Search

Future grocer and amateur botanist Charles A. S. Robbins kept these two pre-printed daily diaries at the ages of 13 through 15, while living in Stoughton, Massachusetts, 1887-1888. Robbins attended school and frequently found himself in trouble for conversing, whispering, laughing, playing with matches, drumming on his desk, and otherwise disrupting class. He regularly checked books out of the local library and wrote about books and reading. He enjoyed time with his male and female friends, sleighing, sledding ("coasting" on town streets), and skating. Sometimes he fought with or threw stones at other boys. He played marbles, baseball, football, and hockey (played with a "polo stick"). Robbins also roamed about, watched local ball games, visited the beach, and went sailing and kite flying. He worked on local farms, picking cherries and grapes, and chopped wood. At home, his family played checkers and young "Gertie" got into mischief.

Future grocer and amateur botanist Charles A. S. Robbins kept these two pre-printed daily diaries at the ages of 13 through 15, while living in Stoughton, Massachusetts, 1887-1888. Robbins attended school and frequently found himself in trouble for conversing, whispering, laughing, playing with matches, drumming on his desk, and otherwise disrupting class. He regularly checked books out of the local library and wrote about books and reading. He enjoyed time with his male and female friends, sleighing, sledding ("coasting" on town streets), and skating. Sometimes he fought with or threw stones at other boys. He played marbles, baseball, football, and hockey (played with a "polo stick"). Robbins also roamed about, watched local ball games, visited the beach, and went sailing and kite flying. He worked on local farms, picking cherries and grapes, and chopped wood. At home, his family played checkers and young "Gertie" got into mischief.

Cynthia M. Buss of Oneida, Ohio, kept this pre-printed "The Union" daily diary from January 1 to December 31, 1858. Between the ages of 15 and 16, she kept brief notes on the weather, visits, dancing, games, picnics, sleigh rides, time spent with friends, school and singing school, studying, church and Sunday school, evening lyceum events, visiting lecturers, camp meetings, birthdays, cleaning, and ironing. She also wrote letters and compositions, and remarked on her siblings' activities.

Cynthia M. Buss of Oneida, Ohio, kept this pre-printed "The Union" daily diary from January 1 to December 31, 1858. Between the ages of 15 and 16, she kept notes on the weather, visits, dancing, games, picnics, sleigh rides, time spent with friends, school and singing school, studying, church and Sunday school, evening lyceum events, visiting lecturers, camp meetings, birthdays, cleaning, and ironing. She also wrote letters and compositions, and remarked on her siblings' activities. Between May 29 and July 8, she traveled to Pittsburgh to spend time with her aunt and uncle. In August, she suffered from a swollen face accompanied by significant pain. Frequently mentioned surnames include Totten, Wright, Hall, Clark, Fishel, Eakin, and Daniel.

Out of the ordinary entries include those on a phrenological lecture (January 18), an exhibition on magnetism and electricity by James Eakin (February 13), taffy pulling (March 10), a yearly meeting of "nearly four thousand people" at Minerva (August 5), quilting (October 1, November 3), trying but failing to see the Comet Donati (October 9), a visit to the fair (October 14), "making up my new French Merino" (November 16), and dipping 68 pounds of candles (November 20).

Cynthia Buss recorded letters sent and received in the "cash account" section at the back of the diary.

This collection contains 20 pre-printed daily diaries by Maria Jennings Barnard née Gibbs of East Wareham and Onset, Massachusetts, for the years 1865, 1866, 1867, 1869, 1872, 1873, 1876, 1880, 1881, 1914, and 1924-1932. Maria J. Gibbs' diaries pertain to home life (especially cooking, cleaning, sewing, and other housework). In the 1860s and 1870s, while in her 20s, she remarked on her work at cotton mills and sewing establishments in Plymouth and Middlesex Counties as well as her experiences living at various boarding houses. At the end of 1876, she married Nantucket sailor Benjamin A. Barnard and the diaries of 1880 and 1881 include content on household labor, child rearing, visits to other areas in the state, and loneliness from her husband's absences. Barnard wrote her later diaries, 1914 and 1924-1932, following the death of her husband in 1895, from Onset, Massachusetts, where she wrote about time with her daughter Nellie Barnard Robbins and grandson Lloyd Robbins, trips around Eastern Massachusetts, annual trips to Florida for the winter, cooking, cleaning, and visiting friends. The remainder of the collection is comprised of eight diaries, account books, address books, memoranda books, and wallets pertaining to the family of Maria Barnard's granddaughter Mildred Grace Robbins née Adams of Attleboro, Massachusetts, between 1913 and the 1950s.

This collection contains 20 pre-printed daily diaries by Maria Jennings Barnard née Gibbs of East Wareham and Onset, Massachusetts, for the years 1865, 1866, 1867, 1869, 1872, 1873, 1876, 1880, 1881, 1914, and 1924-1932. Maria J. Gibbs' diaries pertain to home life (especially cooking, cleaning, sewing, and other housework). In the 1860s and 1870s, while in her 20s, she remarked on her work at cotton mills and sewing establishments in Plymouth and Middlesex Counties as well as her experiences living at various boarding houses. Her 1872 diary includes a two-month trip to Chicago to visit relatives, with content on the aftermath of the Great Fire of 1871. Maria suffered from regular headaches and frequent nearly debilitating sicknesses. At the end of 1876, she married Nantucket sailor Benjamin A. Barnard and the diaries of 1880 and 1881 include content on household labor, child rearing, visits to other areas in the state, and loneliness from her husband's absences. Bernard wrote her later diaries, 1914 and 1924-1932, following the death of her husband in 1895, from Onset, Massachusetts, where she wrote about time with her daughter Nellie Barnard Robbins and grandson Lloyd Robbins, trips around Eastern Massachusetts, annual trips to Florida for the winter, cooking, cleaning, and visiting friends. When the 1932 diary concluded, Maria was 86 years old. The remainder of the collection is comprised of eight diaries, account books, address books, memoranda books, and wallets pertaining to the family of Maria Barnard's granddaughter Mildred Grace Robbins née Adams of Attleboro, Massachusetts, between 1913 and the 1950s.

Nelson W. Winton kept this diary between 1843 and 1847, at the ages of 14 to 17, while living with his aunt and uncle (a physician) in Havana, Chemung County, New York. Winton wrote about his attendance at district and select schools at Havana, taught by Rufus Burr and James H. Gage, and at the Owego Academy. He attended Episcopal, Methodist, and Presbyterian religious meetings, as well as temperance gatherings. Winton wrote regularly about helping with labor, such as killing and butchering cows and pigs, and chopping wood. He documented leisure activities, such as sleighing, skating, sledding, attending picnics and concerts, spending time in nature with his friends, interacting with young women, and other activities. On multiple occasions, he traveled to Geneva, Oswego, Syracuse, Binghamton, and other areas in New York State. Winton regularly recorded information about events that took place on holidays, including George Washington's Birthday, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year. At the end of the diary (pages 106-108, 118-157), Nelson Winton copied his compositions and speeches on subjects such as a dream, Greek and Roman history, pin making, the deleterious effect of reading novels, slavery, and other topics.

Nelson W. Winton kept this diary between 1843 and 1847, at the ages of 14 to 17, while living with his aunt and uncle (a physician) in Havana, Chemung County, New York. Winton wrote about his attendance at district and select schools at Havana, taught by Rufus Burr and James H. Gage, and at the Owego Academy. He attended Episcopal, Methodist, and Presbyterian religious meetings, as well as temperance gatherings. Winton wrote regularly about helping with labor, such as killing and butchering cows and pigs, and chopping wood. He documented leisure activities, such as sleighing, skating, sledding, attending picnics and concerts, spending time in nature with his friends, interacting with young women, and other activities. On multiple occasions, he traveled to Geneva, Oswego, Syracuse, Binghamton, and other areas in New York State. Winton regularly recorded information about events that took place on holidays, including George Washington's Birthday, July 4th (Independence Day), Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year.

At the end of the diary (pages 106-108, 118-157), Nelson Winton copied his compositions and speeches on subjects such as a dream, Greek and Roman history, pin making, the deleterious effect of reading novels, slavery, and other topics.

A selection of entries include:

• 1843 November 20: Gathered a group of boys together to whip his cousin Henry on his birthday.
• 1843 November 28: Attendance at the Youth's Washington Temperance Society.
• 1843 December 2: Went to see Tom Thumb (paid 6 pence to see him).
• 1844 March 10: Heard Samuel Parker (1779-1866) preach on his missionary work in the West.
• 1844 July 8: Did not attend the circus as he "does not approve of them."
• 1844 August 22: Attended a caravan at Jefferson; description of the animals he saw (elephants, tigers, panthers, wolves, monkeys, leopards, camels, etc. etc.).
• 1844 August 30: Fire at Mr. Down's Woolen Factory.
• 1844 September 6-23: Traveled by boat and railroad to Syracuse and Oswego, and returned to Havana (description of Oswego, Oswego River, and Fort Oswego).
• 1844 October 2-3: Chemung County Agricultural Fair.
• 1844 October 18: Mass meeting of Jefferson Whigs.
• 1844 December 12: "Gov [William C.] Bouck appointed to day Thanksgiving"; description of the day.
• 1845 January 24: Temperance Exhibition at the "Brick House"; presentation of George Lovell and his decline into drinking, gambling, murder, and prison.
• 1845 March 4: Village boys organized a "Franklin Association" for speaking and debating. Winton is a member.
• 1845 March 15: Tapping trees for maple sap/sugar.
• 1845 March 27: Edward Hazen visited the school to instruct on grammar.
• 1845 April 10: District School House sold at public auction; trustees and voters allocated $2,500 to build a new schoolhouse and playground.
• 1845 July 17-21: Travel to Owego and Binghamton.
• 1846 May 12: Attended a concert comprised of a mixed race cast, with one Native American woman; visited Mr. Holden who let them use his telescope.
• 1846 May 19: Opening of new schoolhouse, with speeches.
• 1846 June 3: Co-edited a newspaper devoted to Literature, Science and the Fine Arts, titled "The Pioneer."
• 1846 June 17: Lengthy description of examinations, orations, and acting.
• 1846 August 24ff.: Lengthy description of travel by steamboat to Geneva, New York, by railroad and packet to Oswego, then Syracuse. The packet was delayed because the crew got into a physical fight with the crew of another packet. Entertained on the packet by a black singer.
• 1846 December 24: Examinations, orations, and acting.
• 1847 February 1: Attendance at Emily Walker's party, comments on the women present.
• 1847 March 18, 25: Debating and topics of debate.
• 1847 July 3-4: Travel to Geneva, New York, to celebrate Independence Day.
• 1847 August 3: Elaborate picnic event, marching in procession from the "Temple of Science" to a glen, with a brass band, exhibition of paintings of sacred history, and lectures.
• 1847 August 29: Fourth time shaving; cut himself, preventing him from attending meeting.
• 1843-1845 (Pages 106-108, 118-157): Compositions and speeches for the school, the Owego Academy, the Owego Young Men's Lyceum, and the Havana Juvenile Washington Temperance Society.
• 1846 September 18 (Pages 141-142): Nelson Winton's reflections on his future prospects as a clerk and on his apprehensions about leaving the home of his uncle, aunt, and cousins.