1899 ORIGINAL GROUP OF THREE [3] MANUSCRIPT DIARIES HANDWRITTEN BY THE WELL TRAVELED DAUGHTER OF AN OHIO NOTABLE AND THE WIFE OF ANOTHER RENOWNED REVEREND

On offer is an original group of three [3] manuscript diaries handwritten by Miss Lena Gregg Cochran (sometimes Lena M. Cochran; later Mrs. Charles Henry Williams). The first two diaries, ranging in dates from the end of 1899 through to 1902, are written before she was married and the last diary (starting in 1916) was written after her marriage. Lena was from Quaker City Ohio. She was the daughter of local notable Alexander Cochran. [Super, historical records on both her Father and her husband are easily found online]. Lena is not a dedicated daily diarist but she writes when there are important events, summaries of her summer's activities, some daily accounts, descriptive entries of various trips taken, her thoughts on the different books she has read, entries about her boy who's fighting in WWI and a lot of genealogy information including her husband's side of the family. We also note that there are some super passages when Lena gets very ill in 1917 and she needs an operation. It is a fascinating, especially from a modern perspective, four page description as her treatment involves "ether" which becomes an intense episode and during recovery they have her knees strapped together and she has to be turned every 20 to 30 minutes. All told there are just over 300 pages of entries. Here are some snippets: Diary 1 (75 pages) "November 30th, 1899 Thanksgiving Day. A satisfactory day clear through. Such a beautiful day and so many things to be thankful for and cross as a bear. Went to church. The sermon by Rev. Lepage very good. Then home to a quiet dinner. Napped till milking time. Went to the M.E. Social with Mrs. Sprague, Alice and Annie B. Found there a good crowd. My friends mostly married and engaged and I feel at a distance with them. (She then writes the rest in some kind of code. She has a few pages in these diaries that she writes code but just a few). "December 19th, 1899 The Masonic banquet. Mother and I went. I sang "The Gypsy Love Song". The supper fine. 5 kinds of meat and everything served beautifully. Afterwards the cake walk, perfectly killing. A jolly time. Isaac and Mr. E____ very comical. All voted it a grand success. Heattie and Mr. Gregg came up with me or allowed me that pleasure. Papa on a Western trip. Glass (?) horrible and everything going wrong. Got horned week before last. Thought my eye was gone but felt very very thankful when I found it wasn't. Quite a gash cut and mother frightened nearly to death." "March 15th, 1900 A very sad day. Learned by the daily Guernsey times of Mr. Audersoui's death at Phil______ Va by a train. Knocked from a bridge. I met him in Cincinnati. A dreadfully shocking thing. Poor man. He kept writing to me." "April 27th, 1900 Birthday. 27 years old. A beautiful day. Peach blossoms in bloom but not the apple blossoms. Busy this morning. This afternoon Mr. and Mrs. ____and I went out The Pike horseback riding. Came home by the woods and gathered wild flowers. Helped get supper and then called on Mrs. Rodgers and went down to see Aunt Em Flint. She doesn't look strong." 2nd DIARY (116 pages) "1900. In June I went to Oberlin to attend Commencement. Stayed with Mrs. McDaniel's. Laura was here. Got here Sat. We were met by the train by Laura. Sunday saw many of my old acquaintances. H. H. B. there. Went to the campus that eve. Wed. went to Cleveland and spent a day and a half with the Wood girls. Drove all over the city, nearly. Through the park and to Garfield's monument. Very fine. Friday to Buffalo with Laura. Sat. eve Mr. Root (?) called and we went to the Yacht Club; a large building standing out in the lake, a little reading room, reception room, café, dancing room and billiard hall. Laura gave a porch party. Very pleasant "stick in the ice cream." Went to the theatre three times. Once to matinee and with Mr. Robertson and Mr. Henland and from there to the Genesee for lunch. Fourth of July to Dunkirk N.Y. and then trolley ride to Fredinia, a pretty little town. Dinner at Dunkirk. A perfectly beautiful boat ride. Another trip to Port Coburn. Everybody sick except Miss ____and me. Walked through the little town and bought lemons and chewing gum for sea sickness. A lot of fun. Mr. Root and Camp took us dining to _____, a resort in the Niagara River. They dance very evening. They also took us for an automobile ride through the parks, down to the Yacht Club, down the Main Street and home……." "December 31st, 1900 The old century quietly slipping away and a wonderful one it has been! Tonight from seven to nine we were at the church. Mrs. Ferguson (W. C. T.U.), Prof. Sharp of Mansfield, Lyman Moore and Mr. Rev. Sprague talked. I sang "Room in My Heart." After dinner drove out to Cunningham's with Uncle Sam. He is hale and hearty for 78 years. Aunt Em well except for ear ache. Humor to be cultivated this year with gentleness and Godliness. May the next century find this world that much in advance of the mistakes in politics, temperate and social homage. Lena Cochran. The cities all celebrating tonight; tolling bells, booming canons and prayers going up from many of the church." "June 24th, 1901 Went to Cambridge came to attend the reception given Dr. Will Haines and wife. Met them on the train with Uncle Isaac and Aunt Lizzie. The reception a very pleasant affair. Friday eve. we gave a dinner for them. A lovely time. Harriet a bright unselfish girl, her Paris trousseau very elaborate. Wedding gown cream satin, cover with hand embroidered lace. Expected Homer B. Sunday." "September 14th, 1901 President McKinley died at 2:15 this morning. Awakened by the bells tolling. It seems too terrible to be true. Such a good, true, noble, wise, man to be snatched out of the world in such a cruel way…..The nation thoroughly aroused. Almost lynched the murderer in Buffalo last eve. Poor Mrs. McKinley!" "September 15th, 1901 Our pastor, Mr. Rev. Stickler, such an earnest good man. He's working very hard and I do sincerely hope and pray he can do the work he hopes to. This is my wedding day according to our gossips. But I saw no sign of it. The groom was in Dayton. Killing reports out. How far off they get. For once the Q. C. people are thrown off the scent completely and I'm glad of it. They are too interested. How little of our future we know. There is so much here to be done. I wish I were a Sampson, with the wisdom of _____and the goodness of Paul. Could do a great work here but I don't. Let us be content in work to do the thing we can and not presume to fret because it's little. Mrs. Browning." "October 21st, 1901 (20 pages long about her trip west.) "Silver City New Mexico. October 21st, 1901 Got here last Monday after about 2. We started four weeks ago today. Spent Tuesday in Chicago. Went out to see Gail, Mr. and Mrs. Hibbard there with John K. in the morning looking at the shop windows on to Denver. Met Miss Manning on the train. Her friend Mr. Robertson took us in. To Colorado Springs. A swell bustling town. Full of eastern tourists. Went to Manitou, pretty place and on to the garden of the Gods. Wonderful rocks. Sunset, the colors beautiful on the mountains. The drive up to the Cave of the Winds. Scenery perfectly grand. Way down below the trains creeping through the Mt. tunnels. The Cheyenne Gorge magnificent in and out through the great palisades of rocks towering up and out. Some in the shapes of castles. The little stream at the side of the road, the ferns and trees growing out of the rocks up to the falls. Then the 286 steps to the top of the little streams head. 5 falls. The tree of Cards, a grand view through the canyons. Helen Hunt Jackson's grave at the top of that Mt. Each visitor adds a stone to her memory. Back to Denver that night……Salt Lake a disappointment. The worst old dilapidated buildings, right around their temple plats. Horrid old empty rooms. All had the same all gone appearance. The statue of Joseph Smith, his home, which looks like a private hotel and his favorite wife's home. Up to Ogden to the main line. Trains packed, going in sections….Met nice people on the route. Dr. Wilkinson of Minneapolis. Lovely. Dr. Heacock of St. Joe Mo. Backache. Ran out of water on the train. Only one diner. The Great Lord of New Castle had to stand in line with mortals of the day for 2 ½ hours waiting to go in dining car. On to Frisco at night. Crossed the bay by moonlight. The lights of the city lovely. Mr. Berring very kind. Y.W.C.H. Miss Wheeler of Farrell St. Evening prayers. A fine home for the girls. Through the Emporium, the Mint, out to Golden Gate Park, to Cliff House, saw the seals. To China Town, dreadful huts and hovels. Joss House, drugstore, underground hovels without a bit of fresh air. From Frisco to Los Angeles, the sea lovely along the railroad and the Mts. on the other. Derricks right on the sea and the oil floating right on top of water. Oil for fuel not for lighting purposes. Can't be refined. Mr. and Mrs. Scot took us to the Catalina. So very kind through out entire stay. Los Angeles a pretty city. Made up of tourists. Good stores, fine blocks, hustling everywhere….." DIARY 3 (116 pages) "April 2nd, 1917 Chas. has funeral of Clarence Whitney. Jessie going tomorrow. Mother not well. House far from going smoothly….Jessie returned Friday. I had hardly washed my face or combed my hair while she was gone. Pink held me fast. Went to Cleveland April 18th. Operated on Thursday at Charity Hospital. Taken ill Sunday before coming from church. Charles and I went up in the morning. He came home at 2:30. Dr. H. came in at 9 o'clock. Operated on at 12:30 next day. Full night. Upstairs till 2:30. Came out of the ether some about dark at 9 o'clock enough for a hypodermic. Chas. came every day that week. Preached in Euclid Ave. Cong. Sunday. At home. Miss Catherine McCarthy, nurse. Best one known and so kind……Serious operation when we thot it so little. Wed. after Charles left so lonely and hard. No sleep till from 4 to 5 that night. Next morning I dreaded the ether and all so much. "In the Cross" Aunt Lydia's book helped too. Be a Queen. I never knew before how much nerve it takes to go through it all. Dr. Jameson helped me so much holding my hand (or pulse) while I took it. Talked to them and at last said, I'm nearly gone! He said, "All right" and went to sleep. Chas. helped me by his prayers. Came out of it as quietly, said to nurse, "Take it off, it burns" but it was the awful burning of the wound which felt like a red hot iron. When I vomited the ether it nearly killed me. Kept it up for a day or two. Had to be turned day and night every 20 or 30 minutes, it hurt me so to lie still. Miss McCarthy so willing and patient. Wasn't I thankful when I could move myself in my hips an inch. Not much appetite for awhile. My knees strapped together for awhile and laid in a pillow. Cranky about the doors……" "My poor mother. We had the bluest most mournful letters. It seems wicked not to have her here. Here I am in bed and Jessie worked nearly to death. How can I have another sick with me now? It worries me all the time. Or boy's already arriving in Europe to fight. Lakewood H. Unit there with 6 Oberlin C. boys. Harvard and Princeton boys there too. Enlistment June 5 of all boys from 21-30. Mothers all worried to death. It seems a shame. 189 boys are gone from O.C. and some girls." "August 27th, 1917 A week ago we were worried for the Viking, Jessie's father's vessel, had been given up for lost. We didn't tell her and he turned up alright. Dreadful storms at sea now and so beautiful on land. I'm so thankful we are all on land, tho even there, dangers are always present. I shall be most thankful when Chas. reaches home safely……" "Mother's letters are full of woe. She seems determined to have Bright's disease and die. What can I do? It seems a perfect shame. Birthday spoiled for cabbage….Life is pretty complex these days and you wonder how everything will come out. I should like to be as strong as an ox." All of the cover's are very worn, especially around the edges. One cover has come completely off. The binding and pages in all of them look good however. The small one measures about 3 ½" x 5 ½" and the larger one measures about 4" x 6 ½". Overall G.; Manuscript; 24mo - over 5" - 5¾" tall; KEYWORDS: HISTORY OF, LENA GREGG COCHRAN, LENA M. COCHRAN, MRS. 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