The collection contains numerous books, diaries, and documents relating to the life of John H. Carey and his descendants. Those concerning him predominantly come in the form of thirty-six diaries written between 1871 and 1909 excepting 1900, 1905, and 1906. Enclosed documents removed from the diaries had been placed into non-archival plastic bags and identified to specific diaries. These were removed from the bags and placed into folders. Other records include several yearbooks from 1899, 1900, 1908, and 1942, and programs for events at the old Flint High School.
Carey wrote in cursive brief entries in ink and pencil often no more than a dozen words long of his days as a farmer and other events in his life. Some entries include more than a dozen words but none take more than one page. Entries occurred on a daily basis. No entry reveals details of his life before beginning the diaries. Some writing in diaries from the 1870s is faded. Misspellings are common throughout many entries. Illegibility is another common problem, though most entries may require an examination of a few minutes to understand how Carey wrote.
Carey’s entries reflect his life as a farmer of land in Clayton Township, just north of the city of Swartz Creek. His responsibilities were many. Planting and harvesting of crops were two mentioned often, but usually during seasons when both activities occurred. Carey chopped and sawed wood, sowed oats, shelled corn, oiled harnesses, drew out manure, slaughtered hogs, and occasionally hunted as time allowed. These were done in all kinds of weather and throughout the year, including holidays. Carey usually refrained from working on Sundays. He often traveled to Flint to make purchases and to sell crops and slaughtered animals. He wrote frequently of receiving help from neighboring farmers and traveling to their farms to help them. The work involved was usually labor-intensive, such as sowing or harvesting crops or aiding in construction of buildings. Stories in the Flint Journal from the 1890s mention what could have been an unofficial compact of farmers in Clayton Township to assist one another. Or the practice could have been a custom among farmers. The lack of details in many entries makes it difficult to know.
Carey was spare in providing personal details of his life beyond farming. He traveled to Flint for the occasional fair or for meetings of what he called the “covenant.” He was a regular fixture at church and participated in Sunday school. He was elected the assistant supervisor of Sunday school in 1881. He voted Republican, though never provided reasons why. He was married with children, but rarely mentioned either his wife or his children beyond that one had performed a chore, baked or cooked a meal, was sick, or had attended school for at least part of the day.
The yearbooks represent student activities from the old Flint High School. Those from 1899, 1900, 1903, and 1908 show numerous similarities in content: portraits of faculty and editorial student staff, poems and short stories, reminiscences of events, calendars of events, and coverage of school sports. Of the final, baseball and football receive the most coverage. The yearbook from 1942 is more expansive. Every student of every grade has a photograph. Student clubs are listed and photographed with students identified. African American students maintained their own club, “Booker T. Washington.” Their advisor, Robert Richardson, was white. Other clubs were white with the occasional African American present. Sports teams were integrated. The yearbook also mentions the formation of the War Council, founded by students to do projects in support of the war effort.
Other records include an account book kept by Lucy Chase in 1887, a booklet detailing ownership of a property in Flint from 1819 to 1916, and a program of events for the graduating class of 1903 from Flint High School.
Carey, John H.
