Manuscripts

Autobiography and diary of John Clark Dowdle, [microform] : c.1852-1894

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Description: Microfilm of the diary and autobiography of John Clark Dowdle. The volume recounts his childhood and conversion to Mormonism, gives a detailed account of his journey across the plains to Utah in 1852-1853, and recounts his daily life in Utah. Some specific events he writes about include finding the body of Bailey Lake, who had apparently been killed by Bannock Indians, in 1858; his 1862 trip to St. George; his journey to Las Vegas in the mid-1860s; his involvement in Utah schools; and spending 1873 looking for work before settling in Willard City. The last entries were made in about 1894. The first few pages of the volume include a summary of each chapter.
Type: Manuscripts(Opens in new tab)
Date: approximately 1852-1894
Call number: MSS MFilm 00067
Creator: Dowdle, John Clark (1836-1913)

Diary and autobiography of John Clark Dowdle [microform] : approximately 1845-1894

Manuscripts

Microfilm of an autobiography and diary kept by John Clark Dowdle and identified as Nampa, Idaho. The autobiography begins in approximately 1845, and in a mix of reminiscences and diary entries describes Dowdle's family background, traveling overland in 1852, an 1864 trip to California, his mission to aid emigrants traveling overland from Missouri in 1866, and his daily activities in Utah, including school supervision in and around Logan and Willard, through 1894.

MSS MFilm 00122

Autobiography and diary of William Athol McMaster [microform]: 1854-1887

Manuscripts

Microfilm of an autobiography and diary by William Athol McMaster. The autobiography recounts McMaster's life through 1854, including his early years in Scotland, conversion to Mormonism, proselytizing work in Scotland, voyage from Liverpool to New Orleans, and his overland travels to Utah. McMaster describes facing hardships during the journey, and while traveling to Utah endured illnesses, supply issues, and the death of one of his sons. The autobiography is followed by some miscellaneous notes dated 1855-1857, as well as a diary volume describing McMaster's life in Utah from 1882-1886. The diary volume also contains excerpts from "Brigham Young's Important Discourse on Priesthood," dated 1877.

MSS MFilm 00383

Autobiography of Edward Walker Clark [microform] : c.1820-1904

Manuscripts

Microfilm of Edward Walker Clark's autobiography, kept through 1904. Clark begins with describing his young adulthood in England, including working as an attendant for a wealthy family and as an apprentice carpenter. He traveled to London in 1840 and describes his conversion to Mormonism in 1847. He mentions working at a furniture store in 1848 before he and his family sailed to the United States on the ship Ellen. Clark arrived in Council Bluffs in 1851 and worked as a coffin maker for emigrants to the gold fields until 1852, when the Clarks traveled to Utah with the Henry Miller company (Clark's eldest daughter was killed by a wagon wheel during the trip). The Clarks settled in Provo, and in 1858 Clark was posted at Echo Canyon during the Utah War. He describes his 1874 mission to England, followed by notes on his life in Utah through 1904.

MSS MFilm 00094

Autobiography of John Powell [microform]: c.1849-1901

Manuscripts

Microfilm of the autobiography of John Powell. Powell begins by recalling his early life in England, including his conversion to Mormonism and his mission to Stratford in 1849. He then describes his family's immigration to the United States, sailing from Liverpool to New Orleans on the ship Ellen. The family rented a room in St. Louis, and Powell describes the sickness and poverty that prevented them from starting for Salt Lake City until 1856 (in the interim he mentions his mission to Calhoun County in 1855). He describes the family's overland journey to Utah, including meeting with Indians near the Platte River. Once in Utah Powell joined the Utah Territorial Mormon Militia, and he briefly describes his experiences in Echo Canyon in 1857. The rest of the autobiography focuses on Powell's life in Fillmore, Utah, and includes references to his work on the settlement at Deseret, his furniture store in Fillmore, his trips to St. George in 1877 and 1884, and his time in the Utah Penitentiary after pleading guilty to unlawful cohabitation in 1889. Also included in the volume are descriptions of Powell's visions and dreams; copies of letters; transcriptions of blessings and articles from the Deseret News; and transcribed texts of the Constitution of the State of Utah, The Edmunds Bill (also known as the Edmunds Anti-Polygamy Act of 1882), the Declaration of Principles from the People's Convention (1882), and the Origin and Destiny of Women by John Taylor (1897). The volume ends with lists of local births, deaths, and blessings given; some Powell family genealogy; and a list of the residents of Fillmore in 1858.

MSS MFilm 00066 item 02

Reminiscences of John Langston [microform] : 1877

Manuscripts

Microfilm of the autobiography of John Langston, covering his childhood through 1875. Langston recalls growing up in England and briefly moving to the United States before his father's interests failed and the family returned to England. Langston worked at iron works in Staffordshire and Wales before returning to the United States at the age of sixteen. He writes of working at iron works in New Jersey and Pittsburgh, and of spending the early 1840s looking for work in Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky. He eventually got hired as a steamer fireman in St. Louis and settled in Independence, Missouri, in 1844. Langston then describes a serious illness he suffered and his subsequent decision to join the Carmelite Church. He briefly covers his time in California, his journey to Council Bluffs, and his decision to join the Mormon Church after much internal debate over the practice of polygamy. After briefly writing of his overland journey to Utah, Langston focuses on the Utah War of 1857-1858, including his time in the Alpine militia at Echo Canyon. He believed that the U.S. Army was "sent out ... with the intent of hanging and killing all the leading Mormons." The last few pages of the volume trace Langston's move to Rockville and his cotton growing experiences through about 1875.

MSS MFilm 00124

Diary and autobiography of Christopher Jones Arthur [microform] : c.1875-1915

Manuscripts

Microfilm of Christopher Arthur Jones' diary and autobiography, covering events from about 1859-1915. The diary is in multiple hands and is not always in chronological order. It begins with a brief account of Jones' birth and young adulthood, including the death of his father after being struck by lightening in 1859. It also recounts his arranged marriage to Caroline Haight, the daughter of Isaac C. Haight, and includes diary entries for 1860-1862. A section entitled "A Brief Sketch of my History for the year 1874" includes notes on his work with the United Order in Cedar City and lists of general births, marriages, and deaths. An added note lists Arthur's own death in 1915 (he may actually have died in 1918). Diary entries for 1877-1878 record Arthur's experiences in Beaver, Parowan, and Cedar City. A brief note from 1883 recounts his mission to Great Britain. Portions of the diary are very faint and partially illegible, but the rest of the volume appears to be Arthur's autobiography, focusing on his life in Cedar City and elsewhere in Iron County, Utah. Scattered throughout the volume are records of blessings, dreams, letters, accounts, copied notes such as "the History of King Arthur" and "Facts About the Bible," a list of account notes for the Cedar City Co-op (1889), and a list of volumes Arthur gave to the Cedar City Public Library in 1910.

MSS MFilm 00045

Autobiography and diary of John Clark Dowdle, [microform] : c.1852-1894

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Diary and autobiography of John Clark Dowdle [microform] : approximately 1845-1894

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