Neighbors of Perley

Another odd neighbor that became friends with Perley's mother, Elsie Jane Whittier, when she was a young girl was Rosina Delight Richardson Wood. Around 1862 Rosina held the esteemed position of being the "Fat Lady" for the famous P.T.Barnum traveling circus. Perley and his family kept a gold framed portrait of her hanging on the wall of their home for almost 100 years and Perley often recalled his mother telling him that when Rosina came to visit she could only fit through the doorway by turning sideways to enter.

1903 diary

Wednesday, May 6, 1903
44d at 5:30 Clear and Pleasant Wind in the North

We have been fixing fence today. I got a woodchuck in our traps, and see another.
Papa shot at a hawk and hit it.

Journals

Perley kept journals most of his life. He started when he was 14 years old in 1903 and kept a daily journal until the day he had a stroke at age 85 and could no longer write. The over 60 journals I have give a detailed description of what Perley's life was like growing up and in his later years. Unfortunately either he did not have time to write during the years of his marriage or those journals were lost or destroyed. The journals I have range from 1903 to 1911 and then again from 1945 to 1973. What has surprised me most in reading through his journals, especially in the earlier years was how busy everyone was visiting their neighbors. When I first started researching for this book I always thought that Perley and his family were totally secluded from the rest of the townspeople but almost every day Perley mentions neighbors visiting, strangers passing by or they go to visit someone.

1903 diary excerpt

Friday May 1, 1903

45d at 5:45 Clear, strong northwest wind.

We got a woodchuck and a hedgehog which was going off with our trap. We set two traps in a den in our sugarlot. Mr. Wallace came over here.

I see some blue and white violets and strawberry blossoms. Our cow "Mabel" calved today. I went over to Mr. Howards.