Unexpected Encounter

A recent solar storm has turned our eyes upward we try to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. But one hundred seventy-seven years ago, Nehemiah Fitch Metcalf, of Vernon, was probably not thinking much about the sky when he experienced a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with a meteor.

On Sunday evening, 24 January 1847, he made the following entry in his diary:

"In writing under date of Jan 19, I stated that nothing worthy of notice had occurred since my last date, but in that I was mistaken, or rather it did not occur to me at the time that on Monday Evening Jan. 11th about 10 oclock I saw a splendid meteor in the direction a little south of East from the tavern house kept by A. Dickinson. The first I discovered of it was from a flash of light as from a brilliant lamp or lantern, lighting up the whole yard & shed when I stood under the latter in the act of untying my horse & as I came out from the shed I discovered in the direction before indicated the cause of the light, but only for an instant as just then it appeared to burst and actually parted into several pieces and disappeared. When I first saw it & before it burst it appeared as large as a fire ball, such as are thrown about the street on Fourth of July evening’s. I heard no report at the bursting of the Meteor."

Life in Oneida County

This entry records a rare and fascinating occurance, but it also provides insights into mid-nineteenth-century Oneida County life. There was a tavern kept by A. Dickinson. Nehemiah owned a horse that he kept tied in a shed that was somewhere in his yard. And, Fourth of July celebrations included "fire balls" which were "thrown about the street." These clues could lead to reasearch that furthers our understanding of our ancestors' lives.

Clark-Metcalf Family Diaries

Nehemiah's diary is part of the Westmoreland Historical Society's Clark-Metcalf Family Collection. The collecton includes diaries that span 1825 to 1891 (with gaps), including thirteen volumes written by Nehemiah Fitch Metcalf, and other volumes written by Erastus W. Clark, James M. Clark, Everett C. Metcalf, Zebulon Metcalf, and Anna B. (Clark) Seymour. Many of the entries are routine—"Spent the day in the shop"—but some entries are rich with fascinating content.

If you would like to explore these diaries, stop by the Historical Society Room during open hours or contact us to make other arrangements.

Further Information About Nehemiah

For more information about Nehemiah, see, for example, "Personal," obituary in paragraph beginning Nehemiah F. Metcalf, Roman Citizen (Rome, New York), 26 June 1885, p. 3, col. 2; digital image, Old Fulton NY Post Cards (https://fultonhistory.com), search for "Rome NY Roman Citizen 1883 - 1885 Grayscale - 0465.pdf" (no quotes).

Published 12 May 2024

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Banner Photo: Part of a page from Nehemiah Fitch Metcalf's 1847 diary.