1936-40 Manuscript Diary of a Rutland, Vermont Grandmother Who is the Wife of the Town’s Creamery Owner

On offer is an excellent 5-year diary from New England focused on the daily life of a middle class, middle aged woman and those in her circle. 

The diary belonged to Eva Jane Bassett Lamphere (1886-1975) to parents Jane Pullen and Wellington Bassett, a farmer. She lived her life in the West Rutland, Vermont area. In 1907 she was married to George Winfield Lamphere (1888-1967), who ran a wholesale and retail creamery in town while his brother, Emmett, ran a local convenience store. They had a son, Richard (Dick) Wellington (1915-2003) who would grow up to work as a physicist at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). At the time of this diary, Dick was married to a woman named Eunice. Eva Lamphere was 56 when she began this diary.

Although this was a momentous decade for the United States, her diary is very focused on local events and happenings in her life (and her son’s) vs those of the wider world. She does make a few insightful comments about the war raging around her, such as this one:

“1942: Rationing began Sugar first, then tires and gas. 1943 will see everything rationed. Geo spends more money and manpower on rationing than would be needed to double present production. Silly administration in Washington. Hope the new congress coming on Jan 3 will be wiser. No Nazi in labor, rationing and agriculture. I think Hitler would like civil war in American and bureaus are trying to provoke one” [Special Events Section]. 

Of interest is the way Eva discusses her relationship with her daughter-in-law, Eunice. Eunice and Eva’s son, Richard, live in Pennsylvania, have a child named David (and later a baby named Grace) and are regularly involved in Eva and George’s lives…for better or worse! Some excerpts:

“A 2 lb girl born to David and Eunice. She’s in hospital. Mrs. Avery says she did not know nurse left Eunice. Nurse should have her license taken away” [Feb 19, 1942].

“David plays out of doors and continually gets dirty. Eunice a little irritable. Try to hold patience” [Nov 19, 1942]. 

“Mrs. Avery came for Eunice and children this PM. Wish Eunice would stop complaining about Dick, she also has shortcomings” [Oct 16, 1943]. 

Overall, the diary is focused on the people and places that Eva, George and their family visit regularly. There are lots of fascinating tidbits in Eva’s thorough daily entries that help paint a fulsome picture of the lives of the middle class in New Hampshire. Excerpts follow:

“Ironed in A.M. Changed position of couch in dining room. Went to Rutland for cord for radio. Went to G. Meads. Cat came back from vet” [Jan 23, 1940].

“Went to store very early so Geo could take men to []. To Rutland after dinner Made arrangements to get Dodge back” [May 8, 1940].

“Geo did not sleep much last night. The effects of the carbon monoxide poisoning is affecting his kidneys” [Dec 10, 1940].

“Stay home all day. Cold – raw, mend shirt and stockings. Fix moose meat for stew in P.M. and wash bureau scarffs” [Mar 5, 1941].

“Stay home excepting for taking wash cloth bag up to Grace Meads. U.S. declares war on Japan. Am sorry our country must go to war” [Dec 8, 1941].

“Disturbing letter from Dick. He considers joining air corps. Will he never be content to live a normal life? Both of us much upset” [Jan 9, 1942].

“...Geo very depressed. Imperial Dairy Co. refused to take his frozen cream as they agreed to do, dirty trick on their part” [Feb 3, 1942]. 

“Mrs. Eastman’s oil stove set our corner house on fire. We all work to save things. Margaret slept here” [June 3, 1942]. 

“Geo and Edith return from Mass 12:30. Geo keeps store for Emmett in eve. Nellie Bell here this eve” [May 26, 1944]. 

For a social historian, this diary is filled with the minutia of daily life in rural Vermont during the war. For a Women’s Studies program, it very clearly describes the daily life experienced by many women in the middle of the 20th century and the gender roles they lived out.

This diary measures 5.0 inches by 4.25 inches and contains 365 pages. It is over 90 % complete. The padded cover is in good condition although there are wear marks on the corners and edges. The diary has a lock and the keys to the lock are in the box in which the diary was found. The binding is in good condition as are the pages. The handwriting is legible. Overall VG.