George Kelley diary

Collection – Box: GLMMS 36, Folder: 17

Identifier: GLMMS-1880

Staff Only

Collection Overview

Abstract

The diary of George A. Kelley is a handwritten journal owned by an early settler of Kelley's Island, Ohio. The diary begins on January 1, 1880 and continues through December 31, 1880.

Dates

Creation: January 1, 1880-December 31, 1880

Extent

1 Folders

Creator

Kelley, George A. (Person)

Scope and Contents

The G. A. Kelley diary consists of penciled journal entries in a leather-bound pocket diary that was manufactured for the year 1880. The front pages include astronomical calculations, church days and cycles of time, an 1880 calendar with moon phases, interest tables, gold premium tables for the years between 1862 and 1878, table of wages, principle cities' times and populations table, populations of states and territories from 1790 and 1870, growth of the U.S. population (1800, 1850, 1870), domestic postage, foreign postage, stamp duties, and a table of the U.S. presidents.

The journal entries give brief accounts of daily life and work on Kelley's Island in 1880 and includes a record of George A. Kelley's cash accounts for the year. AMERICAN EAGLE, a propeller, and JULIA, a schooner, are two Lake Erie vessels that are referenced frequently in the journal entries.

Biographical Sketch

George A. Kelley was born in Ohio in 1822. He was the son of Irad Kelley, one of the original Kelley brothers who first purchased Kelley's Island, Ohio in the 1830s. In 1848, George A. Kelley married Martha J. Eastland, daughter of Colonel Eastland from Tennessee, and brought her north to live on Kelley's Island. George, together with his father, was the first to register ear marks for livestock in the community's records. The ear marks identified their animals because it was common for livestock to wander the Island. George A. Kelley was the Island's first postmaster and managed the Island's general store. He traded his store, in 1854, to William S. Webb in exchange for a quarry which prompted George A. Kelley to embark on a business of several small quarries throughout Kelley's Island. On March 26, 1894, George A. Kelley passed away at the age of 72.

George A. and Martha Kelley's most noted child was Hattie Chisholm, married to Mr. Stewart Chisholm, of Cleveland, Ohio. Hattie was a well respected soprano singer in the Cleveland area.

The diary was traced to George A. Kelley due to his entries about Hattie's visits, his journal entries about the island's mail, and "G. A. Kelley, Kelley's Island, O." is printed on the inside cover of the diary.