Houchens, Mariam Davis Sidebottom Diaries, 1927-1957

Held by The Filson Historical Society

Creator: Houchens, Mariam Davis Sidebottom, 1904-1986

Title: Diaries, 1927-1957

Rights: For information regarding literary and copyright interest for these papers, contact the Collections Department.

Size of Collection:4 cu. ft.

Location Number:  Mss. A H835

Scope and Content Note

A collection of 113 diaries kept by Mariam Houchens, three from 1927-1929 and 110 from late 1936 through mid-1957. The first three diaries follow her life as a single young schoolteacher and her early marriage. The later diaries describe family life raising two children in Louisville in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. She records family and friends’ visits, vacations, illnesses, births, marriages, and deaths. The diaries span the time of the Great Depression, the 1937 Ohio River flood, the Second World War and the post-war years.

Transcriptions of the diaries are included in the collection as 7 bound volumes and are also available as searchable PDFs (see below in the inventory of transcriptions to download/view PDFs of each transcription). Each volume contains some photographs, and volume 1 includes the ancestral lineage of Mariam to the mid-late 1500s and her line of descent through her great-grandchildren.

References:
From “Preface” by David P. Houchens, Columbus, Ohio, December 2007.

Biographical Note
Mariam Davis Sidebottom was born on March 26, 1904 to Manlaus and Kate Sidebottom in Owen County, Kentucky. She graduated from Owenton High School and went to Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky where she received a Bachelor’s degree in 1926. Later she received a Master’s degree from the University of Louisville. She taught high school in several Kentucky towns for two years and on August 29, 1928, she married John Marston Houchens who was also from Owen County and had been in the same high school class and graduated the same year as she did at Georgetown College. They lived in Louisville for their entire married life where they raised their children, Beverly Jane (Jane) Houchens and David Paul Houchens and had four grandchildren, Amy Marie Tuten (daughter of Jane and her husband Richard Tuten) and Paul Andrew, Janet Elaine and Karen Elizabeth Houchens (children of David and his wife Kathie Anderson). In addition to raising a family, she served as a substitute teacher, a freelance writer for the Louisville Courier-Journal Magazine and as an interviewer for the Survey Research Center of the University of Michigan. She was also active in her church and many school and community organizations. She died on July 19, 1986 in Louisville.

John, after early jobs at the Louisville Gas & Electric Company and Ahrens Trade School, spent 44 years at the University of Louisville as a teacher of physics, the Veterans Coordinator during World War II and the Registrar and Director of Admissions and Director of Academic Services. Much of their daily lives and friendships were with the University community. He died on October 1, 1993 in Louisville. Both Mariam and John were buried at the I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Owenton, Kentucky.

References:
From “Preface” by David P. Houchens, Columbus, Ohio, December 2007.

Folder List
Box 1
Diary Transcripts Vol. 1-7
Folder 1: Book 1 (June 13, 1927-Nov. 3, 1927), Book 2 (Nov. 4, 1927-Jan. 9, 1928)
Folder 2: Book 3 (Jan 10, 1928-Dec. 20, 1928)
Folder 3: Book 4 (Oct. 26, 1936-May 8, 1937)
Folder 4: Book 5 (May 9, 1937-Sept. 5, 1937)
Folder 5: Book 6 (Sept. 6, 1937-Dec. 25, 1937)
Folder 6: Book 7 (Dec. 26, 1937-April 13, 1938), Book 8 (April 14, 1938-June 21, 1938)
Box 2
Folder 7: Book 9 (June 22, 1938-July 29, 1938), Book 10 (July 30, 1938-Nov. 24, 1938)
Folder 8: Book 11 (Nov. 25, 1938-Feb. 16, 1939)
Folder 9: Book 12 (Feb. 17, 1939-June 21, 1939)
Folder 10: Book 13 (June 22, 1939-Oct. 9, 1939)
Folder 11: Book 14 (Oct. 10, 1939-Jan. 18, 1940)
Folder 12: Book 15 (Jan. 19, 1940-May 5, 1940)
Folder 13: Book 16 (May 6, 1940-June 21, 1940), Book 17 (June 22, 1940-Aug. 14, 1940)
Folder 14: Book 18 (Aug. 15, 1940-Nov. 13, 1940), Book 19 (Nov. 15, 1940-Feb. 7, 1941)
Folder 15: Book 20 (Feb. 8, 1941-May 9, 1941), Book 21 (May 10, 1941-Aug. 6, 1941)
Folder 16: Book 22 (Aug. 7, 1941-Oct. 18, 1941), Book 23 (Oct. 19, 1941-Nov. 25, 1941)
Folder 17: Book 24 (Nov. 26, 1941-Jan. 4, 1942), Book 25 (Jan. 5, 1942-March 24, 1942)
Folder 18: Book 26 (March 25, 1942-June 13, 1942), Book 27 (June 14, 1942-Sept. 3, 1942)
Folder 19: Book 28 (Sept. 4, 1942-Dec. 5, 1942), Book 29 (Dec. 6, 1942-March 15, 1943)
Folder 20: Book 30 (March 16, 1943-May 12, 1943), Book 31 (May 13, 1943-Aug. 20, 1943)
Box 3
Folder 21: Book 32 (Aug. 21, 1943-Nov. 26, 1943), Book 33 (Nov. 27, 1943-Jan. 2, 1944)
Folder 22: Book 34 (Jan. 13, 1944-March 13, 1944), Book 35 (March 14, 1944-May 5, 1944)
Folder 23: Book 36 (May 6, 1944-Aug. 7, 1944)
Folder 24: Book 37 (Aug. 8, 1944-Oct. 19, 1944), Book 38 (Oct. 20, 1944-Dec. 6, 1944), Book 39 (Dec. 7, 1944-Jan. 7, 1945)
Folder 25: Book 40 (Jan. 8, 1945-Jan. 23, 1945), Book 41 (Jan. 24, 1945-March 2, 1945), Book 42 (March 3, 1945-May 22, 1945)
Folder 26: Book 43 (May 23, 1945-Aug. 5, 1945), Book 44 (Aug. 5, 1945 (cont.)-Sept. 30, 1945), Book 45 (Sept. 30, 1945 (cont.)-Oct. 31, 1945)
Folder 27: Book 46 (Oct. 31, 1945 (cont.)-Nov. 25, 1945), Book 47 (Nov. 26, 1945-Dec. 28, 1945)
Folder 28: Book 48 (Dec. 28, 1945 (cont.)-Jan. 11, 1946), Book 49 (Jan. 12, 1946-Jan. 23, 1946)
Folder 29: Book 50 (Jan. 24, 1946-Feb. 20, 1946), Book 51 (Feb. 24, 1946-March 17, 1946), Book 52 (March 17, 1946-April 20, 1946)
Folder 30: Book 53 (April 21, 1946-May 28, 1946), Book 54 (May 29, 1946-July 27, 1946), Book 55 (July 28, 1946-Aug. 3, 1946)
Folder 31: Book 56 (Aug. 3, 1946-Sept. 23, 1946), Book 57 (Sept. 24, 1946-Oct. 29, 1946), Book 58 (Oct. 20, 1946-Dec. 14, 1946)
Folder 32: Book 59 (Dec. 15, 1946-Jan. 26, 1947), Book 60 (Jan. 27, 1947-March 26, 1947), Book 61 (March 27, 1947-May 21, 1947)
Folder 33: Book 62 (May 22, 1947-June 12, 1947), Book 63 (June 13, 1947-Aug. 14, 1947), Book 64 (July 25, 1947-Aug. 14, 1947)
Folder 34: Book 65 (Aug. 15, 1947-Sept. 15, 1947), Book 66 (Sept. 16, 1947-Oct 18, 1947), Book 67 (Oct. 19, 1947-Jan. 18, 1948)
Folder 35: Book 68 (March 6, 1948-May 14, 1948), Book 69 (May 15, 1948-July 7, 1948), Book 70 (July 8, 1948-Sept. 8, 1948)
Folder 36: Book 71 (Sept. 9, 1948-Dec. 11, 1948), Book 72 (Dec. 12, 1948-Jan. 26, 1949), Book 73 (Jan. 27, 1949-March 26, 1949)
Folder 37: Book 74 (Feb. 24, 1949-March 26, 1949), Book 75 (March 27, 1949-April 23, 1949), Book 76 (April 24, 1949-July 1, 1949), Book 77 (July 2, 1949-Aug, 30, 1949)
Folder 38: Book 78 (Aug. 31, 1949-Nov. 22, 1949), Book 79 (Nov. 23, 1949-Feb. 12, 1950), Book 80 (Feb. 13, 1950-April 22, 1950)
Folder 39: Book 81 (April 23, 1950-June 30, 1950), Book 82 (July 1, 1950-Sept. 29, 1950), Book 83 (Sept. 30, 1950-Jan. 8, 1951)
Folder 40: Book 84 (Jan. 9, 1951-Feb. 18, 1951), Book 85 (Feb. 18, 1951-May 7, 1951), Book 86 (May 7, 1951-June 16, 1951)
Box 4
Folder 41: Book 87 (June 17, 1951-Nov. 10, 1951), Book 88 (Nov. 11, 1951-March 22, 1952)
Folder 42: Book 89 (March 22, 1952-July 9, 1952), Book 90 (July 10, 1952-Sept. 7, 1952), Book 91 (Sept. 7, 1952-Nov. 30, 1952)
Folder 43: Book 92 (Dec. 1, 1952-March 14, 1953), Book 93 (March 15, 1953-June 8, 1953), Book 94 (June 9, 1953-Aug. 24, 1953)
Folder 44: Book 95 (Aug, 25, 1953-Sept. 17, 1953), Book 96 (Nov. 25, 1953), Book 97 (Feb. 20, 1954-March 31, 1954)
Folder 45: Book 98 (April 1, 1954-May 10, 1954), Book 99 (May 11, 1954-June 13, 1954), Book 100 (June 14, 1954-Aug. 6, 1954)
Folder 46: Book 101 (Aug. 7, 1954-Aug. 30, 1954), Book 102 (Aug. 31, 1954-Oct. 16, 1954), Book 103 (Oct. 16, 1954-Nov. 17, 1954), Book 104 (Nov. 18, 1954-Dec. 24, 1954)
Folder 47: Book 105 (Dec. 24, 1954-Feb. 19, 1955), Book 106 (Feb. 19, 1955-March 26, 1955), Book 107 (March 27, 1955-May 16, 1955)
Folder 48: Book 108 (May 17, 1955-July 29, 1955), Book 109 (July 30, 1955-Nov. 24, 1955)
Folder 49: Book 110 (Nov. 25, 1955-March 2, 1956), Book 111 (March 3, 1956-Aug. 7, 1956)
Folder 50: Book 112 (Aug. 8, 1956-Oct. 21, 1956), Book 113 (April 18, 1957-June 9, 1957)

Index of Transcripts
Volume 1
Single years and teaching
Book 1: June 13, 1927 – November 3, 1927 (page 1)
Book 2: November 4, 1927 – January 9, 1928 (page 37)

Teaching, marriage, and move to Louisville
Book 3: January 10, 1928 – December 30, 1928 (page 53)

Children, Jane’s early life, 1937 flood, David’s birth, family life
Book 4: October 26, 1936 – May 8, 1937 (page 136)
Book 5: May 9, 1937 – September 5, 1937 (page 212)
Book 6: September 6, 1937 – December 25, 1937 (page 260)

Appendices
Appendix A: Ancestral line of Mariam Davis Sidebottom (A-1)
Appendix B: Descendants of Mariam Davis Sidebottom and John Marston Houchens (B-1)
Appendix C: Photographs (C-1)

Volume 2
Family life
Book 7: December 26, 1937 – April 13, 1938 (page 1)
Book 8: April 14, 1938 – June 21, 1938 (page 45)
Book 9: June 22, 1938 – July 29, 1938 (page 69)
Book 10: July 30, 1938 – November 24, 1938 (page 85)

Mariam and John’s trip to Florida, family life
Book 11: November 25, 1938 – February 16, 1939 (page 136)

Family life
Book 12: February 17, 1939 – June 21, 1939 (page 185)
Book 13: June 22, 1939 – October 9, 1939 (page 233)
Book 14: October 10, 1939 – January 18, 1940 (page 281)
Book 15: January 19, 1940 – May 5, 1940 (page 326)

Appendices
Appendix A: Photographs (A-1)

Volume 3
Family life and family trip to Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and Virginia
Book 16: May 6, 1940 – June 21, 1940 (page 1)
Book 17: June 22, 1940 – August 14, 1940 (page 22)

Family life
Book 18: August 15, 1940 – November 13, 1940 (page 59)
Book 19: November 15, 1940 – February 7, 1941 (page 93)

Jane and David get the measles; John goes to hospital for gallbladder problem
Book 20: February 8, 1941 – May 9, 1941 (page 126)

Family life
Book 21: May 10, 1941 – August 6, 1941 (page 161)

Jane starts to school; John in the hospital for gallbladder operation
Book 22: August 7, 1941 – October 18, 1941 (page 194)

Family life
Book 23: October 19, 1941 – November 25, 1941 (page 227)

Death of Mariam’s brother, Paul; the United States enters World War II
Book 24: November 26, 1941 – January 4, 1942 (page 252)

Appendices
Appendix A: Photographs (A-1)
Appendix B: Paul L. Sidebottom (B-1)

Volume 4
Family life
Book 25: January 5, 1942 – March 24, 1942 (page 1)
Book 26: March 25, 1942 – June 13, 1942 (page 35)

Death of John’s mother
Book 27: June 14, 1942 – September 3, 1942 (page 70)

Family life
Book 28: September 4, 1942 – December 5, 1942 (page 105)
Book 29: December 6, 1942 – March 15, 1943 (page 139)
Book 30: March 16, 1943 – May 12, 1943 (page 175)
Book 31: May 13, 1943 – August 20, 1943 (page 195)

David starts school
Book 32: August 21, 1943 – November 26, 1943 (page 230)

Family life
Book 33: November 27, 1943 – January 2, 1944 (page 264)
Book 34: January 13, 1944 – March 13, 1944 (page 279)

Appendices
Appendix A: Photographs (A-1)

Volume 5
Family life
Book 35: March 14, 1944 – May 5, 1944 (page 1)
Book 36: May 6, 1944 – August 7, 1944 (page 25)
Book 37: August 8, 1944 – October 19, 1944 (page 60)
Book 38: October 20, 1944 – December 6, 1944 (page 83)
Book 39: December 7, 1944 – January 7, 1945 (page 99)
Book 40: January 8, 1945 – January 23, 1945 (page 110)
Book 41: January 24, 1945 – March 2, 1945 (page 124)

President Roosevelt dies; end of the war in Germany; atomic bombs drop
Book 42: March 3, 1945 – May 22, 1945 (page 137)
Book 43: May 23, 1945 – August 5, 1945 (page 164)
Book 44: August 5, 1945 (cont.) – September 30, 1945 (page 191)

Family life
Book 45: September 30, 1945 (cont.) – October 31, 1945 (page 216)

Mariam’s father in the hospital for leg amputation
Book 46: October 31, 1945 (cont.) – November 25, 1945 (page 238)
Book 47: November 26, 1945- December 28, 1945 (page 260)
Book 48: December 28, 1945 (cont.) – January 11, 1946 (page 283)
Book 49: January 12, 1946 – January 23, 1946 (page 304)

Appendices
Appendix A: Photographs (A-1)

Volume 6
Book 50: January 24, 1946 – February 20, 1946 (page 1)
Book 51: February 24, 1946 – March 17, 1946 (page 14)
Book 52: March 17, 1946 – April 20, 1946 (page 24)
Book 53: April 21, 1946 – May 28, 1946 (page 38)
Book 54: May 29, 1946 – July 27, 1946 (page 52)
Book 55: July 28, 1946 – August 3, 1946 (page 75)
Book 56: August 3, 1946 – September 23, 1946 (page 85)
Book 57: September 24, 1946 – October 29, 1946 (page 106)
Book 58: October 30, 1946 – December 14, 1946 (page 120)
Book 59: December 15, 1946 – January 26, 1947 (page 137)
Book 60: January 27, 1947 – March 26, 1947 (page 151)
Book 61: March 27, 1947 – May 21, 1947 (page 166)
Book 62: May 22, 1947 – May 12, 1947 (page 188)
Book 63: June 13, 1947 – July 24, 1947 (page 201)
Book 64: July 25, 1947 – August 14, 1947 (page 223)
Book 65: August 15, 1947 – September 15, 1947 (page 236)
Book 66: September 16, 1947 – October 18, 1947 (page 250)
Book 67: October 19, 1947 – January 18, 1948 (page 264)
Book 68: March 6, 1948 – May 14, 1948 (page 287)
Appendix A: Photographs (A-1)
Appendix B: Civil War letter to Mariam’s grandfather (B-1)

Volume 7
Book 69: May 15, 1948 – July 7, 1948 (page 1)
Book 70: July 8, 1948 – September 8, 1948 (page 25)
Book 71: September 9, 1948 – December 11, 1948 (page 29)
Book72: December 12, 1948 – January 26, 1949 (page 32)
Book 73: January 27, 1949 – February 23, 1949 (page 46)
Book74: February 24, 1949 – March 26, 1949 (page 51)
Book 75: March 27, 1949 – April 23, 1949 (page 55)
Book 76: April 24, 1949 – July 1, 1949 (page 61)
Book 77: July 2, 1949 – August 30, 1949 (page 68)
Book 78: August 31, 1949 – November 22, 1949 (page 78)
Book 79: November 23, 1949 – February 12, 1950 (page 85)
Book 80: February 13, 1950 – April 22, 1950 (page 92)
Book 81: April 23, 1950 – June 30, 1950 (page 97)
Book 82: July 1, 1950 – September 29, 1950 (page 104)
Book 83: September 30, 1950 – January 8, 1951 (page 113)
Book 84: January 9, 1951 – February 18, 1951 (page 117)
Book 85: February 18, 1951 – May 7, 1951 (page 125)
Book 86: May 7, 1951 – June 16, 1951 (page 132)
Book 87: June 17, 1951 – November 10, 1951 (page 144)
Book 88: November 11, 1951 – March 22, 1952 (page 150)
Book 89: March 22, 1952 – July 9, 1952 (page 155)
Book 90: July 10, 1952 – September 7, 1952 (page 164)
Book 91: September 7, 1952 – November 30, 1952 (page 167)
Book 92: December 1, 1952 – March 14, 1953 (page 170)
Book 93: March 15, 1953 – June 8, 1953 (page 174)
Book 94: June 9, 1953 – August 24, 1953 (page 178)
Book 95: August 25, 1953 – September 17, 1953 (page 185)
Book 96: November 25, 1953 (page 190)
Book 97: February 20, 1954 – Wednesday, March 31, 1954 (page 194)
Book 98: April 1, 1954 – May 10, 1954 (page 199)
Book 99: May 11, 1954 – June 13, 1954 (page 201)
Book 100: June 14, 1954 – August 6, 1954 (page 206)
Book 101: August 6, 1954 – August 30, 1954 (page 210)
Book 102: August 30, 1954 – October 16, 1954 (page 221)
Book 103: October 16, 1954 – November 17, 1954 (page 224)
Book 104: November 18, 1954 – December 24, 1954 (page 232)
Book 105: December 24, 1954 – February 19, 1955 (page 241)
Book 106: February 19, 1955 – March 26, 1955 (page 244)
Book 107: March 27, 1955 – May 16, 1955 (page 247)
Book 108: May 17, 1955 – July 29, 1955 (page 249)
Book 109: July 30, 1955 – November 24, 1955 (page 258)
Book 110: November 25, 1955 – March 2, 1956 (page 265)
Book 111: March 3, 1956 – August 7, 1956 (page 273)
Book 112: August 8, 1956 – October 21, 1956 (page 280)
Book 113: April 18, 1957 – June 9, 1957 (page 284)
Appendix A: Photographs (A-1)

Subject Headings
American Institute of Electrical Engineers.
Boy Scouts – Kentucky – Louisville.
Child rearing.
Children and war.
Christmas.
Circus.
Corporal punishment of children.
Courtship.
Diaries – 20th century.
Discipline of children.
Disease.
Domestic life – Kentucky – Louisville.
Floods – Kentucky – Louisville – 20th century.
Fontaine Ferry Park (Louisville, Ky.)
Genealogy.
Girl Scouts – Kentucky – Louisville.
Health.
Holidays.
Home economics – Kentucky – Louisville.
Houchens, Beverly Jane.
Houchens, David Paul.
Houchens, John M., 1904-1993.
Housewives – Kentucky – Louisville.
Kentucky State Fair.
King’s Daughters’ Home for Incurables (Louisville, Ky.)
Kosair Crippled Childrens’ Hospital (Louisville, Ky.)
Louisville (Ky.) – Social life and customs.
Ludlow High School (Ludlow, Ky.)
Orphanages – Kentucky – Louisville.
Owenton (Ky.) – Social life and customs.
Poliomyelitis.
Radio stations – Kentucky – Louisville.
Rationing.
Scarlatina.
Sidebottom family.
Sidebottom, Kate Cobb, 1870-1953.
Sidebottom, Manlaus Thompson, 1869-1951.
Sidebottom, Paul Lurton, 1891-1941.
Slang – 20th century.
Substitute teachers.
Thanksgiving Day.
University of Louisville.
V-J Day, 1945 – Kentucky – Louisville.
WAVE (Radio station: Louisville, Ky.)
Weddings.
WHAS (Radio station: Louisville, Ky.)
Women journalists.
Women volunteers.
World War, 1939-1945 – Children.
World War, 1939-1945 – Food supply.
World War, 1939-1945 – Kentucky – Louisville.