In 1931, Ohio farmer Annamae Myers began noting weather, shopping, and family life; 36 years later, her everyday diaries filled 3 boxes now held by the Smithsonian

Most people will never consider the fact that a couple of scribbles done in a hurry just before sleeping at night can ever make it into a museum. Things like the weather of the day, grocery prices, or visits from neighbors are all too mundane to write about or to preserve for posterity. But for Annamae Myers, an Ohio farmer, the everyday things started adding up. She diligently kept records of farm activities for 36 years without knowing she was creating a record of rural America that has become an invaluable resource for historians. As described by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, Myers documented life on an Ohio farm from 1931 to 1967, filling diaries that now occupy three archival boxes and capture everything from weather and shopping trips to farm income and historic events.

A life measured one day at a time

Born in Ohio in 1903, Annamae Barlup Myers spent her entire life immersed in the agricultural community. Myers' family first resided on what is now called the home farm, then went to live on the farm of her father-in-law. From there they moved for some time to another place, but they ultimately came back to the rural areas. Through all those changes, one thing remained stable. And that was maintaining a diary.

From 1931 onwards, Myers documented everything that happened to her and around her with great regularity. There were entries about rain and snow, planting and harvesting, her trips to the stores, visits of friends and neighbours, church gatherings and evenings at the movies. She regularly recorded money earned from selling eggs, livestock and other farm products, leaving behind an informal record of agricultural prices and household finances during a period that included the Great Depression and the post-war years. Her entries did not become long reflections. Rather, she provided brief observations that, when put together, created a remarkably complete account of rural life. What could be considered common on one day became of historical significance after decades of continuous journaling.

More than a household diary

Life on the Myers farm was not only about cooking food and maintaining the house. Annamae assisted in the process of threshing during harvesting time, drove the tractor when required, and cooked food for temporary farm workers when the time was hectic. She also had a garden, canned food, made butter, and stitched clothes for herself and her family, as well as for her neighbours. Her husband, Clarence Myers, juggled his job of farming with an external job which included working on county roads, at a foundry, with the Farm Bureau, and later in a factory while continuing to manage the farm. Together, the family adapted to changing economic conditions without abandoning their agricultural roots.

Beyond farm work, Myers documented important family milestones. The births and progress of their three children, school functions, church functions, musical and dance lessons, visits of relatives, and the improving economic conditions of the family were recorded during the difficult years of the 1930s and 1940s.

Unlike official government reports or newspaper accounts, Myers' notebooks showed how national events reached ordinary households. Important events such as Pearl Harbor, D-Day, the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the end of World War II appeared alongside notes about everyday chores, revealing how major historical events shaped ordinary farm life.

The hidden value of everyday archives

Today, historians value collections like Myers' diaries because they reveal personal records which help them to understand changes that unfolded quietly over time. Beyond documenting one family’s routines, such collections allow researchers to study shifts in agriculture, household economies and social traditions through the perspective of those who experienced them directly.