The Diary of a 1920's Housewife...

This is the story of a lady. A lady I have grown to love, admire, and continue to be intrigued by. And after many years, I have finally decided to share her story. This is the personal diary of a wife and mother living in Akron, Ohio just before the Depression. These are her words transcribed from her personal diaries beginning in 1925. Fascinating stories from the mundane like household chores and shopping lists, to her frustration with depression and an unhappy marriage.

Wednesday January 7, 1925 - The Earth was Beautiful

Arose at 6:55. A trifle colder today.
Washed Clothes today. Borrowed 25c from D.1
Bill went to Pl.S.2 Ret'd at 11:00.

The earth was beautiful. Large flakes of clinging snow fell + everything was covered.
Pressed 3 waists3 + 2 skirts this eve.

Times + B.J. $.04
T. Paper4 $.15
______
$.19
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1. Dinah - writers school age daughter. The writer underlined this line, but in "blogworld" I had to bold it.
Must have been hard for the mother to borrow $.25 from her young daughter.
2. Pl.S. - Plumbing School, as opposed to P.S. she uses for Picture Show. Seems that husband Bill stays late at Plumbing School quite a bit.
3. Waists - presumably she means waistcoats, or vest.
4. toilet paper - pretty pricey

This is the Diary of a Lady and Her Most Personal Thoughts...

I came across these diaries almost 10 years ago, and I have researched this family much over the years but have always come to a dead-end. I thought that perhaps this would be the best way to let her voice and story live on.

Each blog is another entry in her diary, exactly as it is written and spelled - however family names have been changed.
Many abbreviations are used, so footnotes will be added where necessary.
She didn't write everyday, so any missing days are just that - blank, nothing written.
Any family relations will be explained in footnotes as discovered.
Any photos posted in footnotes are added by me...just for fun.

If this is your first visit to this blog, you can read the entries in chronological order by clicking the archives below - then clicking "Newer Posts" to continue to the next one. Enjoy!