by Hannah Elder, Associate Reference Librarian for Rights & Reproductions
Today, we return to the transcription of Clara E. Currier’s 1925 diary. Currier was a working-class woman who lived in or near Haverhill, MA. Her diary records her daily activities – from fiber arts to paid employment to observations of the natural world – providing insight into daily life a century ago. You can find entries for January, February, and March in past blog posts.
April has a lovely start for Clara, making a hat, calling on friends and family, and celebrating Easter. In the middle of the month, though, she comes down with measles. For nearly a week, she has daily visits from her doctor, is attended to by Mary, and is bed-bound. Even after her high fever breaks and she starts to receive visits from friends, Clara is weak and has to start easing back into daily life, including sitting up, dressing, and leaving her bed. We will continue to follow her path to recovery in May.
Apr. 1, Wed. Fair, out for the day, went to Newburyport A.M, started to make a hat and went to Haverhill to Rebekah (Kenoya) and saw lovely work, Mae Jenney went with me.
Apr. 2, Thurs. [$]19. Fair, mended.
Apr. 3, Fri. Fair, went up to town.
Apr. 4, Sat. April showers, cooked and sewed, went up town and called on Mrs. Dennis.
Apr. 5, Sun Fair, went to church, Sizzie came over to dinner and we called on Mr. + Mrs. Charles Gould, looked at Uncle Will’s cellar, over to Union Cemetery and called at Delia’s.
Apr. 6, Mon. Fair, sewed.
Apr. 7, Tues. Fair, Mary came down, sewed, went to Grange, degrees.
Apr. 8, Wed. Fair, Mary sewed and went home at night, went up to Stephen’s with her.
Apr. 9, Thurs. [$]15.58 Fair, went up town, finished my hat, Blanche called.
Apr. 10, Fri. Rained in evening.
Apr. 11, Sat. Fair, went down to Grace Nealand’s for afternoon and evening.
Apr. 12, Sun. (Easter) Fair and cool, cloudy at night, went to church, S.S, and vesper service at Market St., and then went to Haverhill to a pageant. Wore my new hat.
Apr. 13, Mon. Snowed during night and in morning cleared away, and soon melted. Went to class meeting and helped serve refreshments.
Apr. 14, Tues. Fair, feeling mean, Blanche came over for the evening.
Apr. 15, Wed. Rainy, then cleared, worked in morning, had Dr. Murphy and went to bed with measles, thunder shower, Mary came down. Blanche came to the door.
Apr. 16, Thurss. [$]19. Fair, having a hot time in bed, no cold things. Dr. came
Apr. 17, Fri. Fair, Still hot and sweating. Dr. came.
Apr. 18, Sat. Fair and warmer, all broken out but still very hot so had Dr. and my temperature was 102°. Etta was over and brought grape juice.
April 19, Sun. Started to snow around 10 o’clock and had a regular N.E. snowstorm. Some better but Dr. found my temperature 100 ¾°. Mrs. Dennis came over.
Apr. 20, Mon. Ground all white with snow, cold and windy. Dr. came and found temperature normal, measles starting to go, have had them very hard.
Tues. Apr. 21 Fair and 20° above, Frank called, corner class sent a basket of fruit and candy.

Apr. 22, Wed. Fair and warm, Etta came over, brought ice cream, Delia (ice cream) called in the evening. Blache came to the door, Sizzie came nearly every day.
Thurs. Apr. 23 [$]9.12 Fair and windy, warm, Mary went to the Mason’s Minstrel Show.
Apr. 24, Fri Cloudy, William was down with hay and called, Rebekahs sent bouquet of cut flowers, set up.
Apr. 25, Sat. Fair and warm, Thunder shower at night and rained hard, Mary went up town, Grange dedicated the flag pole at Victoria Park. Set up awhile.
Apr. 26, Sun. Fair, William and mother came down and Mary went home with them, Was dressed for first time. Sizzie came to stay nights with me.
Apr. 27, Mon. Fair, sat up but weak. Blanche came over.
Apr. 28, Tues. Fair, got dinner and read a little.
Apr. 29, Wed. Dull and cold, Feel rather weak and shaky. Mr. Jackson called.
Apr. 30, Thurs. Rainy, Sizzie went to Grange play.
If you are interested in viewing the diary in person in our library or have other questions about the collection, please visit the library or contact a member of the library staff.
*Please note that this diary transcription is a rough-and-ready version, not an authoritative transcript. Researchers wishing to use the diary in the course of their own work should verify the version found here with the manuscript original.
This line-a-day blog series is inspired by and in honor of MHS reference librarian Anna J. Clutterbuck-Cook (1981–2023), whose entertaining and enlightening line-a-day blog series ran from 2015 to 2019. Her generous, humane, and creative approach to both history and librarianship continues to influence the work of the MHS library.