Wandering Around The Family Tree

In regard to Call family history, I find a few items not covered elsewhere. Grandfather's and grandmother's family lived in Devonshire, England. They were nearly all farmers, but Robert Joslin for a time a shoemaker with apprentices. One of Grace Payne Call's brothers, William Payne settled in Stafford. Robert Call was the younger child of six children.  Robert Call landed at Philadelphia March 22, 1853. He went to Boston and worked mostly as a gardener for five years. William Joslin came with him. The next year, Charlotte and Ann Joslin, also Miss Blackmore, the lady who became William Joslin's wife and her sister came. Robert Call and Charlotte were married July 15, 1854.  _______ Patty's notes on this entry Robert Call's family was from a village called Zeal Monachorum. The Call family first appears in the parish records in the 1680s, and the family lived there until a few years before Robert was born. His next oldest sister Elizabeth was born in Zeal Monacho...

We are here today to celebrate the one hundreth and sixth anniversary of our nation's Independence, and to rejoice in the peaceful and prosperous condition of our country at present. To celebrate that independence for which our fathers fought, and which is still dear to every true American; and to rejoice in that prosperity which is gained only be perserverance and Industry.  We represent no secret organization, no sect or denomination, no separate nationality or separate class of society; we are merely the inhabitants of a peaceful and friendly neighborhood.  When we met a year ago it was with fear and trembling, with sad and anxious hearts, for a wise, just and beloved ruler had been laid low by the hand of an assassin. For eleven long weeks while he suffered and lingered we watched and waited and hoped. But alas our sadness was turned to sorrow for our martyred President was place in the silent tomb. We mourned as only a united and beloved people could mourn. On our public ...

Literary societies were immensely popular at this period. And such a society was formed at Stafford and Morganville and Le Roy. Our neighbor, Mrs. Henning, whose husband bought the Lyman-Bissell-Lyman farm, found a Secretary's book from which I shall copy.  By-Laws 1st,          The society shall be called The Local Circle. 2nd,         Its object shall be the cultivation in its members of literary taste and of the ability to express their thoughts readily and forcibly. 3rd,         The officers of the Local Circle shall be President, Vice President and Secretary who shall be chosen by ballot for a term of three months, a majority of votes cast being necessary to an election. 4th,          It shall be the duty of the President to preserve order in all meetings, to put to vote all regular questions, to call for all official reports, to appoint two persons to act with himself to decide...

A great event of the summer was customarily annual trip for the young people to Silver Lake. It was usually held the latter part of June when the farm boys would set a date, and then there was great preparation. The best horse and buggy were shined up, and while the girls looked after their dresses, baked their nicest cakes and prepared their choicest picnic edibles. In the early morn the boys starte out, each for his best girl and drove the twenty miles or more. They usually went to Walkers, where there were rustic seats and tables where the picnic lunch could be spread out and partken of, and there were facilities for caring for the horses. Sometimes a small steam boat was chartered and the party rode around the lake on that. But always they went rowing on the lakes, and weren't they delighted when they found some water lilies! Often the girls had sunburnt cheeks and noses the following day. _____ Patty's notes on this entry Silver Lake is located in Wyoming County, Ne...