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Martha Van Orsdol Shaw Farnsworth kept a personal diary from 1882 through 1922 with only a few gaps. The diary starts when she is a teenager. The entries in this volume describe her daily activities as she is growing up in Winfield and later Silver Lake and Topeka. She marries John W. Shaw on September 4, 1889. She refers to him as Johnny or Winnie in the diary. He works for the post office. Many of Martha's diary entries are very emotional about the boys she dates and her marriage to Johnny. From the beginning of her marriage, Martha expresses her unhappiness in her marriage. It seems to stem from Johnny's drinking and his anger when he was intoxicated. Johnny dies in October 1893 and Martha soon marries another post man Fred Farnsworth in 1894. It is possible that this diary was rewritten from an earlier version because some entries are underlined in red.
Creator: Farnsworth, Martha 1867-1924
Date: Between 1882 and 1889
Item Number: 213046
Call Number: Martha Farnsworth Collection #28 Box 1
KSHS Identifier: DaRT ID: 213046
Collections - Manuscript - Farnsworth, Martha
Community Life - Arts and Entertainment
Community Life - Clubs and organizations
Community Life - Religion - Christianity
Date - 1880s - 1882
Date - 1880s - 1883
Date - 1880s - 1884
Date - 1880s - 1885
Date - 1880s - 1886
Date - 1880s - 1887
Date - 1880s - 1888
Date - 1880s - 1889
Home and Family - Activities
Home and Family - Courtship and marriage
Home and Family - Daily life
Home and Family - Families
Objects and Artifacts - Communication Artifacts - Documentary Artifact - Diary
People - Notable Kansans - Farnsworth, Martha, 1867-1924
Places - Cities and towns - Silver Lake
Places - Cities and towns - Topeka
Places - Cities and towns - Winfield
Places - Counties - Cowley
Places - Counties - Shawnee
Type of Material - Unpublished documents - Diaries
http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/213046
