Sun. 8th went to S.S. & to Church in the morning. Elmer & Maggie went with me. Went to Young People’s Meeting. Had dinner with the Wilsons. Back to Church in the evening. Sermon was preached by a Mr. Cooper. Had a good voice. A fine Sermon. The older population in rural Missouri still refer to youth group as “young…
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Friday, April 6, 1900
Apr. 6, John, Geo., Frank, Charley, Roe & I piled logs, brush & briers & burned them. Pa got a message stating that Grandpa was expected to die, so he went down there. Ma & Mrs. DeLapp went to town. Maggie was here this evening. Frank & I went to Prayer Meeting in the evening at Nellie Rockholds. A good crowd. Had…
Thursday, April 5, 1900
On 5th Charley made garden and I hauled hay. In 1980, Jesse’s daughter Jessie wrote of James Bench’s garden: Grand dad & boys grew a large garden on the opposite side of the tracks – just walked under end of the bridge. They just raised everything & where the new Hiway (U.S. 36) is now – that was a large…
Wednesday, April 4, 1900
On 4th Pa sowed oats. Frank and I covered them. John sowed Timothy seed and we covered them. Via email exchange, Dr. Stephen K. Barnhart, Ph.D. commented: Timothy is a grass, frequently planted with clover for one or two years of hay. Depending on the climate, timothy was either planted with winter wheat in the fall, or with spring wheat…
Tuesday, April 3, 1900
On 3rd Frank & I harrowed. Pa sowed oats. John sowed blue grass seed. Mrs. and Miss DeLapp stayed all night. In 1900, sowing oats and blue grass consisted of walking along and throwing seeds from a sack onto a previously plowed field. Horses pulled a harrower along the previously plowed dirt, covering the seeds. The harrower makes clumps of dirt…
Monday, April 2, 1900
On 2nd hauled hay, built fences. A long time ago the academic year ended in March so that the kids could help work the farm starting in the spring. Monday morning after graduation, Jesse was up moving loose or “ricked” hay from the barn to the pasture to feed the cows and horses. This would have been a chore that…
Sunday, April 1, 1900
Apr. 1 went to Sunday School & to Mrs. DeLapp’s for dinner. Went to “young people’s meeting” in the evening. Jesse attended the Utica Baptist Church, likely the oldest religious organization in Utica as it was established in 1849. The brick church that Jesse attended was built in 1868. Mrs. De Lapp is Mary Foster De Lapp, widow of Joseph De…
Saturday, March 31, 1900
Went to school in Jan. Feb. & Mar. School was out Mar. 30 Had our graduating exercises on the night of the 31st. Got 6 present. Five books & a bouquet. Jesse James Bench begins his diary noting that he graduated from Utica Public School in Livingston County on March 31, 1900. He had just turned 20. In 1900 rural…