The Online Catalog allows searching and browsing of information about the Florida State Archives’ holdings of over 48,000 cubic feet of state and local government records and historical manuscripts. The catalog provides descriptions of over 3,400 collections and lists the contents of containers and folders in many of those collections. For assistance with accessing and using State Archives collections, call our Reference Staff at 850.245.6719 or email us at archives@dos.myflorida.com.
Diaries of William Terrell Eddins, 1901, 1908-1915, 1937-1942.
Amount:
0.50 cubic ft.
Medium Included:
Floppy disks. 3.5"
Organization/Arrangement:
Chronological.
Restrictions:
Terms Governing Use:
Biographical/Historical:
William Terrell Eddins (1887-1959) moved with his family from Mississippi to Florida in 1894 or 1895, ten years after the railroad was extended from Wildwood to Tampa. They settled on a farm near Edenfield, a railroad siding about two miles north of Bushnell.
As a young man, Eddins worked on the family farm and at the sawmill in Edenfield and aspired to became a teacher and a writer. He taught school at Barberville (1910-1911), White City (1911-1913), and Green Cove Springs (1916-1917). Following his army service in World War I, he won election as Superintendent of Schools for Sumter County and served for twelve years. He later served as Postmaster in Bushnell until his retirement in 1957. Eddins married Sallie Brown in 1922 and had three children: Isabelle, William, and John.
Summary:
This collection consists primarily of personal pocket diaries kept by William Terrell Eddins from 1908-1915 and again from 1937-1942. Eddins began keeping daily diaries in January 1908, just prior to his 21st birthday. The brief entries mostly discuss the daily activities of Eddins and his family and friends and Eddins' observances of people in Edenfield and Bushnell communities. Subjects discussed include working the farm and at the sawmill, teaching school, social events, courtships, treatment of illnesses and injuries, and local weather conditions.
Occasional entries describe interactions with Black or Cuban persons, though Eddins often only identifies these persons by race. Early interactions usually relate to baseball games and agricultural or millwork events, while later diaries primarily focus on Eddins' transactions with a Black laundress. Other entries contain brief references to national or worldwide events, such as presidential elections, the wars with Mexico and Japan, the World Series of Baseball, and the sinking of the Titanic.
Additional material in the collection includes one volume of notes concerning Eddins' experiences and acquaintances during his army service in Europe, ca. 1918-1919; a photograph of the Eddins family, ca. 1901; and transcripts of the daily diaries, including explanatory notes and name indexes, compiled by Eddins' son, John. The transcripts are available both in paper form and in electronic word processing files.
Finding Aids:
Volume listing available. 0
Additional Physical Form:
Reproduction Note:
Location of Originals/Duplicates:
Associated Materials:
Language Notes:
Ownership/Custodial History:
Publication Note:
General Note:
Electronic Records Access:
Subject Access Fields:
Eddins, William Terrell, 1887-1959.
Hunting Florida Medicine Practice Florida Race relations. Rural life. Schools Florida Teachers Florida
Diaries. aat Floppy disks. aat Machine-readable artifacts. aat Photographs. aat Transcripts. aat
Bushnell (Fla.) Edenfield (Fla.) Florida Religion Florida Social life and customs
for detailed listing.