The Irving M. Lyon Diaries consists of seventeen small volumes, hand-stitched and without covers. The volumes contain diary entries and a few financial records of Irving M. Lyon of Naples, Ontario County, New York. Lyon recorded every major aspect of his life as an industrious small farmer and businessman: crop plantings, weather, harvests, hiring of laborers, and so on. One entry from December 15, 1840, reads as follows: "Began to plow Parade ground with four horses helped L. W. Gerome get the number and description of the lots of land in this town." Over the years Lyon built and sold houses and barns, as well as selling lumber and the produce of his farm. Diary entries also document his keen interest in town business, such as his attendance at court and local elections. An entry from March 22, 1861, reads "Went to war meeting at Independent Hall." The diaries provide a vivid picture of the life of a successful small farmer and entrepreneur in mid-nineteenth century central New York.