From Virgil Powell’s Diary
by Tobie Finzel
Virgil Powell was a long-time resident who had a farm somewhere in the Upper Nehalem Valley between Natal and Pittsburg. Each year from 1906 until 1955, he kept a diary with a brief entry almost every day of his activities. He noted what he did on the farm that day, what the weather was, if he worked in the woods or delivering mail, and what entertainments he attended. In the 1960s, then-curator John Stofiel transcribed the diaries to typewritten pages; both the original diaries and the transcriptions are kept the museum. Here’s what Virgil wrote in February 1908:
Saturday, Feb. 15: Carried the mail to Mist. Got to Mist at 11 A.M. Grange day at Natal. Pretty fair day but rained after I got home. Had a fine time down at the store talking basket social for next Saturday night.
Saturday, Feb. 22. Carried the mail down to Mist. Got to Mist at 10 A.M. Left Mist at 1 P.M. Got home at 2.25. Stayed home till 3.10 then started for the doings at Vernonia at 4.45. From Mist to Vernonia 3 hours. Had a deuce of a time. Did not start home till 7 A.M. Good fine day.
Tuesday, Feb. 25. Sawed wood all day. Shot at some salmon in the afternoon but did not kill any. Cloudy and looks very much like rain. Received a postal from Florence Williams.