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James Madison University Libraries Special Collections
880 Madison DrivePhillip Wong
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[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Central Virginia Farmer's Diary, 1899, SC 0284, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.
The diary was acquired at Jeffrey S. Evans and Associates' Winter Americana and Variety Auction on February 16, 2019.
Loose documents in the back pocket of the diary were removed and housed in a separate folder.
While the specific identity of the diary's creator is unknown, it is speculated that the diarist owned land near or around Gordonsville in Orange County, Virginia during the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century. Names mentioned in the diary include Miller, E. P. Cason, George, Thomas Cason (1873-1936), Cora Miller Cason (1877-1943), Richard "Dick" Crittenden Booton (1866-1911), and John Robertson Coons (1866-1929). It is assumed that Miller, E. P. Cason, Thomas Cason, George, Booton, and Coons were employed by the diarist.
The Central Virginia Farmer's Diary, 1899, is a mass-produced diary consisting of three sections. The first section reads like a basic Farmer's Almanac, with a calendar, dates of the phases of the moon, interesting laws of different states, tide tables, currency exchange rates, and other general information. The second section comprises the bulk of the diary, with daily entries written by the farmer on affairs such as plowing fields, weather reports, who worked that day, and church matters. The last section consists of blank pages for names and addresses and an account book. Loose items include business cards and what is assumed to be a map documenting where different families lived in the area.
The materials are housed in two folders.