1912 THROUGH 1927 ARCHIVE OF NINE [9] ORIGINAL HANDWRITTEN DIARIES DETAILING THE LIFE, THE TIMES OF A RURAL ILLINOIS FAMILY AMIDST THE BACKDROP OF NEWLY DISCOVERED OIL

On offer is an archive of nine [9] in total original manuscript diaries three [1912, 1914 and 1915] handwritten by Miss J. Maie Garwood a 23 year old and six [1917, 1918, 1919, 1924, 1925 and 1927] diaries handwritten by T.J. Garwood an older woman [b. Dec. 20 1950], perhaps Maie's mother. The family lived in or near Bowen and La Prairie, Illinois with frequent mention of Hannibal, Bentley, Plymouth, Quincy, Augusta and Keokuk. Historians and collectors of the area will find entries about oil that was discovered in the area in 1914 and about the oil men coming around plus much more local history and genealogy. Both diarists do a super job keeping record of all the births, deaths and marriages in the area. We read with some delight at Maie's entry on April 2nd, 1914 where she talks about have a "carpet rag tacking" party and invites the whole neighborhood. She lists the names of everyone there. Here are some snippets: "February 6th, Real nice day. We washed in the forenoon. In the afternoon Hazel and Jessie called and I cut out a dress for Jessie. John went to haul hogs for M. E. Randall then went to Dave Sapp's for sawdust. Bob Mchone and a Harris fellow called to invite us to a dance at Frank Plowman's tomorrow night. They wanted Len to play but he declined. Marion Boman and George Nunn pulled in about 7:30 tonight for supper, preparatory to hulling clover tomorrow." "March 26th, Nice day. Hank and I went to town in the forenoon. Found the roads worse than we expected to find them but we drove the ____ so reached home in safety. Mama did the housework and ironed. In the afternoon we commenced the quilting. Len and John worked in the timber. At night all the boys took their "horses" and dogs out for a hunt. The derby dog got hung in the fence and Len had to go over to him. He had to carry him on home." "May 21st, A fine warm day. Windy again today. The boys worked at the other place. Papa and I went to town in the forenoon. Mama did the housework. We cleaned the pantry in the afternoon. Rev. Raines of Whitehall arrived in the neighborhood today representing the Sandy Creek Association. The Committee had a meeting at the church tonight. Papa attended and they decided they would not hand the money over to Bro. Raines without the proper authority." "May 24th, Just a dandy day. Henry and John worked at the other place. Len worked out west. John went to town in the morning and again at night. Mama and I attended the picnic at the school house. Mrs. Reeves went with us. She and Gladys stopped here a while in the evening as we came home. Had a very nice time at the picnic. Quite a crowd there. Mrs. Ferguson and Joe Coffman called about noon and expected their dinners but nothing doing on that line." 1914 "January 27th, ……Jay Botts shot E. C. Roberts in the arm tonight at the depot in Macomb. Mrs. William Root dropped dead in Artz' Store this evening." "February 11th, Cloudy most of the day and colder afternoon. John took Mary and Maxine to Bowen to go home on the freight. Len and Henry went to Big Neck in the afternoon to bring Mr. Hoyt and family up tomorrow. Ed Pettijohn called and spent most of the afternoon trying to sell a silo. Mama and I quilted in the afternoon. Began snowing about 9 o'clock tonight. Clifford Anderson shot and killed James Jacoby the marshal of Carthage tonight." "April 2nd, Nice in the afternoon but clouded up and sprinkled a little in the afternoon. John and John Hoyt shucked fodder on the King place. We had a carpet rag tacking today and invited the whole neighborhood. Those present were; Mesdames J. P. Browning, Joe Browning, William Reeves. H. F. Ross, L. J. Ross, L. E. Lenke, Charles Campbell, H. A. Campbell, W. D. Young, Clarence Young, Ed Hornecker, Frank Hornecker, Sid Winfield, M. E. Randell, S. P. Fosler, Nancy Allen, John Hoyt, Mrs. Renaker and little son, Misses Mary Leneke, Myrtle Foster and June Young and little misses Mabel Hoyt, Lois Young and Edna Hornecker. They served about 32 lbs. of rags beside the talking." "April 7th, Cloudy and cold today. I ironed in the forenoon some. Henry and Len went to town in the forenoon to attend the election. Papa, John and I went down in the afternoon as women have the privilege of voting. I went and gave them a boost. Mama wouldn't go. Mr. and Mrs. Reeves and the children went o Brooklyn today to visit his mother. She is very poorly. At night we kids all attended a dance at Walter Wolfs. Hoyt's went too. T. E. Burner was elected supervisor. R. B. Booker, town clerk, H. W. Garwood, assessor, Ben leach Progressive Collector. Truman Futhey and Alma Miller were married in Keokuk at noon today." "May 2nd & 6th, …..Fred Johnson and Marion Mosely called on campaign business. At night Hank and John went to Plymouth. Heard they had struck a wonderful oil well on Hoiney's (?) farm. He refused $1,000 an acre for his farm…..Some Standard Oil men called at the other place to lease oil land……." "July 29th, Nice cool day. The boys were out cattle buying. Mama and I did the housework. She did some mending. I sewed some on my pink dress. Papa did various things. Mabel called three times. Homer Huff called this morning on his way to Plymouth to meet John D. Rockefeller. John and Len went to town at night to take the Reeve's family to Augusta to take the train for Oronogo Mo. to visit." "September 8th, Nice cool day. I ironed. Mama did the housework and fixed peaches to dry. Hank and John H. plowed. They finished on the King place and commenced out west after noon. Len and John cut corn. M. E. Randall called to get the scraper, some crude oil and a buggy wheel. Fred Dickerson died today." "September 28th, …..Oil was struck this morning on the Cannon place." "January 1st, Rather cloudy this morning but turned out to be a fine day. Snowed some. The boys cut some wood during the storm. John H. came up and borrowed the sled to go to town. Mama and I cleaned up the house. Mabel stayed all night here last night and spent the day here today. At night Hoyt's and Reeve's came and brought oysters and gave us a grand surprise. Had music. We all felt rather bum today from the effects of the dance at Pettijohn's last night. Danced the old year out and the new one in. Fine time. Invited to a dance in town tonight. Charles Watts died in Chicago this a.m." "February 15th, Cloudy and windy. Some colder than yesterday. The boys worked in the timber. We didn't wash. We did the housework. Mama colored her wedding dress to be put in a comfort. I stamped a centerpiece and commenced embroidering it this afternoon. Dorothy Hoyt stayed here today. The Big Neck visitors came back this evening….." Some of the many names mentioned in these journals are; Dan Beehiemer, Loren Reynolds, Lena James, Joe Hanning, Ruth Tyree, Charlie Campbell, Matie Stark, Edna Cannon, Asa Hamilton, Yates, Palmer, Sam Zumwalt, George Steinbarger, Ed Hughes, Dave Sapp, Frank Plowman, Anthony Beard, George Farwell, Eliza Reed, Melvin Woods, Richard VanHorn, Satterfield, Lloyd Castlebury, Gladys Reeves, Moore, McAvoy, Alva and Orin Lipe, Cliff Clark and so many more. The pages and bindings look great but the covers are very worn, some torn. On average the diaries measure about 5 ¼" x 7 ¾" with some a bit smaller. Overall G+.; Manuscript; 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall; BOWEN, FARMING, OIL, OIL INDUSTRY, OIL EXPLORATION, EARLY OIL HISTORY, ILLINOIS, LA PRAIRIE, WOMENS STUDIES, GENDER STUDIES, SOCIAL STUDIES, POST WORLD WAR I, WORLD WAR ONE, HANDWRITTEN, MANUSCRIPT, DOCUMENT, LETTER, AUTOGRAPH, DIARY, JOURNAL, LOG, KEEPSAKE, WRITER, HAND WRITTEN, DOCUMENTS, SIGNED, LETTERS, MANUSCRIPTS, HISTORICAL, HOLOGRAPH, WRITERS, DIARIES, JOURNALS, LOGS, AUTOGRAPHS, PERSONAL, MEMOIR, MEMORIAL, PERSONAL HISTORY, AMERICANA, Als, antiquité, contrat, vélin, document, manuscrit, papier Antike, Brief, Pergament, Dokument, Manuskript, Papier oggetto d'antiquariato, atto, velina, documento, manoscritto, carta antigüedad, hecho, vitela, documento, manuscrito, Papel,