Manuscript journal of Pennsylvania lumber merchant Henry M. Schmuck (1824-1915) written during a trip through the post-Reconstruction South in 1884, primarily describing his time spent in Florida. 63 pages of manuscript entries in pre-printed Diary Issued by L. H. Taylor & Co. Bankers for 1884, bound wallet-style in gilt-stamped leather, with some loss to leather at edges and folds from biological damage. Internally clean and sharp, with text highly legible. Small quantity of ephemera laid in, including detailed list of expenses and billhead receipt from St. Augustine Hotel.
The journal recounts a trip through the South, beginning on February 1st, 1884, as the author departs from Pennsylvania, including stops in Charleston, South Carolina, where he notes he worked as a clerk in 1847-48; to Savannah, Georgia; to Jacksonville, Florida, and from there to St. Augustine and Fernandina; returning the way he came through Jacksonville and Charleston again, with a final stop in Richmond, Virginia, where he visits the state house and notes the mixed race composition of the elected officials, with entries ending on February 23rd.
A detailed account of a tour, primarily through Florida, with Schmuck including a wealth of description and details of local interest, including an account of Florida's state agricultural fair, preaching, the lumber and fruit industry, the erecting of Confederate monuments, and the early days of Florida's burgeoning tourist industry.
