The 231163 Diaries: Tonny & Annie Calderwood

History  Tonny & Annie Calderwood lived in North Haven, Maine.  They were farmers in Indian Point and their diaries have been transcribed and uploaded by a local historical society.  This is a useful demonstration of how life continues during momentous events but also the information which was being disseminated to the general populace at the time:

Nov. 22, Friday 

Tonny: Has been a nice mild short sleeve day but turned into a very sad one.  Word came on radio about 2:00 P.M. that President Kennedy had been fatally shot while riding through the streets of Dallas, Texas with Governor Connelly, who was also seriously wounded. President Kennedy lived only 35 minutes after being shot from ambush. Nan delivered milk. I worked on western end of barn. Finished getting shingles off 2 paper widths high, pulled nails, dropped a board down that was bulging over cistern over flow pipe, cut and barked four slabs for use as inside cross pieces between sill and scaffold beam, and dug trench along end of barn so I can clear boards without renailing them. Can then [...] the lower edge of banking paper when I put it on.

Nov. 23, Saturday 

Tonny: All regular programs off the air. Entire time given to events in Washington, D.C. Foggy. Wind S.S.W. and raw. Whole country in mourning this morning. President’s body in White House this day. Vice Pres. Johnson sworn in as Pres. at airport in Dallas, Texas before returning to Washington yesterday. The man who the F.B.I. believe did the shooting is now under policy guard in Dallas – a crack-pot who a few years ago tried to become a Russian citizen and was refused it, so came back to U.S. Is now tied up with a Cuban movement so who knows what it may all mean. Chored. Nan delivered milk. I worked on western end of barn. Put cross pieces across end of ground mow half way between scaffold beam and sill, and the same in cistern room, so I could have something to nail the boarding to. Sill all gone. Cleaned out between boarding and sill and renailed the boarding. After Nan came home she helped me a half hr or so, and then we went up to Elliott Brown’s to get some sawdust in Jeep – 1 bags. Took a ride into C.I. Gates’ and then over to Watson’s.

Nov. 25, Monday 

Tonny: Windy and cold this morning. Strong W.S.W. 22° - clear with sun coming up. Chored. Funeral ceremonies started in Washington, D.C. this A.M. and as we tried to watch some of it we were late getting ready to go with milk. Nan stayed home so as to watch television and I hurried around with milk and came right home so I could watch the procession to Arlington Cemetery and the ceremonies there. Very sad and tragic. Unbelievable that such a thing could happen in the U.S. Chored early and went up to Burgesses this evening, it being Prudy’s birthday. The H.C.C.’s and Ameses were there. Yesterday noon while the policemen were transferring Kennedy’s supposed slayer to other qtrs. a man stepped in among the police and shot the slayer. Now the case will never be solved. What are we coming to?