Esther Lilly Hundley
Cast of characters
Esther Lilly Hundley & Charles Hundley (written as Charley/Chas), the author of the diaries and her husband.
Bill (written as Billie) and Elsie, Esther and Charles’ firstborn and his wife.
Ted and Thelma, Esther and Charles’ second-born and as of April 13, 1929, Ted’s wife.
The Gales Creek Journal is supported by these local businesses and groups
Gladys and Roy Bills (written as Mr. B. or Mr. Bills), Esther and Charles’ third-born and her boyfriend.
This diary was written in a gray ledger book titled “Order Book.”
A new year
Wed Jan 1 – Cloudy & rainy this morning. I made some cream & peach pies & killed a chicken. Gladie went to her traps. Oliver came about 10:30, stayed till 4. Just Oliver, Charley, Dick, Gladie & I here for dinner. Gladie went riding in afternoon & to a show. Howard & Harry came for awhile. Billie & Elsie came after supper.
Thur Jan 2 – Cloudy & foggy all day. We just did our usual work. Charley & Dick finished ricking the wood up in forenoon. Fred & Florence came just at noon, stayed for dinner then went back to Portland. Charley went to store in p.m. then vealed a calf. Ted & Thelma came down after supper, stayed till 9.
Fri Jan 3 – Cloudy but a nice day, the sun came out. We ironed & did our usual work. Grandpa H. came over. The Mconnom man came. Gladie went to her traps. Sold veal calf to Banks Market. I started a rug after supper. Rainy & windy late evening.
Sat Jan 4 – Rainy this morning. We did our usual work. Afternoon, Gladie & I went to town to shop. Dick went down to North Plains, had been up since Christmas. Gladie & I went to show “Simba”. We got home about 4:15. It snowed some in afternoon.
Sun Jan 5 – Snow this morning about an inch of snow & snowed off & on all day by spells. Ted & Thelma came by going up to Pike. Oliver came about 4 o’clock, stayed for lunch. Gladie went to show at Hillsboro.
Mon Jan 6 – Some more snow but soon melted. I washed out a lot of sugar & flour sacks. Afternoon, Charley, Gladie & I went to town & on to Hillsboro to get car license. Gladie & I got us a print dress at Weil’s Store. Cordie Schofield took poison on Saturday & killed herself. I finished the rug after supper. Gladie started to embroider a table cloth she got at Mrs. Armstrong’s variety store. Clear & cold tonite, the start of the cold spell.
Tue Jan 7 – Clear & cold. Big freeze. We did our usual work. I dyed a lot of things for a quilt, blue. Troy & Vera came for awhile. Then Billie & Elsie came on their way to town. Afternoon, Gladie & I went to town to Cordie’s funeral. Billie & Elsie came back, stayed for supper.
Wed Jan 8 – Clear & cold. I put out a wash and then dyed a lot of things for rug, green & yellow. Afternoon, I made Gladie’s new print dress. It snowed about 2 inches. Billie & Elsie came after supper stayed over nite.
Thur Jan 9 – Clear & cold. We did our usual work. Billie went to his traps & in the afternoon they killed the last pig. Gladie went to a show at F.G.
Fri Jan 10 – Still clear & cold. We did our general work. I cut rug rags in afternoon. Billie & Elsie went home about 3:30.
Sat Jan 11 – Still cold. We did our usual Sat. work. Afternoon I sewed the rags for a rug. Started it after supper. The ladies gave a play at Gales City tonite but none of us went.
Sun Jan 12 – Cold & clear. Ted & Thelma came down about eleven, stayed. Gladie went to a show tonite.
Mon Jan 13 – Cold & clear. We rendered lard & made sausage. Charley & Ted went to town. Gladie & Thelma went to traps. Grandpa H. came over. After supper I made on my rug. We listened to Amos & Andy, got new radio battery today at Fendell’s Hardwear. Also got a weather thermo.
Tue Jan 14 – Still clear & cold. I finished up the lard this a.m. Billie and Elsie came about eleven. Billie went to his traps. Afternoon, Gladie Elsie & Thelma went to traps. The kids all went home. It began to snow in afternoon, kept it up.
Wed Jan 15 – Snowed all nite and still snowing, there is about 15 inches of snow. Charley & Walt Willis cleared road to Gales City. Evelyn & Gladie went over to school house. I sewed a quilt together. Blue & yellow. I washed early this a.m. Gladie fed the wild birdies out under the fir tree. It snowed all day.
Thur Jan 16 – A deep snow, there is 19 inches of snow today and still cold, a hard wind from the east began at noon. I started sewing on crazy quilt blocks. Made 10 today. Afternoon, Billie & Elsie & Ted & Thelma came down with Ted’s new toboggan sleigh. They all got out on the hill & coasted. They went home about 4:30.
Fri Jan 17 – Still a hard east wind, it blew all nite and so cold. We ironed & churned. Then I sewed on quilt blocks. Finished them up after noon, 20 of them. Gladie made some candy, she embroidered on table spread afternoon.
Sat Jan 18 – Still cold. We just did our Sat. work. I put my new quilt together, afternoon, with strips of pink. Gladie embroidered on her table spread.
Sun Jan 19 – Cold and snow, about 4 inches more snow. It cleared away about noon today. I made a big pork cake. Ted & Troy came by to get the toboggan. They had stayed down town at Midred’s. Billie & Elsie came about 2:30. They & Gladie and I went to Gales City. We made some ice cream for supper. Oliver came stayed till 9 o’clock. Billie & Elsie stayed all nite.
Mon Jan 20 – Clear and cold, our coldest nite, it froze some of my house plants. Billie & Elsie went home about 9:30. Charley & Walt Willis scraped the road. We did nothing much all day. I wrote a letter to Grandma today.
Tue Jan 21 – Clear & cold, we did our general work. I picked up scraps to make a quilt. Oliver came in p.m., stayed till about 9 o’clock. I made Gladie a blouse out of a red piece of goods.
Wed Jan 22 – Cloudy and some sleet. I put out a washing. We listened to Charles Kellogg over the radio. He was supposed to blow a match out over the loud speaker, but did not on ours. I made me a blouse today out of an old green dress I had. Then made some rug rags.
Thur Jan 23 – Not quite so cold, cloudy all day. I was busy all day with some quilt blocks & some rug rags I sewed on machine. Oliver came again after supper, stayed till 9. I got a letter from Grandma also one from Sis at Tillamook.
Fri Jan 24 – Cloudy and some warmer. We cleaned up house today & ironed. Oliver came by afternoon. Gladie made her first statue out of plaster, an Indian Man.
Sat Jan 25 – Clear & cold. We did our usual Sat. work. Billie & Elsie came about eleven to stay a few days.
Sun Jan 26 – Cloudy and snowed a little. We stayed in all day. Gladie went to a show. Elsie made some candy. Oliver came stayed till 9 o’clock.
Mon Jan 27 – Cloudy & sunshine. We did nothing to speak of, only usual work. I fixed up some rug rags. Gladie made a plaster statue like Letta.
Tue Jan 28 – Snowed about an inch. I finished up my wool rug today. Billie & C.D. sawed some back logs. Oliver and his girl came for awhile in afternoon. It began to rain this p.m.
Wed Jan 29 – Rained and made a silver thaw. I washed this morning and did general work. Billie shoveled snow off of the old house. I wrote some letter & mailed them. Gladie started a large statue. Billie & Elsie went home about 3 o’clock. Oliver came stayed till 9. I sewed ru rags about all afternoon & after supper.
Thur Jan 30 – Foggy all day. I finished sewing the rags for rugs this a.m. & started one rug, afternoon, an oval shape one, hit & miss. Gladie worked on her statue. Dick came in the afternoon about 4 o’clock. Gladie went to a show.
Fri Jan 31 – Foggy all day. We ironed and was busy all morning. Chas went to Gales City in p.m. First time in the Ford after snow. Gladie slept some. I made on my rug, R.N. read.
