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Special Collections Research Center
William & Mary Special Collections Research CenterBenjamin Bromley, Public Services Archives Specialist; Karen King, SCRC Staff
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Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.
This collection ID was formerly Mss. Acc. 2012.315.
Accessioned and minimally processed by Benjamin Bromley in August 2012. Detailed description authored by Matthew Thompson November 2014. Revised in March 2018 by Karen King.
Edgar Carl Hermann was born September 18, 1888, in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Before 1910, he had moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he worked as a stenographer for a railroad company eventually becoming chief clerk of the saftey bureau. In 1917 he was drafted into the Army in which he served as a clerk in the vicinity of Coblenz, Germany. Upon returning to the United States in 1919, he lived in St. Paul at least through 1922. He moved to Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, some time before 1930 where he worked as a saleman. His spouse was Leila H. Hermann and their son was Edgar W. Hermann. His date of death is August 30, 1953.
This collection contains the diaries, 1912-1922, of Edgar Carl Hermann of Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The first diary concerns Hermann's daily life as a worker for a railroad. There are two diaries from 1919, both of which describe Hermann's service during World War I. They include his service in France and Germany and his two week trip to Paris during his leave time. There are also diaries from 1920, 1921, and 1922.
Most of the entries describe Hermann's daily life in St. Paul, Minnesota. Church and recreational activities are the events most typically described. Often these include references to landmarks in and around Minneapolis and St. Paul. Some of the place names include the Hippodrome, Hollow Rink, Bridge Square Hotel, Merchant's Hotel, Grand Central Hotel, the De Luxe Theater, the New Aster Theater, Oakland Cemetery, and Forest Cemetery. He also visits many of the parks and natural features of the area especially Indian Mounds Park, Phalen Park, Como Park, and Lexington Park.
Church activities dominate Hermann's diary entries. Regular entries are made for prayer meetings, choir rehearsals and performances, preparing for holiday programs, and many different kinds of committee meetings. His main recurring responsibility is leading Sunday school and he makes frequent note of the study and preparation that goes into this including attending professional development conferences.
Armed Conflicts and the Military in the Special Collections Research Center. Information about related materials is available at http://guides.swem.wm.edu/armedconflicts
This folder contains three pocket diaries. The cover of the 1912 diary reads "The North Western Line – Diary 1912 – Compliments of C.St.P.M. and O.Ry." There are two diaries from 1919; the larger black diary has the title "Bagels Termin-Kalender" and contains complete daily entries with the months January–June covering Hermann's service in Europe during World War I. The smaller black leather diary with the title "Compliments Chicago-New York" only contains entries about Hermann's trip to Paris in March 1919, supplementing his regular entries in his daily diary.
In the 1912 diary, Hermann enjoys a "Hard Times" party. A friend's wife dies of spinal meningitis. He hears both Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson deliver speeches. At a friend's house, Hermann listens to a Graphophone. In the summer, he attends Saengerfest and in the fall he goes to the ball park to watch the scoreboard returns come in from the World Series between the Giants and the Red Sox.
The 1919 diary begins with Hermannn in the vicinity of Coblenz, Germany, during World War I. In it, he describes his daily life, recreational activities, and work routine. The diary entries make special note of the many letters and cards he writes and receives, as well as his friendships with local families. Place names used in these entries include: Wallershein, St. Sabastian, Rhine River, Coblenz, Neunendorf, Ehrenbreitstein, Kaltenengers, Bubenheim, and Cologne.
Hermann's military service is as a clerk and his typical work activities include composing billeting lists, filling out qualification cards, creating roster lists, handling payroll and dispensation, and responding to professional criticism from his superiors. In addition to this he must also complete typical military exercises including short arms inspection, drills, louse inspection, records inspection, and as they ready to depart Europe packing the records ahead of departure and composing sailing lists.
Hermann makes special mention on the many recreational activities the men enjoy including listening to the regiment band, holiday parties, basketball, and baseball. He also reads the book, "God's Country and the Woman." There are many YMCA sponsored activities such as lectures and variety shows including circus performers, minstrel shows, and vaudeville. The YMCA also provides movies and Hermann attends "Manhattan Madness," "Mutt and Jeff," "Fatty Arbuckle," "The Dawnmaker," and a feature starring Mary Pickford. During this time Hermann tries and fails to successfully organize a Bible study class with the YMCA chaplain.
The WWI entries conclude in June with the men traveling west by train eventually arriving in Saint-Nazaire where they will sail for the United States. Place names mentioned include: Joul, Dijon, Nevers, Savenay, Angers, Sable, Gastines, Nantes, and Saint-Nazaire. He notes he "saw quite a few U.S. soldiers with French wives." Also there was a spinal meningitis outbreak resulting in quarantine just days before they sail. The voyage itself was on the USS Artemis and takes twelve days to reach Hampton Roads. Hermann notes cheering and family reunions at Old Point Comfort before he departs Camp Stuart by train traveling through Richmond, Charlottesville, across the Blue Ridge to West Virginia, Cincinnati, and finally arriving at Chicago where he reports to Camp Grant. While at Camp Grant he is held up for several days due to a tonsil infection and missing paper work before he can go home to St. Paul.
The remainder of the 1919 diary describes Hermann's readjustment to ordinary life in St. Paul including a few weeks' vacation after discharge. He regularly attends movies including "The Outlaw," and two Mary Pickford features, "Daddy Long Legs" and "The Hoodlum." He hears President Woodrow Wilson deliver a speech on the League of Nations and Versailles Treaty. He also maintains active correspondence with his friends in Germany. His church activities are dominated by construction work as his congregation prepares to move to a new building.
In March 1919, Hermann receives permission to take a furlough in Paris, which is described in his regular diary and also a supplemental diary. On March 16 he departs St. Sebastian by train for Paris with a layover in Joul, returning on March 21. While in Paris he takes the subway to Versailles and tours the palace and gardens. H he tours the Latin Quarter, the Museum of Luxemburg, the Pantheon, the University of Paris Law Library, the Tower of Clovis, tht Church of St. Genevieve, and Sarbourne Chapel. He goes on a cruise of the Seine River and sees Notre Dame, the Church of St. Gervais, the Tower of St. Germaine, the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, and Mount Marc. While on a bus tour he sees the Hotel DeVille, the Church of Gervais, Notre Dame, the Palace of Justine, Sainte-Chapelle, the Louvre, the Arc de Carrousel, the Eiffel tower, the Chamber of Deputies, the Pantheon de la Guerre, the Statue of Washington, the Palais de Glass, the Grand Palais, the Place de la Concorde, the Palace Royal, and the Church of Madeleine. He also takes in a show at the Casino de Paris.
This folder contains two pocket diaries. The 1920 diary is brown and the 1921 diary is green and bears the title "Standard Diary No.516."
In the 1920 diary, Hermann joins the Freemasons at Braden Lodge and quickly advances in rank there. There is the usual involvement in church activities; he volunteers to audit the church's finances in advance of their application for an equity mortgage, and becomes involved in the Forward Movement. In May there is a city election and he notes that all but one councilman were ousted. Hermann recounts having his wisdom teeth pulled. In September he attends the State Fair and participates in a veteran's reunion of "Company F." He hears a speech from then Senator Warren G. Harding and in December he describes playing records on a phonograph.
In January 1921, Hermann departs on an extended vacation to visit a friend in California. He travels by train through South Dakota and North Dakota, heading west through Montana and across the Cascades. He arrives in Seattle, Washington, and travels by train to Portland, Oregon, then on to Sacramento, California, and finally Los Angeles, California. In Los Angeles he meets his friend and they rent a car and drive to San Diego, California, and on to Tiajuana, Mexico. While California, he visits Hollywood, Venice, and Ocean Beach. He departs Los Angeles by train to Kansas City, Missouri, passing through Winslow, Arizona, Clovis, New Mexico, and Amarillo, Texas. From Kansas City he returns by train to St. Paul, Minnesota. In February he sees Theda Bara in "Cleopatra," and in May watches the Human Fly climb the Commerce Building downtown. Hermann is laid off from work and takes up a new temporary job. He hears the Dempsy-Carpentier fight on the radio and unsuccessfully tries to sell his duplex. In the fall he attends the dedication of the St. Paul municipal pipe organ. His church activities include successfully organizing a men's club. Hermann is briefly hospitalized for chronic gastritis before landing a permanent job at Marvel Battery Company.
This folder contains one red pocket diary from 1922 and an address book from 1931.
In the 1922 diary, Hermann continues to show his dedication to Sunday school instruction by completing teacher training school. He listens to the radio and plays a lot of tennis. In September, his sister is hospitalized for nephritis and passes away; his family and friends come to St. Paul for the funeral. In November, Hermann notes his surprise that Senator Frank B. Kellog is defeated for re-election.
Contains addresses and birthdays for Hermann's friends and family.