Aim of the Project
The archive honours the daily lives of rural people. It encourages future research by making these under-used sources, which are often handwritten and fading, accessible to all. It broadcasts the availability of other diaries in archives across the province. The website will continue to grow as new collections are located.
I believe that in today’s fast-paced society our connection and understanding of our rural past are the keys to keeping us grounded and are critical to choices we make to improve our futures.” J. Marvin
Let’s Meet a Few of the Diarists
Carver Simpson
Do you like “rats” (muskrats), hunting, fishing, doodling, even taxidermy? Then you will like Carver Simpson who gloomily writes in his diary (February 13, 1882) “I went to school, a hard spot for boys.” Check out his great doodles.
Image: Farmer’s son, Carver Simpson Diary, 1871 & 1881-1882, Courtesy of the Museum of Dufferin.
Garrison Shadd & Sons:
The script changes as Garrison’s sons, William, Alfred, and Charles, take up the authorship of this rare African-Canadian diary under the direction of their father. Garrison is the son of the famed abolitionist and “conductor” on the Underground Railway, Abraham Doras Shadd, and brother of Mary Ann Shadd, the first black woman in North America to publish a newspaper. Experience the everyday life of Garrison and their sons who left their special legacy.
Image: Farmers, Garrison Shadd Diary, 1883-1885, Courtesy of Buxton National Historic Site & Museum
Lucy Middagh:
“…Cleland Workma got his foot in the logs when they were Sawing wood and it was all Chewed up and the Doctors took it off below the nee poor unfortunate boy.”
“Charles went to a wood bee at Carsons Min and Tory went to John Peters Smiths to a quilting bee …”
Image: Grandmother, Lucy Middagh Diary, January 1885 & 1887, Courtesy of Gail Spanier, Laure Jansen & Catharine Wilson
About the Collections
The diaries featured on Rural Diary Archive are drawn from archival and museum collections across the province with the digital copies created for this website being housed at the Rural Diary Archive project’s secure digital storage site at the University of Guelph. The list of diarists is not all inclusive. Those featured are legible, extensive and interesting. We will continue to add new content, so check back! If you would like to donate diaries or suggest items for inclusion contact us.
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Other Questions
Can anyone participate in transcribing?
Anyone is welcome to contribute to the site by transcribing – no special expertise is required and registration is optional. All you have to do is simply select a page and get started.
What technology powers the site?
The transcription pages use Campus Press for content management and the Scripto plugin for transcribing.
Other questions
Please contact us.