Page 145 - Marriage and Death

145

Harmon R Lucas was Maried on

the 1.st. of July 1841 to Maria Mansfield

in Laffayette Fair field Township at

at Mr. Elices this being Septembr 6. 1841

Harmon Reasoner Lucas

Departed this life February the 26th 1846

in Tippacanoe Co Ind

Maria Ireland

Departed this life February the

26th 1894 in Jones Co Iowa

just 48 years between there deaths

Page 133 - July 9, 1840 - Birthday

July the 9 1840 Page Maria 1. 33

Thu 9 Clear this morning quite pleasant and nice we

cradled wheat itill noon in the after noon

we put up 300 hay cocks of hay five

handy of us we got done putting up our hay

in the evening we got done 15 acres of it

Fri 10 Clear this morning quite pleasant we finished

cutting all of the wheat at noon in the after

noon I cradled m for Isaac Best quite

warm Harmon B Lucas his hand

Sat 11 Clear this morning quite pleasant I staid

at home till eleven oclock then I started

hom I got Wm. Pierces oxen and feched

up them I drowed some wood Harmon

Sun 12 Cloudy this morning quite warm it rained

several times at nine oclock I went to

Sunday school and at four oclock I went

to meeting and this being my birth day

which maks mee in my Twenty first

year of my age I thank and adore my

god for sparing mee as long as he has

Mon 13 Clear this morning I went down to

Wm. Rences after a yoke of cattle

and down to Lanes and got me a pair

of pantaloons 6.00 dollars Mrs.

Burch Departed her life this evening

Tue 14 Clear this morning quite pleasant I made

another begining to brake I worked till

noon then I went over to Salem

meeting house and waited awhile then I

went and help Dig Mrs. Burches grave

I worked till fore theen I went to braking

again John Pulver worked 3/4 of a day

Wed 15 Clear this morning quite pelasant I broke

prare till noon then I quite and went to

the burien of Mrs. Burch she was

bured about 3 oclock there was about 75

people at it John Pulver worked 3/4 of a day

Page 130 - June 24, 1840 - Warm with Rain

June the 24 1840 Page 1. 30

Wed 24 Cloudy this morning but the sun shon

out it rained it severl showers I broke

9 1/2 rounds in the fore noon in the

after noon I broke six rounds and

quite at 3 oclock the Drive gave out

John Pulver worked 3 fourths of a day

Thu 25 Cloudy this morning and raining

fine to it has the appearance of it

continuing but it broke away was a

fine day I helped John graves to

rais his barn I drowd his logs up

with three yoke of cattle he got done

Fri 26 Cloudy this morning and looks like

rain it got clear and as warm as

I ever saw it in my life after noon

it came up a very heavy gustt and

rained tremendious hard and nearly

all the after noon I took one load of

corn down to simeses 28 bushels

I made a new sheath to my plow 18

Sat 27 Cloudy this morning and rained a

little I went to mill and then back

home in the after noon I went down

home with Maria Mansfield and

Wm. Mansfield and got home about

two hours by sun the sun shoen

out quite warm Harmon Lucas

Sun 28 Cloudy this morning but broke away

the sun shoen out at 11 oclock I and

the rest all went to meeting at Nolens

then home and staid a while then we

fixed up and started for home it gat

tremendiously warm at about

six oclock it came up a very hard

shower some went to the north we

had quite hard hear it give it to us

about rite I got home about dark

it still continued to rain after

night Harmon R Lucas

Page 129 - June 17, 1840 - Broken Plow

June the 17. 1840 Page 1.29

Wed 17 Clear this morning quite pleasant

I laid up fence till noon then I went

to braking and broke a while then

I had to quite and goe to the shop for

we had to send the plow home John Pulv

worked thre fourths of a day Harm

Thu 18 Clear this morning it got some

cloudy too quite pleasant I went up to

the shop to get my plow laid I got it

fixed in the after noon I plowed my

patatoes over quite pleasant all day

Fri 19 Clear this morning I went to

braking again but came poor sbeed

for the plow ran on the shear to

much and nearly broke my arms

quite pleasant I broke 7 rounds

in the fore noon in the after noon

I broke 12 rounds John Pulver

worked for me 1840 Harmon R

Sun 20 Clear this morning quite nice

and pleasant I plowd for old Man

Shigley in his corn field for he

was afflicted with the rheumatism

Mon 21 cloudy this morning and rained

some at 9 oclock I went to Sabeth

school and at four oclock I went

down to .Egbert Pattersons it

rained rite smart out at it 183

Tue 22 Cloudy this morning quite foggy

to but got clear and quit warm

all day I plowd for old man Shigly

all day I finished his corn 18

Tue 23 Clear this morning quite pleasant

I got to braking again and went

9 rounds in the fore noon in the aftr

noon I broke 8 rounds Maria was

there at meeting at salem 1840

Page 127 - June 8, 1840 - Surveying

June the .8. 1840 Page 1.27

Mon 8 Clear this morning quite pleasant and nic

I laid up fence all day quite nice Har

Tue 9 Clear this morning quite pleasant I made

some rails then I went up and laid up

fence till noon and counted up my rails

I had 12 . 30 rails one the side of the lot

and 11 hundred on the south string in the

after noon I went to mill and got a bag of flo

Wed 10 Clear this morning quite pleasant in

the morning I went up to the shop then

I went and helped to run off our land

John Graves Isaac Klepinger Elijah

Timmons . Samuel pulver Cournal

Oiler the survyor and mee was at it

quite tired of it too we run we run half

a mile line betwene us thence we rune

back .80 rods thence east 80 rods thenc

we commenced at the section line thence

haf a mile mile West thence we came back

80 rods we ran thence half a mile south

betweene John Graves and Isaac best

we came back and started at the section

corner and run thence 40 rods west

thence south 80 rods thence east

40 rods we got done and thank god

for it for I lwas tired as I could be

Wed 11 Clear this morning quite pleasant all

day I drowd and laid up fence all day

quite warm and sweltry Harmon

Fri 12 Clear this morning quite pleasant

I drowd rails till noon then I broke

my ox bough tremendiously warm

it thundred some in the evening like

that we might have a rain after

night it rained it continued all night

Maria Mansfield was born May 14 1823

in the state of new york she now lives

in the state of Indiana Tippecane Co

Tippecanoe Township 1841 Harmon

Page 125 - May 28, 1840 - Great Convention

May the 28 . 1840 Page 1. 25

Thu 28 Cloudy this morning but soon broke

away the sun shoen out it rained I

laid up fence till ten oclock then I

fixed up and went down to the great

Convention at Harrison Ville the

brig came in from Mechigon City

there was a thousand folks aut I

believe we had some showers of rain

Fri 29 Clear this morning quite pleasant

I went down to the convention it was

estimated to be 30.000 people the mad

a great to do about oone oclock 9 of

us went down to the river and scen

5 steam boats we had a fine time

we came back and cut around awhile

then we came up and staid all night

to James pattersons aftr night we

seen them shooting their seye light

we had lots of fun a marching around

Sat 30 Clear this morning quit pleasant

we went down to the convention

again a great many went home some

came back to it we went we went

down to the river again seven of

us I came back to it and staid a while

then we came up to James pattersons

all a foot we took diner there then

came home and landed home at dark

Sun 31 Clear this morning quite pleasant

at nine oclock I went over to the

sabeth school there was rite smart

out the books was Distribeted out

to every person all well pleased

there was meeting at four oclock I went

to E. pattersons to meeting oratia

Barns preached quite a nice day

Sarah Maria moris is now a ine

town of Zanesville quite a

lady I'll in sure you that she

will ware the briches samuel slick

Page 122 - May 8, 1840 - Has the Ague

May the 8.th. 1840 Page 122

Fri 8 Cloudy this morning and raining and it

continued so all day I went Down to Mr.

Morgans Sale on purpose of ridding

home but the creter went for .76. 50 cts

to James Murpha John Graves one big

grey horse at 91. 25 cts. the cattle went

high rite smart out at it I felt as bad

as I well could feel all day Harmon L

Sat 9 Cloudy this morning and has the appearance

of rain it rained some quite cool I choped

some timber and got up some wood and then

made a hound for the waggon and a tung

at four oclock I went to a meeting appointed

for the purpose of establishing a sabeth

school at Salem meeting we done nothing

at it at this time Harmon R Lucas

Sun 10 Cloudy this morning and cool I had the

ague I believe scincearly our sabeth school

made a begining it rained some in the evening

the sun shoen out some about noon quite

smart out I felt quite bad I was at

the sabethe school then I came home I

went down to Hirams Genings to a

prayr meeting it gat cloudy after night 18

Mon 11. Clear this morning with a frost on quite

pleasant and nice and cerene some air a stiring

at this time quite pleasant all day I made some

rails and stakes Maria the first Harmon the second

Tue 12 Clear this morning quite pleasant and nice

I cut and made rails in the after noon I went

down to Hiram Genings to get a yoke of cattle

and staked of some ground Harmon R Lucas

Wed 13 Clear this morning quite pleasant I hitched up

and went to drowing rails and made a start and

the oxen run a way and broke the 2. hounds

out of the wagon then I went and put in a

new tung and got to drowing at noon againe

I drowd 7 loads 25 at a load then I quite and went

to Timmons and got my supper it rained some

Page 120 - April 26, 1840 - School Manager

April the 26. 1840 Page 1.20

Sun 26 Cloudy this morning quite cool

and rained som at four oclock

I went to meeting I wrote som

the sun st clear this evening

Mon 27 Clear this morning with a heavy frost

on quite cool but soon got warmer

I cut some timber a few flying clouds

at noon I cut timber all day Harm

Tue 28 Cloudy this morning and it continued

so nearly all day Father was up

hear I maid rails till .5. oclock then

I went over to Salem Meeting house

to an election in favor of holding a Sabath

School they elected mee a maniger of

the school no more at presant

Wed 29 Cloudy this morning quite foggy the

sun shoen out some few times it rained

some few times at night it broke away

I made rails all day I got 6 Chears

from Wm Bosticks and is to pay

hime .6. 00. in 6 months I got

7. pounds of sugar of Lair 1.00.

Thu 30 Clear this morning with the exception

of a few flying clouds at this time I

made rails at four oclock I quit and

went to writing it began to rain and

and raind all night I went to meeting

Fri 1 Clear this morning quite nice and

pleasant I mada rails till in the after

noon then I quit and went home I

got home about 2 hours by sun quite

pleasant all day Maria Lucas 1840

Sat 2 Clear this morning quite pleasant at

at half past 12 I started home I

fetched a cow with mee it got some

cloudy in the evening it rained it got

quite windy so no more at presant

Page 117 - April 12, 1840 - Whipper Wills

April the 12 . 1840 . Page 1. 17

Sun 12 Cloudy this morning and rained

quite hard after night it ceased at haf

past nine oclock I went to love feast

was intermishen the space of 15 minuets

then publick preaching Maria and

Venatta Patterson Wm Klepinger

and Samuel Klepinger too at 5

oclock we went to meeting again

it lasted till in the night it got

clear before night rite smart out to

day .S. Klepinger staid all night

Mon 13 Clear this morning quite pleasant

with the exception of a heavy frost

it has the appearance of being a

fine day I got up some wood and

at eleven oclock I went to the

meeting again Elizabeth Patterson

and John grooms at night I went

to meeting again Wm Campbell

preached at night on this ocation

quite a favorable meeting it broke

at 12 oclock after meting it

rained quite hard no more 1840

Tue 14 Cloudy this morning and it

rained some little it has the

appearance of continuing to hold

out it soon quit and got clear

I cut some timber for rails after

night I went to meeting again

house full quite a good meeting

I heard the whipper wills 1840

Wed 15 Clear this morning with a havy

frost on I went up to Jacob Klepinge

and Pulver worked out taw days

it got some cloudy in the evening

I groubed some of the time and

some of the time I made stakes

we got to talking on politicks

but we Dident hit to gether

on the subject at all no not

Page 116 - April 7, 1840 - Yankees' Meeting

April the 7. 1840 Page 1. 16

Tue 7 Clear this morning with a heavy frost

quite a cool aire stiring I went down to

to Mr. Simses Store to get some thing

I got me one set of plates price 1. 25 cs

one set of cups and saucers 50 cts one

set of knives and forks 2.00 dollars

one hankerchief 18 cts I cam home and

helped Wm Shigley rais his house

after night I went to the young con

verts Meeting and was cald on to por

aut my fervent prays to the lord

by Mitten Maken so nore at this

Wed 8 Clear this morning quite pleasant

and nice Father and Mother came up

to see meee hear I Made rails to day

quite fine all day Maria Came to

see mee for the first time a cence

I mooved heare quite pleasant all day

Thu 9 Clear this morning I made rails till

noon all day in the after noon I burnt

my stibles off at bests but I dident

take the ground quite pleasant all day

Fri 10 Cloudy this morning and has the

appearance of rain it rained rite smart

I went down home but dident trade 8

Sat 11. Cloudy this morning and raining some

I went to the battle ground I went

Timmonses bale betwene him and

Marten .Mendenhall for ten Dollars

and Timmons went my bale for the

sum of 5. 67. cts betwene me and

Jesse . Andrs the sun shoen out nice

about noon in the after noon I made

rails after night I went ta meeting

at four oclock all of the yankees

come to meeting Maria and Venatta

was hear I got a bedd cond and one

butter plate and half poun of nails

so no more at presant 1840

Page 114 - March 25, 1840 - Move to Shigley's

March the 25 . 1840 Page 1. 14

Wed 25 Clear this morning with a heavy

frost on the ground was frose considerable

hard I came home and fetched a yoke of

cattle with me it turned in some warmer

in the after noon I came home in the

evening I went up to Isaac Klepingers

the sun shoen out quite nigligen H L

Thu 26 Clear this morning with a heavy frost

on I went to work for Jacob Klepinger

I groubed all day quite nice after night

I went up to Isaac Klepingers and

staid all night I got my hair cut 18z

Fri 27 Cloudy this morning I worked till

three oclock in the after noon it rain

some few times I picked up Bresh and

grubed some I came hom in the evening

Sat 28 Cloudy this morning and raining some

it broke away and got quite clear and

warm I went down to Wm Bosticks

to trade it got cloudy and rained some

after night no more at this timel

Sun 29 Cloudy this morning and looks like

raine it rained some all after noon I wrot

some I went to meeting in the evening

then I went up to Klepinger and

staid all night it snowd in the ewe

nig no more 1840 Harmon L

Mon 30 Cloudy this morning and snowing some

I went down home in the evening it

snowd very hard I took down our sheep

quite cool 1840 Harmon Lucas

Tue 31 Cloudy this morning and snowing

I moved up hear to old Mr. Shigleys

I gat seven hogs and Brought them

up Maria Mansfield Harmon

Lucas Harmon Lucas Maria

Mansfield Ruth Baismen Lucas

Page 99 - December 20, 1839 - Sley Ride

December the 20 .1839 Page 99

Fri 20 Clear this morning with a heavy frost

on it continued clear till in the evening

then it got some cloudy 5 or 6 went on

a wolf hunt and killed 3 wolvs we did

goe to Finches grove after night I went

down to H. Genings to meeting H.

Sat 21 Cloudy this morning and snowd some

very hard and it continued snowding all

I killed four Rabits and one plaesent quite

a deep snow at this time no more at a

this time but Remember me when oo

this you see Ruth Baismen 1839 21

Sun 22 Cloudy this morning I wrot all day it

snowd some in the evening no more at

this time but Remember me Maria.

Mon 23 Cloudy this morning I done nothing

much all day Father and Mother went

down to coopers mill and store and got me

one pound of powder two pounds of shot

one pound of lead price was 87 cts 1839

Tue 24 Cloudy this morning I drowd hay till

noon in the after noon I went up to Isa

Klepingers and got my hair cout after

night I went to Watch meeting it

lasted till ten oclock in the evening

Wed 25 Cloudy this morning and snowd some I

made a sley for to ride in I went to the

school house a while then I came home and

fixed and went to Watch Meting at

James Murfeys such a ride I never saw

Maria Mansfield Luesa Pulver and

Ruey ann and Mary Iam Wm Mansfield

I and John Pulver was in the sley we went

up and down from Erastus barnes thence

two miles north then back the road is

now caled the rase ground they make

fun of our ride but I never had

such a ride in my life H. L

Page 97 - December 5, 1839 - Netting Quails

December the 5. 1840 Page 97

Thu 5 Cloudy this morning it broke away

about noon and got quit pleasant I

helped S. Pulver to work at the

Parsnage over hear after night I

went to Pulvers on a visit and came

home half past one oclock no more

Fri 6 Cloudy this morning but soon broke

away it soon got cloudy in the evening

I helped Michel Hair net quails

till noon but dident come much sped

in the evening said Hair and Father

caught .30 quails I got in some corne

Mr. Hair staid all night hear after

night it commenced raining hard 18

Sat 7 Cloudy this morning and raining n

some it continued raining all the time

Michel . Hair and Father went a

netting again and caught 17 quails I

husked corn and got some wood and put

some earth or the potatoes after night

it snowd some noe more at this time

Sun 8 Cloudy this morning and snowing some

I wrote some in the evening I went up

to Klepingers it got quite cool in the

evening after night it snowd rite smart

Mon 9 Cloudy this morning quite cool it continued

cloudy all day I husked corne in the evening

it turned in to snowing quite hard H. L.

Tue 10 Cloudy this morning it snowd some I

husking some corne and other things after

night it snowd about 6 inches in depth

Wed 11 Cloudy this morning quite cool it snowd

very hard I cut wood for the school house

and husked corn after night Wm Mansfield

Luesa Pulver John Pulver and also

Maria Mansfield was hear on a visit

till 12 oclock in the evening Harmon

Page 90 - October 16, 1839 - Quilten Bees

October the 16. 1839 Page 90.

Wed 16 Clear this morning quite pleasant I

look Joshua Burches waggon to hum.

in the fore noon in the afer noon I dug

my potatoes quite pleasant Harmon.

Thu 17 Clear this morning quite pleasant I

husked corn till noon in the after noon

I got my calf up out of the praire quit

pleasant all day Luisa Pulver and

Meriah Mansfield was hear to a

quilten no more at this time 1839

Fri 18 Clear this morning quite pleasant and

warm I husked corn all day after night

burned up a consciderable heap of fence

after night it turned some cooler e

Sat 19 Cloudy this morning I went over to

a sale at John Bars I got me an

old oxen for 20 dollars Thomas Huf

man went my bale David Klepinger

got a colt at 54. 62 cts John.

Graves went his bail 1839 Harmon

Sun 20 Clear this morning quite cool I went

over to hear a new preacher preach

at Salem meeting house at 11 oclock

after night I went to H. Genings

to meeting no more at this time 1839

Mon 21 Clear this morning with a frost on

quite cool I went to Bars after my ox

but dident get him. in the evening I

went to Erastus barness to get a wagon

but dident get none H. Lucas 1839

Tue 22 Clear this morning Father u sold 11 head

of calvs to James Servisons and 16 head

of pigs for 4. 6. to be paid in five

monthes this makes four loads of corn 1839

Mrs genings Mirs barnes Mrs pulver and

Mrs ogden was hear on a visit or rather

on a quileten bee no more 1839 H.

Journal of Harmon Lucas - Cover

The Journal of Harmon Lucas

The journal of Harmon Lucas measures some 170 millimeters wide by 395 millimeters in length and 17 millimeters thick. The pages are divided by vertical lines at intervals of, counting from the left, 29, 129 and 146 millimeters. There is a margin of 19 millimeters at the top of each page, followed by horizontal lines at regular intervals of 9 millimeters to the bottom of the page, for a total of 44 lines. The folios are folded in half to form quires of twenty pages and sewn together with cord. It is covered, front and back, in thick cardboard. There are 105 leaves surviving, in part or whole, for a total of 210 pages.

I first saw Harmon's journal in the weeks after my grandmother, Zula Lucas Harris, died in 1966. I can only guess how she came into possession of the book. I can safely assume she got it from her father, William Lucas. Before that all is conjecture. Zula died at the age of seventy and was born in Kokomo, Indiana. Zula had one older brother, Chester, and their mother was Rebecca Ridgeway Lucas, who came to Indiana from Tennessee. So they came from the right part of the country, but William could not have been a descendant of Harmon. Harmon had only two girl children, Mary and Jane, neither of whom carried on the Lucas name to any more children. Harmon was born on July 12, 1819, in Ohio, he died on February 26, 1846, in Tippicanoe County, and his widow, Maria, died in Jones County, Iowa 48 years later to the day. Harmon's parents were Benjamin Lucas and Mary Rogers, and he had several siblings. My best guess would be that the book came through Harmon's brother, Curtis, who in turn may have been William's father. I have not investigated my family history all that well. Anyone who wants to do the research for me is welcome. I know that the family, William, Rebecca, Chester, and Zula Lucas, moved to Riverside in Southern California around 1900, and were joined by some cousins who became railroad men and firefighters in Bakersfield, California. Many members of the Lucas family still reside near Lafayette, Indiana. Other descendents have dispersed around the globe, and I have brought Harmon's book from Southern California, through Nevada, to Oregon.

Harmon did not seem very concerned about spelling, punctuation was almost unknown, and he used capitals erratically. He often employed shorthand grammar, and he ended sentences abruptly at the edge of the paper. At the time that he bought and wrote in the book, he seems to have been motivated first by an effort to record the weather. Other observations crept in with time. Then he turned to recording his financial transactions, and working up ideas about the Methodist church. Later still the book became a child's playtoy and scratch pad, with scribbles and ripped pages. Some pages have been torn out entirely! Harmon probably had no idea he was leaving a record for posterity. Given that this is not a photo reproduction, I have still tried to preserve the general format and his idiosyncratic spelling.

The inside of the front cover has been used at various times, by various hands, in ink and pencil, to practice penmanship, to calculate sums, and to take notes. For the sake of completeness, the doodlings recorded there, from top to bottom, and left to right, somewhat resemble the following:

___________________________________________________

2035

900 + 900 + 500 + 500 + 700 + 500 = 4000 + 250 + 400 = 5050

300 + 2.800

John Graves wood act 15

Marshfield Postoffice by Thomas Green

125 + 60 = 185

Franklin Poseland

Franklin Joselanel

Mary Mary