[MANUSCRIPT] Journal - 2 Volumes by Gallant, Rosella Mae "Rose" Thomas (1856-1939) - 1929-1930 & 1937-1939

Delaware, Ohio, 1929-1930 & 1937-1939. This particular set of journals, was, at first glance, an archetypal account of small town living in the midwest. The overlooked aspect of the detail accounts that Rose shares is the considerable amount of social connection that was present at the time. There is not a day that goes by that Rose is not visited or goes visiting, either by a friend or family member or both. For instance, the first two entries note: January 1st, 1929: Spent the day at Ellis (son). Rained a little, cloudy. 2nd: Charley (husband) & I went to Mrs. Bucks Funeral in the afternoon. Mrs. Leudman & Josephine Grimes called funeral". Every day, Rose delights us with the weather, what chores she accomplished and who came to visit or what club/committee she looked in on. We know that Rose was a school teacher before she was married and her penmanship exhibits this skill. The last couple of pages of the 1939 journal are written by a different hand. The writer, her granddaughter, carries on her grandmothers journal for about a month, describing the visitors and family who come calling. The last entry in two days before her grandmother died, citing "Emma 7 Mary Thomas were her and brought some flowers." Primarily, what these journals make clear is that although we have gained a lot from the advances in technology, what we have lost is the social contact that large and small communities contributed to the feeling of being surrounded by people we can count on.

Delaware, Ohio is situated smack in the middle of Ohio and was established by white men with in the early 1800's who had arrived with land grants which were part of the United States Military lands, given in payment to Revolutionary War Soldiers. Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th President of the United States was born in Delaware and met his future wife, Lucy, at Ohio Wesleyan University. Laid in to the journals are recipes, newspaper clippings, expense accounts, and cards.