1878 Diary of a 15-Year-Old Girl in Gorham, ME($9.99Value)

Description

This is the 1878 daily diary of Alice A. Shurtleff, a 15-year-old girl living in Gorham, Maine. According to a note at the beginning of the diary, 15-year-old Alice A. Shurtleff of Gorham, Maine received this 1878 diary as a gift from her mother on December 30, 1877. On January 1, Alice commenced writing in the diary and kept it daily for the entire year. Alice's parents, Atwood and Lizzie Shurtleff, worked in a coat shop in Gorham. Alice had an older sister named Bell and three younger sisters named Nettie, Nellie, and Bessie. The sisters often did sewing to help their parents with the coat shop. Throughout the diary, Alice records events and simple details about the day such as the weather, visitors, what her parents did, and what she and her sisters were up to. For example, her entry on January 19 reads: "Been very pleasant today. Mother and Father have been to the shop today. Nellie, Nettie and I have been up to Mr. Benson’s tonight. Charles Benson was over. Nettie came home tonight. Nellie burned both of her hands playing blind man’s buff." Tragically, the diary chronicles the illness and then death of Alice's little sister Bessie in November 1878. Bessie succumbed to Scarlet Fever at the age of four. As you read the diary, note the forty-six times Bessie is mentioned, most of the times being in good health. Reflect upon the hardships of our ancestors. This diary is a great read for anyone interested in experiencing the life of a teenage girl in the 1870s.