Margaret Campbell of Wilmot recently donated five 19th-century diaries written by Isaac B. Youngman to the Wilmot Historical Society (WHS). Youngman, a life-long Wilmot resident who lived from 1811 to 1892, lived on Teel Hill in North Wilmot and later moved to Wilmot Center. He was a farmer and served the town of Wilmot as a selectman.

In 1876, Youngman and his wife Hannah funded and established the Kearsarge School of Practice, a private high school at the corner of Route 4A and Bunker Road in Wilmot Center.

“The Youngman diaries contain short notes on daily farm tasks and monetary transactions and list the names of people he employed, visited, or worked with,” said Fred Ogmundson, a member of the Wilmot Historical Society Board of Directors. “Taken together, the diaries give the reader a look at a vanished way of life. The later diaries often refer to town business Mr. Youngman carried out.”

Once they are scanned, the diaries will be available online at WilmotHistoricalSociety.org. “The Wilmot Historical Society is grateful to Margaret Campbell for donating these diaries – a terrific addition to our collection,” said Marc Davis, president of the WHS.

The WHS, established in 1976, works to collect and protect artifacts, documents, and photographs relating to the town of Wilmot. Through its educational programs, the History Room, and special projects, the organization endeavors to bring the town’s recent and not-so-recent past to life and to inspire residents to enjoy and treasure Wilmot’s history.

Summer hours for the History Room are 9 AM to noon on Saturdays from June 28 through September 27. The History Room is in the Wilmot Town Office at 9 Kearsarge Valley Road in Wilmot. More information is available from Marc Davis at 927-4596.