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NOT IDENTIFIED : 1892 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT DIARY HANDWRITTEN BY AN ALL AMERICAN TEENAGE BOY DETAILING HIS LIFE AND TIMES AND EVEN GREAT GRADES IN LATE 19th CENTURY CENTRAL MICHIGAN

32mo - over 4" - 5" tall. On offer is a very interesting diary from 1892 written by teenage boy living in rural America. The diary measures 5" by 3 1/2 inches and is very good condition. There are about 250 pages - 182 actual diary pages and 60 pages Memoranda, Cash Accounts, etc sections of the book. The diary portion is 100% complete and there are various entries in the Accounts and other memoranda sections Our writer remains unidentified throughout the diary. There is nothing specific enough to identify him. And it is a him - a 15 year old boy at the beginning of the year. He lived on a farm close to town. There are contextual clues that suggest this town is Flint, MI as it is mentioned a number of times. He was religious in keeping his diary and through it we can see what life would be like for a mid-teens boy in rural/small town America just prior to the end of the 19th century. As can be expected, there is a very predictable routine in his life. He attends school regularly (9th grade) and obviously works had at his studies: "... I averaged 79 in Arithmetic, 94 in Botany, 87 in Grammar, 90 in [ ] History 93 in Bookkeeping, 95 in [ ]" [June 17]. He attends church virtually every Sunday and participates regularly in Sunday School. And through it all, he does chores and enjoys the sorts of things a 16 yr old would enjoy. Here is a sampling of entries: "I attended school today. The 10th grade and Claude Ottaway and I of the 9th grade took our first lesson in Botany today. Will McPherson was to our house tonight selling stamps I bought one [ ] for $.01 I went skating after school tonight and after supper. ..." [Jan 5]; "I attended school today . I went down town tonight after school and then came back and did my chores and went down to Gus' to supper. We all attended at our church tonight. I sang in the choir" [Mar 1]; "I went down town this morning and took a livery horse over to Holmes and Hattie to go to Flint with. Fred French rowed me across the river again. I attended school. I wrote a letter to Daisy [ ] this morning" [June 1]; "I cut weeds in the meadow this forenoon. This afternoon, I cut weeds and brush. Frank Wilson and I robbed a bumble bee's nest. Mother wrote a letter in the meadow ..." [Aug 22]; "I dug some on a well in the meadow. I got down to quicksand. Holmes and I dug this afternoon. Holmes bought the rocks for the well ... Mrs. S. Baker was shot at" [Aug3]. Looking through the Accounts section, one can get a real sense of the costs of everyday items. Here are some examples: "shoe repairs - 25 ¢, stamp - 1¢, hair cut 20¢, lead pencil 3¢, new shoes $3.30". A poignant entry is written in a child's hand on a blank Account page: "daddy died in 1932 He was 56 years old when he died Written by June 11 years old Born 1924". Through these entries, a reader can get a glimpse of a lifestyle that is now long gone and has passed into the mythology of a 'golden age' for life in America. This would be an excellent resource for a social or economic historian, especially of rural or small town America.. Illustr.: /. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good +

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