Clara Petrat diary was written on brown bag paper. She was a member of a German immigrant family and lived at 313 W. 17 St. She was a student at Erie High School Class of 1904. The diary begins in March. Since you will see the diary exactly as she wrote it, her punctuation and capitalization mistakes improve as she goes to English Class. The first few pages of the diary are fragmented and some of the script is missing.
March 14, 1900
Erie, Pa.
313 W. 17 St.
Clara Petrat
Class of 1904
Erie High School
…Lectron by Mrs. Burns
… of Greek sculpture by Miss
…sloth.
Talk about Westminster Abby in
Miss Manson Class
Mr. Diehl visited our English Class.
Fri. March 15, Had to read in English Class.
Did a example on the board
May came in our English Class.
On the way running for the train being
quiet late May Cr. fell flat.
Went to see a poor family.
Sat. March 16 I feel so bad I could not
go away. May want me to go away
with her. It was a beautiful day
Sun. 17 I was not feeling well and May
can over. I could not go to Sunday School
Mon 18 I went to club
March Mon 19. I went to a German Play in
the Opera Hall.
I went to the class play of 1901, 50 c
I also went to the field day 45 c
Some of the items listed in her financial notes:
Spend from July 1
July 6 Sun, 2 cents for
July 7 Mon. 15 cents for Waldameer
July 13 Sun, 3 cents
July 20 Sun, 2 cents
July 27 Sun, 2 cents
July 30 Wed, 4 cents for stamps
Aug 1. Fri. Spent 30 cents for elk fur
Aug 2 Sat. 12 cents for silk
Aug 3 Sun. 2 cents
Aug 10 Sun 2 cents
Aug 14 Thrus. 15 cents for Waldameer
Aug 17 Sun 2 cents
Aug 16 Sat 15 cents for Waldameer.