1936 ORIGINAL DEPRESSION ERA LAKE OF MEADOWS PENNSYLVANIA MANUSCRIPT DIARY HANDWRITTEN BY A WOMAN WHO STARTS THE YEAR UNDER THE PRESSURE OF A FATHER IN THE HOSPITAL AND THEN HIS DEATH

On offer is an interesting, original Depression era manuscript diary handwritten by an unidentified woman who lives in or near the Lake of Meadows Pennsylvania area but she does write quite a bit about going to Binghamton New York. There are many, many clues as to her identity which local historians and collectors should assuredly be able to confirm. It also appears that her family owns a group of cottages on the Lake and rents them out in the summer. The diary has a few entries for 1935, all of 1936 save for 16 days and there are 3 entries for 1937. At the outset we learn that her father is heading in for surgery. After some ups and downs we learn that on February 20th, 1936 he dies from heart failure. After that she spends much of her time working on the cottages, traveling to Canada for vacations and then in the fall having to repair one or several of the cottages as they had a fire. Plus, they get a good deal of property damage during the big flood of 1936 and many of the entries are about this event. Though the diary is a small pocket size diary measuring about 2 ¾" x 5 ½", her writing is small and she paints a super picture of her life and times. Here are some snippets: 1935 "December 29th - 31st, Papa was examined at hospital Sunday. Yesterday took x-rays to Parks…..Decided to go to hospital tomorrow….Leon took papa and Mrs. Picket to hospital. I stayed with mama. Cleaned Mrs. Pickett's room. Cold and snow everywhere….Papa operated on for ulcers of the stomach. Leon came to take mama and me to Sayre. Left at eight. Were there at 9:00. Operation lasted until eleven……Operation successful." 1936 "January 28th, Ironed in the morning. Mary Pratt came in afternoon. King Georges funeral broad casted from 4 o'clock until 9. Very cold, snow all day." "February 16th, Took Grace and Laura May with us when we went out home. Girls rode down hill. Papa gradually loosing." "February 20th, Papa died at 11 o'clock tonight. Heart failed. Mr. Ryan took me out. Walked up the glen. Called power of attorney. Left at 3 o'clock. Roads very dangerous." "February 23rd, Wilson and several called. Flowers begin to come. Uncle Stewart and Stanley took cement to cemetery. Stanley got cement of Raymond. Leon took Uncle Stewart, Helen, mama and I to Athens to see papa at the undertaking rooms." (The next several days are about the funeral) "March 11th & 12th, Leon and I went to Lake of Meadows to see about cottages. Snow banks still quite high around Warren Center. Water over roads……29 inches of water in cellar. Fire out. Pretty cold and freezing all day." "March 15th & 18th, Water in church basement. No SS or church. Services were broadcast from church. Went out home. Took Grace. William Rogers and Bowen called…..Rain. Iona and I moved all day. Men moved feed to second floor. 7 inches water on our house floor. Everything flooded. No telephone." "March 20th & 21st, First train thru at 9 o'clock. Track still covered with water. Manning's went home. Took John up to Glovers in boat. Rowed up as far as Glovers….Began scrubbing water off of floor. Whole neighborhood is helping at store yesterday. Gave away tons of feed. 5 feet of water in basement. Rain all day." (The rest of March and part of April are spent recovering from the flood) "April 26th & 27th, Cold. After dinner went out home and to lake. Cold. Lots of work to be done. Summer out home. Brought back car load of quilts and bedding to be washed….Began washing Lake bedding, linen and blankets. Clear and cold. Sam begins work for $.25 per hour. 5 Quilts, 9 blankets, 10 sheets, etc." "May 13th, Ted a tramp ironed in morning. Went to Towanda to acknowledge Alger's will. Went to Nat Walkers home at Athens. Leon took treatment of Dr. Bixby. Came home. Helen, Leon, Mattie and Minn Thompson here." "June 4th, Aunt Lottie gave us Spirea. Jack and I went to Lake. Cleaned recreation hall. Leon is building porch. Took over Spirea." "June 26th, Anna, Jack and I went to Lake. Worked in guest house and cooks part. Leslie is painting kitchen. 17 Baltimore folks came." "July 3rd & 4th, Drove until ten last night. Near Watertown. Crossed St. Lawrence at ten. Lunch at Perth. In Morrow Camp at Snow Road at dusk…..Leon and the girls fished. I read and slept. People from Cortland came to fish…..Stayed in camp all day. Read newspapers. Several callers. Lots of fish. Cross Lake is at its best today. Very warm." "July 19th & 22nd, Lots of campers here. Mr. and Mrs. Morrow came. Visited all afternoon. Mrs. Morrow brought rolls. Made over 100 for her family. Felt very dizzy. Could not walk or talk. Stayed in bed all day. Leon and Iona did my work…..All alone all day. Fell slightly better. Can begin to see. Iona and Don read to me. Leon caught nice fish. Cloudy. 6# Bullheads." "August 16th, 17th, & 18th, Left Quebec at 7. Crossed big Quebec Bridge. Drove to Sk____, etc. Many interesting sights. Clear. Along St. Lawrence River all way….Gaspe Pen. Drove over steep mountains. Along Atlantic Ocean to Gaspe. Dog carts. Cod fishing, all french….Stopped at Perce. All natives are French. Had nice cabin by the ocean. Food not unreasonable high. Cooked our own meals. Iona and Leon went cod fishing. Hired boat guide." "September 6th, Took Eva and Grace to Lake of Meadows. Stayed for supper. No one in cottages but several callers during day. Boys have finished the gates." "October 4th, 5th, & 6th, Grace was down to dinner. Leon took crowd of girls for ride. Went out home to birthday dinner. Iona went to league. Fire alarm at eleven…..Cottages at Lake of Meadows burned last night. Tried all morning to get insurance agent. Leon came up. Leon, Jack and Mr. Cowen went to Lake last night…..Fair and warm. Iona gave me two pretty pink glass table servers for my birthday. 52 years and nothing accomplished." "November 3rd & 5th, Roosevelt and Landon election went contrary to all predictions. Nearly whole nation went Democratic. Liquor element. WPA works evidently put him in. Strong feeling of ease……Leon went to Rome for deeds. Went out to look over papers. Papa went to Seminary 1881. Married 1882. Was interested in temperance as a boy. Oration printed in paper." "December 1st - 3rd, Busy days. Most excitement about Edward VIII of England and Wallis Simpson of Baltimore. She a twice divorcee. Sister to Baldurn's (?). Talk over radio. Bishops denounce marriage. News bulletin, flash. Every few minutes about the King. More excitement than the Chinese war." Overall VG.; Manuscript; 32mo - over 4" - 5" tall; KEYWORDS: HISTORY OF, THE LAKE OF MEADOWS PENNSYLVANIA, BINGHAMTON NEW YORK, DEPRESSION ERA, DEPRESSION, AMERICANA, HANDWRITTEN, MANUSCRIPT, DOCUMENT, LETTER, AUTOGRAPH, KEEPSAKE, WRITER, HAND WRITTEN, DOCUMENTS, SIGNED, LETTERS, MANUSCRIPTS, HISTORICAL, HOLOGRAPH, WRITERS, AUTOGRAPHS, PERSONAL, MEMOIR, MEMORIAL, PERSONAL HISTORY, ARCHIVE, DIARY, DIARIES, ANTIQUITÉ, CONTRAT, VÉLIN, MANUSCRIT, PAPIER ANTIKE, BRIEF, PERGAMENT, DOKUMENT, 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.