Diary kept by Louis Parsons of Burlington, Iowa. Parsons grew up in Burlington during the 1870s and 1880s. His father, Albion, owned a general store. while his mother, Mary, raised Louis and older sister Ella. When Louis was 13, his father…
The Native American woman featured in this 1925 document asked to remain anonymous. She married when at age 19 years old and outlived two husbands, then became an influential woman in her tribe. Her community considered her a wise…
Mary Elizabeth Wood grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, with five sisters and three brothers. Her father worked as a miner, and her mother and grandmother worked as domestic servants.
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Mary graduated from East High School and attended…
Diary kept by Linnie Hagerman (1852-1934), of Keokuk, Iowa. Born in Missouri in 1852, Linnie moved with her family to Keokuk at age 10, and remained there for the rest of her life.
Diaries kept by Ellery M. Hancock (1850-1929) of Waukon, Iowa. His family moved to Waukon in 1856, where his father, Moses, worked as a butcher. His mother, Sally, raised Ellery and his nine siblings, many of whom died at an early age. His brother…
Diary kept by Oliver Perry Myers (1856-1933), of West Chester, Iowa. Though Oliver worked many hours a week on the family farm, he also received a strong education. After completing high school, he attended the University of Iowa and graduated as the…
Clara Hinton grew up in Hedrick, Iowa, where she experienced a difficult childhood. Her mother died when Clara was nine years old. Her aunt then adopted her youngest sister, while Clara helped her father take care of her two brothers and remaining…
Diary kept by Charles Whipple Hadley (1844-1936), of Anamosa, Iowa. At age 17, Hadley left Anamosa to enlist in the Union army during the American Civil War. He traveled south to Davenport, where he became a member of the 14th Iowa Regiment of…
Diary kept by Belle Robinson (1862-1887), of Dubuque, Iowa. The middle child of three sisters, Belle’s personality was shaped by her family's focus on education and equality. Her father, Frank, was a lawyer with a private practice in Dubuque. Her…
Lucy Van Voorhis White (1869–1935) was born in Grundy County, Iowa, and grew up in Pleasant Township, Poweshiek County, Iowa. The second of seven children, Lucy helped the rest of the family with farm work, but she also prioritized her education.…
