The 1919 Diary of YHS Math Teacher Carrie Hardy

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

Bit o' catching up to do here.

June 9 Mon. Junior-Senior Tug-O-War. Juniors won. After supper I went riding with Lillian. Swept, dusted the front room + hall. Mrs. Arnold is sick.

June 10 Tues. Nothing much doing. Drove with Lillian before school in the morning and worked hard after school sweeping + dusting, etc.

June 11 Wed. Chapel with discussion of the new Constitution. After school L. + I had a lunch together in Recreation Park. Then went to the Martha [Martha Washington movie theater, now Deja Vu] to see Nazimova in Red Lantern.

June 12 Thurs. Drove over for Miss Steere before school this A.M., then took Miss Webb + Lillian to school. Mr. Simon wanted help after school. P.L.S. after supper with election of officers.

June 13 Fri. Took Miss Webb over to her school. At noon went into Bank + paid for my liberty bond. In evening Lillian + I attend a recital at Normal.

June 14 Sat. With my car full of people (Mr. + Mrs. Erickson inc) attended a picnic with Mr. & Mrs. Lyman, Dr. + Mrs. Gorton, etc at Rawsonville. Lillian staid all night. Drove to Ann Arbor in eve.

June 15 Sun. Up at 4:30 + Lillian + I drove to Detroit. Arrived in time for breakfast. Were home again by 10:000, so we did not stay long. Rob painting the kitchen. Baccalaureate tonight.

June 16 Mon. Trig. off; but I heard rehearsals in Auditorium. Took May Webb and Lillian to school. Am working on reports. Am worried about [my brother] Rob. Getting ready for Class Day Exercises.

June 17 Tues. D. Lurkins + C. Whit rehearsed again today. Am trying to close reports for the year. Cleaned my car tonight and sowed lettuce seed again. Drove about town this A.M.

June 18 Wed. Test in S. [senior?] Geom. Drove over for Miss Steere this A.M. Senior Chapel with new orchestra, presentation of Numerals. Class Day exercises.

June 19 Thurs. Exams finished. No school after this noon. Senior party this evening. All going well. My! but it's warm. Reports nearly done.

June 20 Fri. Cleaned up school room. Drove M. Webb and Lillian over to their school + home again. Cried + felt so bad that I drove alone to Belleville. Lillian goes to Chicago tonight.

June 21 Sat. Bad day all round. Felt sad and depressed all day. Went down town and did a little shopping. Also prepared to go to Detroit.

June 22 Sun. Up early and drove to Detroit. May, the children + I drove to Belle Isle by way of the Blvd. Rob not very well. Catherine did not pass in school.

June 23 Mon. With Mrs. Curtis, May, the children & Gladys drove to the East side. Gladys & Catherine to visit a friend. May, Robert & I went for Rob after work. Car fine. Rob better.

June 24 Tues. Came home this morning. Hate to leave Rob. Bro't some croqueting home to do for May. Feel "bum." Two letters from Lillian. Miss Laird over.

June 25 Wed. Washed and ironed. Crocheted. In evening my car would not start. Went down to Nye Motor Sales Co. and bargained for an Overland for Rob. No letter from Lillian.

June 26 Thurs. Paid $500 Liberty Bonds for Rob's Overland. Hear from Lillian nearly every day. Took Rob's Overland done to him. He was very much pleased. Cried. He drove on the B'lv'd.

June 27 Fri. Rob took the car out of the barn alone & drove out to his work with all of us in. I drove back. Helped May with her work + went for Rob in evening. He drove us all home.

June 28 Sat. Came home this morning. Am trying to clean the house. Miss Carr from Williamston called. A good visit. Took bath. Went downtown for groceries.

June 29 Sun. Went to church. After dinner Miss Scultes and I drove to Ann Arbor, then to Willis. Catherine Webb and Miss Carr called in evening. Catherine is to attend summer Normal.

June 30 Mon. Went up to Normal this A.M. [for commencement exercises?] Came home, washed, and ironed. Miss Laird came in for 1 min. Catherine came in after supper. She is very discontented. Wrote a testimonial for Susan Platt.

July 1 Tues. Met my classes at Normal. Some shifting is to be done. Susan Platt called. The Backers moved out. Mrs. Jennings moved in. Alley Festa opens today-trimming for it. [Alley Festa was a sort of DIY community carnival-festival]

July 2 Wed. Pd. Milk + paper bills [presumably Carrie had home milk delivery to her apartment at 223 River St.]. Taught at Normal. Classes changed again 7-8, 1-3, 3-4. All classes in #54. Cleaned car and painted screens. Finished cap. Lillian's letter came. Went to Martha [Washington Theater, now Deja Vu].

July 3 Class at 7 o'clock-8. Classes from 1-4. Darned 5 prs. blk stockings. Let down gingham dress [as opposed to buying new stockings or a new gingham dress; perhaps Carrie was either thrifty or not paid as well as she'd like, or the culture at the time was less of a throwaway culture] Alley Festa was good. 2 letters + a card from Lillian.

July 4 Fri. Took Mrs. Webb and May in car, down town to see the parade. In booth at Alley Festa from 12-3:30. In evening attended Alley Festa with Mrs. Fletcher.

July 5 Sat. Cleaned bathroom + kitchen. Moved ice box to back porch. Slept, bathed, hoed garden. 5 gals. of gasoline. May telephoned that Rob would not come Sun.

July 6 Sun. Did not go to church-feel mighty blue without reason. Did some cleaning + sewing. Wrote to Lillian in St. Paul. Rode in car to cemetery [According to information from Carrie's Bible, recorded on her father's obit card, Carrie's father had died July 16 four years before and was buried in (Union)-Udell Cemetery at Huron River Dr. & Textile Rd.; perhaps she visited his grave. Carrie's mother had died in 1874, which is probably the year Carrie was born; she may have died in childbirth. At the time of this diary writing, Carrie is around 44 years old.]

July 7 Mon. Washed & ironed. Dusted car. Trig from 1-3. At four attended Summer school faculty picnic. At 6:45 Victrola concert at Pease Aud.

July 8 Tues. Rec'd card from L.-She is homesick. She returned home about 5:30 this P.M. She stayed all night with me.

July 9 Wed. 1-3 class off today + the 3-4 class did not meet on account of extra assembly. Mr. Burton, Pres. of Minn., spoke. Student-faculty get-together in eve.

July 10 Thurs. After 7-8 class we went berrying. Mrs. Fletcher, Miss Lambie, Lillian, little Mary, and I. Martha in eve-S. Lewis, May Webb, Lillian & I.

July 11 Fri. All classes on. Miss Creech called on Miss Gieske. After supper went with Lillian for her father at huckleberry marsh.

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 for Chatham, Ont. Returned at 11:00.

There we go. Carrie's diary is about ended for the year's serialization. Readers will have a choice to vote on one of several diaries to succeed it; stay tuned and thanks for reading!