Christmas at the Lovejoy House

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Illustration of Walter Lovejoy traveling on snow shoes.
 

In the fall of 1889, Walter Lovejoy was living in Atlantic City. He was teaching in South Pass City, about four miles away and had a cabin to stay in during the week. He would get rides at times, ride his horse on others, and occasionally traveled on foot.

Here, on the day after Christmas, he gives an account of his trip home on Christmas Eve and a note on his Christmas celebration. He mentions a couple of dances in town. He gives no details here, but these dances would have attracted folks from the nearby towns of South Pass City and Miner's Delight and likely lasted all night. Lovejoy occasionally mentioned dances in his journals, but he did not attend them, generally preferring to play cards or indulge in other entertainments with friends.

26th 
Had the d—dest time evening of the 24 in going over home. I have knapsack to carry my things back & forwards in. I carried over about 20 or 30 lbs of roast beef, candy & other stuff to the amont of anyway 40 lbs. I went along alright on the snowshoes until I got over to the King Solmon rock, then it got dark and I started down the long hill (about a mile & ¼). I couldent see the humps in the snow and I’ll bet the snowshoes throwed me a dozen times going down that hill. Lord but I did swear. 

Spent my Christmas at home, we had for dinner roast beef, mince & raspberry pie, pudding, canned plums etc etc. Invited to dinner Chet & Galen Westfall & Fritts Preas. They had a dance Christmas eve & another last night. I left home this morning at 7 oclock got over here at 9. And called school with nearly all scholars present. Tuesday was a fair day, days are cloudy, foggy, windy & disagreeable. B’ot cigs .20

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