Page 146 - Births

Sun 10 .th. 1843 of September 146

Harmon R Lucas was born

July the 12 th. 1819 in

Muskingum Count Ohio

Hester Ann Lucas was born

November the 21 st. 1820 in

Muskingum County Ohio

Francis Asbury Lucas was born in

February the 12 th. 1822

Muskingum County Ohio

Ruey Ann Lucas was born

September the 21 st. 1823 in

Muskingun County Ohio

Mary Jane Lucas was born

March the 6 th. 1825 in

Muskingum County Ohio

Emly Francis Lucas was born

May the 11 th. 1826 in

Muskingum County Ohio

Benjamin Josiah Lucas was born

March the 30 th. 1828 in

Muskingum County Ohio

Susan Brown Lucas was born

November 16 th. 1829 in Dresden

Muskingum County Ohio

Curtis Williams Lucas was born

June the 6 th. 1831 in

Tippacanoe County Indiana

Benjamin Franklin Lucas was born

December the 8 th. 1932 in

Tippacanoe County Indiana

Martha Ellen Lucas was born

May the 3 D. 1834 in

Tippacanoe County Indiana

Page 144 - Births

144

Mon 6. 1841 Harmon. R. Lucas was born the

12 of July 1819 in the State of Ohio in

Muskingum County I Resided there untill I was

in my 11.th. year of my age then I emigrated to

the State of Indiana where I Reside at this time

this being the 6 of September AD. 1841

Mon 6 1841 Maria Lucas was born May the 14 .1823

in the State of New york Livingston County

she Resided there untill in her 16 year of her age

then she emigreted to the State of Indiana Tippica

noe County Township where she Resides at this

this time this being the 6 of September A D 1841

Sun 3. 1842 Mary Allis Lucas was born

the 29 of March 1842 betwene 7 and 8 oclock

in the evening born in the state of Indiana

Tippacanoe County Tippacanoe Township its

weight is 7 pounds and a quarter this being

the 3 day of April 1842

Wednesday December the 20. 1843

Jane Gennings Lucas was Born Decemer the

20 the 1843 8 oclok in the evening weight 7 1/2

in the state of Indian Tippecanoe County

Tippicanoe Township

Page 132 - July 4, 1840 - Yankee Girls

July the 4. 1840 Page 1.32

Sat 4 Cloudy this morning quite cool too

the sun shoen out I went to Laffaitt

it was a poor gethring for the fourth of

July I had a ride on a canall boat the

first one that ever past through the

Town of Lafayette I rode about 6 miles

on it quite warm all of the yankee

girls was there at the time I got

mee a razor strop and half a quire of

paper 50 cts I got home at dark it got

quite cloudy after night it rained some

Sun 5 Cloudy this morning and quite nice at

nine oclock I went to Sabeth School but

dident stay long there I went down to

the batle ground at 11 oclock meeting

then back home and at four oclock

I went to Egbert Pattersons to a

meeting we had a fine shower to of rain

Mon 6 Cloudy this morning and has some of

the appearnace of rain I helped to mow at

the poor farm Wm Graves S. pulver

E. Downey mowed for us I came home in

the evening it came up quite a shower

of rain no nore at presant 1840

Tue 7 Cloudy this morning and rained several

times I and Pulver and S.Jacksen all

mowed Father and Mother went to town

after the Suit for Mary Janes manedge

we finished mowing about 4 oclock in the

evening it rained nearly all night

Wed 8 Cloudy this morning and rained some and

it continued so all day ue cut wheat till noon

in the after noon we pup up some hay then we

cut some wheat we had a shower in the

evening Wm Shigly feched my cradle

and hay rake down to the county farme

May god look dawn up on us in his ifitat

merce come let us goe to meeteing at

Salem meeting house Harmon

Page 126 - June 1, 1840 - Writing Letters

June the 1.st. 1840 Page 1.26

Mon 1 Clear this morning quite warm in

the evening it rained some little I

drowd 9 loads of rails 46 at a load

Tue 2 Cloudy this morning and rained some

it soon got clear and nice in the after

noon it got cloudy and after night it

rained quite hard I drowed 8 loads of

rails 46 at a load Harmon . Lucas

Wed 3 Clear this morning quite pleasant and

nice it got cloudy and rained several

showers I drowd 6 loads of rails 48 at

a load at dark it looked like that we would

have a storm but it dident storm much

Thu 4 Clear this morning quite pleasant and

nice quite warm I made 2.00 hundrd

thirty tow rails I got 2 letters from

Ohio one from uncle Wm. Lucas

the other from Cousin Mary Carter

pap hauled some rails Harmon

Fri 5 Clear this morning quite pleasant

the after noon it rained quite a

shower I worked for S. Pulver

on the road by Hirram Genings

Sat 6 Cloudy this morning and raining

I made fence till noon in the after

noon I grubed and plowed some and I

went up to grany Klepingers and I

got 400 hundred cabich plants 1840

Sun 7 Clear this morning quite wrote till time

to goe to Sabeth school then I fixed

up and went to it after meeting I wrote

four letters onee to Wm Lucas one

to Mary Carter one to Ruth Baismen

one to Samuel Smith quite a fime day

at half past four oclock I went to

meeting again so noe more at presant

I still Remain yours and so fourth

Page 110 - February 27, 1840 - Farewell Ohio

February 27. 1840 Page 1. 10

Thu 27 Cloudy this morning but soon broke

away I and Josiah Smith went to

Zanesville I went to Mary Martens

which I found them all in good health

we came home home and went to

meeting I staid all night at T. Smith

Fri 28 Cloudy this morning and fogy it

was a fine day as ever I saw in my

life time I and Thomas Smith went

up to old nedy hals and Enochs I

came back home and went up to 18

Josiah Smith and staid all night 18

Sat 29 Clear this morning and pleasant

all day quite pleasant I wrote a letter

to aunt Sarah back to Virginia and

one to Mary Carter I staid at aunts

all night so no more at presant

Sun 1 Clear this morning quite pleasant

and warm I went to meting then

back to home in the evening I took

a pleasant little walk on the big hill

by the town the prettiest discovery

I eve saw in my life I staid at aunts

Mon 2 Cloudy this morning and looks like

rain quite smokey I went over to aunt

Pierces and spent the after noon with

them then back to aunts again after

night Ruth . Baismen and aunt Pierce

came over to aunts I bid them fairwell

then I went over to aunts again and took

a good fill of aples and bid them all

fairwell again I felt as bad as I well

could feel to leave them I staid at aunts

Tue 3 Cloudy this morning and raining some

I started for home at nine oclock I got to

Luray on the pike 34 distant frome home

quite pleasant all day miy bill was 75

cts I got 2..1 dollars bills on newark

bank that I couldent pass Harmon

Page 109 - February 22, 1840 - More Funerals

Febuary the 22,1840 Page 1. 9

Sat 22 Cloudy this morning and raining quite

hard it began to rain in the night some

time smokey very much so it rained

all day very hard Samuel Walker

departed this tife to day in his eightieth

year at one oclock to day all so

Mrs. Porter died all so I saw old

Moon get run by his wife oll over

the street with a club heap of fun to

be seen the streets was full of people out

a looking at the two fools I staid at aunts

Sun 23 Cloudy this morning and a raining

quite hand I drawed up old Samuel

Walkers coffin he was bueried at

one oclock very high watters it come

with in a few inches of runing in

the waggon bed in the evening it

got clear and pleasant I went to

to the river and it was very high at

night I staid at Aunts 1840 21

Mon 24 Clear this morning quite pleasant the

ground was frose hard quite nice to day

Mary Eliza Smith aunt and granny

Smith and I took a walk down to the

river it was quite high we had three

hours walk and ammusment we saw

a hog saved bey the help of of two men

and there skeft quite pleasant all day

I staid all night at Thomas Smiths

Tue 25 Clear this morning the ground is frose I

drowd some oats from Tumbelsons Mill

and then some hay it got some hazy about

noon I heard from an uncle and aunt

from Virginia this makes .61. days

a scence I left home I went to a

Temperance meeting I staid at aunts

Wed 26 Clear this morning and pleasant it

continued so all day I staid at aunts

it raind some after night 1840

Page 108 - February 15, 1840 - Ohio Funeral

February the 15, 1840 Page 1 . 8

Sat 15 Cloudy this morning quite cool and rough it

turned out quite nice we had a pleasant

little visit at aunts I staid all night at

Thomas Smiths Harmon R Lucas

Sun 16 Clear this morning with a heavy frost

on quite pleasant at half past ten oclock

I went to meeting and at three oclock

I went over to the prisbtarions with a

young and fine girl I felt quite unwell

to day Elizabeth . Walker departed this

life to day at 12 oclock in her sixtieth

year complained 6 days before she died s

I staid all night at aunts no more at

Mon 17 Cloudy this morning and has some appearance

of rain or snow I went to the buring

of Elizabeth Walker she was bared on

Ivenses farm in the evening it rained

some I staid all night at Thomas Smiths

Tue 18 Cloudy this morning and looks like raine

after night I went to Temperance

meeting and then back and staid all night

at Thomas . Smiths 1840 no more at

Wed 19 Clear this morning and looks fine and

it continued to hold out I Receined three

letters one from home the other from Wm

Lucas and the the tother one from Mary

Carter price of them was. 35. cts I

staid all night at Thomas Smiths 1840

Thu 20 Cloudy this morning and raining and it

continued to rain all day quite muddy and

bad after night I staid all night at T

Smith Ruth . Baismen was there too dr

Fri 21 Clear this morning quite warm and

pleasant at this time the mud is not so

bad as it has been it was a nice day in the

evening it got some cloudy and looked like

rain I staid all night at aunts in

the year of our lord and saviour

Page 104 - January 27, 1840 - Loves Girls

January the 27 . 1840 Page 1. 4

Mon 27 Cloudy this morning I went up to a

nigroes after night after some corne

for Thomas . Smiths then back to hum

I went to mill and got some brand

for hime after night it snowed som

there was quite a nice quatity out to

to night in the day I got my horse shod

Tue 28 Cloudy this morning and snowing some

it soon turned in to raining I went

over the river and killed one squirl

after night I went to meeting then

to Thomas . Smiths and staid all night

Wed 29 Cloudy this morning and raining some

quite smokey it continued to rain all

day after night it rained terible hard

I hunted squirls all day and only killed

three I staid all night at Thomas Smiths

Thu 30 Clear this morning it has the appearance

of being a fine day the wind blew hard

I went to meeting then back to aunt

Pierces again wee staid till half past 10

oclock quite cool and wind windy H R

I staid all night at aunts Harmon

Fri 31 Cloudy this morning quite cool I started

over to Concord with Mary Carter

my Cousin I went to Zanesville and

then went over the river on the ice I

got to Concord after dark it snowd som

at dark I paid 12 cts tole each of us at

the first gait and the same each of us

at the second gait quite cool I staid

at Isaac Grummonses all night 1840

I rise as one that loves the girls well

I feel that it is my duty to rise and

say something concerning of my well

faire hear on earth my cincere desire is

to get to heaven and I want you all

to pray for me that I may prove faithfu

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 42 - December 29, 1838 - New Years Eve

December the 29 1838 Page 42

Sat 29 Peartly clear and desperately coald I

suffered pain with a thumb that had

got hurt with being mashed father

came home he sold meel at 50 cts

per bushel and oats at 38 cts per bushe

I done nothing of eny conciquence 1838

Sun 30 some cloudy this morning but broke

away and was quit coald I laid about

and at night I went to meeting at

Salem meeting house their was 22

Mon 31 Clear this morning and continued so

all day quite pleasent I bought five

head of calvs of John Graves I was to

give hime 22 days work for them I

cut down a shugar tree down and

Father and mother went on a visit

up to Aaron Yarnald I discharged

one gun a new years eve I heard

several guns dischargeed Snidder

sent our waggon home after night

By Richardrd Miller and a

little duchman Harmon Lucas

I Am I a souldier of the cross

A follwer of the lamb noemor

and shall I fear to owne his cause

or blush to speak his name

one Day after date we or either

of us promis to pay Henry

Love silver the sum of Thirty

five Thousand Dollars for Value

Received of Witness our hands

this the thirty first day of

December 1838 Thomas Smith

Mary R Carter and 1838

Eliza B Carter and 1838

Ethen I Carter and 1838

Jacson L Carter and 1838

Harvey F Carter and 1838

Richard Carter and . 1838

Esther B Carter and 1838

Harmon R Lucas and 1838

Page 28 - October 7, 1838 - Harmon's Library

28 October the 7. 1838 Page 28

Sun 7 clear and pleasent this morning

with a tearrable hard frost cool

I went over to the canall to Day

I have Received 17 news papers 1838

the nomber of books that I have

one Disciplin price 25 cents April 28

one Erethmetic price 37/2 cents 1838

Journal of Mrs Mary Cooper

bought June 20. 1836. price 50 cents

the life of George Washington bought

December the 26. 1837 price 62/2 cts

A Memoir of William H Harrison

the price 75 cents Harmon Lucas

Indian War book price 623 838383

Mon 8 clear and pleasent with a heavy

frost I worked on the canall 1838

Tue 9 clear and pleasent all day I

worked on the canall all day

Wed 10 clear till noon a heavy frost in

the after noon it clouded up and

looked like rain I worked on the canall

Thu 11 cloudy in the after noon it blowed

heard the wind I worked on the canall

Fri 12 cloudy and quite cool for the season

I bought a watch at ten Dollars

in the after noon it broke away

but quite cool I came home and nun

Sat 13 cloudy and quite windy all day at

dusk it began to sprinkle and at

dark it raind quite hard very dark

I went to Lafaytte and got a pair of

Sun 14 scatron clouds this morning I went to

mr. Simeses school house to hear

singing and home then I went

over to the canall with George godred

and got there at dark 1838

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