Materials are arranged chronologically.
Accession No. RARE.2026.0041: Purchased, 2025 July
[identification of item], Emily G. Bookwalter Diaries, SPEC.RARE.0386, Rare Books and Manuscripts Library, Ohio State University
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Processed by: Casey Blackmore, 2026 April; Finding aid written by: Casey Blackmore, 2026 April
Emily G. Bookwalter, 1911-2010, was born in Clark County, Ohio near the town of New Moorfield, Ohio. She lived with her mother Amy on a nursery operation called "Lynn Wood." The nursery was at one time the home of an outdoor theatre, also run by Amy and her husband Alfred.
Emily's parents were active in promoting civil rights and interracial relations during the first half of the 20th century. They were involved in leadership positions in the Young Women's Christian Association, the Young Men's Christian Association, and Antioch College located in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Emily also participated in her parent's work in advocating for civil rights, including attending speaking engagements and aiding her parents with hosting the Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes when he visited Lynn Wood.
The Emily G. Bookwalter Diaries consists of six diaries, dated 1942-1947, kept by Emily G. Bookwalter of Clark County, Ohio. The diaries include details about Bookwalter's life with her family on their nursery operation and her day to day tasks, including letter writing, keeping the house, and social outings with friends. The diaries contain both short, personal narratives and calendars. Several diary entries detail the family's attendance at speaking engagements and conferences and topics such as segregation in their local civic theatre.