Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Folder
Title
Volume 1: First year at Dakota Agriculture College [Preservation copy]
Date(s)
- 1885-1886 (Creation)
Extent
Name of creator
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
This collection is composed of three diaries of J.M Aldrich during his tenure as a student at Dakota Agricultural College from 1885-1888. The diaries give an invaluable account on life as a student during the early years of the college. The diaries are separated into three volumes, one for each year Aldrich was a student at the college. Between 1930 and 1932, Aldrich made typewritten transcripts copied from his original diaries and included parenthetical comments for clarification. Each daily entry states the day and date, which are underlined, and relate Aldrich's daily activities. Most of the entries are trivial, recounting the activity of each day, but give an excellent portrayal of the atmosphere of Dakota Territory life in the 1880s. Topics included in the diaries range from accounts of his journeys between his home in Minnesota to Brookings to administrative upsets such as President George Lilley losing his position to Lewis McLouth.