During the early to mid 1800s, New York State, primarily
from the Finger Lakes to Lake Erie experienced religious revivals described as
the Second Great Awakening. Because
the religious fervor was so strong, this area was also referred to as the Burned Over District. The Second Great Awakening played an
important role in women’s rights, education reform, peace advocates, and the
question of slavery. It spawned
many new religions such as Mormonism.
I became aware of the importance of the Burned Over
District, because I now have the original journal of Adeline Cleveland Hosner
(1809-1882). Adeline’s journal was
edited by William Heidt, Jr. and published by the DeWitt Historical Society
(now known as The History Center) as The
Pioneer Clevelands. Adeline
Cleveland Hosner is my great-great-great-grandmother.
I also now have a typed version of the original unedited
journal, which The Pioneer Clevelands doesn’t provide. The forward to the typed manuscript – a project lead by Dale
and Metta Winter - explains how the journal was found and the role it played in
Ithaca College’s Burned Over District Project.
“In 1974, because the Burned Over District was so important
to the religious history of New York State, a group of faculty and students
from Ithaca College decided to do some research into the area, its history, and
its spiritual values. In looking through church records, the group discovered,
much to its delight, the personal journal of a woman named Adaline Cleveland
Hosner.” [Dale Winter]
“The overall theme of Adeline’s journal is the recorded
process of a woman’s spiritual quest. In its pages she traces and comes to
understand the religious experience as it manifests itself in the daily events
of her life.” [Dale Winter]
Mr. Winter goes on to describe the journals: “The manuscript
is a coverless booklet made by folding 42 sheets of 16” and 12-1/2 “ paper in
half and hand sewing them together along the fold with fine linen thread making
an 84-page booklet measuring 8” by 12-1/2”. The first entry is March 1838; the last August 7,
1882.”
I look forward to the hours of work ahead reading through
the entries to extract important family history information, and really
getting to know Adaline. The
first entry tells of her mother’s death as well as her sister’s illness, which
resulted in the loss of a child.
