Virginia Swearingen Diary
The diary documents the daily activities and expenses of Virginia Swearingen, a young woman from Chillicothe, Ohio who attended a boarding school in Philadelphia during a portion of the period covered by the diary. The first pages of the diary detail Virginia Swearingen's expenses from September 1837 through June 1838 while she was a student in Philadelphia. Recipes for gingerbread, muffins and codfish follow the record of her expenses. After that, diary entries describe her travels from June 6 through June 24, [1837?], apparently before she left for school in Philadelphia. The diary then picks up on February 23, 1840 and runs through April 24, 1841 describing Virginia's activities during that time period including her travels and her attendance at a wedding and at the Whig State convention held in Chillicothe in September, 1840. The last two pages are reminiscences of 4th of July celebrations from 1836 through 1839. She was in Philadelphia for the celebration in 1838 and appears to have returned to Chillicothe by July 4, 1839.