Overview
Myron E. Rose was a rural school teacher and farmer in the area of Jefferson County, New York. He also farmed briefly in briefly in Union township in Lucas County, Iowa. The diaries primarily document Myron Rose’s working life in education and agriculture. He discusses his participation in various teachers’ institutes and gives summaries of many lectures. In addition to information related to teaching and farming, Rose also records his social activities, personal musing and financial expenses.
Dates
- Creation: 1854-1875
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1854-1859
Creator
- Rose, Myron E. (Author, Person)
Language of Materials
Collection materials are in English.
Physical Description
4 volumes
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is available for research. Access to these materials is governed by the rules and regulations of the Gutman Library’s Special Collections Department.
Conditions Governing Use
The copyright interests have not been transferred to the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Users are advised to determine the copyright status of any document from which they wish to publish. Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be directed to the Special Collections Librarian. Researchers who obtain permission to publish from the Gutman Library are also responsible for identifying and contacting the persons or organizations who hold the copyright.
Extent
2 linear feet (2 boxes)The diaries of Myron E. Rose document his life from 1854 through 1875, with most of the entries dated from 1854 through 1859. Diaries one through three give detailed accounts of Rose’s life and work. He discusses his participation in local teachers’ institutes as well as his general views on teacher pedagogy and theory. Rose often summarizes institute lectures and analyzes different teaching styles. He also records his own experiences as a teacher and his own classroom management strategies. Rose attended lectures on various educational topics, including segregation in schools and the role of religion in the classroom. Additionally, many lectures focused on broader social, religious and philosophical themes, such as temperance. These lectures are frequently summarized in the diaries.
Additionally, entries in the journals also chronicle rural activities and farm life. Rose also discusses the weather, illnesses, personal expenses, friendships, social activities, political events, and romantic pursuits. Additionally, the second and third diaries include clippings related to political elections. The diaries, especially the fourth diary, are filled with many charts and tables that give insight into the topics and themes important in Rose’s life. The fourth diary also serves as a financial ledger documenting expenditures and income from 1865-1874 related to his farm in Iowa. This journal also includes a great deal of poetry and verse.
Biographical / Historical
Myron E. Rose (1834-1910), son of Alansing Rose (1810-1891) and Betsey Ann (neé Hovey) Rose (1815-1898), was a farmer and school teacher in Jefferson County, New York. According to the 1850 United Census, he had four siblings - George (born 1836), Alfred (born 1838), Clarinda (born 1840) and Cornelius (born 1845). Between the years of 1850 and 1870, Myron Rose attended various teachers’ institutes, many in Watertown, NY, which he writes about extensively in his diaries. Myron secured his first teaching position in 1855, at the age of 21, in the Champion Peak School District. At this time, he also conducted and attended various evening spelling schools for students in the Champion, New York region. Briefly from late April through early June 1856, Myron left northern New York and traveled to the Midwest. Unable to find suitable work, he returned to Jefferson County, New York. Myron returned to teaching in the local district schools. Sometime in the 1860s, he married Mary Ann Searls (1843-1872) and, according to the 1870 census, moved westward and settling briefly in Union township in Lucas County, Iowa. The union produced, one child Clare Rose (born 1867), and they all resettled in Jefferson County, New York in the early 1870s. Mary died in 1872. In 1877, Myron married Margaret G. Rose (born in 1839 in Ireland). They had two daughters, Helen (born in 1878) and Hattie (born in 1879). The 1880 United States Census lists Myron’s occupation as a farmer. He died in 1910 and is buried in South Champion Cemetery in the town of Champion, New York.
Physical Location
Harvard Depository
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchase, EBAY, 2012 Sept. 26
Processing Information
Processed by Jessica Voigt, 2012 November-December. Transcribed to HOLLIS for Archival Discovery by Te-Yi Lee, December 2020.
Creator
- Rose, Myron E. (Author, Person)
- Title
- Myron E. Rose diaries, 1854-1875, bulk 1854-1859: Finding aid
- Status
- completed
- Author
- Gutman Library Special Collections, Harvard Graduate School of Education
- Date
- March 6, 2013
- Description rules
- dacs
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- GUT00006
Repository Details
Part of the Monroe C. Gutman Library, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University Repository
Monroe C. Gutman Library
6 Appian Way
Cambridge MA 02138 United States
special_collections@gse.harvard.edu