Last week I had the opportunity to give a presentation to a group at a local history center. It happened to be the place where I came across the 1861 diary of Adelia Thomas a few years ago.
The Des Plaines History Center currently has an exhibit of several antique/vintage quilts from their collection. Adelia's diary is also on display. The exhibit runs until June of this year so stop by if you're in town.
While I was writing Remembering Adelia, I
immersed myself in Adelia's diary and read and reread it many times. For some
reason, the minute I opened the pages of Adelia's little leather-bound journal
several years ago and learned that she was a quilter, I was completely drawn
into the 19th century and wanted to learn everything I could about her life. I
felt compelled to share her words and make sure that her simple but heartfelt
story would be revealed to other quilters and enjoyed for the connection it
gives us to our country's past.
For a young woman of 19, living in such uncertain times,
life could not have been easy and she often spelled out her frustrations and
worries in the pages of her diary. I'm sure Adelia did not intend that her words would be read by so
many strangers so many years later and I hope she wouldn't have minded. She
wrote every day and yet you only get a smattering of her writing in the
published version - there
wasn't room in a quilting book to include all of her writing and everything else I would have
liked to include. But the DesPlaines History Center has recently made Adelia's diary available online if anyone would like to read it in its entirety. Click here to get to the diary pages.
Some of you have asked me about the diary pages that
weren't included in the book, so here are just a few "missing"
entries I thought you might enjoy reading that I hope will take you a little
further into Adelia's ordinary, nineteenth-century world. These entries were written a few months before the war began. The diary lays no claim to being an important Civil War document but you do get a very interesting slice of what life must have been like for a woman living in a rural community over 150 years ago, with the war as a backdrop.
January 19, 1861
Emma has a very sore throat and a cold. Did a very large washing today with
James' help. Got through about three o'clock. Mrs. Bennett called. She was
sewing at Alcott's. Got tired of so much noise among the young ones that she
came here to get away from it.
Mr. Howard came back from Woodstock. Staid all night and Mother and Father
went to hear him preach in the evening. Some little children came in the
evening and we made molasses candy.
January 20
Emma sick yet I did not get up early enough to get the work done in time to
go to church so Mother, Father, Myron and Elias went without me. After meeting
was out Elias and I stole the horse and cutter and went up to Melvira's. Had a
grand good visit and made a call at Mr. Armstrong's with Melvira and Dave.
January 21
This morning got up with a very sore throat myself. Emma seems better. Had a
high fever and headache all day. Laid about most of the time. Miss Howard came
here and stayed all night. Mother, Myon and Miss Howard went to Lyceum in the
evening. Father went to the station and brought home Auntie's new bed stead and
teapot. Brought a letter from Laura Jefferson.
January 22
We are very busy putting up Auntie's new bedstead in her room. Put the old
one in the children's room.
January 23
Mr. Bennett here. Played us some excellent songs. His violin was broken so
he borrowed Mr. Lewis Bennett's. It was a poor thing but we managed to play
some pretty good pieces together. Mrs. Bennett and Mrs. Town spent the day here.
Morris West called. Mr B. sang for him then we played some pieces together. He
sang "A Snake in the Grass." Went to singing school in the evening.
January 24
A very cold blustery day. Mr. Bennett went home in the snow. Myron took
Maria and Marg up to Huffman's schoolhouse to spelling school [by sleigh]. It was so cold
they did not have any school so they spent the evening at Mr. Towns. Tipped
over into the snow coming home. Froze both ears and his fingers.
January 25
Emma and Clara went to Melvira's to spend the day. John Shaver went after
her to come to Towns to the dance. Frank came after Jim and I.
January 26
Went to Spelling School then went to take a sleigh ride after. Maria and I
did not want to go. The rest acted like fools.
January 29
Emma went to Woodstock with Frank Patterson and Mrs. Town. So very cold that
they could not come home. But Emma, Carrie Griffith, Frank and Sellers could go
to McHenry and be gone till two o'clock at night.
The wind blew very cold all day. In the evening went to singing school. Came
home freezing my ears.
January 30
Carried Charley's stove home and put the dairy stove in the salting room.
Frank brought James home, left Emma there. Very cold today. Expected to go to
Mrs. Vosburgh's this afternoon to sing with Mr. Bennett. Got ready to go and
Mother said if anybody went she should go. When I gave it up then she would
not. She said I might go when I got the supper dishes washed. When I got them
most done she came in the kitchen with her bonnet and shawl on. Said she was
going to Mrs. V—I was provoked then staid at home until Singing School, then
went with James.