Orville Sutherland Cox Journal extracts
Extracts from Journal of Orville Sutherland Cox.January 1856.
1st A.m. cleaned oats and settled with Br. Cook by giving him 20 lbs. oats. P.m. attended High council called on case between T. Thorp and R. Williams.
2nd. settled tithing found $8.25 property due to tithing, $76.19 dueme in labour year past had paid in produce 17.50 property 18.07 labor 14.94, total $50.53.
3rd. helped Frederick [his brother] thresh oats with horses
4th. a.m. do.[ditto] P.m. attended a feast Br. Shomakers.,
5th. threshed oats for F—[his brother] while he hauled a load of wood for me.
6th. Sunday. Went to Fort Ephraim heard Erastus Snow preach. Drove a steer home.
7th. made a yard to feed cattle in.
8th. Put a rooler to an ox sled, made rivets to mend ox yoke and made hand sled.
9th. a.m. loaded wagon and fixed to go to Fillmore.
p.m. started went to 12 mile creek.
10th. traveled to Cedar ridge about 20 mi.
11th. to west side round valley.
12th. to within four miles of Fillmore. Eat supper left the teams went to F. in the evening with 4 others .
13th Sunday. went to meeting Pres. Young preacher. P.m. Br’s Grant and Benson.
14th. a.m. attended court. P.m. weighed oats, traded (?)
15th. a.m. attended court. P.m. traded jury fees at store the teams started for home.
16th started home camped west side round valley.
17th. traveled about 20 mi. to cedar ridge.
18th. left the teams with Brs. Chapman and Richey went home.
. . . .
31st. worked at blacksmithing.
February 1st. on the stone quarry.
2nd. got a load of wood
. . .
8th. am at the quarry. P.m. helped Wm. Saw bedsted stuff.
9th. laid hearth for Wm. while he got a load of wood
. . .
22nd. snowed all day, helped Wm. about his shack house
25th. called on to assist in finding out the amount of provision. made some benches to cut stone on.
26th. on the quarry. snowed all night.
27th. made shoes, Philemon got burned
. . .
29th Mended harness and killed a sheep.
. . .
March 10th. took 799 lbs wheat to mill run it through to smut mill lost 28 lbs. ground it made 600 lbs. flour 23 shorts 140 of bran.
p .m. planed mop-boards for Wm.
. . .
13th. went to shop and made stone chisel, p.m. dressed a door stone
14th. in the evening attended dance at Council house
. . .
April 1st. ploughed and made garden planted onion, peas lettuce.
2nd. commenced ploughing for wheat
. . .
10th. bought an Indian girl for a cow
. . .
14th. rained in the afternoon, rained and snowed all night. A sick squaw came to us to be taken care of
. . .
22nd & 23rd. ploughed and drilled wheat. Squaw died.
. . .
May 3rd. sheared Br. Allen's sheep 35 lbs. wool. Applied to the City council for 23 dollars on the old schoolhouse, it was allowed.
. . .
17th. planted corn. Almer dropped it.
. . .
31st. baptised [son] Orville, Oscar and Albert
. . .
June 14th. paid 6 lbs. butter tithing. E. churned 3 lbs.
15th. Sunday. Cordelia's baby [Isaac, Frederick’s son] died about three oclock a.m. went to the grave 11 oclock. went to meeting p.m.
July 13th Sunday. Delaun, Walter, Philemon, Philena and Silva [probably the Indian girl] have the measles.
July 18th & 19th. Silva very sick lost her sight and senses.
20th Sunday. Silva died 8 oclock. Made coffin.
21st. buried Silva. finished repairing wagon.
22.nd. went service berrying with Almer.
. . .
24th. went for berries took my family
August 24th, Sunday at home sore eyes. Br. E. Whiting got home. Philemon
sick. Paid 3 lbs butter tithing 23rd.
30th. Philemon still sick.
September 8th. worked at shed and yard. Philemon better.
9th and 10th. making molasses, hauled and stacked oats.
14th Sunday. At meeting Philemon still gaining.
. . .
October 5th Sunday. Philemon appears a little better. Adelia sick.
8th. Mary's baby [Amos] born 11 Oclock p.m. finished floor.
10th. Almer got a load of wood.
11th. Adelia and Philemon better.
November 22nd. filled up fireplaces to prevent smoking.
December 13th. tore down chimney to prevent smoke.
19th. commenced sled for Br. Snow.
20th. sawed sled runners and mended shoes. 6 lbs butter paid 5 1/2 tithing
1857
January 5th Monday. renewed my covenants by baptism under--Brs. G. Snow, I. Shomaker, C. G. Edwards, L. Hatch, F. W. Cox and myself was baptised by W. Snow confirmed by W. Chapman, Wareham and Bishop W. Snow. wrote a letter to
12th. settled tithing paid 27 1/2 bls wheat tithing 7 for garden produce and 24 bls oats 5 lbs wool 27 lbs butter 13 pork 2 dozen eggs. My whole tithing amounts to 133 dollars for the last year 15 due on property tithing 69 overpaid on labor.
April 11th finished cleaning wheat fixed to go to the City & started
24th got home from the city.
June 9th. built an arch for copper kettle.
19th. went to south creek for alum.
July 4th, General muster and celebration.
September 10, 11, 12th threshed wheat 2 loads a day. Elvira's child [Sylvanus] born Saturday 12th at 8 oclock.
Sunday 20th. Elvira's child Sylvanus, blessed.
October 10th. called on by the military to march forthwith to headquarters to be ready to operate against our enemies, took 11 bls wheat to mill and started at two oclock for Salt Lake.
30th. returned and dismissed from service until further orders.
31st. put up fence about the yards.
Sunday Nov. 1st at meeting a.m., p.m. went to the grave of my little boy that was born Sept. 12th and died Oct. 10th buried the 11th. F. made the coffin. Wm. W. had used my team and has ploughed about 10 acres for the use of them.
1858
Feb. 25 & 26th. went to Fr. Ephraim with the Thespians. took iron to F.E. to make plough.
March 28th Sunday at meeting called on to assist in removing the north settlements to the south.
April 23rd. Arapene got mad.
30th. snowed all night and most of the day, worked at wash tub and hooped keg.
May 1st. Adelia‘s school out.
2nd. Sunday. a.m. at meeting. Amos burned his hand.
18th. built an oven.
19th. got a load salaratus.
20th. forged 2 spindles for F.W.
30th Sunday. at meeting. Arapene sent for 30 men to go for some horses stolen by the (?)
June 1st. lame neck and shoulders the brethren returned with the horses stolen from Bever.
1858 June 2, 3, 4th, make flour boxes. A continued watering. The Indians killed 3 men and 1 woman the 3rd.
15th. child born by Mary 4 oclock am
July 24th. attended celebration. 300 troops passed for Santa Fe.
December 5th Sunday at meeting. 2nd Thursday, Fast meeting, Mary baby blessed Allen.
1859
January 26th. Elvira's child born, snowy. reading.
27, 28, & 29th. took care of E. and done some choreing.
30th Sunday. at meeting.
31st, made washboard. F. hauled a load wood.
February 1st and 2nd. unwell.
3,4. 5th, do. E. & baby sick. Mary & baby do.,
Sunday 6th at meeting. called elders and blessed Elvira's child Trypena by W. Snow.
7, 8, 9th. E. and M. Sick, took care of them.
10, 11, 12th to. got S. G. to turn bedstead posts. . . .
June 17 & 18th. repairing wagon to go to City with tithing.
Sunday 19th. at meeting called to start to city tomorrow.
20th. started to City with 28 1/2 bls wheat.
Jun 22, 1859 Eliza Jane Losee born August 10, 1842, sealed to O. S. Cox by Isaac Morley.
July 2nd. returned from G.S.L. City.
Sept.16 & 17th. threshed oats. Circus
Dec. lst. E. had quilting. Laying stone.
5th & 6th. made shingles. very cold
12th. made loom irons for S. Hulet
1860.
January 1st, Sunday. Amos fell into a kettle of hot water burned him very bad, staid at home to take are of him.
2, 3, & 4th. do.
5th. fast meeting, Father Morley gave us our blessings--O. S. Cox, Elvira P., Mary E., Eliza L., Adelia B., Almer B., Orvill M., Delaun Mills, Walter, Philemon, and Philena, 11 in all.
April lst, Sunday. Adelia started to city.
July 5th, Elvira started to Springville with ?
16th. commenced haying. Elvira and Adelia got home.
31st. went on mountain with A. and O. [Almer and Orville] 2 yoke oxen.
October 8th. started A. and 0. to Severe to plough.
Dec. 26th. child born by Mary between 1 and 2 oclock a.m.
1861.
January 25 & 26th. Made a pair pumps. Triphena sick.
Feb. 7, fast day at meeting Mary’s child Theressa Leanora blessed.
March 25th. Elvira's child born.
Sept. 16. stacked wheat. E. moved into town.
22nd, Sunday. went to Spring Town to meeting and to North Bend.
23rd. came home from North Bend, rain
October lst. fixed press and got go to North Bend to cut hay, loaded Mary's things to move there.
2nd. went to North Bend.
10th. returned from North Bend.
12th. gathered turnips and worked at molasses.
13th Sunday. at meeting.
14 to 19th. .making molasses and digging potatoes and got ready to go to North Bend.
--*Written at Manti, Utah. Just a few days from a six-year diary of a pioneer with his many duties of house building, road and bridge building, wood hauling, blacksmithing, cobbling, gardening , farming, quarrying, butchering, carpentering, etc., written with homemade ink and a goose quill pen in a leather backed journal.
Transcribed 1935