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Minnie L. Gatewood Diaries
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Minnie L. Gatewood (1875-1944), who married a minister when she was 16 years old, kept diaries chronicling her life in Southwest Florida. The five volumes of her diary cover her life from 1892 to 1900, and are a valuable resource for scholars of Florida history. Mrs. Gatewood also kept a "Want Book" - mostly reflections on religious matters such as "Christian stewardship" - with the latest dated entry being from 1936. Mrs. Gatewood wrote mainly of her travels and family life, and her role as a minister's wife. Her husband, the Rev. George W. Gatewood (1862-1947), published On Florida's Coconut Coasts, in 1944. Their granddaughter, Hazel Hoffman Wall's autobiography Cracker Girl; A Love Story, published in 2006 includes stories of growing up with the Gatewoods in Southwest Florida.
