The Diary of Abba Owen

Newest chapter in an ongoing serialization of the 1888 diary of Abba Owen, daughter of Ypsilanti mineral water baron Tubal Cain Owen and Anna (Stowe Foote) Owen. The Owens lived in a now-vanished house near the current day Roosevelt School building on EMU, where Tubal also had his magical and very profitable well.

Friday Sept. 21th: We went up to the fair again this morning. This afternoon Mama was not going to the fair but I persuaded her to go and she was glad she did. Up on the grandstand we met Mrs. Albom, Alice Henderson, Mrs. Stebbins from Adrian, Miss Post and Mrs. Ainsworth and we all had a jolly time and did not get home until six o'clock.

Saturday Sept. 22nd: To-day has been a pleasant day. Mama and I went down town and had a nice time.

Sunday Sept. 23rd: This morning it was dark and we thought it was going to rain but it cleared up by church time and Grandma and I went to church. Our new minister Rev. M. Woodruff preached and we liked him very well. We all went down to Grandma's to supper [lunch].

Monday Sept. 24th: Mama and I went down town this morning and got some new curtain poles for our red room. Mama and Grandma went making calls this after noon. This afternoon they began husking and drawing [?] in our field corn. This evening it rained a little.

Tuesday Sept. 25th: Papa has been changing the boiler around so we can't have any steam for a few days. Last Saturday Grandma wrote a letter to Mrs. Hagin inviting her and her husband and son and daughter to come and make her a visit but she received a letter saying she was very sorry but they could not come.

Wensday, Sept. 26th: It has been quite cold we had to have a fire in the fireplace and Mama also brought in our little gasoline stove we use on ironing days to help heat up the dining room. It was very cold getting up in the morning without any fire. I received a letter from Lou S. today. To-day is the first day of the fair at Ann Arbor and they are having very cold weather for it. We had a rain storm this afternoon. Richard was thinking of going to Ann Arbor this afternoon but as it rained he did not go.

Thursday Sept. 27th: This has been a real cold, chilly day. Mama went to the Parish Aid Society and so I went down and spent the afternoon with Grandma and had a very pleasant time. Richey drove to Ann Arbor this afternoon and he said they had a very nice fair there.

Friday Sept. 28th: To-day has been cold and raw as it has been all this week. Eber and Richard went up to Ann Arbor to the fair and they brought home a couple of coons for me and Richey got himself two beautiful pairs of doves the swallow and [jalsobin]. Prof. Sudirer came, on the six o'clock train from Ann Arbor and staid until the ten o'clock train going to Detroit, to see about giving lessons in Ypsi, and he has arranged to come here twice a week. He will come on Monday night at nine o'clock and stay at our house over night and give his lessons the next morning between eight and ten and then go to A.A. he will also do the same on Thursday evening. We had a frost last night.

Thanks for reading! Tune in next Tuesday for another week of Abba's diary!