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ABRAHAM FROST : 1857 - 1879 ORIGINAL PAIR OF CRAWFORD COUNTY OHIO LEDGERS DETAILING THE COMMERCE AND COMMUNITY OF PRE CIVIL WAR AND BEYOND CENTRAL OHIO

4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. On offer is an excellent pair of diaries spanning 22 years in the 2nd half of the 19th century in rural Ohio. Full of minute detail of daily life, they offer an outstanding window into life at that time. Measuring 12 inches by 7 1/2 inches, each has 240 pages. They are essentially 100% complete. The covers are in good shape as are the pages. The writing is legible. Also included are some notes and letters which help locate the author. Abraham Frost began his diary in 1857. Each entry is essentially one line although some do gone on longer. Most are quite brief: "Bin around home to work" [Jan 10, 1857], "Commenced plowing" [Mar 31, 1857], "I dug potatoes" [Oct 5, 1858]. Others were longer, but no less terse in their description: "Abe and I made fense in the forenoon, in the afternoon we went up to Babcocks and got some seed corn" [May 27, 1858], "Abe and John hauled corn to husk in the forenoon, the afternoon I choped sawlogs, John husked corn" [Jan 31, 1860], "I made cider at Dantzers, Willis and Shilling picked apples John husked corn" [Oct 21, 1871]. Throughout his entries, one gets the impression of a very hardworking, diligent man. Frost was obviously successful as a farmer and businessman. He does work for others on their farms and harvests and sells wood. He keeps a record of the people for whom he has threshed grain. There are a number of records of him lending money to others: "$600 June the 10, 1858 One year after the date we or either of us promise to Abraham Frost the sum of six hundred dollars for value received at ten per cent interest John [ ] Jason Promise". Life was lived at an intensely local level. He makes only a few oblique references to the Civil War which raged for four bloody years. These take the form of references to 'Union meetings': "I was to Crestline to a Union meeting" [Aug 22, 1863], " ... at night I was to town to here Thomas Orr make Union speech" [June 27, 1863]. In the summer of 1863, he travelled to Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Easton PA. No reason for the journey is given. He spent several weeks in Easton visiting friends. In 1876, there is evidence that he was working (either full or part-time) as a Supervisor for Holmes Township, OH: "Holmes Township Road District No 11 This is to certify that William Kerr has performed labor on the public high way to the amount of two dollars and six cents Superintendent Abraham Frost." For some years, he records his annual assessments for tax purposes. At times, he notes various prices for commodities. Overall, this 22 year record paints a detailed picture of a hardworking man who built a successful life in rural Ohio in the 2nd half of the 19th century. For a researcher, it offers a tremendous amount of detail about daily farming tasks and relationships within a rural community. Many names are mentioned which can be quite helpful in cross-referencing external information.. Illustr.: /. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good

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