Containers

box 1, volume 1

• Daily Diary, 1853

Scope and Contents

Diary records Chess's work around Allegheny County in land surveying, engineering projects, in the coal business, and on his farm. He records his regular church attendance, especially at Mt. Pisgah Church, including who preached at the service and what Bible verses were used. There is a small ledger in the back.

Containers

box 1, volume 2

• Daily Diary, 1854

Scope and Contents

Diary records Chess's work around Allegheny County, in land surveying, writing deeds and agreements, and farm work. He takes note of letters he's received or written to others and the names of people he meets on a given day. He records his regular church attendance, especially at Mt. Pisgah Church, including who preached at the service and what Bible verses were used. There is a small ledger in the back.

Containers

box 1, volume 3

• Daily Diary, 1855

Scope and Contents

Chess records his routes as he begins transporting freight by steamboat up and down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, traveling to New Orleans multiple times. There is minimal information on the goods transported, as Chess focuses on recording the cities arrived at, the daily weather, and the condition of travelling. He notes some events while in New Orleans, such as multiple balloon ascensions (Jan. 14, Apr. 8), and a slave auction and minstrel show (Jan. 19), but with very little description. During one of his trips, Chess notes burying men who died of cholera (May 25). Later in July Chess himself would note he was sick and proceed not to write in his diary for a little over a month. There is a recipe and directions for a treatment for cholera at the end of the diary. During his time at home, Chess returns to his typical work, land surveying and farming. He begins to record the names of people working for him at his farm and the distribution of tasks among them.

Containers

box 1, volume 4

• Daily Diary, 1856

Scope and Contents

Chess continues recording his work around Allegheny County, in land surveying and writing deeds and agreements, as well as farm work. He takes note of letters he's received or written to others and the names of people he's meeting each day. He records his regular church attendance, especially at Mt. Pisgah Church, including who preached at the service and what Bible verses were used. He records some observations of the Ohio River, such as its freezing over in January and, on October 5, the "lowest water ever runover in the Ohio River". There is a ledger in the back, as well as a treatment for diarrhea.

Containers

box 1, volume 5

• Daily Diary, 1858

Scope and Contents

Chess continues recording his work around Allegheny County, in land surveying, writing deeds and agreements, and farm work. He takes note of letters he's received or written to others and the names of people he's meeting each day. He records meetings of the Agricultural Society and Horticultural Society, although typically not recording details of what occurred at each meeting, only when and where it occurred. He mentions a "suicide shooting" committed by L. Holmes on January 7. He travels to eastern Pennsylvania in March, visiting Harrisburg and Philadelphia. He records attending auditor meetings as well as a Republican committee on June 16 and visits a poor house on July 30. His church attendance begins to decrease and less information about church services is included.

Containers

box 1, volume 6

• Daily Diary, 1859

Scope and Contents

Chess continues recording his work around Allegheny County, in land surveying, auditing, as well as farm work. He takes note of letters he's received or written to others and the names of people he's meeting each day. He records visiting the state fair in Philadelphia in September. The back has a memoranda section with names & addresses, as well as a ledger, including expenses at Philadelphia.

Containers

box 1, volume 7

• Daily Diary, 1860

Scope and Contents

This diary records Chess's work around Allegheny County, in land surveying, civil engineer projects, as well as farm work. He travels to Harrisburg, Baltimore, and Washington DC, recording some sights as well as expenses. He notes Agricultural Society meetings and a Republican committee. There is a train ticket to Harrisburg in the back.

Containers

box 1, volume 8

• Daily Diary, 1861

Scope and Contents

As the Civil War starts Chess begins recording the dates and time of day of home guard meetings and drills. He continues with business at his farm and the local area, working as a tax collector, and recording the names of people he meets for both business and personal reasons. He notes Abraham Lincoln's visit to Pittsburgh on February 14 at "4 ½ PM."

Containers

box 1, volume 9

• Daily Diary, 1862

Scope and Contents

Chess continues his usual business amid the war, working at the farm as well as land surveying, recording the names of people he meets for both business and personal reasons. He attends a Dutch picnic on July 4. He notes a "great loss of life" due to the Allegheny Arsenal explosion on September 17.

Containers

box 1, volume 10

• Daily Diary, 1863

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, business with various people as well as personal meetings, the time of Agricultural and Horticultural Society meetings, as well as the time and location of home guard meetings and drills. At the end of September, he visits Buffalo and Niagara Falls, then in early October visits Philadelphia for the state fair, but records very little details about his travels.

Containers

box 1, volume 11

• Daily Diary, 1864

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, business with various people as well as personal meetings, and the time of Agricultural and Horticultural Society meetings. He notes when the committee meetings to plan the Sanitary Fair occurred, as well as the opening of the fair in June, but does not include many details about the events.

Containers

box 1, volume 12

• Daily Diary, 1865

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, land surveying, business with various people as well as personal meetings, and the time of Agricultural and Horticultural Society meetings. He spends February sick and bedridden. He notes Abraham Lincoln's assassination.

Containers

box 1, volume 13

• Daily Diary, 1866

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, land surveying, business with various people as well as personal meetings, and the time of Agricultural and Horticultural Society meetings. In late March he travels to Altoona and Harrisburg, visiting the "state lunatic asylum" on the 22nd and reporting to be very sick the next day. He keeps track of the hours of hired workers in the memoranda section at the end.

Containers

box 1, volume 14

• Daily Diary, 1867

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, land surveying, business with various people as well as personal meetings, and the time of Agricultural and Horticultural Society meetings. In April he notes preparing his papers and insurance for travel and then leaves for Europe, recording his travels in a separate diary (the 1867 European travel diary). He returns home in August. He records the funeral of William Frew on September 8, and later arranges the Frew accounts. Frew was the spouse of Jane Chess Steele Frew Pierce, a sibling of Moses Chess. There is a business card for Jas. R. Reed & Co. in the back.

Containers

box 1, volume 15

• European Travel Diary, 1867

Scope and Contents

Chess records the daily activities of his trip to Europe, starting with his sailing across the Atlantic. Chess typically only gives brief and nondescript notes of where he's visited and who he's seen, with more detailed description offered of the commodities available for sale (especially textiles) and the crops and animals on farms. He'll often give number estimates of crowd sizes when observing large gatherings. He gives brief descriptions of the weather each day. Chess traveled by train during much of his trip and would offer some observations of land viewed in passing.

Chess arrives in Belfast on April 19th. He went to various areas surrounding Belfast, such as Dundonald, Newtownards, and Comber, recording meetings with many individuals, discusses some "superstitions" of the local Irish, and records some observations on local goods and farms. He leaves Belfast May 17 and proceeds to visit Londonderry, Enniskillen, Pettigo, and other places in County Donegal and County Fermanagh. He takes note of extreme poverty in Bellyshannon.

He heads back to Belfast and leaves Ireland on May 27th, arriving in Liverpool the next day and proceeding to make a quick journey across England—including Birmingham and a stop for the night in Kenilworth—reaching London on June 1st. His time in London is largely spent visiting typical tourist destinations—Westminster Abbey, the House of Lords, Buckingham Palace—with some account of costs expended along the way and observations of goods and their prices. On June 7th he leaves, arriving in Paris the next day.

Chess was in Paris for the Exposition Universelle, the 2nd world's fair in Paris – which he notes visiting many times, although he does not give much detailed observations. The international nature of the event leads to some reflections on different nationalities' perspectives, along with complaints about the high prices and lack of the English speakers in Paris. He would leave Paris on June 19 and arrive in Geneva the next day, writing some observations of the countryside by train. On June 22 he leaves Geneva, arriving in Berne the next day, and on June 25 he travels the Brunig pass and visit Basel. On June 26 he arrives in St. Louis France and then Strasbourg. By June 29 he was back in Paris, where he'd stay for another two weeks. Back in Paris Chess recounts many scenes of large crowds in celebration, as well as seeing Emperor Napoleon with the Ottoman Sultan. On July 13 he leaves Paris for London, giving observations of the countryside between Paris and Dieppe. He spends a short time in London once more, leaving on July 22 and travelling through England, including Manchester on July 24, leaving from Liverpool on July 25 to arrive in Belfast the next day. On July 29 he leaves for Stranraer, Scotland, then Dumfries and Glasgow the next day. On August 1 he travels to Sterling, giving observations on the countryside between Glasgow and Sterling the next day. He arrives in Dublin on August 3, and then on August 5 travels to Killarney, then Cork on August 6, where he visits a poor house, recording that it has 4200 inmates. On August 8 he sets out from Queenstown (modern Cobh) back home across the Atlantic, getting back to Allegheny County on August 25.

Containers

box 1, volume 16

• Daily Diary, 1868

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, business with various people as well as personal meetings. He notes when he attends auditor meetings, school board meetings, and a legislature committee.

Containers

box 1, volume 17

• Daily Diary, 1869

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, business with various people as well as personal meetings, and time spent land surveying and writing deeds. He notes when he attends meetings for the Agricultural Society, the school board, and auditors. He visits New York in September and Philadelphia in December. There is a ledger in the back.

Containers

box 1, volume 18

• Daily Diary, 1870

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, including some details of crops planted and harvested, the tasks of hired workers, business with various people, personal expenses as well as the names of people he visits or who visit him. He visits New York and Philadelphia in March, and later the state fair in September. He also notes attending a poultry show in December.

Containers

box 1, volume 19

• Daily Diary, 1871

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, including some details of crops planted and harvested, the tasks of hired workers, and business with various people, personal expenses as well as the names of people he visits or who visit him. He buys fireworks ahead of July 4 and attends a Knights of Pythias picnic on the 4th. He notes days he spent sick. In October he visits Baltimore, Annapolis and Washington D.C., attending a "holiday theater night" there on the 19th. He travels to Louisville at the end of October and records some goods bought.

Containers

box 1, volume 20

• Daily Diary, 1872

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, including seeds he obtains and crops he plants, land surveying, and business trading in coal. He records the names of people he visits or who visit him, and meetings of the Agricultural Society and of auditors. The memoranda section in the back has a citation of the Agricultural Report about destroying insects on animals.

Containers

box 1, volume 21

• Daily Diary, 1873

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, land surveying, the names of people he visits or who visit him, payments he receives or makes, and various goods he buys. On September 24 he marries Amanda Sterrett, noting the time as 8:30 pm, and they spend their honeymoon traveling west, stopping at Chicago and Salt Lake City, and then arriving at San Francisco on October 3, from there visiting Yosemite, San Jose, Santa Cruz, and Pescadero. They stop at Reno on their way back home in November. Chess records where they stayed and dined at, as well as people they visited or traveled with.

Containers

box 1, volume 22

• Daily Diary, 1875

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, the names of people he visits or who visit him, payments he receives or makes, and various goods he buys. He notes attending the meetings of the Refuge Board. He also begins to record the activities of his wife Amanda, such as when she visits the city or her father, and of their child Robert. There is a letter about buying farmland addressed to David in the back.

Containers

box 1, volume 23

• Daily Diary, 1876

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, the names of people he visits or who visit him, payments he receives or makes, and various goods he buys. He notes attending meetings for the Refuge Board, Executive Committee, and auditors. He gets his child vaccinated on January 25.

Containers

box 1, volume 24

• Daily Diary, 1877

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, the tasks of hired workers, the names of people he visits or who visit him, payments he receives or makes, and various goods he buys. He notes attending Executive Committee meetings, possibly for the State Agricultural Society of Pennsylvania. He records going to the city on July 22 "to see the destruction of R.R. Property by strikers and roughs etc."

Containers

box 1, volume 25

• Daily Diary, 1878

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, the tasks of hired workers, his land surveying, the names of people he visits or who visit him, payments he receives or makes, and various goods he buys. He notes when he attends meetings for the Reform School board, the Exposition Society, and the Property Committee. He records his son Robert being sick in November.

Containers

box 1, volume 26

• Daily Diary, 1879

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, the tasks of hired workers, his land surveying, the names of people he visits or who visit him, payments he receives or makes, and various goods he buys. He records attending meetings for the Agricultural Society, the Exposition Society, the Property Committee, and the Farm Committee. He visits Maryland in early December, including Salisbury, and notes the various hotels and restaurants where he stopped. The back has a ledger with wages paid to his workers.

Containers

box 2, volume 27

• Daily Diary, 1880

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, the tasks of hired workers, the names of people he visits or who visit him, payments he receives or makes, and various goods he buys. He records the death and funeral of his daughter Mary on September 16. There are directions in the memoranda section for taking "W.W. Patricks prescription" medicine.

Containers

box 2, volume 28

• Daily Diary, 1881

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, the tasks of hired workers, land surveying, the names of people he visits or who visit him, payments he receives or makes, and various goods he buys. He records attending meetings for the Exposition Society, as well as for consigners. He records the activities of Amanda and their children, including Robert's first day of school on May 16. He notes on July 2 "President Garfield Shot" in a bold heading.

Containers

box 2, volume 29

• Daily Diary, 1882

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, the tasks of hired workers, land surveying, the names of people he visits or who visit him, payments he receives or makes—including wages paid to workers, rent from tenants, loans given out to others--and various goods he buys. He records the activities of Amanda and their children, including their church attendance.

Containers

box 2, volume 30

• Daily Diary, 1883

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, the tasks of hired workers, land surveying, the names of people he visits or who visit him, payments he receives or makes—including wages paid to workers, rent from tenants, loans given out to others--and various goods he buys. He records when he attends Exposition Society meetings. He also records the activities of Amanda and his children, where they have visited or who they have met and their church attendance, and when his children are sick. His mother's death and funeral occur in November. There are directions for a treatment for smallpox in the back, as well as a blank check.

Containers

box 2, volume 31

• Daily Diary, 1884

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, gardening, the tasks of hired workers, land surveying, the names of people he visits or who visit him, payments he receives or makes—including wages paid to workers, rent from tenants, loans given out to others--and various goods he buys. He also records the activities of Amanda and his children, where they have visited or who they have met and their church attendance. There are notes on watches he bought for himself and his family in the back.

Containers

box 2, volume 32

• Daily Diary, 1885

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, gardening, the tasks of hired workers, land surveying, the names of people he visits or who visit him, payments he receives or makes—including wages paid to workers and rent from tenants--and various goods he buys. He also records the activities of Amanda and his children, where they have visited or who they have met and their church attendance.

Containers

box 2, volume 33

• Daily Diary, 1886

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, gardening, the tasks of hired workers, land surveying, the names of people he visits or who visit him, payments he receives or makes—including wages paid to workers and rent from tenants--and various goods he buys. He also records the activities of Amanda and his children, where they have visited or who they have met and their church attendance, and periods when his children are sick, and notes an earthquake in Pittsburgh on August 31. There is a prescription for Dickson's New Drug Store in Pittsburgh in the back.

Containers

box 2, volume 34

• Daily Diary, 1887

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, gardening, the tasks of hired workers, land surveying, the names of people he visits or who visit him, payments he receives or makes—including wages paid to workers and rent from tenants--and various goods he buys. He also records the activities of Amanda and his children, where they have visited or who they have met and their church attendance.

Containers

box 2, volume 35

• Daily Diary, 1888

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, gardening, the tasks of hired workers, land surveying, the names of people he visits or who visit him, payments he receives or makes—including wages paid to workers and rent from tenants--and various goods he buys. He attends meetings for the Chartiers cemetery office and notes an unveiling of a monument to soldiers at the cemetery on July 21. He also records the activities of Amanda and his children, where they have visited or who they have met and their church attendance. He complains of suffering from a carbuncle on his back for many days in January.

Containers

box 2, volume 36

• Daily Diary, 1889

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, gardening, the tasks of hired workers, land surveying, the names of people he visits or who visit him, payments he receives or makes—including wages paid to workers and rent from tenants--and various goods he buys. He also records the activities of Amanda and his children, where they have visited or who they have met and their church attendance, as well as a period of intense illness for Amanda and Norman in July. There is a clipping on a Liquor License Transfer Bill being passed in the back, as well as a receipt of payment to Moses. The diary entries end early in December.

Containers

box 2, volume 37

• Daily Diary, 1890

Scope and Contents

There are no diary entries until January 27, beginning with Chess noting that a doctor advised him "to make a trip south as soon as possible." Chess records his farm work, gardening, the tasks of hired workers, the names of people he visits or who visit him, payments he receives or makes—including wages paid to workers and rent from tenants--and various goods he buys. He also records the activities of Amanda and his children, where they have visited or who they have met and their church attendance. There are directions for treatments for carbuncles and diphtheria written in the back.

Containers

box 2, volume 38

• Daily Diary, 1891

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, gardening, the tasks of hired workers, the names of people he visits or who visit him, payments he receives or makes—including wages paid to workers and rent from tenants--and various goods he buys. He also records the activities of Amanda and their children and where they have visited, such as going to school or to the city to plays or shows.

Containers

box 2, volume 39

• Daily Diary, 1892

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, gardening, the tasks of hired workers, land surveying, the names of people he visits or who visit him, payments he receives or makes—including wages paid to workers and rent from tenants--and various goods he buys. He also records the activities of Amanda and their children and where they have visited, such as going to school or to the city to plays or shows. He notes that Robert is sick "with indications of grippe" in February.

Containers

box 2, volume 40

• Daily Diary, 1893

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, gardening, the tasks of hired workers, the names of people he visits or who visit him, payments he receives or makes—including wages paid to workers and rent from tenants--and various goods he buys, attending Chartier cemetery office meetings, and business selling coal. He also records the activities of Amanda and their children, where they have visited, such as going to school or to the city to plays or shows. He notes that Robert went to the commencement of the Western University of Pennsylvania at Carnegie Hall in the evening on June 22 and then later notes paying his tuition fee. There is a clipping of an advertisement for cream balm to treat catarrhs between the pages on the entry for July 3.

Containers

box 2, volume 41

• Daily Diary, 1894

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, gardening, the tasks of hired workers, the names of people he visits or who visit him, payments he receives or makes—including wages paid to workers and rent from tenants--and various goods he buys, attending Chartier cemetery office meetings, and business with oil in Corapolis and selling coal. There is a newspaper clipping advertising a horse for sale as well as part of a check in the back.

Containers

box 2, volume 42

• Daily Diary, 1895

Scope and Contents

Chess records his farm work, gardening, the tasks of hired workers, the names of people he visits or who visit him, payments he receives or makes—including wages paid to workers and rent from tenants--and various goods he buys. Entries get sparser starting in September, typically only noting payments made or received (mostly rent), and the last entry is on November 20.

In the back, there is an advertisement for a Christian tract, a newspaper clipping on horticulture, a strip of paper with a quote from Psalm 84, a letter from M.L. Foster to Amanda Chess requesting to make a trade so that he can pay off debts, and a letter from J. Carnahan to Amanda requesting she ask Moses about legal matters.

Containers

box 2, volume 43

Scope and Contents

This book, maintained by Chess mostly in the 1860s but with some updates written as late as the 1890s, includes a genealogy of descendants of William Chess, including a list of Moses Chess's own children and the time they were born, as well as a ledger for the real estate of William Chess, papers subscribed to in 1864 and 1865, taxes paid in 1864, a harvest record from 1864, and a record of meetings at the Agriculturalist Club in 1863 and 1865 as well as of meetings of the Iona Club in 1864. There is a strip of paper in the front with an account of expenses from 1887 to 1891.

Containers

box 2, item 1

Scope and Contents

This wallet is empty and has no identifying marks or writing on it.

Containers

box 2, item 2

Scope and Contents

This is a torn Fleming Bros. ad card for "Dr. McLane's Celebrated Liver Pills" with a bucolic illustration on the reverse side.

Containers

box 2, item 3

Scope and Contents

This receipt for Robert S. Chess, who was now working as an attorney, is dated to May 1, 1906 and concerns fines for a real estate blueprint.

Containers

box 2, item 4

Scope and Contents

This pocketbook has writing identifying it as Robert S. Chess's, giving his address and phone number, as well as a note with a lock box number. It is otherwise blank.