Manuscripts

Diaries of George W. Bean [microform] : 1855-1856, 1891-1897

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Description: Microfilm of two of George W. Bean's diaries, one kept from 1855-1856 and one from 1891-1897. The 1855-1856 diary details interactions between Mormon missionaries at Las Vegas, New Mexico, and local Indians, including baptisms, trade, and some hostilities. Included are Bean's account of a journey from Las Vegas to California across the Mojave in October-November 1855 (which included stops in San Bernardino, Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Mission, and El Monte) and of travels between Las Vegas and the "Colorado Muddy" in 1856. Bean also references an encounter with the "murderers" of J.W. Gunnison, an Army captain killed in an Indian massacre in 1853; remarks on the camp visit of explorers Jules Remy and Julius Lucius Brenchley, who published "A Journey to Great Salt Lake City" in 1861; mentions his attendance of a performance of J.H. Martineau's "Missouri Persecutions;" and describes various interactions with Las Vegas Mission President William Bringhurst. Portions of the diary are in pencil and are partly illegible. The 1891-1897 diary centers on Bean's daily life in Utah, including trips to visit family and friends and attend conferences in Provo, Sanpete, Salt Lake City, Parowan, and Bunkerville. It also includes a description of the Bean Company entering construction bids and a High Council trial for allegedly breaking contracts, and includes a biographical sketch of George Bean.

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