The family record book and autobiography of William Leany [microform] : c.1891 | Collections | The Huntington

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Manuscripts

The family record book and autobiography of William Leany [microform] : c.1891

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Description: Microfilm of the Family Record of William Leany (filled in printed family history book, published in Salt Lake City in 1877). The first twelve pages consist of genealogical information. The rest of the volume contains Leany's autobiography, begun January 1, 1888. Leany begins with more genealogical and family history (including the Revolutionary War service of his relatives), and then recounts his early life in Kentucky. His family left tailoring to begin raisin tobacco, and, according to Leany, "thereby sold ourselves to the merchants." During his childhood in Kentucky Leany "toiled under all the disadvantages of frontier life," and he and his twin brother Isaac traveled to Missouri in 1836. While on the way they converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Leany writes that his father belonged to no specific church, his mother was a "Republican Baptist," and his stepmother a "Hell Redemptionist"). Debts and various health issues kept Leany from traveling to Nauvoo until 1843, and in the meantime he was present when Isaac was shot during the Haun's Mill Massacre in 1838 (Isaac survived). After finally arriving in Illinois, Leany describes hearing Joseph Smith preach and deciding to go west to Utah in 1846. In 1850 he was part of the company sent to Little Salt Lake and settled near what is now Parowan. He describes troubles with the Walkers Band of Ute Indians and his later moves to Cedar City and finally Harrisburg. William Leany's account ends with a letter to his "Dear Children and Grandchildren," written at Harrisburg on May 5, 1891. In it Leany describes his spiritual beliefs and what he believes to be the religious and temporal obligations of his descendants. The final pages of the film contain a brief autobiography entitled Struggles of an 1847 Pioneer by I.C. Leany. Leany gives an in-depth account of Isaac Leany's experiences at Haun's Mill and describes traveling to Utah with Edward Hunter's company in 1847.

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