Barbara Hillard Smith’s Diary, August 1918

Today we return to the 1918 diary of Newton teenager Barbara Hillard Smith. You may read our introduction to the diary, and Barbara’s previous entries, here:

 

January | February | March | April

May | June | July | August

September | October | November | December

 

As regular readers of the Beehive know, we are following Barbara throughout 1918 with monthly blog posts that present Barbara’s daily life -- going to school, seeing friends, playing basketball, and caring for family members -- in the words she wrote a century ago. Here is Barbara’s August, day by day.

 

Revere Beach Reservation, Boston Metropolitan Park Commission, 1898.

 

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THUR. 1                      AUGUST

Went to Sandwitch [sic]. K-Dow came. The double wedding

FRI. 2

Basketball. Swimming

SAT. 3

Raspberrying at Governor’s. Swimming. It was awfully rough

SUN. 4

Sailors came. Swimming. Boat Ride.

MON. 5

Rainy. High Jump. Mother went to Boston. The Alden’s came.

TUES. 6

Basketball. The Alden’s took us to the movies. Got in dutch.

WED. 7

Hiked part way to Hillcrest. Hot. Mother came home.

THUR.8

Started on hike. Landed in North Sandwitch

FRI. 9

Rained. Played Hide and Go seek in Barn

SAT. 10

Wrote letters. Sick?

SUN. 11

Rainy. Hike in afternoon. Sang at A.E. Lee’s in morning.

MON. 12

The Kids went for a long walk. They went swimming

TUES. 13

Climbed Mt. Chocorua. Tired as the deuce. Heard Bob had appendicitis.

WED. 14

Hung around. Rested. Wildcat episode. Wrote Bob.

THUR. 15

Climbed Israel. Hurt my knees.

FRI. 16

Came home. Good to get there

SAT. 17

Hung around. Cold as the deuce

SUN. 18

Wrote letters. A lot of company.

MON. 19

Went to Merideth. Swimming

TUES. 20

Got ready for a good time to-morrow. Shore supper. Dr. Johnson came

WED. 21

Edwina’s birthday party

THUR. 22

Breezy Island

FRI. 23

Babe came back to my tent

SAT. 24

Basketball. Dr. Johnson came again. War canoe came

SUN. 25

Lakeport to church. Swimming

MON. 26

Acted like […] the deuce. Swimming

TUES. 27

Mt. Washington. Met Conney and Betty Arnold

WED. 28

Not much doing. Canoe practice. Swimming

THUR. 29

Voted for […]. Hung around. School Party

FRI. 30

Packed. Prizes awarded. I got the cup. I don’t see how

SAT. 31

Came home. Babe with me. Otis and Spud took us up to park

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If you are interested in viewing the diary in person in our library or have other questions about the collection, please visit the library or contact a member of the library staff for further assistance.

 

 *Please note that the diary transcription is a rough-and-ready version, not an authoritative transcript. Researchers wishing to use the diary in the course of their own work should verify the version found here with the manuscript original. The catalog record for the Barbara Hillard Smith collection may be found here.