August 20
Laura M., age 15, North Carolina
August 20, 1997
Pretty much sucked. Chris wasn’t the coolest today. But he did give me and Renee a ride to her house. I want 2 get switched in2 his English. If I don’t, I’ll cry. Mom picked me up at Renee’s. Did some homework. Dad picked me up. Ate dinner. Talked 2 Renee. Got in shower and did homework. Talked 2 Ashley and talked 2 Karen. She told me Chris was checking Renee out. Fuck! I hate this…
Anna L., age 75, Illinois
August 20, 1960
Really a busy day. Kay and the Cooks coming for dinner and Pinks. Kay came about 11:00 the folks going to C. Lake. Had lunch with Esther and son at club. M.L. too. Kay stayed until 1:30 as it was raining, then I really hurried. K.J. looking after kitten. Slept in bathroom quite a while when K.J. had her bath. Pink and Marian came rather late in P.M. Fell asleep in P.M. Lo of course had to go Hospital. Took Helen along. Dwight and Fran went along and to the Hosp. to see Geo.
Marcy S., age 20, Tennessee
August 20, 1944
Partly cloudy in morn. Hotter. Up at 8:15 and M.J. and I were ready to leave early. So there, Mum! Wore my white jersey. Slept on pompadour and ruined it. To Sunday school at 9:30. Kimmie came. Late starting. Orchestra rendered a selection. We 3 went in Miss Mellie's class. Miss M. thinks the world is in such a mess that we'll never get out of it -- the mess, I mean. Little Robert and Nancy Rodgers, Dr. Jim's children, were in Sunday school. Robert has the biggest brown eyes and he was just all curiosity. After Sunday school quite a few people who remembered her -- it wasn't mutual, though, cause she was so young when they left -- spoke to M.J. We stood and talked with Kim. George is still going on the hike. We decided to go to the tower. George said Bob Rutherford was going and we asked Jo. Also Martin. Kim had called Marcia. She came to church with her grandmother. She looks older than 17. M.J. and I went down to the Episcopal at 11 and Pop took the service. Everyone spoke of the fine sermon. There were 28 out. Some cute little children. One little boy asked his daddy who that "boy smoking the pipe" was after the service -- referring to Pop, who was quite flattered! We all stood around a few minutes afterwards and talked. The Killifers, etc. knew Mary Jane. The Rockwell's drove us home. Helped Mum with dinner. About 1 we ate. Ice cream for dessert. Had good table conversation. Then M.J. and I did the dishes. We both dressed in slacks -- an old pair of mine fitted her perfectly. About 1:45 George popped in, all ready to go and I put him to work drying the silver. Left about 2 with orders to be careful. Martin joined us across from the Presbyterian church and we continued on down to Kim's. Met Kay at her house -- she couldn't go. Her mother told me yesterday that Kay had gotten her baggage tags and was to live in Wales 313 -- just across the hall from old 310. She walked down to Kim's with us and we got in a huddle about Stephens. Pan was sitting in the swing, looking a bit pale. Kim issued forth in slacks and bandana, giving us all a nasty shock. :) We all kidded and had fun. Martin and I had a pillow fight. George threw the pillow and hit Kim -- a beautiful one in the face as she was coming out the door. Presently Bob Rutherford appeared. George was sitting in the beach chair and Martin tried to lift his foot -- a human impossibility. Anyway the chair couldn't hold up under it -- two loud cracks and the chair had collapsed. Poor Martin, he just about followed suit. It was so funny, though! A series of telephone calls eventually brought Jo up the hill and we were ready to start. It was almost 3 by then. Went over en masse to Margrove St. and picked up Marcia. Kidded with Mrs. McCluen a few minutes. We finally set out with the 3 boys in the lead. But it seems that their immediate objective was Miss Goodwin's, not the tower. Kim and nearly knocked her over in our glee -- she's just back from a summer course at the U. of Mexico! and had a perfectly wonderful time. She brought us ice water and we lounged on the porch. Then she lured us in to see some of her souvenirs. We finally got started -- about 3:45!! It came to me very strongly while we were talking to Miss G. -- I'd like to be a school teacher. It has always fascinated me. And if I weren't going back to school in the fall I'd just be lost! George, Bob and Kimmie charged ahead. M.J., Marcia and I followed and Martin and Jo brought up the rear. Thus we struggled up the first steep climb -- by Massop school. Marcia was done in by the time we reached the reservoir road. She had a pain in her side and in various and sundry other localities. The backs of my legs were giving me trouble. The advance guard waited for us at said road and then we started on again in the same formation. There wasn't much of a path on that stretch. We had a good view of the tower from one spot and many discouraged groans were emitted -- it did look a goodly distance. Well, presently we looked around to see Martin bearing down down (or rather up) upon us all alone -- Jo had resigned -- she had to be home at 4:30 anyway. We eventually reached the road near the top and struck off to the right in the general direction of the tower. The formation underwent certain changes but George and Bob were always in the lead. It was awfully hot -- no breeze at our level -- and my hair weighed a ton. Up and down, up and down and sometimes fairly level. Once we all stopped together. Marcia was practically dead. Bob and George found a terrapin turtle and a stick bug. It looked just like a stick -- with legs. Martin killed it. Then we did get separated. It was lovely up on top of the mountain with a beautiful view on both sides. Then we hit the jungle. Martin dropped back with us and sort of did the trail blazing. Where there wasn't a path we made one. Well, at long last we reached the spring at the clearing and found a man and 2 little boys there. They loaned us their can to drink out of. I felt like the wreck of the Hesperus. We were so dirty. Then through the orchard where the man had a flock of goats grazing. They gave us the eye. Finally we hit the tower road and that was truly the last long mile. It was even worse than the climb up the mountain cause the rocks hurt our already tender feet and we had an awful time of it. Of course, the boys got there ages before we did. Reached our objective -- a more welcome sight I've never beheld -- about 5:30. We all climbed to the top and sat ourselves down to get the full benefit of the heavenly breeze. The view on all sides was beautiful. I had a loose nail in my shoe which had already ruined my sock and was well on its way to ruining my foot. The man appeared on the scene again and he turned out to be a lookout man with the key to the cabin atop the tower. He let us all in and explained the workings of the fire locater. He was certainly a talker. It was hot up there though and the windows wouldn't stay open. So we descended again -- George by way of the steel structure rather than the steps. The man showed us where lightning had made holes in the ground. George fixed -- supposedly -- the nail in my shoe and about 6:30 we started on the downward way. The man took it upon himself to direct us -- the shortest way -- and even went partway down the mountain with us. Well, you couldn't say we walked down -- it was more of a gallop for once you got started there was no stopping you, unless a tree happened to intervene. Mary Jane grabbed at a protruding limb once and it gave way and there she was clutching a rotten branch and feeling very silly. Marcia went down on her nose once and we all had minor casualties. Part of the trail was covered with pine needles and it was very cool and quiet among the trees. We reached the foot of the mountain in record breaking time. And there a bobbed wire fence confronted us. We all made it safely except the luckless Marcia and she got stuck, coming out with a nice tear in the back of her shirt. We followed a sort of lane to a gravel road. George had to be back by 8 to work so he and Bob went ahead. Martin stuck with us awhile and then joined them. My legs felt as if they would drop off. Then we turned off on another gravel road and it was lovely. The fields were so green and the mountains a darker shade. The clouds had all disappeared and the twilight sky was a faint peach. We four swung along and talked politics. Marcia is a staunch Democrat but was outnumbered. We had fun. She's ever so nice and M.J. is so cute. I felt better than I have for over a week. At the last bend before the main highway out by Ona's we found our male companions waiting for us. All I wanted was a huge watermelon but inquiry revealed that no one had any at home. The new moon was just coming over the mountain and was too lovely for words. It was fast getting dark. We followed the highway into town. The boys got ahead again but George waited at Martin's for us. We walked to the P.O. with Marcia. Men stared at us and made comments on our appearance. We were messes! Dragged ourselves up to Kimmie’s. It was about 8:15 and dark. The Youngs and Marshes were playing bridge. We sneaked back to the kitchen and downed glass after glass of ice water. Kim offered some cold left-overs from dinner to George and he gobbled them down. I tried to get Mum on the ’phone to tell her we were coming but couldn’t get an answer. We left and trudged on home. Kim is going to Knoxville tomorrow and to Chattanooga Tuesday. George undertook to push me up the hill. How he ever did it, I’ll never know! We hove in sight of home to find Clure sitting out in our front yard talking to Mum and Pop. George did look a bit droopy as he entered the house and his mater followed to feed him. M.J. and I plopped down on the grass and told about our experiences. Mum went in to get us some supper. We sat in the kitchen and shoveled in bread and milk, gingerbread and peaches. Somewhat revived by that, we took turns at a cold bath — and were we dirty! Then to bed and I can honestly say it never felt better. At first it was heaven just to lie still but later my legs started to ache and I spent most of the night tossing to and fro. We did have fun, though, and I feel much better — mentally. There was a light in Ashley’s room again and a man sitting at a desk but I don’t think it was A. Had sinking feeling again at first but soon felt better.
Henry S., age 25, Michigan
August 20, 1887
I wrote an order for blank cards and one for printed envelopes and went up town and mailed them this morning. Came home and practiced writing a little before dinner. This afternoon did some more grubbing in the clearing, and some hoeing of weeds. I went over to Neill’s tonight and got some vinegar and some apples. No rain as yet and everything is very dry. I hope no one will be starting fires.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Abbie B., age 22, Kansas
August 20, 1871
This is Sunday, had expected to write so much, when my work was finished, but not dressed yet. Mrs. Springer and son came. The mail came yesterday— a letter from sister Mary, in it a very handsome colar. and Mrs. L sent along fresh buffalo meat. So I was fixed for dinner.
R. had put a big mellon in the well to cool. After dinner when he brought it in, it slipped out of his hands shot right at Mrs. S-, fell at her feet and broke in two — It was so funny, I was glad to have something to laugh at. It eased a nervous strain I was suffering from.
After they left I wrote a long letter home. Jake went to W and has been sick and not returned yet. So many have, or had the ague, I believe it is always so in new settlements. Brother is getting well slowly, but his appetite is poor. Had intended having soup for dinner of the buffalo meat, but was too inexperienced to make it for company. We had for supper however, and it was good, and he ate a little of it.
*(kansasmemory.org, Kansas State Historical Society, copy and reuse restrictions apply)
Cornelia H., age 26, North Carolina
August 20, 1862
Willie no better, consequently nothing done by me. Louise McKinnish has staid with me since Mr. Henry left (at night). She is a simple hearted creature & innocent too. I think she is not intelligent for she has never had any advantages. R. Boyd is making the furnice for the dry house. The house is not up yet. We have some 8 bu. of dried fruit & it is very nice fruit. Jim is still working at it as his foot is not well by a good deal.
*(Fear in North Carolina: The Civil War Journals and Letters of the Henry Family, Eds. Karen L. Clinard and Richard Russell, used with permission.)
Samuel P., age 35, London
August 20, 1668
Betimes at my business again, and so to the office, and dined with Brouncker and J. Minnes, at Sir W. Pen’s at a bad pasty of venison, and so to work again, and at it till past twelve at night, that I might get my great letter1 to the Duke of York ready against to-morrow, which I shall do, to my great content. So to bed.
*(The Diary of Samuel Pepys M.A. F.R.S., edited by Henry B. Wheatley F.S.A., London, George Bell & Sons York St. Covent Garden, Cambridge Deighton Bell & Co., 1893.)