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Preferred Citation:

Frederick S. Boutwell Diary, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Acquisition Information:

Purchase.

Biographical Information:

Born in New Jersey, but lived in New York: 1925 near Scottsville, 1930 near Wheatland, Monroe, and 1982 near Scottsville. His parents are Louis E. and Elizabeth S. Boutwell and his siblings are Delos and Lewis. Further information about this individual or organization may be available in the Special Collections Research Center Wiki: .

Scope and Contents

Diary of a teenage boy living near rural Scottsville, New York. He writes every day with a sentence or two about his and his family's activities. He lives on a farm and his mother is a substitute teacher. He is interested in cartooning and hand drawn figures and cartoons are interspersed in the diary. His siblings are Delos and Lewis, both older than he is.

Selections from the diary:

The diary begins on January 1: "Played with Joe Harrymon. Costed down the barn hill. Stayed up tell mid nit."

January 17: "Went on a teen mile hike with Raymond and Lewis…"

March 19: "I got my book about cartooning."

March 30: "Got a letter from the Washington School of Cartooning."

April 23: "Put up the summer house…"

November 4: Lists his birthday presents.

December 31: Lists radio stations he received – one was WRVA in Richmond, Virginia.

Some activities and events mentioned by the author include: makes a glider, plays in barn, sleds, digs snow tunnel, flooded cellar, attends bonfire, buys ukulele, finds crow nest, makes a club room, hikes, plays horseshoes, cleans horse barn and sleeps in club house. On page 213, he lists radio stations and their wave length and city. On the last page, he lists his birthday as December 4, his telephone number, his height of 4'11", his physician is Dr. McAmmond, his church is Grace and minister is Rev. Francis Woodard.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Country life--20th century
• Diaries
• Scottsville (N.Y.)--Social life and customs
• Teenagers--United States--Diaries