 mon Haul hay 2 Loads Cut wheat 31 doz
4 tue Harvest wheat 61 doz
5 wed Same 19 ---
6 thu Same 31 ---
7 fri Same 25
8 sat Same 10
9 sun To St. Martin's Church
10 mon Bind wheat 30
11 tue Same 37
12 wed Same 55
13 thu Same 5
14 fri Haul wheat
15 sat Same
16 Sun To church
17 mon Sundries
18 tue Cradle Oats
19 wed Sundries
20 thu Same
21 fri Same
22 sat Same
23 sun Read
24 mon Haul wheat &c.
25 tue Bind oats
26 wed Haul oats &c
27 thu Sundries Thrash for D. Clapper 1 day
28 fri Haul hay &c. 3 loads
29 sat Cradle oats &c.
30 sun To Christ Church
31 mon
August 1865
1 mon Mowed grass [?] &c.
2 tue Sundries
3 we Same
4 thu Bind oats
5 fri Thrashed for John Shearer 1/2 day
6 sat Haul hay &c. 1 load
7 sun Same
8 mon Haul hay
9 tue Haul oats
10 we Haul manure 5 loads
11 th Same 5 loads
12 fri (Haul manure 2 loads) Thrashing for Jonathen Shearer 1/2 day
13 sat Haul manure
14 sun To Christ Church
15 mon Haul manure 5 L.
16 tue Haul manure &c 3 loads
17 we Plowed
18 thu Same
19 fri Same
20 sat Sundries
21 sun Reading
22 mo Plowed
23 tue To H. B. Singer
24 we To Minerva weight 111 pounds
25 thu Plowed
26 fri Dug stumps [indecipherable] 1/2 day in clearing.
27 sat Same
28 sun To Christ's Church
28 mon Dug stumps &c
30 tue Same
31 wed Same
September 1865
1 fri Sundries
2 sat Same
3 sun Reading
4 mon Haul Sand [?]
5 tue Sundries
6 wed Thrash at home Wheat 80 Oats 115
7 thu To H. B. Singer's
8 fri Sundries
9 sat Glean wheat
10 sun To Christ's church
11 mon Cultivate & harrowed Wheat down
12 tue Same
13 wed Cut [something crossed out] Clover seed
14 thu Haul Clover seed
15 fri Harrow wheat
16 sat Haul clover seed
17 sun Reading &c.
18 mo Sundries
19 tue To Canton
20 we Haul clover seed 1 Load
21 thu Sundries
22 fri Work on road & top corn
23 sat Haul oats & top corn
24 sun
25 mon
26 tue
27 wed
28 thu
29 fri
30 sat
31 sun
October 1865
1 sun
2 mon
3 tue
4 wed
5 thu
6 fri
7 sat
8 sun Sundries
9 mon To Thomas Dewees's
10 tue Grind corn &c
11 we Boil [?] molases
12 thu Gather chestnuts
13 fri To Minerva weight 113 1/2 pounds
14 sat Cut wood & haul
15 sun Reading &c
16 mo Cut charl [?] wood 2
17 tue Same
18 we Same
19 thu Sundries
20 fri Husk corn 35 bush
21 sat To the Preparatory meeting &c.
22 su Took Sacrament in Christ church
23 mo Husk corn 51
24 tue Same
25 we Same for H.B. Singer's
26 thu Sundries
27 fri Same
28 sat Same
29 sun To St. Martin's church
30 mo Husk corn for H.B. Singer
31 tue Cut wood &c
November 1865
1 we Sundries
2 thu Same
3 fri Same
4 sa Got my inside teeth drawed By Dr. McConke
5 su Reading &c
6 mo Put away cabbage
7 tu Haul wood 2 loads
8 we Same 4 ---
9 thu Same 4 ---
10 fri Same 4 ---
11 sat Haul corn to Mapleton 30 bushel
12 su Reading &c
13 mo Glean [unreadable]
14 tue Thrash for Jonathan Shearer 3/4 day
15 we To school John Criswell
16 thu To school
17 fri Same
18 sat Same Sundries
19 su Reading
20 mo To school
21 tue Same
22 wed Same
23 thu Same
24 fri Same
25 sat Read Same
26 su Reading
27 mo To school
28 tue Same
29 we Same
30 thu Same
31 fri Same
December 1865
1 fri To school
2 sa Sundries
3 su To Christ's Church
4 mon To School &c
5 tue Same
6 wed Same Prepare for thrashing
7 thu Same To Christ Church
8 fri Same Thrash
9 sat Unwell [?]
10 sun To Dager's [?]
11 mon To school 1/2
12 tue To school
13 we Made a [unreadable] for sheep stable
14 thu To School
15 fri Same
16 sat Finished sheep stabl
17 su Reading
18 mon To Minerva
19 tue To school
20 wed