1900-1901 Diary of a Young, Single and Social Illinois Woman Finding Joy in the Mundane

On offer is a fine description of a young woman’s life in small-town America at the turn of the 20th century.

The author of this diary is Marie Weckesser. From context, we know that she is a young woman, likely in her early twenties. Although we have no specific biographical information about her, we do know that she is related to the Landis family in Sterling, Illinois, specifically John & Susan Landis who were her uncle and aunt. Our informal research has not been able to find any additional biographical information about her. 

From context we know that she lived in the Sterling, Illinois - Rock Falls, Illinois area. Her diary begins in May of 1900. Most days she enters several descriptive lines. It continued through until September 1901. Her entries describe a quiet life lived with presumably her sister. Her father is mentioned in passing at various points but there is no reference to her mother. Her days are filled with household chores and enlivened by many many social interactions.

Some excerpts from her diary, which give you the flavour of her writing follow:

“David, [ ], Ann Landis, Sarah and I took our supper out to the Mineral Springs. Had a fine supper. Sarah & I drove down town & and over to Rock Falls Band Concert in eve. Had a picnic” [June 30, 1900]. 

“Did Sat work. Went to Rock Falls band concert in eve. Fremont took us in carriage. Beghtol & Baxter, Sarah & I went buggy riding. Went to the train at half past one to get John, Anna Graber & Anna Fedler” [Aug 25, 1900].

“Pleasant. I sewed all day. Anna and I went up to Girard Ave where I got my shoes. Went over to John’s. Met Addie’s brother. Addie, Anna and I went up on Front St. Came home and sewed til after 1:30. Finished our dresses. Aunt Susan died” [June 8, 1901]. 

In 1901, she travels east to visit family in Lancaster City, Pennsylvania. On one of her excursions, she mentioned the GAR Encampment in Cleveland, Ohio. The GAR was the Grand Army of the Republic, a veterans organization of those who had fought in the Civil War. Founded in 1866, it ultimately had nearly a million members. It dissolved in 1956 with the death of the last member.

For a social historian, this diary gives a very interesting look into the life of a single young woman in middle-America at the turn of the last century. For a women’s studies or gender studies program, it offers a fine picture of one aspect of women’s lives at that time.

This diary is actually a soft-cover, top-bound notebook. The cover is in very good condition as is the binding. The pages are in good condition and the handwriting is legible.