Clyde’s Corner: Rediscovering a special ‘Everyday Diary’ from 1936

by Clyde Whitaker

Well, admittedly, I don’t think I can top my story from last month about my grandfather, but this story is special, too. It’s about a local educator from long ago—Emma L. Smith—and her beloved 1936 diary.

Many, many years ago, my mother-in-law, Alice McGinn, was at a garage sale in Chelsea and came upon an old diary. Opening the diary, she saw “Emma L. Smith” written on the inside, along with the date 1936. What a coincidence! This was the diary of one of Alice’s favorite elementary teachers from Stockbridge.

Well, somehow, we ended up with this diary on our bookshelf, where it stayed in total obscurity for years, until a recent book purge by my wife, Mary, brought it back to light.

Mary showed me the diary, saying, “Look. It says ‘Emma L. Smith’ and ‘1936.’” This immediately piqued my interest! Upon a review of Emma Smith’s diary, titled, “The Everyday Diary,” I found her entries for every day in 1936.

Smith was a teacher and a principal in the Stockbridge School District for 36 years, from 1917 until 1953. She also taught for six years at another school district.

As many of you know, Emma L. Smith is also the name of our current elementary school in Stockbridge. The then-new, 13-room elementary school was originally dedicated in her honor on Sunday, Oct. 7, 1956.

So, without further ado, I will list a few of the highlights from Emma Smith’s diary, in her words.

Jan. 3, 1936. Listened to President Roosevelt’s night message to Congress, the only one since Wilson declared war.

Jan. 18, 1936. Was weighed and it was 137 pounds, quite decent.

Jan. 27, 1936. Lucille went to a lecture on “Why Women Smoke.“

Feb. 16, 1936. Dr. Culver’s house burned.

March 17, 1936. Big floods in the Eastern states.

March 18, 1936. Floods increasing, 200,000 reported homeless.

April 3, 1936. Bruno Richard Hauptmann electrocuted for the murder of Charles Lindbergh’s baby son.

July 12, 1936. Still in heat wave, with temperature about 103 degrees. Spent most of the day in the basement reading and writing.

Sept. 8, 1936. My birthday! I began school—have 24 in the third grade and 11 in the second.

Sept. 17, 1936. Saw by paper I had a new job—Primary Superintendent. Shall I keep it? I can’t tell.

Oct. 1, 1936. Had a teacher’s meeting after school to discuss report card changes. Of course, I blurted out a radical change, “S, U, and I,” instead of “A, B, C, D,” etc.

Nov. 5, 1936. Dan Reason paid his election bet by giving Henry Smith a wheel barrow ride around the square!

Nov. 7, 1936. Don Dickinson and Jocille Smith were married.

Dec. 13, 1936. Marguerite Rowe and Hazen Mayer killed by a train.

Dec. 29, 1936. Mr. and Mrs. Seckler called. We went to Mason with them, sold the farm on a contract for $3,000.00.

Dec. 31, 1936. A beautiful day! In the evening, we went to a midnight show. Goodbye to 1936!

In closing, I have to say, it was so cool doing this story. It was like bringing history to life from 88 years ago. Wow!

Clyde Whitaker is a 1973 Stockbridge graduate. He and his wife, Mary, raised four children in Stockbridge, and they still reside in the Stockbridge area.

Photos, except where indicated, by Clyde Whitaker.

The signature of Emma L. Smith, a teacher
and principal at Stockbridge Schools for 36
years, found on one of the first pages of the diary.

A portrait of Emma L. Smith is displayed
in Smith Elementary School in Stockbridge.
Original portrait by Olan Mills Inc.

Emma Smith’s diary entry for January 26, 1936.

The well-worn cover of Emma L. Smith’s
diary from 1936.

Emma L. Smith, a longtime Stockbridge
educator, held true to making daily
entries in “The Everyday Diary” in 1936.

In this undated photo, Emma Smith (second from right)
stands with fellow educators in front of Stockbridge High School.
Original photo credit: Unknown.