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GRACE MERRITT : 1903 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT DIARY HAND WRITTEN BY A LOVELY UPSTATE NEW YORK WOMAN

8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. On offer is a delightful diary of 18 yr old Grace Merritt of Evans Mills, NY, a small village in upstate NY just south of the St. Lawrence River. The cover has come loose but the binding of all of the pages is intact. The handwriting is clear and legible. The diary measures approximately 8 1/2 inches by 6 1/2 inches. It covers the period from January 1, 1903 until July 25, 1903. While most entries are short, there are several that extend over more than a page. Grace's mother had passed away years earlier and she had assumed the role of homemaker for her father and younger sister, Nina. The diary is replete with references to daily life and community happenings. "... Henry Drake and Mr. Kinney helped pa butcher today". [Jan 16]. "... Been to work all day at the meat and lard..." [Jan 19]. "... Worked nearly all the A.M. Went down to Mrs. Kinney's in the afternoon and carried home the sausage cutter and a piece of spare rib". [Jan 28]. "Not a very pleasant day. I hung out the clothes to dry, moped the floor and done all the other work and Nina helped do some of the work. Papa went to the village. Nina went up to Mrs. Bakers but did not go in and came back and staid to Jessie's the rest of the P.M. Nina and I went down to the I. O. G. T. We had a big time. We took in 2 new members. The Companions had a Sugar Social and invited the Foresters but papa did not go" [Mar 28] . "Pa ployed (ploughed?) part of the day. Bertha Lyons came down before we had breakfast to go with Nina to school. Papa helped Mr. Drake get off a rut hole out here. Nina took down 1 1/2 dozen eggs at $1.50/doz." [Apr 15]. Also included in the diary are several other items. Two postcards confirm the community - Evans Mills and her father's name - William. There is a label of Lincoln brand preserves in good condition. There is also a damaged cover of a poetry book titled Harvest of Thorns. Another interesting insert of a pamphlet titled How To Become A Member Of The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Accompanying it is a handwritten note dated June 14, 1927, twenty five years after this diary was written, in which Grace asks for application forms. Of note, is that it is signed Grace Messina. Grace married in May 1918. There are a great many references to local people and this would be an excellent reference point for someone doing research on local families in Jefferson County, NY. It is an excellent reference for gender studies as it shows clearly the day-to-day lifestyle and expectations on a young woman at the turn of the century in rural America. A social historian would find the diary a treasure trove of details among the web of relationships in this small community. Through the words of this diary, a reader meets a lovely young woman growing up on the cusp of enormous social changes.. Illustr.: /. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good

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