Missouri State University Libraries

David A. Clouser Diaries

Collection Number: M011
Volume: 1.5 cubic foot

Provenance

The diaries were acquired from Charles Apfelbaum, a rare books and manuscripts dealer, in 2004. Leslie James processed the collection in 2004.

Copyright

This collection may be protected from unauthorized copying by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code).

Access

The collection is unrestricted. Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish material from the collection must be obtained from the Department of Special Collections and Archives. Citations should be as follows: Identification of the item, box and folder number, David A. Clouser Diaries (M011), Department of Special Collections and Archives, Missouri State University.

Biographical/Historical Sketch

(Except where otherwise stated, the following is based on information gathered from reading the first five diaries of the collection and History of Buchanan County, Missouri: Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, etc.)

When the department acquired the diary collection, the dealer indicated that they were written by a woman in Lamar, Missouri, and that one might have been written by the woman’s husband. It was evident after reading the first two diaries that they were not written by a woman, but a man.

At the top of the third page of the first diary is the name “D. A. Clouser.” This is the only mention of D. A. Clouser in the first four diaries. After finding a passage that mentions several neighbors, a search was conducted and a David A. Clauser (note the different spelling) and several of his neighbors found in the 1920 census of Lamar, Missouri.

The diaries tell the day-to-day story of David and his wife, May. It is believed that David was born April 14, 1857 or 1863, and May was born May 18, 1874. They were married on January 16th of an unknown year. It also believed David is the son of D. W. Clouser of Buchanan County.

David appears to have been a handyman of sorts, doing odd jobs around town for various townspeople when he was not working at a local mill. May appears to have been a housewife. They were both church-goers with church mentioned almost every Sunday and whether they attended that Sunday or not.

David makes references throughout the first four diaries to past events, such as saying, “One year ago today, we left MO…for this state…” or, “Sixteen years ago, we commenced to build the Halleck Mill.” Mr. also makes mention of world events such as the Titanic sinking and Charles Lindbergh’s flight across the Atlantic Ocean. He also makes note of various things going on in Lamar, such as what street was being paved at the time and who was building a house.

Scope and Content

The diaries date between 1894 and 1945. The first diary appears to have been written in, or around, Indianapolis, Indiana. The remaining diaries are likely all written in Lamar, Missouri.

Box 1	1	1894 finance balances, December 18, 1897 – July 23, 1898
	2	1894 finance balances, December 18, 1897 – July 23, 1898
	3	February 8, 1918, January 1919 – June 17, 1922
	4	August 27, 1926 – June 8, 1927
	5	June 10, 1927 – April 3, 1928
	6	April 4, 1928 – September 30, 1928
	7	October 1, 1928 – January 19, 1929
	8	June 18, 1922 – July 29, 1922 : December 1, 1924 – January 12, 1925 : January 20, 1929 - June 19, 1929
	9	June 20, 1929 – November 5, 1929
	10	November 6, 1929 – March 23, 1930
	11	March 24, 1930 – October 1, 1931
Box 2	1	October 1, 1931 – July 31, 1932
	2	July 1, 1933 - February 26, 1934
	3	February 27, 1934 –October 26, 1934
	4	October 27, 1934 – July 3, 1935
	5	July 4, 1935 – March 23, 1936
	6	March 25, 1936 - December 7, 1936
	7	December 8, 1936 – August 27, 1937
	8	August 28, 1937 - June 1, 1938
	9	October 18, 1938 – April 15, 1939
Box 3	1	April 15, 1939 – September 25, 1939
	2	February 22, 1940 – July 11, 1940
	3	November 14, 1940 – March 9, 1941
	4	March 10, 1941 – June 22, 1941
	5	February 11, 1942 – June 5, 1942
	6	March 15, 1944 – July 10, 1944
	7	November 29, 1944 – April 4, 1945
	8	April 5, 1945 – August 8, 1945