Guide to the Typed Transcription of Elizabeth H. Fickes Diary, circa 1950s SPEC.RARE.MMS.0426 Finding aid prepared by Casey Blackmore Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections
1858 Neil Avenue Columbus, OH, 43210
2026 January This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2026-01-22T10:53-0500 English Describing Archives: A Content Standard Typed Transcription of Elizabeth H. Fickes Diary SPEC.RARE.MMS.0426 Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections MMS 19 0.02 Cubic feet circa 1950s The Fickes family, parents Elizabeth and Jackson and their three sons, moved from Steubenville, Ohio to Iowa in 1856. After the family settled in Oskaloosa, Iowa, Jackson began a brickmaking business. The Typed Transcription of Elizabeth H. Fickes Diary contains accounts of an Ohio family traveling West by steamboat. The diary was originally written in 1856-1857, the transcript that makes this collection is dated circa 1950s and is a copy of the original handwritten diary. (1) letter file folder English Fickes, Elizabeth Hukill, 1823-1895 Acquisitions Information

Accession No. RARE.2026.0001: Glenn Scott, 2025 October.

 Preferred Citation

[identification of item], Typed Transcription of Elizabeth H. Fickes Diary, SPEC.RARE.MMS.0426, Rare Books and Manuscripts Library, Ohio State University

 Access to Materials

Materials in this collection are available for use, but may be used in the Thompson Library Special Collections reading room only.

 Use of Materials

Materials in this collection may be protected by copyright, and are made available for research and educational purposes. In general, the OSU Libraries do not own the copyright for materials from our collections and cannot grant copyright permissions for these materials. The user is responsible for making a final determination of copyright status. If copyright protection applies, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exceptions to the law. Works in the public domain are not protected by copyright and do not require permission to use.

 Processing Information

Processed by: Casey Blackmore, 2026 January; Finding aid written by: Casey Blackmore, 2026 January.

 Biographical Note

The Fickes family, comprised of parents Elizabeth and Jackson and their three sons, moved from Steubenville, Ohio to Iowa in 1856, first by steam boat and then by coach once they reached Iowa. After the family settled in Oskaloosa, Iowa, Jackson began a brickmaking business.

 Scope and Contents

The Typed Transcription of Elizabeth H. Fickes Diary contains accounts of an Ohio family traveling west by steamboat. Elizabeth details how her family traveled by steamboat to Iowa, beginning on the Ohio River and then on to the Mississippi River to Keokuk, Iowa. Along the way she accounts befriending other passengers and exploring towns where the boat made stops. The diary continues after the family arrives in Oskaloosa, Iowa and describes housekeeping, events with friends, weather related issues and the brickmaking company started by her husband. The diary was originally written in 1856-1857, the transcript that makes this collection is dated circa 1950s and is a copy of the original handwritten diary.

 Existence and Location of Originals

Original diary in the Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.

 Fickes, Elizabeth Hukill, 1823-1895 Fickes, Jackson Brickmakers--Iowa--19th century Diaries Frontier and pioneer life--Iowa--19th century Iowa--Social life and customs Steamboats Transcriptions (documents) Women authors, American--19th century Women pioneers--Iowa--19th century