1919 ORIGINAL HANDWRITTEN DIARY OF A FEMALE CLERK OF THE ERIE RAILROAD WHO IS A STRONG AND PROUD UNION MEMBER, CHURCH GOING WOMAN AND LIVELY PRESENCE IN HER SMALL TOWN

On offer is the 1919 diary of Esther A. Walling of Meadville, Pennsylvania. She is a very proud and (at that time) female Railroad Clerk at the Erie Railroad Office. Her brother with whom she lives is Frank. He is also a railroad clerk and a person she loves very much. She goes to church on Sundays, and is often on trips to Cleveland, Youngstown, and Jamestown for fun weekends of shopping and entertainment with her girlfriends or brother. There are just a few entries until late February, in which Esther takes a trip to Cleveland with her girlfriends. "Saturday, February 22, We went shopping today and purchased this book, also the picture "On the River Tiber." We went to the play "The Girl Behind the Gun" this afternoon and in the evening went to the Hippodrome. Aunt Attie met us & we took her to supper in the old arcade. We stayed at the Hotel Winton." She seems to have some pretty strong union sympathies, often going to "Brotherhood of Railway Clerks" (later known as the Transportation Communications International Union) and speaking enthusiastically of the meetings and the new members initiated during the year. The early 20th century was a high time for labor movements in America, and it was not uncommon to find strong believers in unions at this time. In May, she and Frank go to Chicago to meet their mother who is returning from vacation in California. They spend a few days in the city shopping, seeing sights, and meeting friends. The entries are fairly irregular in their frequency. They tend to be most regular when Esther is on a trip outside of Meadville. During these trips there are usually entries written everyday until she comes back home, in which they resume the frequency of two or three entries every week. July and September are the most consistent with entries almost everyday. The summer is filled with work, small weekend trips, meetings of the "Brotherhood," and much small town entertainment, such as parades, fireworks, concerts, and leisurely drives in her brother's 1919 Ford. In mid-October, Esther takes a nice vacation with her girlfriend Hazel They go to Washington D.C. first and take in the famous sights. "Took sightseeing car around Wash. visited Capitol, museum, etc. In afternoon we went to Arlington, VA. saw the wireless station where the time is sent daily over the country and many historical places." They go from Arlington to Mt. Vernon and visit Washington's home, then off to to Philadelphia, where they see the Liberty Bell and other attractions. From Philadelphia they move on to New York, getting in at Grand Central Station. They do not stay long in the city, as they have a same day train to Boston. "Monday October 20. We went in Sightseeing car to Lexington & Concord. Most interesting trip we took. Saw Harvard College and went in John Hancock's old home; saw homes of many authors, poets and noted people." A few days later, they are back home in Meadville. The rest of the year is back to normal for Esther. Esther's handwriting is simple and easy to read, done mostly in ink with the exception of a few entries near the end of the year. The front and back cover are slightly detached from the paper. Mild age-toning to pages and some discoloration caused by newspaper clippings pasted to a few pages throughout the year, mostly about birth and wedding announcements. There is also a small piece of ephemera in the book, a letter from the office of D.G. Snodgrass, M.D. that reads "July 27th 1918. Rec'd Esther Welling one dollar for vaccination. D.G. Snodgrass, MD." Why this letter is in the book is not noted. Examples of text: "Thursday, March 6. A number of other Erie girls & I attended the annual Fried Turkey supper at the Baptist Church this evening. Fine supper. After the supper we went to (?) on Centre St., where an assistant organizer attempted to organize a local lodge of Railroad clerks." ; "Tuesday April 22. Went to lodge "Brotherhood of Railway Clerks" tonight. Good attendance. Nineteen new members were taken in and several names proposed for initiation at next meeting."; "Saturday August 16. The first annual picnic of the Erie RR Shops & Offices was held at Celeron today. Special train of 19 coaches left at 8:15 A.M. returning on special train leaving Jamestown at 11:30 P.M. There was a terrible storm & cyclone at Celeron."; "Sunday September 7. Slept till 10:30. Willie came up to attend the clam bake at Oakwood Park for Bessemen employers. An aeroplane passed over the city this A.M." (Background - As related in the August, 1919 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine, the USRA found that, nationwide, 101,785 women were working at railroad occupations at the high point of female employment, October 1, 1918. The Erie accounted for 11 percent of that total, employing 10,274 women in various job categories. On the Erie, the largest category employing women by far was clerical: 81 percent of the female workers worked as clerks, stenographers, draftswomen and assistants, and ticket clerks.); Manuscript; 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall; KEYWORDS: HISTORY OF, ESTHER WALLING, FRANK WALLING, MEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, RAILROAD CLERK, ERIE RAILROAD OFFICE, BROTHERHOOD OF RAILWAY CLERKS, TRANSPORTATION COMMUNICATIONS INTERNATIONAL UNION, LABOR MOVEMENT IN AMERICA, WOMEN IN UNIONS, WOMEN IN THE LABOR MOVEMENT IN AMERICA, RAILROAD WORKERS, INTERWAR PERIOD IN THE UNITED STATES, WOMEN POST WW1, WOMEN WORKING IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY, SUFFRAGE, SUFFRAGETTE, PRE SUFFRAGE, FEMINISM, WOMEN'S STUDIES, GENDER STUDIES, PRE FEMINIST ERA, POST WORLD WAR 1, AMERICANA, HANDWRITTEN, MANUSCRIPT, DOCUMENT, LETTER, AUTOGRAPH, WRITER, HAND WRITTEN, DOCUMENTS, SIGNED, LETTERS, MANUSCRIPTS, HISTORICAL, HOLOGRAPH, WRITERS, AUTOGRAPHS, PERSONAL, MEMOIR, MEMORIAL, AMERICANA, 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