Aaron Ward Town(e) (1854-1933) was born to Horace J. (1823-1909) and Florella S. Ward (1835-1879) Town in January of 1854 in Arkwright. Horace and Florella owned a large farm occupying most of lot 2 in Arkwright and a piece of lot 58 in Villenova, a farm that remained with the family at least until 1948. Aaron had first married Parthenia Jay (1854-?), daughter of Joshua and Catherine Jay of Villenova, in 1877. The two known diaries of Aaron's cover most of 1877 and 1878, the years that he married, and apparently divorced Parthenia (Tena). This diary, covering 1877, recounts his work days on the farm, visitors, his local travels, and his courtship of and marriage to Parthenia.
The 1878 diary reads similarly to the 1877 diary, although it recounts the birth of his daughter Katie B. Town (1878-1946), and his departure for Michigan, apparently leaving his wife and child. It is known that he later returned to farming in Arkwright, sans a leg lost in a railroad coupling accident in California as told in family lore, and married Amanda Gustafva Eriksson (1874-1948; who had immigrated from Sweden in 1892) in 1893. They lived and worked dairying on the farm (at least after Aaron's father Horace's death in 1909), and lived out their lives on the farm, he until his death in 1933, and she until her death in 1948.
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Photo of diary Inside front Title page Printed matter Ephemeris Ephemeris Ephemeris Printed matter Printed matter Printed matter Printed matter Mon, Jan 1 Wed, Jan 3 Sun, Jan 7 Thu, Jan 11 Mon, Jan 15 Fri, Jan 19 Tue, Jan 23 Sat, Jan 27 Wed, Jan 31 Sun, Feb 4 Thu, Feb 8 Mon, Feb 12 Fri, Feb 16 Tue, Feb 20 Sat, Feb 24 |
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