Kansas Pioneer's DiarySamuel James Reader's diary documents events in territorial Kansas from the perspective of someone who was there.
Reader's diary (view the cover) is in many ways a unique primary source in the record of Kansas Territory. Born in Greenfield, Pennsylvania on January 25, 1836, Reader (self-portrait at right) attended school until the age of 16, and subsequently worked on a neighboring farm and in a stone quarry. He moved to a farm at Indianola (near Topeka) from Illinois in 1855. From the time he was thirteen, Reader kept a detailed diary, recording entries in a mixture of shorthand, abbreviated English, and even French! A largely self-taught man, Reader was a keen observer of politics, providing a fascinating insight into the clashes between free-state and proslavery forces in the late 1850s. As an avid amateur artist, Reader illustrated his diary with watercolor sketches and caricatures (view diary page showing two Kansas politicians). Living in a largely proslavery community, Reader captures the territorial period through the eyes of a free-state sympathizer. 
Reader observed firsthand many of the crucial events of the late 1850s, including the battles of Indianola and Hickory Point, as well as meeting and drawing John Brown (diary image at left). Importantly, Reader also recorded the everyday life of a Kansas settler, describing his health, diet, daily work routine, weather, and entertainment. He also recorded summaries of letters to his family and friends. During the Civil War, Reader joined the Second Kansas State Militia and participated in the Battle of Mine Creek. He spent the remainder of his life in Kansas, dying in 1914. In later life, Reader edited his diary entries to write an autobiography. Large portions of both Reader's diary and autobiography have been digitized as part of Territorial Kansas Online. The original diary and autobiography are housed in the manuscripts collection in the Library/Archives of the Kansas Historical Society.
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