Manuscripts

A sketch of Silas Harris's life, as written by himself [microform]: c.1880

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Description: Microfilm of a typescript of Silas Harris' autobiography, written in about 1880 and completed by his daughter Sarah F. Cutler sometime after Silas' death in 1897. In the autobiography Silas writes very briefly of his childhood and conversion to Mormonism, his experiences in the Mormon Battalion, his overland travels back to Council Bluffs from California, his return to Utah, his mission work, and notes on his children. The final few paragraphs were written by his daughter Sarah, and contain reminiscences of her father.
Type: Manuscripts(Opens in new tab)
Date: approximately 1880
Call number: MSS MFilm 00132
Creator: Harris, Silas (1824-1897)(Opens in new tab)
Provenance: Microfilm of original loaned by Mrs. Frances Cutler through Juanita Brooks, November 11, 1948.
Find out more: View in the Huntington Digital Library(Opens in new tab); View in the Library catalog(Opens in new tab)

This is my story [microform]: 1941

Manuscripts

Microfilm of a typescript of Sarah Frances Harris Cutler's autobiography, written in 1941. Sarah includes notes on genealogy, childhood reminiscences, her parents' experiences with persecution against Mormons in Illinois and Missouri and her father's service with the Mormon Battalion, her family's travels in California and Utah, her marriage and the births of her children, her trip to the dedication of the Salt Lake City Temple in 1893, her husband's businesses and their moves to the Big Horn Basin and Texas, her husband's death in 1934, her visits to California to visit her children, her life in Salt Lake City after 1934, and her grandchildren's military enlistments during World War II.

MSS MFilm 00131

A short sketch of the life of Levi Jackman [microform]: c.1832-1848

Manuscripts

Microfilm of Levi Jackman's autobiography and diary, which begins with an account of his childhood and conversion to the Mormon faith. He also gives an extensive account of mob violence in Missouri in 1833 and of his journey to Kirtland by way of Louisiana. He describes his missionary work in Illinois from 1835-1836, writes of the death of Joseph Smith in 1844, and mentions his work on the temples at Kirtland and Nauvoo. Much of the volume is a detailed diary account of his overland travels to Utah with the first company of Mormon pioneers in 1847. He gives a daily account of scenery and landmarks passed, as well as an account of camp life. He specifically describes Pawnee Indians, passing through a prairie dog town, sighting buffalo, and meeting Sam Brannan on the trail near the Salt Lake Valley. Jackman also writes of his reaction to his first sighting of Utah, declaring that "like Moses on Pisgah's top we could see a part of the Salt Lake Valley, our long anticipated home. We did truly rejoice at the sight" (July 19, 1847). The remainder of the volume includes Jackman family genealogy and a brief continuation of the autobiography, in which Jackman describes his life in Utah from 1847-1848, including a mention of the Mormon Battalion. Portions of the text are very faint and may be partially illegible.

MSS MFilm 00071

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Life sketches of Arizona pioneers [microform]:

Manuscripts

Microfilm of 17 brief typescript biographies of Mormon pioneers to Arizona. Many of the biographies were written by Belva Willis Ballard, including those of Samuel Parish (1798-1873), Frances Reed Willis (1840-1924), John Henry Willis (1835-1886), William Wesley Willis, Sr. (1811-1872), Shadrach Roundy (1789-1872), Priscilla Parish Roundy (1833-1914), and Lorenzo Wesley Roundy (b.1819). Also included are a life sketch of Lulu J. Hatch Smith (b.1876) by her daughter Alice Smith Hansen, a sketch of Samuel Francis Smith (b.1873) by his daughters Alice Smith Hansen and Emma Smith Dewey, a sketch of Lois B. Hunt (1837-1885) by May Hunt Larsen, a sketch of May Louise Hunt Larson (b.1860) by Nettie Hunt Rencher, and biographies by unnamed relatives of Alice Hansen Hatch (b.1837), Smith Doolittle Rogers (b.1852), Eliza Snow Smith (1859-1927), John Albert Freeman (b.1860), Sarah Adaline Hall Freeman (1860-1901), James Irving Youngblood (1837-1883), and Susan Hamilton Youngblood (d.1926). Included throughout the biographies are references to conversions to Mormonism, the death of Joseph Smith and the expulsion of the Mormons from Nauvoo, overland journeys to Utah, life in Toquerville, Parowan, and Beaver, Utah, life in Snowflake, Arizona, and experiences in the Mormon Battalion (see William Wesley Willis). Most of the sketches appear to have been written from 1929-1940.

MSS MFilm 00090

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Jarvis family life histories [microform]: c.1943

Manuscripts

Microfilm of typescript and handwritten biographies and autobiographies, primarily related to the Jarvis family. Included are a biography of Heber Jarvis (1860-1953) by his daughter Pearl Jarvis Farr written in 1943 (and which also includes biographical notes on her grandparents George Jarvis and Ann Prior Jarvis), a biography of Janet Mauretta Johnson Smith (1848-1933) by Farr, a biography of Joel H. Johnson (1850-1902), a biography of George Jarvis by his daughter Victoria Josephine Jarvis Miles, a portion of Ann Prior Jarvis' autobiography (see also MSS MFILM 137), a biography of Lorin Farr (1820-1909), and a biography of Margaret Jarvis (1857-1934) by her daughter Stella Jarvis Peterson.

MSS MFilm 00148

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Autobiography [microform] : 1837-1874

Manuscripts

Microfilm of a typescript of Goudy Hogan's autobiography, typed by Muriel Hogan Hunter in 1935. This copy was owned by Margaret Hogan Traveller. Included are descriptions of Hogan's life from the time of his arrival in the United States from Norway until his travels to Dixie, Utah, in 1874. Hogan writes of his family's life in Illinois and Iowa and their journey westward to Utah, his experiences driving a government oxen team from Council Bluffs to Salt Lake City, his desire to joint the Mormon Battalion, and his involvement in several grist mills, including those at High Creek and Mink Creek. Hogan frequently details aspects of his daily life such as the raising of crops, the building of log cabins, and the types of clothing required for overland travel. He also describes his sorrow at the news of Joseph Smith's death, the debts acquired from his grist mills, his years of crops lost to grasshoppers, and the deaths of many of his children from illnesses. The microfilm also contains a portion of Hogan's original handwritten manuscript and a typescript portion of his biography/autobiography, written with his daughter Josephine Hogan Adair.

MSS MFilm 00133

Autobiography of Samuel Miles [microform]: 1881

Manuscripts

Microfilm of a typescript of the autobiography of Samuel Miles, supplied by his daughter Minnie Miles Mathis to the St. George Ward Chapter, Daughters of the Pioneers. The autobiography was kept in about 1881. It includes a brief family history and descriptions of Miles' childhood and his family's move to Freedom, New York, where they were neighbors to Miles' uncle (by marriage) Warren A. Cowdery; Mormon missionaries in the area; the family's move to Missouri, where Miles worked on his father's farm; persecutions of Mormons in Missouri; a history of the Mormon expulsion to Illinois; various accounts of Joseph Smith; the family's 1845 move to Nauvoo and Miles' work as a teacher; a detailed account of Miles' time with the Mormon Battalion, first under Captain Allen (who died at Fort Leavenworth) and then Lieutenant Smith (who was unpopular compared to Jefferson Hunt), and their overland travels to San Diego and Sutter's Fort; Miles' move to Utah; a trip to California he took in 1858; the formation of the United Order at Enoch in 1874; and various notes on Miles' teaching and farming activities. The autobiography covers the years through 1881.

MSS MFilm 00376

A sketch of Silas Harris's life, as written by himself [microform]: c.1880

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