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This document describes a collection of materials held
by the
Special Collections Department
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1420
Phone: 319-335-5921
Fax: 319-335-5900
e-mail: lib-spec@uiowa.edu
Posted to Internet: October 2000
Acquisition
Note: These
diaries were purchased by the University of Iowa Libraries in August 2000.
Access
and Restrictions:
Digital Surrogates: Except where indicated, this document describes but
does not reproduce the actual text, images and objects which make up this
collection. Materials are available only in the Special Collections
Department.
Copyright: Please read
The University of Iowa Libraries' statement on "Property Rights, Copyright Law, and Permissions to Use Unpublished
Materials"
Use of Collections: The University of Iowa Libraries supports
access to the materials, published and unpublished, in its collections. Nonetheless,
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Please read our Use of Manuscripts Statement.
R. Weston was born in 1827. After his first wife, Esther, died, Weston married Ollie E. Chase on July 6, 1869. In 1873, he was working as a railroad mechanic, primarily doing boiler maintenance, for the Chicago Burlington and Quincy Railroad (C.B.&Q.) in Bureau County, Illinois. His wife Ollie, was a school teacher in Buda, Illinois. In March of 1873, he quit his job and on May 12th, he moved to Dubuque, Iowa to begin a new one in the shops of the Chicago Dubuque and Minnesota Railroad (C.D.& M.). He spent his first several months there cleaning, scrubbing, and painting but by 1878 he had moved up the ranks to a position just under the master mechanic. His wife joined him in Dubuque after the school year in Buda ended in June 1873. She continued to teach in Dubuque.
The diaries of R. Weston chronicle his life and to a lesser extent the life of his wife, Ollie, during the years 1873 and 1878. In these two diaries he writes in great detail about his daily work in the shops of both the C.B.&Q. and the C.D.&M. railroads. He also mentions railroad accidents, on the job injuries, bridge washouts, staff problems, and the like.
His diaries are full of community news and gossip. He and his wife attended concerts, lyceum programs, church events, and readings. He also attended temperance meetings. Weston reported on various crimes, births, illnesses, and deaths within the community.
Much of the diaries are taken up with commentary on his personal life. His marriage was not a happy one and he was often severely depressed and suicidal. He and his wife disagreed about many things, including the people they chose as friends. She was much more social than he and her frequent absences from home and husband were a source of considerable ill-will and conflict between them.
At the end of each diary is an itemized account of expenditures and receipts for each month of the year.
Because of the detail included in these diaries, they provide a good picture of the life of a railroad worker in the Gilded Age. Not only do they provide insight into his work, but also into his social, intellectual and personal life. and are open for research by both the student and scholar.
Diary, 1873.
Diary, 1878.
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