There’s no telling how it ended up in New York, 151 years after the author who filled its 360 pages died here. But a journal owned by a mid-19th century sailor, ship’s agent and farmer from Westport has made its way back home, and promises to teach historians here much about what daily life was like in Westport nearly two centuries ago.

The journal was written in a neat hand by Henry Smith, who was born in Dartmouth in 1815 and died in Westport in 1873. A farmer, sailor and agent who worked to outfit whaling and other vessels, Smith recorded nearly everything he did and saw, from the mundane to the tragic in daily life, in the journal that spans the years 1853 to mid-1861.

Though Westport historians were aware of Smith previously, and he had long and old ties to the town, they knew nothing of his journal until Westport Public Library researcher Robin Winters found it for sale in a New York book store late last winter. When she heard about the find, society president Jenny O’Neill said she was beyond interested:

Winters “got in touch with me and I presented it to our collections committee,” O’Neill said Monday. “We all agreed that it was something that we should have.”

Now, after having the journal’s pages digitized, a group of about 30 volunteers have begun transcribing Smith’s writing, which was likely laid down at what is now known as the Keith Farm at 775 Horseneck Road. They hope to have their work done by the Spring.

Even with just a few pages transcribed so far, O’Neill said, Smith’s writing is giving historians new insights into old Westport.

“So many things,” she said. “So many details of daily life and some bigger tragic stories that we hope to delve into some more.”

“He writes about how he got around, going by horse from New Bedford to Fall River, and almost every day he was traveling to Westport Point — he would be rowed over. He saw an eclipse of the sun. He writes about the winter of 1857 and the extreme cold — about snow drifts being as high as his horse’s back. And then in amongst all of this is a lot of information on whaling ships. We’re learning a lot.”

As a sailor, Smith would have been a keen watcher of the weather and most of the entries transcribed to date start out with a brief summation — the direction of the wind, the temperature, and the like. From there, they go on about his travels — regular trips to the Point, Russells Mills, Fall River and New Bedford. Sodom Road, Adamsville and other places.

Smith, whose son Abbott once owned the Handy House, writes in a neutral tone about what he did on each particular day, and spares editorializing. One random day:

“Friday, February 18th: At sunrise wind NW and clear. I went to Gooseberry neck with the team and got a load of seaweed at 11 o’clock AM arrived home. After dinner I went to mill at russells mills. Carried three grists and two bushels of apples at 1 dollar for bushels. Bought one bag of salt (and a) box of codfish for 30 cents. At sunset returned home.”

While many of the entries are of a similar nature, O’Neill said others tell darker, tragic stories, including his entry from Feb. 15, 1854:

“Nancy wife of Allen S Davis of Westport disappeared at 12 midnight with a small child. She wrote on the outside door follow me to the river for that is a passport to a better world. Her bonet, shawl and a hatchet was found by the river side but have not found any traces of her up to this day.”

Volunteer transcribers are meeting regularly to talk about their work as they go through their entries, and the next meeting is scheduled for this coming Wednesday, Dec. 11.

If you are interested in helping, or just learning more about the journal project, see wpthistory.org/henry-smith-journal-information-for-transcribers/ or e-mail O’Neill at westporthistory@westporthistory.net.