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. All inquiries about these items should be addressed to the H. Russell Smith Foundation Curator of Western Historical Manuscripts at the Huntington Library, San Marino, CA. Microfilm. San Marino, Calif. : Huntington Library Photographic Dept., 1950. 7 microfilm reels : negative 35 mm. Forms part of the Manuscripts Department's Mormon file, c.1805-1995. Samuel Whitney Richards (1824-1909) was born in Richmond, Massachusetts. He was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1838. He moved with his family to Nauvoo, Illinois, where he worked on the Mormon temple. From 1846-1848 Richards served on a mission to Great Britain, and was temporarily president of the Scottish Conference. On his return he lived in Iowa until emigrating to Utah in 1849. In Utah Richards was a member of the Salt Lake City Council and State of Deseret Constitutional Convention. He served on another British mission from 1851-1854, and spent part of this time as president of the British Mission. In 1855 he was elected to the Utah Territorial Legislature, where he served until 1859. In 1857 he served on another short mission to England, and was president of the Eastern States Mission from 1895-1897. He died in Salt Lake City in 1909.
Richards, Samuel W. (Samuel Whitney), 1824-1909 Frontier and pioneer life--Utah Mormon Church--History--19th century Mormon missionaries--England Mormon pioneers Mormons--England--History--19th century Mormons--Utah--History--19th century Mormons--Utah--History--20th century Utah Expedition (1857-1858) England--Description and travel England--History--19th century Long Island (N.Y.)--History New Jersey--Description and travel New Jersey--History--1865- New York (State)--Description and travel New York (State)--History--1865- Ogden (Utah)--History Utah--Description and travel Utah--History--19th century 1851-1909 1909 Diaries England 19th century. (aat) Diaries New Jersey 19th century. (aat) Diaries New York 19th century. (aat) Diaries Utah 19th century. (aat) Diaries Utah 20th century. (aat)
Source
Mormon Manuscripts at the Huntington Library Mormonism and the West, Huntington Digital Library
Provenance
Microfilm or originals loaned by M.W. Poulson, January 11, 1950.
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