Hiram E. Leonard Diary, September 23 - 29, 1869
“23rd Thursday A verry hot day with showers & thunder at a distance I did my choars was at the office all day came home at 8 ½ & went to bed at 9 ½ nearly sick & worne out, Caroline, Eliza & Wallace went to the Aurora Fair with Jerry F Pollard & girles there was a large fair they sold 13 thousand tickets 2 dollars each & some it was splended so said.
“24th Friday A fine day but some cloudy I did my choars was at the office all day came home at 8 ½ & went to bed nearly sick & worne out with trouble Mr Frenches sister & C Owens sister arrived here from Ohio today in the stage, & French got there J B Clark & family were here.
“25th Saturday A fine day but cloudy & quite cool I did my choars was at the office all day came home at 8 ½ & went to bed at 9 ½ nearly sick & worne out with trouble James B Clark & family went back to Chicago.
“26th Sunday A fine morning & day but cool I did my choars was at the office & back, was at the house the most of the day a choaring round & fixing Sisters clothing in the trunk to go to Jackson with I was at the office in the evening came home & went to bed about 9 nearly sick & worne out Eliza went to meeting.
“27th Monday rather a fine day but a cool pleasant night I did my choars was at the office till about 3 oclock came up & fixed to go to Jacksonville with Sister Jerry F Pollard started with us about 4 oclock in afternoon we got to Naperville ½ past 5 & took the cars at a little after 6, got to Quincy at 5 next morning I slep none all night.
“28th Tuesday A fine pleasant day but cool & windy we left Quincy at 5,20 in morning & got to Jacksonville about 8 took Sister to Hospital about 9 came back to cars & then walked back & stayed till about 3, came down town, left at 10 in evening for Bloomington, got there about 4 to Norman Junction stayed there till 9 in morning & started for home of Wednesday.
“29th Wednesday A fine pleasant day & night left Norman in Illinois Central cars about 9 for Mendota & got there a little after 12 at noon wated there till 2 or after, took Burlington cars & came to Naperville at 5 pm walked home & got home about 6 ½ eat supper & went to the office came home at 8 & went to bed a little after 9 sick.”