Manuscripts

Orson W. Huntsman diary

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Description: Typescript of Orson W. Huntsman's diary spanning 1868-1890. The diary appears to be more of an autobiography that may have been compiled at a later date. It covers Huntsman's early life in Iowa, the whipping of his father by a mob in Illinois, his arrival at Salt Lake City and settlement at Lake Point, a subsequent move to Beaver County, the coming of Johnston's Army and the Utah War, a list of settlers at Shole Creek, his work on a telegraph line, comments on polygamy, notes on the Pulsipher family, his experiences with a United Order, his travels throughout Utah, and a Huntsman family genealogy. The majority of the daily entries focus on Huntsman's home and community life at various settlements in Utah.
Type: Manuscripts(Opens in new tab)
Production date: 1868-1890.
Call number: mssHM 27979
Creator

Autobiography and diary of Thomas Sirls Terry [microform]: 1856-1859

Manuscripts

Microfilm of two volumes by Thomas S. Terry, one containing an autobiography of his life to 1856 and one containing a journal kept from 1857-1859. The autobiography describes of Terry's teenage years spent working in cotton and calico mills, his conversion to Mormonism and decision to quit his printing job and leave home in 1845, of his odd jobs throughout the mid-Atlantic, and of finally joining the Mormons in Missouri in 1847. Terry also writes of his arrival in Salt Lake City, his marriage to Mary Ann Pulsipher in 1849 (he would later marry her sister Eliza Jane), of the family's move to Little Cottonwood, of trouble with Chief Walkara's tribe, and of his departure for a mission to the eastern states in 1856. The volume also contains family blessings from 1858 and 1875, as well as genealogy of both the Terry and Pulsipher families. The second volume is a diary Terry kept while leading a company of Mormons across the plains to Utah following his eastern states mission (it is identified as "Book Number 4" and covers June 1857-December 1859). Terry writes of the death of Parley P. Pratt, of his company's progression across the plains, of meeting Jesse B. Martin's company, of moving the Springville upon his return to Utah, and of the family's move back to Cottonwood in July 1858. The rest of the diary describes Terry's daily life in Utah.

MSS MFilm 00095 item 03

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W. Frederick Mayes diary

Manuscripts

This diary, kept by W. Frederick Mayes, begins on November 22, 1869 and continues to November 27, 1870. Mayes kept this diary while he was in Honduras building a railroad. He talks about the railroad, his fellow employees, the local people, the villages he comes to, the weather, the geography, etc. He specifically talks about Chamelecón, the Chamelecón River, and the villages of El Chapparo and El Espino, Honduras. Mayes drew several sketches in his diary. These sketches include scenery, villages and people.

mssHM 52253

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Amasa M. Lyman diary

Manuscripts

Typescript of Amasa Lyman's diary, covering the years 1847 and 1858-1863. The first part of the diary is dated April-September 1847 and describes the overland travels of Lyman and his company of Mormon pioneers. It begins with their departure from Winter Quarters, Iowa, and describes camping near the Platte River, finding an abandoned Pawnee village, sighting buffalo, crossing the North Fork above Laramie, and camping in the Salt Lake Valley. On August 9 the diary notes, "city named 'Salt Lake City, Great Basin, North America'." The 1847 diary was recorded by Albert Carrington and refers to Lyman in the third person. The second part of the diary, identified as Journal #16, covers 1858-1863 and describes Lyman's travels from April 18-July 2, 1857, along the California Road and Indian Trail from the Rio Virgin. It continues with his participation in an exploratory party that traveled south from Cedar City, Utah, to Las Vegas, the Vegas Fort, and the Mojave Desert from January-May 1858, and also charts its return to Salt Lake City. References are made to Hyatt's war with the Apaches and Lyman's encounters with an Indian chief he calls Oat-sen-a-wantz. The final section of the diary, kept from December 1862 to April 1863, describes Lyman's daily life near Farmington, Utah, including his attendance of the local theatre, a listing of the books he was reading, and his encounters with John Taylor. Includes a description of the original diary.

mssHM 27980

Diaries of Samuel W. Richards [microform] : 1851-1909. Reel 6b

Manuscripts

Microfilm of forty diary volumes kept by Samuel Whitney Richards from 1851-1909. The first three volumes, dated 1851-1852, 1853, and 1854, were kept during Richards's mission to Great Britain. The fourth diary, dated 1857-1858, was kept in Utah and includes commentary on the Utah War. The fifth diary, dated 1869-1870, was kept while Richards was traveling through Utah and also includes some poems and genealogy. The fifteen diaries dated 1870-1889 were kept yearly (excluding 1873, 1875-1878, and 1887) and include almost daily entries on Richards's life in Utah, specifically the Ogden area, and focus on his temple work, agricultural and farm labors, visiting friends and relatives, church news, the weather, and his health. The three diaries dated 1895-1897 were kept during Richards's time on the Eastern States Mission, primarily in New York (mainly the Nassau County area) and New Jersey. The remaining seventeen diaries, dated 1898-1909, also describe Richards's daily life in Utah. The diaries are arranged on eight reels as follows: Reel1 - diaries dated 1851-1879; Reel 2 - diaries 1880-1885; Reel 2(b) - diaries dated 1886-1889 and 1895-1897; Reel 3 - diaries dated 1890-1894; Reel 4 - diaries dated 1898-1898; Reel 5 - diaries dated 1900-1904; and Reel 6 - diaries dated 1905-1909. Reel 6(b) contains miscellaneous diary fragments from 1854, 1870, 1882-1883, 1890, 1895, 1897, 1902-1904, and 1909.

MSS MFilm 00193