Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to the Annamae Barlup Myers and Stephen Harriman Diaries

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.0345
Creators:
Harriman, Stephen (farmer)
Myers, Annamae Barlup (farmer)
Dates:
1883 - 1967
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
1 Cubic foot
3 boxes
Repository:
Collection consists of diaries for Annamae Myers, documenting the activities of a farm family in Ohio, 1931-1967 and Stephen Harriman, Mrs. Myers' maternal grandfather, covering the years1884, 1888, 1893 and 1894.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The Annamae Myers diaries record the activities of a farm family in Ohio, 1931-1967. There are daily entries about the weather and frequent mention of trips to the hairdresser and trips to the children's music and dancing lessons and to town for shopping, movies, or to pay bills. The diaries include frequent entries of amounts received for the sale of farm produce, and some financial data are entered at the end of each volume, but such entries are neither regular nor complete. They do however provide information on prices for agricultural products in a rural community. Major political and historic events are noted. There is infrequent reference to the emotions generated by family living and by the historic and political events of the twentieth century. Also includes a few diaries kept by Stephen Harriman, Mrs. Myers' maternal grandfather, with very brief daily entries of the weather, trips to town, visits made and visitors to the farm, and the start of farm operations, i.e., plowing, sowing.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Annamae Barlup Myers was born April 7, 1903 in Ohio and spent most of her life on a farm, first, the "home farm" which her parents bought in 1915, then that of her father-in-law, followed by about seven years in a small Ohio town and a return to the home farm. Her diaries are a record of life in rural Ohio for more than thirty years. The diaries reflect a life busy with household chores, laundry, cooking, churning, gardening, canning, and preserving and helping on the farm. For example, Mrs. Myers helped with the threshing, driving the tractor, and cooking for temporary farm helpers during peak periods. In addition to making some of her own and the children's clothes, Mrs. Myers sewed for friends and neighbors and during some years took care of a small child for pay. The many references during the early years to not having enough money to meet their obligations gradually give way to a picture not of affluence but of more comfortable financial circumstances without the constant worry about bills evident in entries during the thirties and early forties. Although the diaries primarily note the events of family life they also mention major political or historic events with a few emotional overtones.

Administration

Author
Grace M. Angle
Sponsor
Digitization of this collection was made possible by Andrew and Anya Shiva.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Collection donated by Mrs. Margaret Myers, June 22, 1989.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Grace Angle, volunteer, 1990; Collection contents digitized by Noah Stewart, intern, 2017.
Custodial History
Collection transferred to the Archives Center from the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (now Division of Work and Industry), July 25, 1989.

Using the Collection

Preferred Citation
Annamae Barlup Myers & Stephen Harriman Diaries, 1883-1894, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Conditions Governing Use
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Agriculture Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Agricultural Prices Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ohio Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rural families Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Diaries Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
West Liberty (Ohio) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Housewives Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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