Iowa History
An IAGenWeb Special Project
The Journals of Emma Troutman Boylan
© 2023 Linda Hoopes' [Offsite link above]
315 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Suite 750
Decatur, GA 30030
Emma was Linda Hoopes great-grandmother, a middle-aged mother and wife in rural Iowa who started keeping a journal. "It is a fascinating account of daily life from the late 1920s through the early 1950s. Losing everything in the Great Depression, moving to Oregon and finally to Pennsylvania, their story is a lens into history that touches on farm life, travel, food, faith, fashion, and family."
1927 - 1933 | 1934 - 1940 | 1941 - 1944
| #76 Jan 1934 | A new year, sunshine salad, farm loans and programs, a young mind-reader, and Ruth's journal |
| #77 Feb 1934 | Cows, chickens, butter, and the coming of the Radio! |
| #78 Mar 1934 | Stripping wall paper, more chickens, the Poetry Post, and a glimpse of Ruth's world |
| #79 Apr 1934 | Dust storms, a letter to FDR, the St. Olaf Choir, and the move to the farm |
| #80 May 1934 | Settling in at the farm-gardening, cultivating, gasoline washer, and cannibal chickens |
| #81 Jun 1934 | Life on the farm, gasoline iron, gypsy evangelist, and picnic season |
| #82 Jul 1934 | Summer on the farm, cars, skinny-dipping, threshing, and a 1904 family portrait |
| #83 Aug 1934 | A long hot summer with lots of fairs and a road trip; things aren't getting better... |
| #84 Sep 1934 | Life goes on...ice cream, sorghum, more minister drama, and some family pictures |
| #85 Oct 1934 | Fall leaves, shocking corn, baking doughnuts, and running out of options |
| #86 Nov 1934 | Potatoes, movies, a new coat, temperance, selling everything, and leaving town |
| #87 Dec 1934 | Staying with family, bad teeth, dominos, and Christmas with Ruth and Bob |
| #88 Jan 1935 | On the road again, Fern Valley Ranch, mining, and a hint of an upcoming wedding |
| #89 Feb 1935 | Plenty to eat, visiting in town, Gerald's sale, and off to Wewoka |
| #90 Mar 1935 | Westward along Highway 66, then north to Oregon...quite a trip! |
| #91 Special | Oil Fields & Indians--An account of a trip to oil fields and Indian homes near Wewoka, OK. |
| #92 Apr 1935 | Visiting family in Salem, OR and finding a new home in Grants Pass |
| #93 May 1935 | Settling into Grants Pass with chickens, cow, irrigation, plants, and fishing...and a letter from Ruth |
| #94 Jun 1935 | Summer in Oregon-driver's license, Ruth arrives, berries, and fishing |
| #95 Jul 1935 | Chicken, rabbits, canning fruit, Bob gets a job, and a wedding date is set! |
| #96 Aug 1935 | Ruth and Robert's wedding, musical performances, panning for gold, and cigarettes |
| #97 Aug 7, 1935 | Ruth & Bob's Wedding--An epistolary account of the wedding, honeymoon trip, and return home. |
| #98 Sep 1935 | The newlyweds settle in, more money woes, and the WHMS |
| #99 Oct 1935 | Emma's trip to Salem, a sick cow, and time to move again |
| #100 Nov 1935 | Two households moving, Elmer, Elijah, cranberry/apple salad, and Tahoma Lodge |
| #101 Dec 1935 | Church activities, Christmas time, money woes, and "candle salad" |
| #102 Jan 1936 | Bob's job, another move for the newlyweds, poor Dusty, the Grants Pass Post Office; Ruth's memoirs |
| #103 Feb 1936 | A bitter tongue, car trouble, snow, and a visit with John and Alice |
| #104 Special | A grand trip by rail from Iowa to Arizona, up the West Coast (with a visit to Emma and Tell), and home again |
| #105 Mar 1936 | Scenic drive, music, caves, wild animals, and crochet |
| #106 Apr 1936 | A tough month, with a lot of church, sewing, and a couple of plays |
| #107 May 1936 | A trip to Crater Lake, saying goodbye in Grants Pass, and the eastward journey |
| #108 Jun 1936 | More time with family, Gerald in jail, cherries, and trying to figure out where to go |
| #109 Jul 1936 | A heat wave, taking care of Betty, a temporary home, and a special treat! |
| #110 Aug 1936 | Katharine comes home; a road trip to Colorado with lots of sightseeing |
| #111 Sep 1936 | Emma's teeth, stamps, lots of fruit, and a special memoir from Ruth |
| #112 Oct 1936 | Hooked rugs, neckties, prune cake, church stuff, and Japanese poetry |
| #113 Nov 1936 | Roosevelt elected, working on the house, BobnRuth, and a silly poem |
| #114 Dec 1936 | The Christmas season-cantata, bazaar, gifts-and a letter from Chris |
| #115 Jan 1937 | The Rose Bowl, cold weather and warm bloomers, and a waffle dinner |
| #116 Feb 1937 | Two cents, new shoes, walnut candlesticks, and a family letter |
| #117 Mar 1937 | Handkerchiefs, cookies, a trip to Sioux Falls, and-finally-a new place to live! |
| #118 Apr 1937 | New teeth, settling in at Lake City, and big news for Bob and Ruth |
| #119 May 1937 | Lots of music, continuing to plant and prepare on the farm, and a winter coat for Ruth |
| #120 Jun 1937 | Chauffeur's license, canning fruit, counting chickens, and Katharine gets a raise! |
| #121 Jul 1937 | Summer life on the farm, canned asparagus, chickens, and a bathtub |
| #122 Aug 1937 | Family photos, muskmelon, church caretaker, and a memoir letter from Ruth |
| #123 Sep 1937 | Lots of jam, cheese, and eggs; Ruth and Bob get settled in Philadelphia; special memoir feature |
| #124 Oct 1937 | Walnuts, picking corn, Gone With the Wind, and a letter from Chris |
| #125 Nov 1937 | Corn, eggs, and chickens; Linnie and Gerrit come to visit; the 1935 ME Hymnal |
| #126 Dec 1937 | Eggs, Star Route Mail, hominy, and Christmas radio messages |
| 127 Jan 1938 | News of the world, inspirational books, making a pomander, and a special Monday Club feature |
| #128 Feb 1938 | Brown silk gloves, working on Katharine's quilt, and Gerald needs money. |
| #129 Mar 1938 | Brown silk gloves, working on Katharine's quilt, and Gerald needs money. |
| #130 Apr 1938 | Soft water, church music, a new cow, and springtime on the farm |
| #131 May 1938 | Planting corn, WFMS program, raising turkeys, and plum upside-down cake |
| #132 Jun 1938 | Ruth & Bob come home, summer on the farm, Katharine in Mexico, and camp meeting |
| #133 Jul 1938 | Lots of butter, a second-hand icebox, traveling carnival, and big news from Ruth |
| #134 Special | She Made an Apple Roll--A special feature on food, generations, and a peek into the future |
| #135 Aug 1938 | House full of visitors, lots of corn, Gerald in trouble, and a letter to Ruth |
| #136 Sep 1938 | Abundance on the farm, Gerald goes to prison, and war clouds gathering |
| #137 Oct 1938 | Trip to Kansas City, listening to the Radio, family letters & packages, and picking corn |
| #138 Nov 1938 | Thanksgiving, Ruth's baby coming soon, midterm elections, and Jewish persecution |
| #139 Dec 1938 | Baby shoes, kitchen goodies, canning turkey, and anticipation... |
| #140 Special | Letters to Ruth--Letters and cards to Ruth from Emma, Estella, Miriam, and John Lohr |
| #141 Jun 1939 Pt #1 | Emma's trip to Philadelphia, with a visit to Katharine in Cleveland |
| #142 Jun 1939 Pt #2 | Baby things for Ruth; Emma goes to Washington and does some major sightseeing |
| #143 Special | Welcome to the world, Roberta Ruth! |
| #144 Feb 1939 | Ruth and Roberta come home, Emma stays a while longer and heads back to Iowa |
| #145 Mar 1939 | Back in Iowa, John Sullivan's death, and lots of chickens |
| #146 Apr 1939 | Life on the farm with pigs, snow, and family correspondence |
| #147 May 1939 | Chickens, chickens, chickens. And a few other things. |
| #148 Jun 1939 | Calves, New York World's Fair, health concerns, and hats |
| #149 Jul 1939 | Hot weather, quilting, and family visits with Linnie, Katharine, and Jerry Jr. |
| #150 Aug 1939 | Corn, cows, cookies, and getting older |
| #151 Sep 1939 | Quilting, baking, home movies, and Goodwill-and the beginning of World War II |
| #152 Oct 1939 | Trip to Mason City, quilting, picking corn, and a sore mouth. |
| #153 Nov 1939 | The corn is in, and Emma is diagnosed with diabetes |
| #154 Dec 1939 | Christmas, diabetes, and more trouble for Gerald |
| #155 Jan 1940 | Ivory Soap promotions, lots of reading, and Roberta's first birthday |
| #156 Feb 1940 | A difficult month-corn, sewing, and feeling blue |
| #157 Mar 1940 | Some fresh Spring energy, a visit from Linnie, wallpaper, radio shows, and Easter |
| #158 Apr 1940 | Working on a rug, planting, more chickens, and the war goes on. |
| #159 May 1940 | Corn, curls, books on the radio, visiting with Linnie, and more war |
| #160 Jul 1941 | World War II rages on, lots of strawberries, and the 1940 Republican convention |
| #161 Jul 1940 | A whole bunch of family in town, lots of canning, Bobbie's baptism |
| #162 Aug 1940 | Cars, fruit, Emma wins a contest, and Gerald goes to church camp |
| #163 Sep 1940 | Corn, weather, evangelists, and the Reader's Digest |
| #164 Oct 1940 | Trip to Carthage, shelling walnuts, and making aprons |
| #165 Nov 1940 | Picking corn, the 1940 election, two Thanksgivings, and a deadly blizzard |
| #166 Dec 1940 Part 1 | Thirty dozen eggs, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and a gorgeous photo of Robert |
| #167 Dec 1940 Part 2 | Music/shopping in Wilmington & Philadelphia, knitting, and Christmas |
| #168 Jan 1941 | Philadelphia attractions, trip to DC, home recording, and Bobbie's 2nd birthday |
| #169 Feb 1941 | Visiting Bob and Ruth; two long weeks in the hospital |
| #170 Mar 1941 | Traveling back to Iowa, family visits, and lots more chickens |
| #171 Apr 1941 | Wallpaper, Easter, candy, Jello salad, Bob's recital and birthday |
| #172 May 1941 | Bob's graduation, planting popcorn, sewing, and war speeches |
| #173 Jun 1941 | War, lots of strawberries, loads of chickens, Tell in pain, and K's summer school |
| #174 Jul 1941 | Inspirational reading, fun with Bobbie, ocarina, and Tell in the corn |
| #175 Aug 1941 | Canning, surprise trip to Media with a stop at Katharine's, off to New Hampshire |
| #176 Aug 1941 Cont'd | Road trip and vacation in New Hampshire, big day in Boston, and back to Media |
| #177 Sep 1941 | Keeping up with Bobbie, trip to NY, and a little homesick |
| #178 Oct 1941 | Back to Iowa, John Boylan's death, selling chickens, and new teeth |
| #179 Nov 1941 | A big change! Selling everything, road trip to Media, and settling in. |
| #180 Dec 1941 | The U.S. enters the war; getting settled in Media; celebrating Christmas |
| #181 Jan 1942 | Rationing, music, a trip to Princeton, and the first blackout |
| #182 Feb 1942 | Music and life in Media, more war, and a short trip to Washington |
| #183 Mar 1942 | A busy life with two musicians and a three-year-old! And canned butter. |
| #184 Apr 1942 | Tell gets a job, Easter lamb cake, badminton, and Valley Forge |
| #185 May 1942 | Rationing, bicycles, and a great-grandchild |
| #186 Jun 1942 | World War II, farmer's market, and bicycling culottes |
| #187 Jul 1942 | Summer suits, gas rationing, lemonade, and concerts |
| #188 Aug 1942 | Bicycle, sugar rationing, co-operatives, and local excursions |
| #189 Sep 1942 | Bike riding, letters to soldiers, hats, shoes, and snake oil |
| #190 Oct 1942 | Carroms, sewing, time with Bobbie, and Gerald enlists |
| #191 Nov 1942 | Roller skates, mittens, and the Thanksgiving parade (and the war, of course) |
| #192 Dec 1942 | Christmas shopping, hats, war bonds, and Bobbie's first performance |
| #193 Jan 1943 | Rationing, Ice Follies, smallpox vaccination, and Bobbie turns four |
| #194 Feb 1943 | Vaccine aches, shoe rationing, buttonholes, and Will's death |
| #195 Special Feature | Will Boylan; The life of a poet, teacher, and beloved family and community member |
| #196 Mar 1943 | Meat from Iowa, international affairs, air raid drills, and music |
| #197 Apr 1943 | Extra meat, new shoes, summer underwear, and an exciting announcement! |
| #198 May 1943 | A second job for Emma, sewing, gardening, and Bob goes to work |
| #199 Jun 1943 | Work, work, work; black markets; new clothes |
| #200 Jul 1943 | Stockings, cabulance trip to DC, a new job, and blackberry jelly |
| #201 Aug 1943 | Nursing, crochet tablecloth, Japanese-American visitor, trip to the Jersey Shore |
| #202 Sep 1943 | Beach time in New Jersey, Tell and Bob start new jobs, Bobbie begins school |
| #203 Oct-Nov 1943 | Winding down the year and getting ready for Ruth's baby. |
| #204 Dec 1943 | David is born, more trouble for Gerald, chicken pox, and a flu epidemic |
| #205 Jan-Feb 1944 | Bobbie turns 5, glimpses of wartime, and family letters |
| #206 Mar-Apr 1944 | Bob's physical, cigarettes, movies, and "My Old Mandolin" |
| #207 May-Jun 1944 | Missionaries, community housing, D-Day, the circus, and Peggy's wedding |
| #208 Jul-Aug 1944 | Ruth plays the organ, a few summer trips, and moving into an apartment |
Copyright © 1996
The IAGenWeb Project
IAGenWeb Terms, Conditions & Disclaimer