Published On: May 5, 2020
During the past weeks while the NDSU Archives have been closed to the public, several members of the Archives staff have been busy transcribing the Eileen Tuff Diaries. Mrs. Tuff, was an Iowa native whose family settled near Barton, North Dakota in 1899. Eileen Tuff kept diaries of her life on the farm, spanning from 1920 to 1947. Her diaries give us a detailed description of life on a farm in North Dakota during the first half of the twentieth century. Eileen and her husband, William Tuff made their living by farming and by raising livestock. She and her husband were actively involved with state and local politics and counted themselves as supporters of the Nonpartisan League. Mrs. Tuff attended political rallies and meetings, and hosted some Nonpartisan League meetings. William Tuff was a member of the North Dakota House of Representatives from 1935 to 1946 and a member of the North Dakota Senate from 1947 to1950. They were the parents of twelve children, six boys and six girls. Mrs. Tuff was a voracious reader and writer, penning numerous articles and poems, many of which can be found handwritten in her diaries.
The first installment from April 1 to Aug 31, 1937, has just been uploaded onto Digital Horizons.