Content Description
44 autograph diaries, unsigned, kept by Knute Jensen, 1925-1976. Jensen primarily records his meals and the weather, but also writes of odd jobs (ditch digging, unloading train cars, cutting timber, and fixing plumbing, for example) and his ongoing search for employment in Montana, California, and later, Oregon. Occasionally recorded are births, deaths, and marriages; world events; and train schedules. Food prices, regional eating habits, and Jensen's social security benefits between 1953 and 1974 are also noted. Accompanied by membership cards, postcards, newspaper clippings, railway tickets, and other ephemera tucked into diary pages.
Dates
- 1925-1976
Creator
- Jensen, Knute, 1888-1976 (Author)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The Knute Jensen Diaries is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Book Shop, LLC on the Winlock William Miller, Jr. Memorial Fund, 2017.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Extent
4.38 Linear Feet (11 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Abstract
44 autograph diaries, unsigned, kept by Knute Jensen, 1925-1976. Jensen primarily records his meals and the weather, but also writes of odd jobs and his ongoing search for employment in Montana, California, and later, Oregon. Occasionally recorded are births, deaths, and marriages, and world events. Accompanied by membership cards, postcards, newspaper clippings, railway tickets, and other ephemera tucked into diary pages.
Knute Jensen
Knute Jensen (1888-1976) emigrated from Denmark to the United States circa 1904. He served in the United States Army Balloon Corps during World War I and later worked odd jobs in Glendive, Montana. In 1930 September, Jensen drove with his friend “Oscar” to Los Angeles, California, in search of employment--in 1931 March, the two drove to Ione, Washington, where they cut trees before returning to Glendive in May. Jensen moved into a housing cooperative in Glasgow, Montana, by 1934 and by 1938, moved to Toledo, Oregon, to begin his own cooperative. He also belonged to the Williamette Valley District Council, Lumber and Sawmill Workers Union circa 1950-1956. In 1958, he traveled to Denmark for several months prior to returning to Oregon, where he remained until his death.
Processing Information
Collections are processed to a variety of levels, depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived research value, the availability of staff, competing priorities, and whether or not further accruals are expected. The library attempts to provide a basic level of preservation and access for all collections, and does more extensive processing of higher priority collections as time and resources permit.
These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards. For more information, please refer to the Beinecke Manuscript Unit Processing Manual.
- California -- Economic conditions -- 20th century
- Danes -- California
- Danes -- Montana
- Danes -- Oregon
- Danes -- United States
- Diaries -- United States -- 20th Century
- Glasgow (Mont.)
- Glendive (Mont.)
- Immigrants -- United States
- Ione (Wash.)
- Lumbermen -- Labor unions -- Oregon
- Lumbermen -- Oregon -- 20th century
- Montana -- Economic conditions -- 20th century
- Oregon -- Economic conditions -- 20th century
- San Francisco Bay Area (Calif.)
- Toledo (Or.)
Source
- Book Shop, LLC (Bookseller)
- Title
- Guide to the Knute Jensen Diaries
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Sarah Lerner
- Date
- May 2019
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.