Patrick Quirk (1845-1921), Diary, 1865 (C3943)

1 folder

INTRODUCTION

The diary of Patrick J. Quirk relates the details of a trip made in 1865 by railroad and steamboat from Springfield, Massachusetts, to Yankton, South Dakota, on the way to the Montana Territory.

DONOR INFORMATION

The Quirk Diary was donated to the University of Missouri by Patrick Quirk's granddaughter, Alice M. Knight of Marlborough, New Hampshire, on 23 July 1991 (Accession No. 5055).

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Patrick J. Quirk, born 14 January 1845, in Drumbiggle, Ennis, County Clare, Ireland, was the son of Patrick J. and Ellen Carmody Quirk. His father, a small landowner, had his son educated by the Christian Brothers, a religious order prominent in Irish secondary education.

Quirk and his brother Dennis emigrated to the United States, arriving on 13 January 1865. They proceeded to Springfield, Massachusetts, where they took jobs working for the Armory. Patrick then moved to New York, where he was hired to work as a surveyor for a company exploring the West. The diary is a partial account of a trip made in 1865 from Springfield, Massachusetts, to the Montana Territory.

Patrick Quirk returned to New York after his trip to Montana. A contractor, his company was responsible for putting in the water and sewer systems in the Bronx. He had eight children and died in New York on 27 December 1921.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Quirk Diary, as presently constituted, consists of twenty pages in five sections (unbound, four pages per section) and contains the journal entries of a trip Patrick J. Quirk made by railroad and steamboat from Springfield, Massachusetts, as far as Yankton, South Dakota. The first entry is dated 8 May 1865; the last entry, 24 June 1865. The final sections of the diary are missing: the last entry ends in mid-sentence, the crossing of Nebraska and Quirk's experiences in Montana are not related.

The diary presents Quirk's observations about the countryside through which he is passing on train or steamboat as well as life on the steamboat. His itinerary took him by railroad from Springfield, Massachusetts, to New York City, through Chicago, Illinois, to Saint Louis, Missouri, and by steamboat up the Missouri River from Saint Louis to Yankton, South Dakota, and beyond. Quirk describes the size and character of the towns in which he spends some time , commenting on particular buildings that impress him, variety shows he enjoyed, and events that struck him. The cities of Chicago and Saint Louis receive his particular attention, as do the towns of St. Joseph, Omaha, and Council Bluffs. Quirk relates how certain tasks are performed (how mule teams are hitched, buffalo hides tanned, or tepees constructed) and describes the different peoples he encounters (particularly Native Americans, their mode of dress and behavior). He comments frequently on the situation of fellow Irish immigrants, their successes and failures. He is interested in trees and lists all those he can identify.

INDEX TERMS

These index terms are the subjects, people, places, etc. under which this collection is listed in all available indexes at the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Columbia. If you are interested in a specific index term, please contact the reference staff.

• Illinois, Chicago--Description & travel, 1865
• Indians, Sioux, 1865
• Indians, Winnebago, 1865
• Indians--Social life & customs, 1865
• Iowa, Council Bluffs--Description & travel, 1865
• Irish Americans, 1865
• Missouri River, Description & travel, 1865
• Missouri, St. Joseph, Description & travel, 1865
• Missouri, St. Louis, Description & travel, 1865
• Mules, 1865
• Nebraska, Omaha, Description & travel, 1865
• Quirk, Patrick J. (1845-1921)
• Railroads, Description & travel, 1865