Journal of the Lancaster CountyHistorical Society, v. 108, no.1 (Spring 2006).
Notes
An exhibition in the reading room of the Willson Memorial Building at the Lancaster County Historical Society.
Includes brief information about John Miller ; Thomas Burrowes ; J. P. Wickersham ; Sally Bolton ; Lillian Welsh ; Mary T. Wales ; Gertrude Johnson ; Emmanuel Epps ; Justin Roddy ; Lyman E. Reifsnyder ; Betty Curtis ; Yvonne Lambert Toney ; Lucretia Mott ; G. Terry Madonna.
Original diary in Lancaster County Historical Society Archives.
Summary
Francis Ziegler was born in Columbia, Pennsylvania in 1817 and he died in 1902. He was a school teacher and a telegraph operator.He recorded in this diary sporadically between 1854 and 1857. His entries describe personal experiences, but many entries pertain to events of the day, both local and national. His discontent with politics and the times, in general, is clear. The diary begins at the time of a cholera epidemic in Columbia during which many people died. He presents a picture of a very frightening time. Another highlight of the diary was his description of the invasion of Pennsylvania by Confederate troops during the Civil War. He witnessed the burning of the bridge over the Susquehanna River between Columbia and Wrightsville. This action closed off a potential route for the Confederates to reach Philadelphia and Harrisburg after Gettysburg.
"Amish farmer in Lancaster County, PA, remembers the depression and talks about the history of farming in America, concentrating on the changes which have taken place in rural life over the past fifty or more years. This is a book filled with colorful anecdotes, thoughtful observations, and homespun wisdom." The author "also discusses the influences of the outside world which the Amish farmer must continually face and offers insights into how they continue to preserve their way of life." [from the dust jacket]
