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Title: Mary Pethic Gimblett Glaspell Diaries
Dates: 1889-1891, 1898-1930
Collection Number: 10418
Quantity: 1 roll microfilm (#430)
Abstract: Diaries of an English immigrant and homesteader in Griggs Co., ND describing weather conditions, and family activities.
Provenance: The State Historical Society of North Dakota borrowed the diaries for microfilming from Miss Amy Glaspell who holds the originals.
Property rights: The State Historical Society of North Dakota owns the property rights to this collection.
Copyright: Copyrights to materials in this collection remain with the donor, publisher, author, or author's heirs. Researchers should consult the 1976 Copyright Act, Public Law 94-553, Title 17, U.S. Code or an archivist at this repository if clarification of copyright requirements are needed.
Access: This collection is open under the rules and regulations of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.
Citation: Researchers are requested to cite the collection title, collection number, and the State Historical Society of North Dakota in all footnote and bibliographic references.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Mrs. Mary Glaspell, whose death was chronicled in this paper last week, and for whom funeral services were held last Wednesday afternoon, was born in Devonshire, England, on December 9, 1842, and at the age of nine years sailed with her parents to Ontario, Canada, where she grew to womanhood. In 1861 she was united in marriage to Woodman C. Glaspell and to that union were born fourteen children, nine of whom are still living: Mrs. Thomas Hare of Cooperstown; Mrs. J. C. Elsey, Des Moines, Ia.; Mrs. Joe Forder, Nestleton Sta., Ont.; Mrs. Sm,uel Langford and Mrs. W. H. Sansburn, Cooperstown; Will W. Glaspell, Prescott, Wash.; Mrs. Alleson, Bowe, Amy and Elsie Glaspell of Cooperstown. Twenty-eight grandchildren and twenty-nine great grandchildren also survive, besides three sisters: Mrs. C. A. Hall of Cooperstown; Mrs. George Newberry of Jamestown and Mrs. J. M. Taylor or Pasadena, Cal.
In the year 1888 Mr. Glaspell and one daughter came to Cooperstown and the following year Mrs. Glaspell arrived with the other children, taking four days and nights to make the trip. They made their home four miles north of Cooperstown until Mr. Glaspell had the home finished in which the family still lives. Mr. Glaspell passed away twenty-two years ago.
Mrs. Glaspell was a devout Christian, a kind and loving mother and a great lover of nature. She was active until about ten days before her heath, passing away on Sunday, March 1st, at the age of 87 years, 2 months and 20 days.
Out-of-town relatives attending the funeral held last Wednesday were Mrs. Geo. Newberry and son Frank, of Jamestown; G. S. Newberry of Carrington, George and Amos Hare of Dazey and Manwood Hare of Hannaford. - From the Cooperstown Courier, March 13, 1930
Additional biographical information from ancestry.com:
Woodman Glaspell was born ca. 1832 in England. His parents were Charles and Ann Glaspell. He married Mary Gimlett October 4, 1861 in Northumberland and Durham Ontario. Mary's parents were Thomas and Grace Gimlett. The Griggs County Atlas of 1910 shows 160 acres belonging to Mary Glaspell in Cooperstown Twp. section 12.
The diaries have single line entries for each day and primarily describe the weather. Additional information deals with crops, the church sermon being delivered in Norwegian, the first time she harnessed the oxen, when Father went to town, when they finished cutting wheat and killing pigs, and when various family members visited.
Much of the film is dark and difficult to read.
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