Which New Diary Would You Like Serialized? Readers Vote!

Kind readers, we have sadly reached the end of the year-long serialization of Allie McCullough and Carrie Hardy's diaries. Through them we learned about the Lyceum, wartime rationing, "giving him the mitten" and taking mercury for medicine. They never dreamed that their private thoughts would be read by, and would touch, so many strangers of a different time.

It's time now to begin a new serialization. Reader's Choice. You have 3 candidates to choose from. Enter your vote in Comments and I will start off on the most popular vote posthaste.

CANDIDATE #1: J. R. MOWRY. An elderly farmer just northwest of Ypsilanti, J. R. Mowry farmed dairy cattle and raised a variety of crops with the help of his sons. Like to know about the day to day life of a farmer?

EXCERPT: "July 20, 1901: I took milk [into Ypsilanti]. Tom and Charley helped Johnny thresh in A.M.; in P.M. they helped Will Elliott thresh. I went to John Wise's funeral, took leave and surry. We all went home in P.M. Four rode to Ypsi, Mich."

CANDIDATE #2: JEROME ALLEN. A city surveyor writes about his job, daily life, and the prices of things he buys around town. Like to ride along and oversee ditch, road, and sewer projects?

EXCERPT: "July 20, 1910: With William Campbell and Steve Hutchinson I was engaged as special assessor in measuring curbs built by Gass. Rec. draft for dividend on Stock in Denver and Rio Grand RR, $25.00."

CANDIDATE #3: ABBA OWEN. This 16-year-old was the daughter of Ypsilanti magical mineral water baron Tubal Cain Owen. Her diary, begun in the summer of 1888, begins with a fabulous family trip to Niagara Falls and offers insights into the life of a teen in a well-off, well-known Ypsilanti family.

EXCERPT: "July 20, 1888: This morning mama and I got up early so as to be ready if the boys came on the 7 o'clock train but they did not come so we sat down to breakfast and when we were almost threw I espied a young man walking across the street and I thought it was [brother] Eber but I waited a minute so as to be certain and then called out "It is Eber," and ran to the door. We were all very glad to see him.

"Fred has been in Buffalo all day yesterday and came home this morning on the ten o'clock train.

"This afternoon Aunt Libbie rented a carriage (we called it the Ark) and we all went up to Fort Niagara and it was very interesting; we went all through the different departments also the dungeon where Morgan was kept until he was thrown into the river.

"This evening Eber and Fred went for a row on the river and also to make a call on the Crageys. When they returned there was quite a party of visitors here: Mrs. & Miss Hauss, Mrs. Hotchkiss, Mrs. Marrell, and Mrs. Candler Cooke and we had a very pleasant evening."

There you go. Vote for your favorite; voting closes on Sunday, July 25th, after which we'll blast off on a new journey with another Ypsilanti diarist. Thank you!