W.C. Rabb Farm Journal
Scope and Contents
The collection includes reference photocopies of the original journal, which includes entries by both William Rabb and his wife, Hester. All of the entries are brief, mostly noting farming concerns and the lives of slaves, recording their names, births, deaths, and attempts to run away. It is likely that many of the recipes, such as a homemade remedy for “stomach poison” and one for wine, are Rabb’s own, and that his wife was responsible for recording genealogical information such as the births and deaths of relatives.
Dates
- Creation: circa 1839-1853
Conditions Governing Access
Noncirculating; available for research.
Conditions Governing Use
This collection may be protected from unauthorized copying by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code).
Biographical / Historical
William Craig Rabb was born around 1805 in the Mississippi Territory in Adams County, where his father and uncle owned land and a tavern in the region. In 1835, Rabb married Hester Isabella Luse, whose father was a moderately successful farmer and owned over fifty slaves, and the couple moved to a plantation in Yazoo County. The Rabbs grew corn and cotton and raised hogs, and their plantation was home to over forty slaves. After the Civil War, Rabb signed a Freedman’s Bureau agreement to provide nineteen tenant farmers with board, clothing, and medical services.
Extent
1 Folder
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The collection contains photocopies of the journal kept by William Craig Rabb, of Yazoo County, Mississippi, ca. 1839-1853. It chronicles the daily operation of the farm, the births of slaves, weather conditions, and expenditures and includes the occasional recipe.
Provenance
Donated by Charles Rabb on May 24, 1993.
Genre / Form
Topical
- Title
- W.C. Rabb Farm Journal
- Author
- Processed by Lauren White.
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Historical Manuscripts and Photographs Repository
118 College Drive - 5148
Hattiesburg MS 39406-0001
601.266.4345
