George Washington Franklin, 1860-1936 [RG3614.AM]

NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID

RG3614.AM:  George Washington Franklin, 1860-1936

Diaries (transcripts):  1885-1935

Perkins and Keith Counties, Neb.; Iowa; Kansas:  Farmer

Size:  1 box; 1.0 cu.ft.

BACKGROUND NOTE

George Washington Franklin was born in Ohio in 1860. He emigrated to Nebraska in 1885, probably living in Keith County, Nebraska, until 1890 when he obtained land in Perkins County, Nebraska. Until 1902, except for an extended visit to Missouri in the early 1890s, Franklin farmed in Perkins County. In 1902 he moved to Hornick, Iowa, where he farmed until around 1911 when he resettled at Fort Scott, Bourbon County, Kansas. He died there in 1936, after more than 50 years as a farmer on the plains.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

This collection relates to George Washington Franklin’s life as a farmer in Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas, over a 50 year period, 1885-1935. The collection consists almost exclusively of Franklin’s diaries (in typescript form) dating from 1885-1935. These diaries are a day-to-day record of farm life before the advent of power-driven machinery. Franklin describes daily tasks, amount and types of crops planted, and breeding practices, as well as information about how he spent his leisure time. The last item in the collection is a 1977 magazine article by William Koch, a Kansas State University professor and editor of the diaries. The article provides additional biographical information about George Washington Franklin.

Note:  Certain diaries were missing or no longer in existence when Prof. Koch transcribed them, so there are gaps in the series of diary entries. Prof. Koch donated copies of the diary transcripts to both the Nebraska State Historical Society and the Kansas State Historical Society. The original diaries of George Washington Franklin along with Prof. Koch’s papers are held by the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming (William E. Koch, papers, Acc. #2711).

DESCRIPTION

Box 1

Folder

1. 1. Diary #1, 1885, Oct. 25 – 1886, Apr. 9

1. 1. Diary #2, 1889, July 28 – 1892, May 16

1. 1. Diary #3, 1892, July 11 – 1893, July 11

1. 1. Diary #5, 1894, Nov. 11 – 1896, Aug. 24

1. 1. Diary #6, 1896, Aug. 24 – 1900, Mar. 7

1. 1. Diary #7, 1900, Mar. 8 – Sept. 12

1. 1. Diary #8, 1900, Sept. 13 – 1901, Aug. 6

1. 1. Diary #10, 1902, Oct. 14 – 1903, Dec. 9

1. 1. Diary #11, 1903, Dec. 16 – 1904, Dec. 2

1. 1. Diary #15, 1908, Oct. 23 – 1910, July 31

1. 1. Diary #17, 1911, Jan. 7 – Aug. 9

1. 1. Diary #18, 1911, Aug. 10 – 1912, Aug. 2

1. 1. Diary #19, 1912, Aug. 3 – 1913, July 21

1. 1. Diary #21, 1914, Aug. 7 – 1915, Aug. 12

1. 1. Diary #25, 1918, July 22 – Dec. 11

1. 1. Diary #29, 1920, June 19 – Oct. 23

1. 1. Diary #34, 1922, July 15 – Nov. 8

1. 1. Diary #41, 1924, Nov. 1 – 1925, Mar. 27

1. 1. Diary #45, 1926, Mar. 1 – Sept. 22

1. 1. Diary #46, 1926, Sept. 23 – 1927, Feb. 25

1. 1. Diary #51, 1928, Oct. 25 – 1929, Apr. 7

1. 1. Diary #52, 1929, Apr. 8 – Sept. 6

1. 1. Diary #54, 1929, Dec. 30 – 1930, May 21

1. 1. Diary #55, 1930, May 22 – Sept. 29

1. 1. Diary #56, 1930, Sept. 30 – 1931, Feb. 23

1. 1. Diary #59, 1931, Oct. 2 – 1932, June 18

1. 1. Diary #60, 1932, June 19 – 1933, July 11

1. 1. Diary #61, 1933, July 11 – 1934, Feb. 24

1. 1. Diary #62, 1934, Feb. 2 – Nov. 9

1. 1. Diary #64, 1935, Apr. 22 – July 31

1. 1. Journal of the West, vol. 16, no. 1, January 1977 (contains the article, “Farm Building on the Nebraska High Plains: The Diary of George Washington Franklin,” by William E. Koch.

 

ADDED ENTRIES:

Agricultural history

Agriculture — Economic aspects

Farm life — Nebraska — Keith County

Farm life — Nebraska — Perkins County

Franklin, George Washington, 1860-1936

Koch, William E.

 

AIF   12-12-1979

Revised/Encoded TMM   04-03-2010