Woman's Daily Diary Recording Her Everyday Life in Montgomery County, PA in 1891

Item Details

Montgomery County, PA, 1891

[WOMEN]  [DIARY]  [PENNSYLVANIA - MONTGOMERY CO.]  [RELIGION - MENNONITE]   [DAILY LIFE]  [HOUSEKEEPING]  [FARMING]  Member of the Cassel – Isett Family of Montgomery County, PA.  Daily diary containing entries most likely written by a female relative of Sara Cassel Isett (1853-1940), a resident of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania in 1891.  Although there is a note written on the cover of the diary that reads “Diary of Sara Isett”, internal evidence suggests it was a young woman family member of Sara Isett who kept the diary.   Each day, the diarist writes several sentences about what occurred around the house and her work as a home keeper doing all the tasks and chores required of her family.  She often describes who she saw, what fruits were harvested that day, what she baked, reports on any deaths, visiting family and friends, and any other big news happening within the community.  Fastened together with a straight pin at the end of the diary are two and one-half pages of names of folks who contributed to the Building Fund of the First Brethren Church, Royersford, PA.  The diarist’s family is religious and prayer meetings, Mennonite meetings and services, Sunday school, and other church activities (of several denominations) are a common theme.  Members of the Cassel family were heavily involved in the Church of the Brethren and the Mennonite community in Montgomery County.

The diary was kept in a Memorandum notebook measuring 6 x 3.75 inches.  Almost every day of 1891 has an entry with there being between 3 and 6 entries per page.  The last quarter or so of the diary contains miscellaneous notes and monthly expenses. The pages are beginning to detach from the inside spine of the diary, but they are still held together quite well.  The front cover is in good condition, but the back cover has some cracking and a small chunk taken out along one edge.  Written in ink on the front cover is “Diary of Sara Isett”.  VG condition.  [19-176]

Sara (or Sarah) Isett was born to John Bean Cassel (1809-1885) and Catherine Harley Cassel (1812-1891) in Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania on November 18, 1853.  She was one of nine children and the youngest in the family.  In 1874, she married Benjamin Isett and together they had at least five children.  The Cassel and Isett families have a long generational history in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.  Since the diary records the birth of “Ben and his wife’s” son Elmer on February 11, 1891, unless Sara was writing in the third person, it appears as though another member of the extended Cassell and Isett families was the diarist.  Many different members of both families are almost daily mentioned throughout the diary.  Sara and Benjamin lived in Pottstown for a while until he passed away in 1925.  For the last few years of her life, Sara lived with her youngest child, Viola Piersol (1888-1970).  She passed away in April of 1940 in West Chester, Pennsylvania, a week after she had fallen and fractured her hip.

A sampling of quotes written by the diarist provides examples of what her daily life was like as a home keeper in Pennsylvania during the early 1890s:

January 25: “I was home all day.  Pop walked over to Mingo in the morning and went to Graterford to the baptism.  Dorinda Reif was baptized.  I went to church to the sermon to the firemen.  The glass factory burned down.  Snowed and blowed in the morning but was nice in the afternoon and evening.”

February 5: “I was at home sewing.  Jake and Etty Isett were here and Annie Bearman and Doctor Isett’s wife.  And in the evening mother, Mary and the children and I went to Spring City to prayer meeting at Taylor’s.  Cold.”

April 9: “I dug garden and planted and in the afternoon I walked home.  Dave commenced to plow for oats.  Clear.”

June 3: “I planted cabbage plants.  Clara did too.  I finished my vests.  Dave went down to cut feed.”

July 17: “Tom Wilson’s baby died and Mr. Gruner’s baby drowned at Linnfield.  Dave made his last hay.  Clear.”

July 23: “I baked in the forenoon and in the afternoon I picked cherries again.  Dave and Frank harrowed corn.  Clear.”

September 30: “I made a dress for myself and some underclothes.  Clara ironed.  In the evening we all went over to Aunt Pamelia’s to prayer meeting.  Jonathan Zeigler’s boiled apple butter.”