NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID
RG3018.AM: Mary Margaret (Pike) Harpster, 1852-
Diary (on microfilm): 1885-1889
Blue Springs, Gage County, Neb.: Housewife
Size: 1 reel of microfilm containing 1 diary
BACKGROUND NOTE
Mary Margaret Pike, the daughter of Alexander B. and Martha (Johnson) Pike, was born June 26, 1852 in Pawseheik County, Iowa. She came to Nebraska with the W.S. Griffy family and arrived at Blue Springs, Gage County on August 13, 1868. On August 7, 1870 she married William Ambrose Harpster, the son of Thomas and Catherine (Decker) Harpster. William Harpster died on June 29, 1911 at Blue Springs. Mary’s sister, who came to Nebraska after her and married Alonzo Harpster, died on April 2, 1910 in Lincoln, Nebraska. The date of Mary’s death is not known.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
This collection consists of one reel of negative microfilm approximately 10 feet long, containing the diary of Mary Margaret Harpster, 1885-1889. The diary documents the every-day life of Mary Margaret Harpster. There are notes on the weather, her social life, and the birthdays, marriages and deaths of relatives and residents of Blue Springs and vicinity. Mary’s son Jessie is often mentioned in the diary, his birthday being on December 10.
The diary was loaned for microfilming in April of 1962.
DESCRIPTION
Reel 1
Diary, 1885-1889
ADDED ENTRIES:
Blue Springs (Neb.) — History
Farm life — Nebraska
Gage County (Neb.) — History
Harpster family
Harpster, Mary Margaret (Pike), 1852-
HEK/jc 02-07-1966
DDS/pmc 09-30-1971
Revised TMM 06-26-2009
Encoded TMM 04-22-2010
