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ALICE GOODRICH : 1879 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT DIARY HANDWRITTEN BY A MAINE WOMAN DETAILING DAILY LIFE IN A SMALL FARMING VILLAGE

32mo - over 4" - 5" tall. On offer is an interesting little diary of a farm wife in rural Maine in mid-19th century America. It measures 4.75 inches by 3.25 inches and contains 60 pages plus memoranda. The binding, covers and pages are in good condition. The handwriting is in pencil and, although faded somewhat, is legible. Also included in the diary are a number of pieces of ephemera. Alice Goodrich was born in 1853 in the village of Bingham, ME. She married in 1873 and had 3 children. She passed away in 1908 at the age of 54. Married to Granville Goodrich, she lived on a farm near the village. Her household is a busy one. She kept this diary for 1879. In 1878, she had given birth to her first child, a son named Claude. The next year, she would give birth to the first of two daughters. In addition, her husband's parents lived with them. In addition to keeping the home and helping on the farm, she also taught school on occasion. The diary is a fine record of the daily events in this woman's life. She spends her days cleaning, repapering the rooms in the house, knitting, spinning wool, sewing and cooking. She also notes the comings and goings of her husband, family members, friends and acquaintances. "Cooling some this morning. Mrs. G and Gran have gone to the village. Gran and I went over to Cooley's …" [Feb 15]; "Gran has gone to the village on foot. Have been mopping the floor. Charlie sick all night" [Apr 19]; "Went to Waterville to see Barnum Show. Love went with us. Had a very nice time. Saw the Giant that weighed 620 lbs. the little dwarf that weighed 12 lbs. The sea lion. 10 elephants Hippopotamus Ostrich Camels Bairs & c ." [June 25]; "Mr. Mrs. gone hunting potato bugs for Verne. Got home eleven o'clock Mrs. G has gone over to Mrs. Redmans this afternoon Mr. G has gone over after her as it is raining have been fixing my plants this afternoon Mrs. Prible sent me the slips" [July 19]; "Ironed made some fries Mrs. Redman went to the village and gave me a pattern to cut my dress PM Baby sick with cold all night" [Sept 3]; "Washing Mr. Row came here just before noon went away PM picked some blackberries PM Mr. G went to mill Mrs. G and Mabel went after chock cherries after supper" [Aug 25]. In the memoranda / accounts section, she keeps track of transactions such as maple syrup made and sold. Also included with the diary are some cards and a listing of family deaths. This is a delightful record of daily life in a small farming village in Maine. It is an excellent resource for local historian as she mentions many people by their full name. A genealogist would value the listing of not only the people mentioned but the family history included with the diary. More broadly, it paints a very good picture of life in this part of America in the later 19th century.. Illustr.: /. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good

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