Date Original
1865-1870
Description
This collection contains one photocopy of a hand-written diary of Belle McLean Morrison written between 1865 and 1870. In the diary, Morrison describes her daily life, activities, and the activities of others on the plantation. At the beginning of the diary, she states that she has been married for three years. The collection also includes a partial transcription of the diary from 1865 to 1868 completed by Cliff Jackson, a Hot Springs attorney and Rhodes Scholar.
Biographical/Historical Note
Belle McLean Morrison was born on March 4, 1844 to Alexander Marion and Frances Alexina McCracken McLean. She married Colonel Daniel Morrison on September 22, 1862, and the two had one son and three daughters. Daniel Morrison moved to Hot Spring County around 1838. He owned land along the Ouachita River, including an island called Watermelon (or Water Mellon), and land in Clark and Dallas counties. Morrison also owned enslaved workers and used their labor to work his land and to construct buildings. One of these was the Morrison Plantation near the communities of Saginaw and Midway in Hot Spring County. The last remnant of the plantation, a smokehouse, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 28, 1977. Belle McLean Morrison died on December 19, 1914. She and Colonel Daniel Morrison are both buried at Midway Cemetery in Hot Spring County.
Physical Description
Document, 8.5" x 11"
Geographical Area
Hot Spring County (Ark.)
Language
English
Identifier
MS.000991
Resource Type
Text
Collection
Belle McLean Morrison diary [photocopy], MS.000991
Publisher
Arkansas State Archives
Contributing Entity
Arkansas State Archives
Recommended Citation
Belle McLean Morrison diary [photocopy], Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Rights
Use and reproduction of images held by the Arkansas State Archives without prior written permission is prohibited. For information on reproducing images held by the Arkansas State Archives, please call 501-682-6900 or email at state.archives@arkansas.gov.
Disciplines
United States History
