In 2005, Eastside Heritage Center was given a set of diaries. The Colman Diaries, as they are now known, are a rare treasure and a glimpse into the life of a woman who history might have forgotten otherwise. Written by Clarissa Colman and spanning nearly 30 years, they tell the story of her life on the Eastside.
James Colman
Her early years are accessible to us largely through census records. Born Clarissa Denison in New York in 1832, married to James Colman in Iowa in 1859, and living in King County, WA by 1880. It isn’t until the tragic murder of her husband that Clarissa begins her journal. Nearly a year after his death, Clarissa records all she can remember of the period immediately leading up to his murder and the court cases that followed. After the State Supreme Court overturns the conviction of the suspected killer, she processes her grief in the pages of her diary.
“This is the 30th anniversary of my wedding day. Three years on the 8th since James was murdered & still that man Miller is living here on the lake, in sight of our place. I wonder how much longer I shall have to wait for justice. Oh:: Lord, how long.”
Over the years she records her daily life as a widow and a mother. She cooks, manages their household, and takes note of the weather. She sells goods to the local stores, invests in property in Seattle, and successfully sues a railroad company. She mourns the loss of a grandchild and struggles with estrangement from her youngest son. In her writings we’re able to see a whole, complex person. A woman who is exceptional and ordinary; her story both familiar and remarkable.
These diaries are a primary source, a document that contains observations and insights recorded firsthand by people of the time. These are the cream of the crop when it comes to historical research. Documents like these inform us as historians about the impact that major historical events have on real people. They give context to facts. For example, in 1889 Clarissa describes seeing fire and smoke from the direction of Seattle. She was witnessing the Great Seattle Fire from the shores of Lake Washington.
“The big smoke we saw was Seattle in flames. The whoe [sic] business part is burnt. Dan Murphy came down this morning for hay ^ told us.”
While she never intended for her words to be read by strangers, her work has allowed us a peek into life on the Eastside at the turn of the last century.
Special thanks to the Fawcett family for the donation of these Diaries.
Resources:
Colman Diaries. 2005.017 Gift of Clarissa Fawcett, Robert Fawcett, George Fawcett, and Greg Fawcett in memory of Clarissa Colman and James Colman.
Ancestry.com
Grindeland, S. (2006, August 5). 1800s diary tells of murder mystery, life on Eastside. The Seattle Times, pp. A1, A13.
