This diary was written between in 1835 by Josephus Jordan, who lived in Hudson, New York. He wrote about the city and its residents, race, his dramatic responses to daily activities, the Fourth of July, and recorded information about instruments, naval and military engagements, and literary or philosophical quotations. While the diary entries were written in 1835, there are other writings that seem to date to 1837.

Josephus Dunham Jordan was born in Columbia, New York in 1808. He was the son of Col. William I. Jordan (1778 – 1852) and Rhoda Allen Jordan (1782 – 1842). William, the son of a Revolutionary War veteran, was stationed at Lake Champlain during the War of 1812. Josephus was the third of William and Rhoda’s twelve children.

In 1845, Josephus married Mary Elizabeth Knickerbocker Jordan (1819 – 1870). The couple had three children together; Mary B. Jordan (1846 – 1874), William Burnap Jordan (1849 – 1933), and Laura Alling Jordan Pitcher (1852 – 1884).

Josephus Dunham Jordan died on September 12, 1885. He was buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Pine Plains, New York.

This diary was written between in 1835 by Josephus Jordan, who lived in Hudson, New York. He wrote about the city and its residents, race, his dramatic responses to daily activities, the Fourth of July, and recorded information about instruments, naval and military engagements, and literary or philosophical quotations. While the diary entries were written in 1835, there are other writings that seem to date to 1837. With the exception of the first and final pages, the diary is in good condition and the script is legible. The first and final pages contain some tears that render a few words lost.