These pages come from a handwritten, leather bound journal that was given to me for Christmas.  It belonged to a friend’s grandmother; the inside cover is signed “Annie S. Bush” and “Warren Koons.”  According to my friend, Warren is a relation of her grandmother, and Annie Bush was Warren’s first wife. She was born June 20, 1854 and died Sept 1, 1883.  I suspect Warren picked up the book after his wife died (her signature appears to be written earlier) and wrote in it until his untimely death in 1910.  Warren and his second wife were brutally murdered by their son-in-law: read the New York Times article here.
In addition to home remedies like these, the book is full of beer and wine recipes; baked good reciepts from Annie; and a study of wild mushrooms. Â I’ll be sharing more pages over the next week.
I’m in love with the handwriting. I love the old Copperplate/Spencerian penmanship.
Half that stuff is illegal now!! Perigoric, opium, chlorform… whoa! The handwriting is so gorgeous but the medicine could kill you!
That has to be one of the coolest gifts ever. I am green with envy!
whoa..that’s GREAT!!
This is my great-great grandfather Warren Koons born in Canton Ohio and my great-great grandmother Annie Lewis Bush ( she is a direct decendant of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins of the Mayflower and is buried at Mystic River, CT). Annie died while giving birth to my Great grandfather Marland Warren Koons I and my father was Marland Warren Koons III. I would love to talk to you about this book.