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UNIDENTIFIED : 1933 ORIGINAL DEPRESSION ERA MANUSCRIPT DIARY OF A YOUNG WOMAN'S LIFE IN THE OREGON BACK COUNTRY AND HER 1965 DIARY WHICH SHOWS LITTLE HAS CHANGED OVER 30 YEARS

24mo - over 5" - 5¾" tall. On offer is an interesting archive of two [2] original diaries: a 1933 manuscript Depression Era diary handwritten by a then school age [17?] young woman who lived in the country around the Pedee and Airlie areas of Oregon which is in Polk County Oregon and the same woman in a 1965 diary. (Remarkably little has changed over the 30+ years!) While she does not specify her name anywhere there is one particular clue when she mentions "Grandpa Condron" that will assist local collectors in fleshing out her identity. The diary also offers researchers and historians of the place and time with the interesting perspective of how primitive in many ways the Pacific Northwest. As one online source provides: "Small town similar to Airlie were dotted along the railroad lines of Oregon from the 1880's onto the 1920's. They were comprised of several small merchants, a few modest agriculture or time related mills or enterprises, a standardized railroad station and a post office. The railroad from Monmouth to Airlie was abandoned in 1927 and the community was virtually abandoned during WWII when the surrounding land was incorporated into Camp Adair. Today it is a crossroads best known as the site of the Airlie Winery." Other places mentioned are Bald Mountain, Lewisville, Dallas, Kings Valley and the Cherry Grove Schoolhouse. The diary is a little over 2/3rd full of handwritten entries. About 100 blank days and most of those are in the fall. But this is a great vintage diary showing just how hard this young girl worked on the farm and also what her social life was like living in the country of Oregon in the 1930s. Here are some snippets: 1933 "January 28th, Didn't get up very early. Leo and Jim went to help dig the grave. Theda went over to Aunt Eva's with them. Jim took mamma's quilts to the store. I worked on some back school work but didn't get it done. Mama swept the upstairs. I got my wood in. Jim and Leo went to the store in the evening. They brought mamma's quilts back. The red bed spread had a ribbon on it." "February 28th, Theda and I walked. She stopped at Kearns. The girls and mamma rode in the truck with Jim. Mamma and Theda went to the Holiness meeting in Dallas with Joe. Mamma and the girls saw the baby this morning. I didn't. We walked home tonight. We are to go to prayer meeting with Joe. 22 went in his truck to prayer meeting. 23 came back as his dog followed him. Had a Sunday school meeting." "March 6th, We walked to school. The committee decided to write the principle at Kings Valley to see if they could come to a party March 24. Will write letter tomorrow. We walked home in the rain tonight. We stopped at Freda's. Delsie gave us a tart. She gave us some onions and some butter. Mamma is to make them some bread. Old Lady died. Grandpa Condron gave her to mamma when she was married. Lady was 2 years old then." "April 12th, Eva was down before the boys were done with breakfast. Karen was along. Grace went to school with us. We walked to Bill's, got a ride with him from there. I worked on the puzzle. I finished the puzzle tonight, Indians hunting buffalo. We practiced Easter play on stage at last period. Mr. Bradley took Lyle home after he got hit on the nose with a baseball. Madeline found some Lady Slippers." "April 23rd, Jim took us to S.S. and church. I played. I had 5 in class today. Mr. Fogg preached from Obadiah 17-21. After church we went up above the Cherry Grove Schoolhouse. We ate dinner there and left the car. We walked up to the Haite (?) place and got some daffodils. Grandma went with us. Cliff brought us home. Passed Rex and Beverly going home. Victor and Nettie took Letha to town." "May 12th, I took some of Mrs. Grazon's papers to school for advent event. I almost didn't get my thought copied in time for class. Mr. Brady assigned us poets to write about. Mine are Harriet Monroe and Harold Monroe. We stopped at Freda's. I got the puzzle of Beth's. I went up to Aunt Eva's and got some papers for Endeavor Party. Proff bawled out Helen and Gordon. Mrs. Grazon stopped and we went to 4th conference. Mr. Gate's led. I played piano." "May 21st, Jim took us to S.S. and Church. Neva played for Sunday school. Mr. and Mrs. Smith of Newport, a neighbor and his daughter were here today. Then Mr. Smith preached. The girl surely could play and sing. She played a banjo or something. Burt was down. May had dinner started when we got home. Theda, Cloe, Harriet, Blare and the children were over. They brought two birds. Put Theda's jigsaw together. May didn't feel good. Fine day only cold wind." "June 8th, (Trip to the beach) Awake probably 5 minutes before alarm went off at 4:00 o'clock. I got up to shut off alarm but couldn't. Aunt Eva got up. It sure is raining. She got me a breakfast then got my things and went to schoolhouse. Couldn't' get in. Kearns wouldn't' take truck. Got Mr. Kearns car. Didn't leave till 7:00 o'clock. Got there 10:25. Had to get glass house opened. Wind sure blue. Went to Lighthouse but couldn't get in. Went to dock and went through lumber boat "Tillamook". Most of them went in swimming in the Nest. (I think she's talking about the Nestucca River) Got home. Went with Neva, Reva, Cleo, Billie." "July 14th, Planned to go to Maud's. Leo cutting hay. Freda going to Dallas so we went along. Carny and Wilbur trial going off but didn't go in. Freda went for cherries but didn't get any. Stopped at Clay Bushes but Nell was picking cherries. Went out to Frank Bushes. Had 2 blowouts or flat tires coming home. Newbury Cream man and Mr. Maldony helped us fix them. Had no pump or jack. May was here all day. Bill and Freda stayed for supper." "August 18th, Girls came in and said Leo is going over to Arnold's. Theda said for us to go ahead to the picnic. Mother and us went. Theda stayed. Lucile was home. Picnic at Ritners Grove by white bridge. Mr. Wills was out. Had a good time. They swam in afternoon. We came home early when Jim came. Arthur Good and family, Ruth, Jack and Gerald went out to visit May. They were here almost till dark as they went home. I didn't go out. Had my overalls on. Emma and George were playing. Later started the jigsaw puzzle. Didn't get finished." "August 22nd, Freda told me as I went to look for a heifer that she was going to town. Madeline stayed and came up with her. I found the cows. We milked them. We went to town (Independence and Monmouth) with Freda. Sure saw some poor people. Stayed at Nell Bushes good share of time. Virgil went back to Portland but Emma stayed. John is to take her back. Maud came down to go to prayer meeting at Chet and Eva Burbank's. We helped milk. Started walking. The girls went on. Trueax's went in their car. Going to make 2 trips. Grazon's picked us up. We rode over to Cockel's. Bill not in and mamma, Eugene, K and Maud went with him. We all rode back with Grazon's. Theda and girls went down with Trueax's. Bobbie A. stayed all night." "October 7th, Got up and left about 20 to 7. Got up to May's around 8, took my time. Didn't meet any cars. George and girls came about 9:00. We had trunks, chest and most of load on when Burt came. I sent horse back with George behind wagon. We packed more and had our dinner. They got back around 1:00. Two boys above were along. Got loaded and left about 3:00. We left 5 T's with goats. Walked from Wiser's with boy's sister. Got home about 5:00. Sure tired. Worked some on biology. Some went to bed. Big dance at Peedee. Bill came up to see Jim. He had left." She does a super job with names throughout: Clark, Cormack, Grazon, Betty Kearns, Nelda Trueax, Williams, Brady, Charley Burbank, Poole, Fogg, Skelton, Lacey, Laura Hosmer, Roule Cooke, Osborn, Wells, Simpson, Beeson, Baker, Morris, Bennett, Metland, Bertha Willet, Delsie, Vanden Bossche, Willamette Dyer, Coleman and more. The diary is 4" x 5" and overall G+.. Book Condition: Good+

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