Samuel Reader's diary, volume 10
Creator: Reader, Samuel James, 1836-1914
Date: May 1, 1880-June 30, 1885
Volume ten of Samuel J. Reader's diary. During this period, several deaths in his family occurred, including his brother-in-law, his father, who died on April 20, 1884, and his daughter, who died on April 29, 1885. In addition to English, Reader writes the diary in shorthand. Reader also attached newspaper clippings of personal interest to some pages of his diary and doodled illustrations on several pages.

Samuel Reader's diary, volume 11
Creator: Reader, Samuel James, 1836-1914
Date: July 1, 1885-August 20, 1887
Volume eleven of Samuel James Reader's diary. Inside the front cover is a photograph of Reader at the age of fifty. In addition to English, Reader writes the diary in shorthand. Newspaper clippings, commencement programs, election tickets and illustrations are found in the diary. During the period charted by this volume, Reader's public duties expanded to clerk of the new School District No. 93, his daughter enrolled in the Topeka Business and Normal College, and Reader bought a typewriter.

Samuel Reader's diary, volume 12
Creator: Reader, Samuel James, 1836-1914
Date: August 21, 1887-June 15, 1891
Volume twelve of Samuel James Reader's diary. Events recorded in this volume include the destruction of his farmhouse resulting from a fire on April 8, 1890. Several illustrations, newspaper clippings, and election tickets are found inside. In addition to English, Reader writes some of the diary in shorthand.

Samuel Reader's diary, volume 13
Creator: Reader, Samuel James, 1836-1914
Date: June 16, 1891-September 6, 1895
Volume thirteen of Samuel James Reader's diary. In this volume, Reader expresses his enjoyment of reading and photography. After taking pictures, Reader would number the prints in the margins of his diary as he developed them in his home photo lab. In November 1892, Reader voted the People's Party ticket writing in the name of Charles Curtis for Fourth District Congressman. In 1894, he voted for Governor Lorenzo Lewelling on the Prohibition ticket and for the suffrage amendment to the Kansas constitution. In addition to English, some of the diary is written in shorthand.

Samuel Reader's diary, volume 14
Creator: Reader, Samuel James, 1836-1914
Date: 1895-1903
Volume fourteen of Samuel James Reader's diary. Reader gives a daily account of the weather, activities, and his physical condition. An entry made on March 30, 1898 comments on the death of his wife, Lizzie. Reader also attached newspaper clippings of personal interest to some pages of his diary.

Samuel Reader's diary, volume 2
Creator: Reader, Samuel James, 1836-1914
Date: June 1, 1853-December 31, 1853
Volume two of Samuel James Reader's diary written while his family lived in La Harpe, Illinois. Reader was only seventeen years old at the time, and the entries describe the daily life of a teenager. This is the earliest of Samuel Reader's diaries available as volume one was destroyed by a fire in 1890. A complete, searchable transcription is available by clicking on "Text Version" below.

Samuel Reader's diary, volume 3
Creator: Reader, Samuel James, 1836-1914
Date: Between January 1, 1854 and December 31, 1857
Volume three of Samuel Reader's diary documents his life in La Harpe, Illinois, his travels to Kansas Territory, and his life in Kansas Territory. Reader describes daily activities as well as events related to the territorial struggle. He settled in Shawnee County north of Topeka and participated in a militia group at the battles of Indianola and Hickory Point. Reader was an amateur artist and some of the diary pages contain his sketches and water color paintings. This volume has been scanned and presented in its entirety. All pages and sections are included. A searchable transcription is not yet available.

Samuel Reader's diary, volume 5
Creator: Reader, Samuel James, 1836-1914
Date: January 25, 1860-May 1, 1864
This volume of Samuel James Reader's diary covers most of 1860-1864. The volume begins with his family history and a description of his land claim and includes many color illustrations. Reader refers to this volume as his "private journal and a kind of autobiography." Reader lived in Indianola, Kansas in Shawnee County (formerly Jackson County). The preceding volume four was destroyed by fire. A searchable, full-text (PDF) transcription is available under "External Links" below.

Samuel Reader's diary, volume 7
Creator: Reader, Samuel James, 1836-1914
Date: July 20, 1869-August 17, 1872
Volume seven of Samuel James Reader's diary. The main event in volume seven was the building of an iron bridge which Reader designed across Soldier Creek near his farm. He sold tickets to his lantern slide show to help raise money to pay for his share of the bridge construction. He also used money raised by his lantern slide show to fulfill his duties as a trustee of Rochester Cemetery, the oldest cemetery in Shawnee County. In addition to English, Reader writes the diary in shorthand.

Samuel Reader's diary, volume 8
Creator: Reader, Samuel James, 1836-1914
Date: August 16, 1872-October 01, 1874
Volume eight of Samuel James Reader's diary during which time the community of Silver Lake, near Topeka, Kansas, was suffering from an outbreak of smallpox. About a dozen people died in Silver Lake from the disease but none of Reader's relatives were afflicted. However, his family did suffer a death on August 6, 1873 when their infant son died. In addition to English, much of the diary is written in shorthand.

Samuel Reader's diary, volume 9
Creator: Reader, Samuel James, 1836-1914
Date: October 01, 1874-April 30, 1880
Volume nine of the diary of Samuel James Reader who lived near Topeka, Kansas. Reader attached newspaper clippings of personal interest to some pages of his diary. In addition to English, Reader writes the diary in shorthand.