1866 Handwritten Post Civil War Diary Mainville Weatherly Schuylkill Columbia Pa For Sale

---

1866
HANDWRITTEN
DIARY

---------------------- I always enjoy reading teachers diaries from the 1800's
and they are becomingdifficult to find.
When I am fortunate enough to find one,
they are usually written by a women,
but this one was written by a 22 year old young man
the year after the American Civil War ended!This AMAZING154 YEAR OLD handwritten antique diary / journal / manuscript book
was written by a young man who was namedGEORGE W. MILLER.
He was born on December 15, 1844.
Heresided in MAINVILLE, COLUMBIA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA,
and he taught school in
SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
He lived with the Gearhart family during the week while teaching school,
and would go back to Mainville sometimes on the weekends & for the summer.There is a notation on a back page dated Dec 26, 1865 where he writes:
"I have this day commenced teaching school at Lehr's school-house."

I found his biography in a book "The HistoryOf Carbon County, Pennsylvania",
and in part it reads:

Miller, George W., one of Weatherly's oldest and best known merchants, the son of George and Eve (Kocher) Miller, was born in Maine township, Columbia county, Pa., on December 15, 1844 ...... George W. Miller grew to manhood on his father's farm. He was educated in the public schools and at Greenwood Seminary, near Bloomsburg. Later he pursued a course of study at Lowell's Commercial College, Binghampton, N. Y. After teaching school for several terms, he came to Weatherly in 1869, entering the employ of J. G. Eadie as a clerk, and so continuing for a period of ten years. He then purchased the general store which had previously been conducted jointly by Edward Wilson and Edward and Samuel Harleman, in Oak Hall. Three years subsequently he erected a large, modern brick building for the accommodation of his growing business, gaining a larger patronage than any other merchant in the town. In 1904 the Miller Store Company was organized. Mr. Miller is a member of this company, which continues the business he founded ..... He has held various offices in the gift of the people of Weatherly, and he served for the term of three years as a member of the directorate of the Middle Coal Field Poor District ...... On October 8, 1873, he was married to Sarah, the daughter of Philip Ginter. Her great-grandfather discovered coal at Summit Hill in the year 1791. She died in 1894, and on October 8, 1895, Mr. Miller wedded Huldah Gerhard ...... He is a supporter of the principles of Democracy, and is identified with the Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Improved Order of Red Men, and the Free and Accepted Masons, being also a member of the Presbyterian church.This is a VERY RARE
One-Of-A-Kind
Window Into
Pennsylvania & American History !!!
It's so wonderful when the author of a diary is written about in book!
Georgewas 21 years old when he started to keep this diary,
and he just started to teach at his first school.
He writes of walking to school every day,
and he writes how miserablethis was in the winter when there was deep snow.
He writes of admitting new pupils into his small school,
the number of scholars numbered from 8 to 13,
depending on the weather.
He writes of his students being "wild" on occassion,
and of staying with the "Gearharts" during the week
and then traveling back to Mainville sometimes on the weekends
and also he stayed in or near Mainville during the summer.
He enjoyed fishing, sailing on the river,
and he made apple cider & apple butter.I have to wonder if he fought in the Civil War
since he would have been of the correct age to do so,
but I haven't had the time to research this.

This wonderful early historical diary has 327 handwritten entries
which vary in length, are written in pencil,
and itmeasures approx. 3" x5" andit's in very good condition,
with no missing or loose pages.
Thiswould be an amazing diary for anyone interested in the history & the people of this area.
Quite An Amazing & Very Rare Piece of Americana !!!

HERE IS A SAMPLING OF A FEW EXCERPTS I'VE TAKEN FROM THE DIARY:
" ..... I started from home this morning at about seven oclock and reached the school-house at about half past seven. I then built a fire and swept the school room. I had eight pupils to day, this is a good beginning for the New Years. Traded knives with Stephen Erwin and gave fifteen cents to boot, so this makes my cash capital less than ever. This is my fifth day I am teaching school ..... My scholars did not please me as well today as they did yesterday because they were a little more noisey. I must take another way for them if they can't carry themselves a little straighter. There were eleven present today ..... Harnessed up the horse and started home at about nine o'clock. I reached Maineville at about eleven oclock. I stopped at the store and bought me a pair of drawers for $1.50. I then went home and unhitched the horse and put it into the stable. I been to singing this evening ..... I started from Gearharts this morning at about seven o'clock and reached the school house at half past seven where I found a warm blazing fire. I swept the school house and went to reading. I had thirteen pupils today and some of them were a pretty hard stock, especially my new one .....I left home this morning and came running down the road from Gearharts till down into the woods where I fell and tore my pants in a sad manner. I was obliged to go back and put over another pair. This evening I amso stiff that I can't hardly walk. I hurt my knee and back so I can't hardly sit .... I went from Gearharts to me school house and made out my report and then started off to see F. C. Smith to get my order but he refused to give me one at first, so I did not know what to do. At last he gave me one ..... Fed the horse and then started down on the hill to go to a funeral. D. Fishers child was buried and J. H. Fisher also at the same time. There were quite a good many tending the burying ..... Triming apple trees till about three o'clock. I fell off the tree and hurt myself very badly. Aaron fetched me home. The Doctor came down and he said my cheek bone was broke ...... Dressed and went on a boat to Espy crossed the river and went to a celebration in John's woods, from there came to a picknick on the ___ hill ...... Got up and eat breakfast but I did not feel good, went up to the doctor and he informed me that I was gitting the fever. He gave me some medicine and I went home and did as he told me and till afternoon was confined to bed ...... I went upstairs this afternoon and had calculated to stay at Mr Kricksbarns (?) all night, but Mrs. Wintersteen came up and told me that Pap had fell and hurt himself very badly so I came down home and found him in a very bad condition ...... I went to help dig a grave for D. S. Brown's little boy ...."

---------

I'm afraid Ineed to stop here, but as you can see from these sampleexcerpts, this diary is an interesting piece of history!
This is a wonderful diary that deserves more research!Some of the many names he mentions in the diary are:
Geo. B. Schenck ~ G. Flickinger ~ A. Miller ~ Stephen Erwin ~ S. Y. Deling ~ Henry Miller ~
Stephen Gearhart ~ Jesse Newton ~ Elizabeth Shell ~ Wm Kocher ~ J. N. Pifer ~ Fetterman ~
Snyder ~ Alfred Millard ~N. Miller ~ F. C. Smith ~ John Yager ~ Frank Sherman ~ Catherine Erwin ~
C. Wolf ~ Daniel Fisher ~ Aaron Miller ~ Brown ~ and others!!

Some of the manyplaces he mentions in the diary are:
Schuylkill ~ Binghamton ~ Beaver Valley ~ Maineville ~ Mifflinville ~ Ringtown Station ~
Hemlock City ~ Willow Grove ~ Danville ~Pottsgrove ~ Bloomsburg ~ Stoneytown~ and others.

-------

DEALERS ARE WELCOME TO offer ON THIS ITEM,
HOWEVER YOU ARE offerDING ON THE ITEM AND NOT ON THE RIGHTS TO COPY MY DESCRIPTION.
COPYRIGHT LAWS & RULES FORoffer THIS DESCRIPTION OR FORMAT TO BE COPIED
IN FULL OR IN PART FOR RESALE PURPOSES.

** PLEASE NOTE ** - Unlike many other sellers, I do not sell my diaries outside of the USA.
It greatly saddens me, as I know it does many of you,
when I see these one-of-a-kind American treasures being sent away to other countries.I try to do my part in keeping them and the invaluable historical information that they hold
right here in America where they belong!
I believe that those who have written these incredible diaries would have wanted it this way!
I'm so thankful for those of you who are Patriotic and feel the same way as I do,
and I'm very grateful to everyone who offers on my diaries and supports my cause.The advantage to those of you who offer on my sales
is that you are offerding only against USA buyers, rather than buyers from all over the world,
so there is less competition to win great diaries!I appreciate those of you who show your support and offer on the diaries that I sell,
Thank you so very much!

If winning buyer does not, I reserve the right to cancel the transaction.
I only ship to USA addresses.
Payment through Paypal is expected within 3 days after the sale ends,
unless other arrangements are made prior to offerding.

I ONLY SELL ORIGINAL AUTHENTIC ITEMS, I NEVER SELL COPIES OR REPRODUCTIONS.
PLEASE DO NOT ASK ME TO LOOK UP WHAT IS WRITTEN ABOUT SPECIFIC PEOPLE OR EVENTS,
DUE TO THE NUMBER OF REQUESTS I RECEIVE, AND WORKING 80+ HOURS A WEEK,
I SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE THE TIME TO LOOK UP THIS INFORMATION.
ALSO, PLEASE DO NOT ASK ME TO SCAN PORTIONS OF THE DIARY AFTER THE sale HAS ENDED,
NOR TO CONTACT THE WINNING buyer ON YOUR BEHALF.
IF YOU WANT SPECIFIC INFORMATION THAT THE DIARY HOLDS, THEN PLEASE offer ON IT.

THANK YOU FOR LOOKING,
YOUR offerS ARE ALWAYS GREATLY APPRECIATED!

This item has been shown times. 1866 Handwritten Post Civil War Diary Mainville Weatherly Schuylkill Columbia Pa: $79