Thanks for stopping by! During the month of April, we’re participating in the A to Z Blog Challenge. We’re posting every day (except Sundays) to the letter of the day – A to Z through the whole month. Vintage Daze’s theme for April is RESEARCH. Join us as we get down and dirty in the archives.
Diaries are my favorite source of historical tidbits. Not only do you find a lot of information about events in the past, but the writer’s personality and traits shine through, giving you a glimpse of the person that lived on this earth many years before we did.
Countless diaries have been published and even more used as historical background for fictionalized tales. I think some of my favorite have been diaries of women and young girls traveling the land in covered wagons, in search of a better life for their family. Diaries of immigrants are fascinating also. I also enjoy reading Civil War diaries – although they leave my heart saddened.
One of my favorite discoveries was a five year diary, written by Flora Caldwell Luper, during the years 1948-1952. Some of her entries are like this:
March 8, 1948 Bad weather again. The horses got out. Went to Stamper’s. Sold my eggs to Leo Ball. 40¢ per. doz. Rode to the store with Loy. Back with Lynn.
March 12, 1948 Cold this morn. Apples froze in the cellar. Al gone to work. Saw no one today. Cold and bad weather. Sewed some. Tea towels. Al about sick with cold.
It’s seeing a small slice of life, lifted from the pages of the past. I wrote a little more about it on this blog – Dear Diary: Fayetteville Arkansas 1948.
I shared what Flora’s five Christmases were like during this period on – Flora Luper’s Christmases.
What are your thoughts on diaries? Have you read any good ones?
Vintage Daze 
Lovely post. Although I have not read any diaries but am sure that quite a few of us maintained one for ourselves at some point in our life….in fact, they are one’s best friends at times!!
Looking forward to reading more from you.
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Thank you for stopping by. I agree about them being our best friend at times. Truthfully, I’ve probably written things that I wouldn’t want published years later!
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I inherited diaries from each of my grandmothers. My paternal grandmother’s is a daily diary. My maternal grandmother’s is a travel diary of a U.S. cross-country trip with my grandfather in the 1960s. I love reading what they wrote because it captures their unique voice.
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How exciting!!! What a wonderful legacy you have – memories and thoughts of two grandmother’s. I’m so happy for you!
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