Private Journal, 1855 to 1895
Charles S. Wightman (1837-1934)
On permanent loan from the Town of Oyster Bay

Charles Wightman came to Oyster Bay in 1868 to begin his fifty-year ministry at the First Baptist Church. At the time he had long been making almost daily entries in a journal that he would maintain until the first days of 1895. The journal provides a detailed account of both Church business and domestic life at his South Street home (moved in the 1960s to Summit Street to become the headquarters of the Oyster Bay Historical Society).

Journal entries from January and February 1875 appeared in the Society’s winter 2104 exhibition Snow Day in Oyster Bay:

Wednesday January 20th. The sky was cloudless, the moon full, the sleighing magnificent. Baylis Hill was covered with sliders. At 9 P.M. F 1º

Friday January 22nd. Beautiful evening, clean moonlight, and much sliding on Baylis Hill.

Friday February 19th. Yesterday some parties skated to Cold Spring and back during the afternoon; and others came to Oyster Bay from Centre Island on the ice. Indeed it has been reported that the Sound itself has been crossed on the ice.

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Excerpt from Reverend Wightman's first journal entry on Thursday, 26 July 1855