Ten small daily diaries kept by citrus farmer Clyde Gustav Washburn (1873-1944) of Azusa, California. Born in Michigan, Washburn moved to California and married his wife Jessie (nee Thompson, 1877-1960) in 1897. His father, Alexander C. Thompson, was a fruit grower in nearby El Monte, CA.

Washburn worked as a farm laborer in Tulare, California in 1900. His early diaries contain entries concerning his work in the groves, for his father and others. He eventually came to own and operate his own orchard, where he continued to perform manual labor.

The oftentimes brief notes in the diaries generally concern work in citrus orchards, but also contain notes that can provide insight into the nature of rural life at the time. For instance, a March 19, 1904, entry states simply, "Started over home to pick oranges and found boy shot and took him to Azusa." There is no other mention of this incident.