Handwritten Depression-Era Vermont Diary by Ethel LeBer
0010046A detailed 1928 diary handwritten by 62-year-old Ethel LeBer in rural Vermont during the early years of the Great Depression.
LeBer was born in November 1865 and lived her life in northern Vermont, near the city of Bristol. She passed away in 1929 at the age of 63. She was married to William LeBer and they had one child, a daughter who died when she was 16. Together, Ethel and her husband operated a small farm. She was 62 when she kept this diary.
The diary describes the daily life that she and her husband lived, detailing the many tasks necessary to keep their farm operation going. It is totally focused on their immediate life, with almost no references to what was happening in the larger world.
“Still cold -- 15 degrees below. Nelson came down to dinner, was here just about 2 hrs. Will went down to Bristol and got a horse shod . He and Lloyd cleaned out the sawdust in the ice house” (February 6).
“70 degrees. Hot & sultry. Lloyd drew rest of wood to W. Wright. Will made ice cream & did chores. He filled the refrigerator for the first time. Put milk in trough to cool for first time” (April 5).
“Clear and cooler. Men worked at haying. Nailor boy worked here. I cooked beet greens & made graham pudding” (July 17).
“Cloudy and cool. Snowed a little in the morning. Men finished digging potatoes. Had 850 bu. Nelson stayed here last night and went home this AM” (September 25).
“Very pleasant. Ate our dinner with Lou and tried to be happy but when the heart is sad, its hard to be glad” (December 25).
Details
- 6" x 3"
- 122 pages
- 100% complete
Condition
- Cover is in good condition
- Binding is damaged on the inside of the front cover
- Stitching is intact but the binding has cracked
- Pages are in good condition and the handwriting is legible.
Ethel LeBer’s diary offers an excellent view of the daily life of a small farmer in upstate Vermont during the Great Depression, and paints a clear picture of the life that many many women in rural America led at that time of severe economic distress.
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