August 1901

August is a turning point for young Mayme. Her writing is more descriptive and give a much clearer look into her life, her travels, and the changing world in which she lives. She mentions two of the most important inventions of the century: the automobile and the telephone. She paints a picture of a bustling and well-to-do Middleburg, which apparently had both an uptown and a downtown, if one can imagine that. She packed her valise, took the train to Raymond, Ohio, mourned the loss of her aunt, and noted the working relationships with the threshers. There were several and they stayed for supper.

Editor’s note: Installment nine, September 1901, will be posted in September.

1. Washed dishes, worked on cushions, got two letters, Anna got one. Washed dishes again at Noon. Mrs. Catchaw called. Stayed home alone all evening, got scared and had a tooth ache all night.
2. Went downtown in the morning and got ribbon, cup and saucer and a cushion cover. Had a tooth ache awful hard. Went uptown and got camphor (for toothache), perfume, and embroidery rings. Cecil burnt her thumb and finger trying to doctor me, then her mother had to doctor her. Went downtown at night to hear the band play. An automobile passed us and scared us about to death! Came home, worked on cushion cover.
3. Got up at half past five and finished packing my valise. Rode down to the depot with Mrs. Catchaw. Cecil and Anna walked. Arrived at Raymond at night, George Heath was there to meet us. Heard that Aunt Sarah Ann Wilbur Carleton died on August 2. Uncle Owen as here for dinner. Carleton Carpenter also here. Burke’s threshed for us, 8 here for supper. Ethel, Anna and Cecil came after me. Ate ice cream — Elmer Heath sold it. No fun.
4. Went to Sunday School then all of us girls walked out to the cemetery. Went to Aunt Sarah Ann’s funeral at Oll Stillings. Toothache, went to church at night. Cecil stayed all night with me. Dott brought her home. Rather cool (bumble bee).
5. Went down to Anna’s in the afternoon. I got Mable Miller’s letter out of the post office. The girls came after me at night. Hunted Jess but could not find her.
6. Mamma washed, Oll (Oliver) Marquis here. Cecil came up in the afternoon and we started to Anna’s. Cecil took a buggy ride and left me uptown to wait for her.
7. Went after the mail, got dishes, wrote a letter back to Mable Miller. Ma and Pa went to Lewisburg Ota and Cecil came out and wanted me to go out to Ota’s but I did not go. Went to prayer meeting with Pauline, Cecil, and Anna. I came home alone.
8. Uncle Will, Willard and Uncle Owen cam and stayed all day and all night. Willard and I went after the mail and took a walk.
9. Got up early and went to Mt. Tabor cave (now known as Ohio Caverns). Took our diners with us. After, Pa, Ma, and I went out to West Liberty and the rest started for Mingo. Fern and Pauline were up. Cecil and Florence cam up and I went down in town with them. Jesse came home, took a walk. Girls brought me home; I fell out of bed.
10. Washed dishes, swept floor, took my work and went to Anna’s. Jesse and Anna came up after me at night and we had ice cream. Whittaker took us up to band practice. Came home with mamma.
11. Went to Sunday School and to Disciple for church. Cut out in front of Clement Heath’s then we went down to Edd McWade’s. Anna and George came home with me for supper. Preaching at night, spoiled my fan, came home with Port.
12. Went up in town in the afternoon and got a new fan. Will and Willard came and went up in town at night. Cecil, Pauline, and Anna brought me home.
13. Uncle Will and Willard went to Mingo. Cecil, Anna, and I went over to Emma Raley’s to spend the day. Had threshers, Frank Pettit was drunk. Went after the mail at night for fresh air. Children came, saw Port. Anna brought me part way home.
14. Mamma washed. Mrs. Jane Marquis was over. Went down to Anna’s in the afternoon. Cecil came up and stayed all night with me. Good time.
15. Ironed, worked on my pillow. Cecil and Anna came up then Anna and I walked out to John Koch’s to a surprise on him – he is 37 years old. 27 people there. Slept without any covers on us. Had ice cream and cake. Fine time.
16. Dottie Blackwell died this morning. Cecil, Anna, Minnie, Florence and I walked to town. Then a crowd of us walked out to George Stokes and took our dinner. Heard of some trouble over me. Had ice cream. 19 of us were there, Desta Vanica got sick on the road home. Lots of fun and a jolly time.
17. It tried to rain today. Went after the mail and slept. Went twice into town. Hemstitched, read, went out to Ben Wirick’s to a party. Went with George Heath and Anna. Spoke to Nell and Tell. Had a fine time.
18. Rained, went to Sunday School. Cecil brought books up, went to cemetery. Stella and Pauline got cute, got caught by rain at Anna’s, stayed all night at Grandma McWade’s with Cecil, for the last time, forever. Dott brought Cecil home. Port came with us.
19. Got up at eight o’clock. Anna came home with me, changed dress. We went up town. Cecil left for Findlay. Commenced my pillow slips.
20. Hemstitched, mamma washed. Went down to Anna’s. Got caught in the rain at the post office. Ah! I thought Pauline was here or I wouldn’t have come. Ha! Ha!
21. Went to Marysville and got a shiff to work on the cushions with, percale dress belt. We saw Ethel (Edna?) Bowers at Marysville. Dinner at Mrs. McAllister’s, mamma and I took the eggs up at night. Got letter from Fred.
22. Ironed. Grace Piersal and Iva Conover were here. Brought flour up. Today is Logan County Day.
23. Worked on cushion, Frank Pettit here for dinner. Looked Anna and Jesse up. Jesse and Hazel cam up in the evening, Anna came up but I had gone to Jesse’s. Saw Port, mamma was up in town “nit”.
24. Washed dishes. Anna came up in the afternoon. Took a bath. Went to town at night. Hazel was up. We girls had a loud time of it!
25. Went to Allen Center to stay a week. Went to Sunday School, Hattie Adamson was there.
26. Washed dishes. Went to Lewisburg in the afternoon. Saw some of Middleburg, sat out on a hammock at night. Drove down past Nett’s. Counted starts.
27. Worked on cushion. Alpha and Sarah went to Marysville in the afternoon, Ethel and I went to Pain’s at night, after butter in the evening.
28. Ethel and I took Alpha to the train. The horse fell down. Went to Lewisburg at night to see some fellow who thought I was Nett. I want my mamma – Ha! Ha! Took Eva out walking.
29. Went to picnic at Brush Lake and got acquainted with Mr. Riddle. He took us out riding on the lake. Got stuck. Seven cakes and seven chickens. Came back and stopped at Mrs. Hawkins and washed. Left my ring there. Stayed at Lewisburg till nearly ten. Fine time.
30. Worked on cushion, was going to Ida Coe’s but it rained. Went to Lewisburg at night and sat in front of Cranston’s. Went after my ring.
31. Rather cool. Ethel took me down to Lillian’s – she was asleep. Got back and got acquainted with Miss Mayme Kinode. Lillian, Miss Kinode, and I went to Milford Center and on to the cemetery. Lillian dressed up in her bathing suit, then she was called to “the phone”. We got a funny spell on us — girls is your bed crowded. We were asleep then.

About the author: Mary “Mayme” Wilbur was born in 1885, in Union County, Ohio. Her father, Zachary T. Wilber, was 37 and mother, Adelaide Allen, was 38. Mayme was their second child; their firstborn, a son, passed in infancy. Mayme married Chester O. Teets on February 24, 1918 and the two lived their days in Middleburg and Zane Township, Ohio. She died in 1954, in Middleburg at the age of 69. Chester passed the following year, at the age of 67.