Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], M. Clair Alexander Diary, Ms1988-102, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The M. Clair Alexander Diary was purchased by Special Collections and University Archives in 1988.

Processing Information

The processing and description of the M. Clair Alexander Diary commenced and was completed in May, 2021.

Biographical Note

Major Clair Alexander was born in Novia Scotia, Canada, May 3, 1858. He appears in the 1871 Canadian census among the children living in the Annapolis home of Sarah Alexander. Alexander immigrated to the United States ca. 1875; in the 1880 census, 22-year-old carpenter Clair Alexander appears as a resident in the Easton (Bristol County), Massachusetts, home of his brother-in-law, Simeon French. By 1910, Alexander was living in Brockton (Plymouth County), Massachusetts with niece Lucy Taylor and several lodgers. The census for that year records his occupation as carpet cleaner. Alexander continues to be listed as a resident of Brockton through 1930. Major Clair Alexander died in Brockton in 1933.

Scope and Content

This collection consists of a single diary maintained by M. Clair Alexander, a young man living in North Easton, Massachusetts, and working as a carpenter in 1880. In entries that grow more brief and sporadic as the year progresses, Alexander documents the weather, his daily carpentry work, social activities and local events. In the back of the diary are entries for Alexander's cash accounts.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Diaries

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the M. Clair Alexander Diary by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).