Search

The Boardman collection consists of William Francis Joseph's diaries, memoranda and account notebooks, a song collection, scrapbooks, and miscellaneous papers and clippings. Six of the diaries were kept by Mr. Boardman's mother, Mary Francis Boardman. In spite of his economic prosperity and high standing in the community, the diaries reveal Mr. Boardman's melancholy turn of mind and his preoccupation with his wife's constant illnesses. Throughout his entries, Mr. Boardman details the various afflictions in his lungs, kidneys, heart, and bowels, as well as attacks of boils and carbuncles. Both he and his wife, Jane, suffered from insomnia and nervousness. He often reflects on man's mortality and the approaching loss of his parents and contemporaries. He repeatedly mentions his depression in terms of "feeling blue" or "used up." This state of mind is in contrast to his appreciation of the beloved family circle, his lovely home, and his many civic interests and engaged comments on current events in America and abroad. His diaries also contain commentary, facts, and statistics on Hartford businesses and the economic environment of the state.