Accession Number: 17
The I. W. Gabbard Collection, 1936-1955
Notebook/Diaries
.4 Linear Ft.
Online Catalog Record (BANC)

History
Series I - Background Information
Series II - Notebook/ Diaries

Access and Use:

Provenance: The I. W. Gabbard Collection of notebook/diaries was obtained through the auspices of Alfred H. Perrin, president of the Friends of the Berea College Library, from T. J. Wood, former chairman of the Berea College Board of Trustees. The collection was obtained in October, 1974, by Mr. Wood from Berta Gabbard, sister of the author.

Copyright Restrictions: The only restriction Mr. Wood placed on the donation of this collection was that during his lifetime he be allowed to temporarily withdraw it from Special Collections Department of Hutchins Library for personal genealogical research whenever he desired to do so.

Preferred Citation: I.W. Gabbard Collection, Berea College Special Collections & Archives, Berea, Ky.

Notes To Researchers: These notebook/diaries are in a dilapidated condition and thus need to be handled carefully.

1. Please note that each page is interleaved with an acid-free sheet. The bindings of the notebook/diaries have not been removed; while using these documents please try to make sure that the acid-free sheets remain or are returned to their proper positions.
2. The notebook/diaries are numbered arbitrarily.
3. Most of the notebook/diaries have information written on the covers.

History

I.W. Gabbard was a farmer and justice of the peace in Owsley County, Kentucky. The notebook/diaries he authored are unique in that they record not only day-to-day events, but also genealogical information and comments on the local and national political scene of the day. The notebook/diaries span the period of approximately 1936 to 1955, with several gaps in that period. They are rich in detail about farming conditions, Mr. Gabbard’s genealogical descent, crop sales, and weather. [Since the Owsley County Courthouse has burned several times in this century, the records in this collection contain information which may no longer be available anywhere else in the county.]

1 Manuscript Box

This series contains one manuscript article researched and written by A.H. Perrin, president of the Friends of the Berea College Library, relating to the diarist, I.W. Gabbard. A few handwritten notes by Perrin explain how the collection was acquried.

Box 1

1. Background information on collection n.d.
2. Manuscript article by A. H. Perrin n.d.

Seven notebook/diaries comprise this series, all of which are in the personal handwriting of I.W. Gabbard. Diaries refer to a variety of subjects--Gabbard’s family genealogy, farming conditions, politics, etc. Notes made by A.H. Perrin may be found in Folders 4, 5, and 6, relating to the research and manuscript mentioned in Series I.

Box 1, continued

3. Notebook 1 - Genealogical n.d.
4. Notebook 2 - Genealogical 1938
5. Notebook 3 - Genealogical 1938
6. Notebook 4 - Farm inventory 1936-1937
7. Notebook 5 - Farming 1943
8. Notebook 6 - Farming 1947-1948
9. Notebook 7 - About our presidents ca. 1954-1956

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