SeanPaulMurphyVille: My Family: The Diaries of Mary Elizabeth McLane, Part 1

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

My Family: The Diaries of Mary Elizabeth McLane, Part 1

Mary Elizabeth McLane Turnbull

Mary Elizabeth McLane Turnbull was born on 31 October 1897 in Dunmore, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. Mary was the daughter of Michael McLane, a railroad conductor, and Virginia (Jennie) Gilligan. Her father Michael McLane was the older brother of my great-grandmother Loretta McLane Murphy, making Mary my first cousin, twice removed.

Michael & Jennie Gilligan McLane

Mary kept a series of diaries between 1913 and 1922. She did not write daily, and most of the entries were very short. Some might be as short as simply "Home" or "School." Other entries were longer. I believe the diaries present a fascinating portrait of the life of a young woman in Dunmore and Scranton during the 'teens and early 'twenties. Her life takes her through a series of events that change her from a carefree, boy-crazy girl to a more thoughtful young woman.

Mary is a cousin on my paternal grandfather Paul Murphy's line. However, throughout her diaries I see references to my relatives from my paternal grandmother Margaret Robertson Murphy's side of the family. Dunmore was indeed a small town. Everyone knew everyone.

Mary's granddaughter Maurya Lynott Bergan, an avid genealogist like myself, typed up the diaries and distributed them in book form to interested relatives. She maintained Mary's grammar and spelling. I tried to do the same thing here, but I made some corrections. I am only including a tiny fraction of the entries.

April 29, 1913: Rainy day, sick did not go to school (First entry.)

July 31, 1913: At Moosic Lake, Janet, Mable and I with Clifford Collins, Harold Durkin, Carl Gilbert with us, have swell time.

January 5, 1914: Go back to school. Mr. Hoban calls us for having beaus, family wild, Ma goes to Mr. Hoban and Miss Mooney - gives them the duce. (Giving someone The Duce is slang for giving them The Devil.)

January 12, 1914: Blizzard, did not go to school. Joseph O'Hora has a party tonight. Go to party have swell times, everything grand. (Joseph O'Hora is her cousin.)

January 24, 1914: Anna Stark has party, go have dandy time. Harold Courtright takes me home. Clarence Miller there and Paul LaFrance. (Anna Stark and Clarence Miller are my cousins on my paternal grandmother's side of the family. Anna would tragically die at the age of twenty-two from tuberculosis.)

January 28, 1914: Exams. Made some grand marks, have another run in with Hoban. Mable, Janet and I brought before faculty for skipping school and going to "Poli." Went down to weather bureau with Mr. Ellis. Went to reception in Mrs. Sherman's studio after.

March 27, 1914: Boys made me dreadful in school about S. Morgan, play ball with Joseph Halpin after school - get hit in mouth with ball, nearly faint.

March 29, 1914: Everyone calling me "Lippie."

Monday, July 27, 1914: Go to Long Branch, take train here. Go to N,.Y. and go to Highlands by Sandy brook boat, take train to highland. A Spanish boy from Porta Rico staying at Shore Cottage with us. His name is Ygnatious Dayne, very nice here near post office, meet boys at it, and Roland Jerulum the telegraph operator at station. Many beautiful homes, go in bathing every day, Miss Proudfoot lovely. All colored help.

Thursday. Go to Ashbury Park at Casino on board walk. Children's party in evening, everyone wears short dresses and hair down back. Go to country store at theater Friday evening. Many nice people staying here, some Jew girls named Pauline Rosenbalm, Bertha Richg. Mary Godberg, too. Italian girls Maria Albeno, Rose Grassi. Rose is very sweet girl, has travelled all over Europe. Leslie and Jessie Luhn and Viola Wilbur, Anna and Nora Johnston, Elsie Bunny. Meet Percy Smith and Carl Hoyt on pier. Carl a very nice boy, 19 years old, have a date for Tuesday night with him. Fill it, have good time. Called home unexpectedly by death of Mary Langan, August 6, 1914. Travel all night to get home Thursday morning funeral Friday morning.

Article from The Scranton Tribune, 8 August 1914:

The pallbearers are interesting to me. Frank Murphy was my great-grandfather. His origins have been deliberately obscured, but he claimed at times that his mother's maiden name was Healey (Healy). Was his fellow pallbearer a relative? Additionally, Mary's grandmother's maiden name was Jordan, so I suspect Thomas Jordan was possibly a relative as well.

Thursday, Sept 17, 1914: Party over in South Side at William's have good time. Aunt Etta and Anna with me. Joe Ryan, Ed Kelly there. (Aunt Etta is my great-grandmother. Anna is her spinster sister.)

Anna, standing,
Loretta, seated

Sunday, September 19, 1914: Meet John Price and Janet's friend Joe Highsnyder with Harold Newcomb at night. He is some cute kid.

Friday, September 25, 1914: Bring Mary to school in afternoon. Mable has Merry Spinsters after school, we go down, stay to supper. Mary Price, Janet, Mable, Helen Hadden and myself, Carl Gilbert, Frank Higgins, Enice Roche, John Flynn up in evening, Frank Higgins with me. Enice Roche a grand boy but very quiet.

Thrusday, December 11, 1914: Clarence Miller has party for Oar and Rod Club. Will and Bob Nagely there, pretty swell.

Article from The Scranton Truth, 11 December 1914:

Friday, January 1, 1915: Go to church in morning, go out riding in auto after with Owen Connelly. New Years night go to Floyd Waltz's party, have dandy time. Alfred Hussing takes me home, he is swell dancer.

Sunday, January 3, 1915: Helen over, Leo Lynett, Jerry O'Neil up, bring box of candy. They can come often.

Tuesday, January 5, 1915: School. Owen takes Mable and I to school in auto, Owen Connelly, or Gasoline Gus, that's what the boys call him.

Thursday, January 7, 1915: Owen arrested for speeding in morning, I go for lesson in afternoon.

Story from The Scranton Truth, January 7, 1915:

Wednesday, February 3, 1915: School. Mable and I go and get throat blessed after school then come down to corners and Paul B. called us up to his office. Owen Connelly there, have a circus. Frank McDonough comes in after and all go up to candy kitchen for a soda. Go to nicklette with Paul LaFrance at night. (The nicklette is a local movie theater. She went to the movies a lot.)

Friday, February 5, 1915: Go for ride with Owen after school. Florence has party at night. Great crowd. Helen Hadden and Mable Keys, Hannah Gately, Carrie Miller, Janet O'Hora, Florence and I, Clara Sossong, Kathleen McDonald, Minnie Claus, Anna Wentzel, Clarence Miller, Bobby Nagealy, Will Nagealy, Harry, Aire, Paul LaFrance, Stuart Bennet, Roland hand, Ed and Clarence Wentzel, Floyd Waltz, Paul Barrett, Barton Hallock, Alfred Hussing, all had dandy time. (Florence is her sister. She gets fewer than expected mentions in the diary. Carrie Miller is also a cousin of mine on my paternal grandmother's side.)

Saturday, Basketball game. Have to cut Owen Connolly, can't go riding with him, he is too wild. (Goodbye, Gasoline Gus. Owen later married Margaret Gallagher on 18 June 1919.)

Friday, March 2, 1915: Go to basketball game. Stay all night with Mable. Frank McDonough takes me home. (Owen's loss is obviously Frank's gain!)

Tuesday, July 20, 1915: Dreadful sick in morning, thought sure I would die but got better and went to Moosic Lake in afternoon with Aunt Etta and Frank. The rest of the family went in the morning. Helen H., Hannah and Mable there. Had wonderful time, danced with Ed and Bill O'Brian, Paul Cummins, Paul Barrett, Harold Durkin, Clifford Collins, Frank McDonnell, Stanley Durkin, Sidney Horgan, Charles Gallagher, Ed McNulty, Gerard Lynott and Frank McDonnell and Mable went out on dance contest. (Sounds like a lot of dancing!)

Saturday, July 30, 1915: Aunt Etta getting ready to get married.

Etta and Frank got married on August 10th. They got married in a joint service with their friends the Dempseys. They even went on their honeymoons together to Coney Island.

Frank and Etta, left.

Tuesday, August 17, 1915: Aunt Etta and Frank come home. Margaret and Jane and Mildred Price go home. Dance for Etta and Frank at night. (Mildred Price is another cousin on my paternal grandmother's side.)

September 19, 1915: Forgot to write. I went to Niagara Falls and Canada with Aunt Anna and Maria on their way to Frisco. Come back, started in to school. I am a high & might com. Junior now. A lot of new boys from out of town in school, they are swell. Wilbur Nauman invited me to his corn roast but I did not go. Clarence Miller asked me to another but I am not going either. (This is one of the most genealogically interesting entries to me. Mary's paternal grandmother was Mary Jordan McLane. Many branches of the Jordan family left Scranton for parts west, settling in Wyoming, California and even Hawaii. I knew the family kept in touch with the Jordans who settled in San Francisco, but I never knew my great-grandaunts went to visit them.)

January 22, 1916: I forgot to write for a couple of days but it doesn't matter for nothing startling happened anyway. The Westons are gone south & I was down and stayed all Sat. & Sunday. They have a new victrola and Mrs. W. said for them to enjoy it, & I certainly did. Ma, Aunt Maria & I went over to O'Hora's Sunday, their new house is nearly done. We went to an old time dance Tues. night and believe me it was old. We are going to see the end of the "Broken Coin", at the "neck" tonight. I am sorry it is ending because I like Grace Cunard & Francis Ford. Aunt Hannah & Aunt Hanna & baby Edward were over yesterday. I hate Mr. Rady our teacher, he looks just like a monkey. We went to community singing Wed. night & Janet came & stayed here all night. I Hate School. I am starved for some candy, I wish some one would donate me a big box. (The Westons were one of the wealthiest families in America. Aunt Maria McLane was a longtime, trusted upstairs servant to Mrs. Weston from the time of her youth. More a friend. The Westons treated the McLanes very well. For example, they had a beach house in Groton. When they left at the end of the summer, they allowed the McLanes come and live there for a week to enjoy the beach.)

Aunt Maria McLane

Sunday, February 20, 1916: Kathleen & I have date with Paul LaFrance & Stewart Bennett.

Easter, April 23, 1916: I forgot to write, I work in Kresegs for a couple of days and I think I am a bird. We went over to Denningers Sunday Janet, Florence & I and Loretta was there. Ambrose & Betty are going to be married in June. We had a swell time.

Ambrose McLane, 1945

June 18, 1916: Kathleen & I & Malaline & Geneive go to Nay Aug Park in afternoon. Helen Hadden home from school. Over in Mable's a night, meet Bina Gillispie. Charles Gallagher home with me. War declared on Mexico (but there was none.)

July 7, 1916: Had date with Joe Ritchard, went to see beginning of Peg O' The Ring with Grace Cunard and Francis Ford.

I couldn't find Peg O' The Ring, but here's the opening of another Grace Cunard/Francis Ford film:

(September?) Thursday: Went down town in the morning with Mamma & Aunt Elizabeth. Went to corn roast with Clarence Miller. It pelted rain when we were coming home, but Carrie Miller & Willard Schultz came in auto with us so we did not get wet. The rest of the bunch was soaked. (Willard Schultz is also a cousin of mine on my paternal grandmother's side of the family.)

Tuesday, October 24, 1916: Went to Rod & Oar Club masquerade dance with Clarence Miller & wore harem suit. Florence went with Eddie Cluse & wore Bo-Peep. Kathleen took first prize in fairy suit, she went with Ed. Wentz.

Young Clarence Miller

February 8, 1917: All mid-year exams over & I passed everything but stenog. & English.

Friday, June 1, 1917: Commencement. We graduated after many years of waiting. Willard Hallock took me home. I got heaps of presents:

$2.50 from Mrs. Weston

$2.50 from Bridget, Joyce & Marie Gavin

$1.50 from Uncle Pat Gilligan

White dress from Aunt Elizabeth

Waist from Aunt Maria

Pins from Aunt Anna McLane

Ring from Etta & Frank

Watch bracelet from Grandma McLane

Chepe de Chene handkerchiefs from Grandma Gilligan

Handkerchiefs from Helen Hadden & Aunt Maria

Silk stockings from Janet, Aunt Kathy, Minnie, Delia, Lida, Aunt Alice

Petticoat from Aunt Anna

Camisoles from the Golden's, Aunt Hannah & Aunt Maggie Pete.

July 16, 1917, Monday: I forgot to write for a long time. I had heaps of dates & fun. I have been to Cabaret at Moosic Lake with P. Malia several times & Janet had a moonlight walk to Lake Scranton & the Rod & Oar had a dance, I went with B. Nageli. They had a weekend at Heart Lake & Mr. & Mrs. S, Secol chaperoned. The girl were Kath & I. Katherine Perry, Florence Reynolds, Minnie Clause, Ruth Bridgeman, Mildred Stone, Margaret Thomas, Dot Donoryty. We had a wonderful time, I learned to swim, and lived on the lake all the time. We danced Sat. night till 10 to 12 and then went for a boat ride. We went to bed & yelled at each other and pegged things and acted all sorts crazy till 3:30 when absolute quiet reigned -- until 4:30 when the boys that slept down stairs on the floor started the victrola. It was just great, me for a weekend always. Helen H., Madaline Gilligan & I have dates tonight with Willard & Earl Hallock & Ralph Walsher.

Monday, August 20, 1917: Went to work for 2 weeks for an attorney.

Friday, August 31, 1917: I had a porch dance. all the boys from the Rod & Oar Club & the Prices from C'dale, Madaline Gilligan, F. Reynolds, Margaret Cullen, R. Bridgeman, Minnie Clause, C. Miller, Kath, Mildred Stone, Janet, Helen Kays, Florence & I.

Article from The Tribune, 4 Sept 1917:

October 14 Sunday to Oct 31, 1917: Sick, had whooping cough and plursey. Aunt Maria gave me $2.00 for my birthday & I got a new pink tarlton dress for the Rod & Oar dance masquerade. I wore socks & had a cunning little hat & curls. Just like Mary Pickford.

December 13, 1917: Forgot to write. Worked for a couple of days in Woolworths.

December 25, 1917: Xmas, got lots of nice things for Xmas.

A waiste from Aunt Maria

Bag from Aunt Anna

Powder from Aunt Elizabeth

Pin from Aunt Etta

Gloves from Janet

Knitting bag from Mable

Longerie clasps from Florence

Writing Linen from Clara S.

Powder box from Betty

Powder box from Marge S.

Bedroom slippers from Jack Smith, and some other things.

January 1, 1918, Tuesday: Home in day. Mary Price & Joe Gilligan & I went to movies at night.

January 2, 1918, Wednesday: Florence went back to school. Joe G. & I went to the station with her & to the Strand after. I went up to Aunt Margaret's, she got a little girl yesterday. She is going to name it Jane.

January 3, 1918: Over in Aunt Margaret's, was sent for at 10 o'clock. Mamma was sitting at the table eating her supper with Papa when she took a stroke. He called Aunt Etta & Frank & he got her into bed. They called the priest & Dr. but she never regained consciousness & died at 1 o'clock. Florence got home Friday. Everybody all broke up.

The death Mary's mother was obviously a major turning point in her life. This seems like a good place to break our story. I will continue her story in a subsequent blog.

Jennie McLane with her two daughters

Click here for more of my genealogical blogs:

My Family: Christmas 1967

My Family: My Granddaughter Emma Renee Schwalm

My Family: The Diaries of Mary Elizabeth McLane, Part 1
My Family: The Back River Tragedy

My Family: My Three Nuns
My Family: The Murder of Adam G. Robertson
My Family: Uncle Buzzy and The Boys In Company B
My Family: 1st Lieutenant Charles Edward Farber, KIA
My Family: Cousin Tillie's Balcony
My Family: The Public Suicide of Carl "Ernie" Stark
My Family: The Public Suicide of Frank Kostohryz
My Family: Mary Marshall Mirfin, Hero
My Family: Rita Cecilia Rosenberger Protani Pollock
My Family: Vincent Klima and the Spanish Influenza
My Family: A Festival of Fathers
My Family: The Honorable George Farber
My Family: A Celebration of Mothers
My Family: The Mystery of Frank John Murphy
My Family: Kristina Bednar Kostohryz
My Family: Great-Grandmom Assunta's Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

Be sure to check out my memoir The Promise, or the Pros and Cons of Talking with God, published by TouchPoint Press. It is my true story of first faith and first love and how the two became almost fatally intertwined.

Here are some sample chapters of The Promise:

Chapter 1 - A Photograph

Chapter 2 - My Death

Chapter 3 - Childhood

Chapter 4 - Saved!

Chapter 5 - The Promise

Chapter 6 - The Mission

Chapter 7 - Mission Accomplished
Chapter 15 - Quarter To Midnight

Be sure to check out my novel Chapel Street. It tells the story of a young man straddling the line between sanity and madness while battling a demonic entity that has driven his family members to suicide for generations. It was inspired by an actual haunting my family experienced.

You can buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble.

Learn more about the book, click Here.

Watch the book trailer: