One Woman's View: the Diary of Julia Douglas
(Editor's note: The original spelling and punctuation are retained in the quotes which follow.)
In the last third of the 19th century there was a great enthusiasm for keeping a diary. Strongest during the Centennial years, perhaps it came from the same impulse that caused people to write local history. For many, keeping a diary was a personal ritual, a way of marking their own lives during a time when the country's population was changing and increasing.
Prior to 1861, men kept far more diaries than women. But this changed during the course of the 19th century. A division between the public and private spheres of life segregated the male and female worlds. The men's position was outside the home, in the workplace, while the women's place became the home — a sanctuary from the “evils of commerce.” Those aspects associated with the private sphere became the domain of women, and keeping a diary was part of that domain. Increased literacy and leisure time also enabled women to write.
When reading any diary, it is important to consider the motive of the writer. many women wrote as community historians, recording births, marriages, deaths and other local events. A change in lifestyle--such as marriage, the birth of a child, or the loss of their spouse--prompted many women to write down their most private thoughts. The diary provided these women with an outlet for emotional release and reflect efforts to establish continuity in a disrupted life.
Diary research can be frustrating. Some writer recorded nothing more than daily weather reports. Sometimes the handwriting is difficult to read. Punctuation may be lacking or inconsistent. Because some diaries were never intended to be public documents, writers frequently used abbreviations which they understood, but which can be hard for today’s reader to decipher. Some writers left big gaps between entries. There are several instances where Julia Douglas does not write for two or three months.
In 1888 Julia Smith Douglas, a resident of Shawnee, Kansas, began keeping a diary. Originally from Preston County, Virginia, Julia was born October 8, 1829. In 1856 she married Thomas Douglas, a native of Scotland. In 1866 the Douglases moved to Johnson County, settling in Shawnee. Thomas was a farmer and breeder of shorthorn cattle. According to the 1874 Atlas of Johnson County, “he had been quite successful as a farmer. He has perhaps the best barn in the county. He has one of the finest farms in the county...”
The Douglas family lived near 65th and Neiman. The stone home, built by stonemasons Jack and Uriah Garrett, was originally owned by Dick Williams. The Douglas family purchased the home and 40 acres from Williams, and later increased the size of the farm to over 400 acres. Julia and Thomas had six children: Frank, Emma, Henry, Martha (also referred to as Ella), Charles, and Jane (also known as Jennie). In 1893 Thomas, Julia, and two daughters, Ella and Emma, moved to a new home near 61st and Neiman. The original home and land was passed to the oldest son, Frank.
Julia's diary covers the last twelve years of her life. When she started the diary, at age 59, her life was settled, her children were grown, and she had more time for activities such as writing and traveling. On October 8, 1899, Julia wrote: “...the 8th was my birthday 70 is my age get around pretty well but have always worked hard don't have to work quite so hard now...” Many of the people mentioned in Julia's diary also appear in the family photo album.
Repetition in a diary can provide the reader with clues about the writer and her time. For example, over thirty entries in Julia's diary relate to the deaths of family, friends, and national figures, as well as her visits to the cemetery, most of which occur on Memorial Day.
In some entries Julia writes nothing more than the facts. On March 22, 1890, she wrote: “Lizzie Jones died today at twelve oclock of consumption after a lingering illness was buried at the Shawnee sementry [sic]...” In another entry, Julia elaborates more on her feelings towards death: “Judge Allen was buried today at the Shawnee Cemetery at the age of 82 The old folks at Shawnee are fast passing away....time cuts down both great and small.” And in this entry Julia acknowledges her own mortality: “...Mrs. Mattie Earnshaw was buried the 6th and Will Eaton was buried the 13th both near neighbors and good citizens Will Eaton had gone to Colorado for his health and got worse so we are all passing away....”
Why is she preoccupied with death? Perhaps it is because of her age. At 59, Julia's contemporaries, her husband, her friends, and old settlers of Johnson County were passing away. But these entries also reflect something of Julia’s time. Nineteenth century Americans had a sentimental concentration on death and dying, on memorializing the dead, and they observed elaborate morning customs. One was expected to make private sorrow public.
Many women diarists recorded holidays and personal anniversaries. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Memorial Day, and Independence Day are mentioned in Julia’s diary. On December 25, 1889, Julia wrote: “This is Christmas day warm and pleasant no snow a little hazy but sunshine in the afternoon the boys went hunting but got no game had turkey but no company....” On September 24, 1896, she made note of her 40th wedding anniversary: “September 24 it being our marriage anniversary...my mind wanders back to many things that had past in 40 years both pleasure & trouble pain and sorrow....”
National events also captures Julia’s attention. During the late 19th century America experienced what was commonly referred to as the “Gilded Age,” a time when the country prospered from the growth of industrial capitalism. However, not all was peaceful. In 1898 the United States had entered war with Spain. In Kansas, four regiments were raised — the 20th, 21st, 22nd, and 23rd. None, however, saw combat. An encampment located near 103rd and Indian Creek served as a base for soldiers. Julia expressed negative feelings towards the war. On March 16, 1898, Julia recorded: “This Spain war talk we have in the papers the last month all over the country we don’t like to hear. I hope the cloud may clear away and we have our peace, not war anymore....”
Other national events are mentioned in Julia’s diary, but she does not reveal her feeling about them. During the late 19th century, there were two movements that commanded the attention of many women: suffrage and temperance. On February 16, 1900, Julia wrote, “Emma attended the WCTU [Women’s Christian Temperance Union] meeting at Mrs. Wm. Smith’s....” On November 4, 1890, she noted a local election: “This is election day a busy day for the men 2 ladies running for the superintendent of county schools, Miss Anderson and Miss Kelley. Miss Anderson, the republican, beat Miss Kelly....” These two entries are examples of the “silences” sometimes found in diaries. Julia refers to these two national issues, but does not give the reader her opinion on either. By 1903 Kansas allowed women suffrage in school, municipal, tax and bond elections. By 1912 Kansas was one of six states that granted women full suffrage. Julia does not mention voting in any elections.
Diaries alone offer a somewhat fragmented view of the past. But when used with other sources, they help provide a more complete understanding of our heritage. Julia Douglas’ diary is part of the Johnson County Museum collections. The Museum also has a quilt made by Julia in 1860, the family photo album, and a number of other Douglas family artifacts. The Museum is interested in collecting other family papers and personal belongings relating to Johnson County.
--ALBUM vol. 2, no. 1 (spring 1989)