The 1919 Diary of Ypsilanti High School Teacher Carrie Hardy

Part of a year-long weekly serialization of Ypsilanti high school math teacher Carrie Hardy's diary.

You may recall that Carrie had a busy week last week. Her friend Lillian came home from traveling, Carrie visited Ontario on the "Thousand island" boat, and she canned 10 pints of cherries. There's also the first whisper of the mysterious illness that would plague her over the remainder of the summer.

July 12 Sat. Bo't 7 qts. of cherries from Miss Creech and canned 10 pts. Was sick from noon on. Lillian stayed all night with me.

July 13 Sun. Took 7:30 [interurban light rail?] car for Detroit. At 10:00 boarded steamboat Thousand Islander [pictured at right] for Chatham, Ont. Returned at 11:00.

July 14 Mon. No classes. School election. Mrs. Fletcher and Prof. Cleary were re-elected. New Prospect School building carried. Mr. Loosee made Robert's cart. Home.

July 15 Tues. All classes on. Prepared to take Robert's cart down to Detroit. Cleaned and looked over the Maxwell [Carrie's own car; a Maxwell is pictured at right]. Purchased gas [readers, why would she mark this in her diary? Baffled here--any ideas?].

July 16 Wed. All classes on. At 4 o'clock Lillian + I left for Detroit with cart socks, [?] etc. Supper by roadside. Home at 7:40.

July 17 Thurs. All classes on. After school drove Mr. + Mrs. Arbaugh to Ann Arbor for Dorothy-operation removal of tonsils.

July 18 Fri. After school went down town. Then attended the Laird party for Saginaw teachers.

July 19 Sat. Worked all day. Cleaned and swept, dusted. Changed furniture in bed-room [Huh? What? What does this mean?]

July 20 Sun. Was home all day.--Not even fully dressed. Looked over Arithmetic blue books all day. Not very well.

July 21 Mon. No classes. Not well so called Dr. Breakey who came at 11 A.M. He gave me calomel tablets and in evening I took Pluto water. Mended some [oh, but stay tuned! Poor Carrie!]

Thanks for reading; tune in next Tuesday for the next series!