Historical Diaries

Diary of Alberta Larsen Jacobs, 1898 to 1910. Handwritten diary contains regular entries from September 1898 to 1904, with scattered additional entries from 1904 to 1910. Alberta Jacobs was enrolled at USU in 1898 and played women's basketball at USU in 1899. She was originally from Ephraim, Utah and married Henry Chariton Jacobs. She taught at Snow Academy in Ephraim in 1902 and moved to Magrath in Alberta, Canada in 1903. She lived in Canada from 1903 to 1908 and was employed in a store in Raymond, Alberta. She moved to Mt. Pleasant, Utah, 1908-1910.

This Autobiography of Angus Taylor Wright is a transcription made from the holograph manuscript in the possession of Mr. Wright's daughter, Mrs. Robert W. Griffiths, Logan, Utah, by Utah State University Library, Special Collections, March 7, 1969. Angus Taylor Wright was born July 24, 1856 to William H. and Emma Taylor Wright in Philadelphia, Pa., crossed the plains and settled in Richmond, Cache County, Utah in 1860, moved to Ogden, Utah in 1873, was a businessman, held various municipal and LDS Church positions, served 2 church missions in New Zealand, as missionary and mission president, and died May 20, 1928 in Ogden, Utah.

This day journal of Angus Taylor Wright, covering December 1902 through December 1906, is a transcription made by Utah State University Library's Special Collections Dept., Logan, Utah, in 1969. The first 32 pages of this journal are missing. Angus Taylor Wright was born July 24, 1856 to William H. and Emma Taylor Wright in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; crossed the plains and settled in Richmond, Cache County, Utah in 1860; moved to Ogden, Utah in 1873; businessman; held various municipal and LDS Church positions; served 2 church missions in New Zealand, as missionary and mission president; died May 20, 1928 in Ogden.

Biography and diary of Andrew Jackson Allen, 1818-1884. Also includes a list of donations or tithes to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Allen describes his conversion to Mormonism, travelling to the Salt Lake Valley in 1847 and building a new settlement in the arid region. Title page reads: 'Andrew Jackson Allen (1818-1884) Diary, 1848-1884 A typewritten transcription from the original proofread, Volume I of the Joel E. Ricks Collection of Transcriptions, The Library of the Utah State Agricultural College, Logan, Utah, 1955.' The provenance page states that diary of Andrew Jackson Allen is 'in possession of A.C.Pearson.'

Diary of Christian Jacobsen. Jacobsen's diary details a day to day accounting of his life from 1871-1881 and again in 1899. He describes studying and teaching, going door-to-door to sell the Bible in Cache Valley, First title page reads: 'Proofreading finished the 2nd of December 1954. Born November 30, 1846 in Copenhagen, Denmark.' Second title page reads 'Christian Jacobsen, (1846-), Diary 1871-1881, and 1899. A typewritten transcription from the Original. Proofread. Volume VI Joel E. Ricks Collection of Transcriptions. The Library of the Utah State Agricultural College, Logan, Utah, 1955.

Autobiographical account of Goudy E. Hogan, from 1837 to 1880. Included in this account is the immigration of the Hogan family from Norway to America, their conversion to Mormonism while in America, the death of Joseph Smith, settling the Utah territory,frontier life in Cache Valley and southern Utah, experience with the Gold Rush in California, polygamous marriages, experimenting with the United Order in Orderville, service in the Mormon church hierarchy, and mission accounts in Norway. At the end of this account are two biographical sketches of Knud Chrestensen Nelson and Karen Margrette Chrestensen. A copy of this account as well as the Knud Chrestensen Nelson and Karen Margrette Chrestensen accounts are also available individually in this collection. This copy is in volume 3 of the Joel E. Ricks Collection of Transcriptions.

History of Helen Viola Jackson Kent - April 4, 1879 to February 10, 1971. Typed and edited transcription of Helen Viola Jackson Kent's diary/journals. Contains mention of early entertainment in Cache Valley (theatre, visits, family reunions, school plays, etc.), her trips to Logan, Utah, Preston, Idaho and other local towns in Cache Valley and Utah, LDS church attendance and work, family matters, illness, farm life, and the day-to-day housework in her rural household. Also mentions her 1942 Southern States mission.

James Sherlock Cantwell's pioneer diary, 1813-1885, edited by Blair R. Holmes and continued by his son, James Cantwell, to 1917. Begun in 1869 as an autobiography, Cantwell continued it as a daily journal, making note of common occurrences in a frontier community: farm work, teaching, church work, weather and crops, visits with neighbors, family news, illnesses, etc. Mormon pioneer James Sherlock Cantwell was born in Ireland. His parents died when he was still young, in 1821 and 1825, leaving him an orphan. Cantwell was taken in by relatives, but soon left to find his own living. He married Elizabeth Cotterell Hamer on April 27, 1838. Cantwell joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1842, and subsequently emmigrated to the United States. The Cantwell family crossed the plains with the 1856 Willie Handcart Company. His wife died in 1858, leaving Cantwell with seven children. Later a fire in his temporary home in Provo, Utah forced Cantwell to leave his children in foster homes. By 1862 conditions had improved enough for Cantwell to purchase a farm in Smithfield, Utah, and he moved there with his older children. In Cache Valley, he served as one of the earliest school teachers, postmaster, war clerk, etc. A few years prior to his death, Cantwell was unable to continue his diary, and gave it to his son, James Cantwell, to continue. This diary is digitized from a photocopy of the original diary. 334 p. 33 cm tall.

Transcription of James Sherlock Cantwell's pioneer diary, 1813-1885, edited by Blair R. Holmes and continued by his son, James Cantwell, to 1917. Begun in 1869 as an autobiography, Cantwell continued it as a daily journal, making note of common occurrences in a frontier community: farm work, teaching, church work, weather and crops, visits with neighbors, family news, illnesses, etc. Mormon pioneer James Sherlock Cantwell was born in Ireland. His parents died when he was still young, in 1821 and 1825, leaving him an orphan. Cantwell was taken in by relatives, but soon left to find his own living. He married Elizabeth Cotterell Hamer on April 27, 1838. Cantwell joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1842, and subsequently emmigrated to the United States. The Cantwell family crossed the plains with the 1856 Willie Handcart Company. His wife died in 1858, leaving Cantwell with seven children. Later a fire in his temporary home in Provo, Utah forced Cantwell to leave his children in foster homes. By 1862 conditions had improved enough for Cantwell to purchase a farm in Smithfield, Utah, and he moved there with his older children. In Cache Valley, he served as one of the earliest school teachers, postmaster, war clerk, etc. A few years prior to his death, Cantwell was unable to continue his diary, and gave it to his son, James Cantwell, to continue.

The journal of John Clark Dowdle (Dec. 16, 1836, to [blank]) Covering the period 1844 to June 29, 1894. A typwritten transcription from the original. Original in the possession of the Dowdle Family. Volume VIII Joel E. Ricks Collection of Transcriptions. The Library of the Utah State Agricultural College, Logan, Utah, 1945. Includes accounts of Dowdle's parents and family traveling form Mississippi to the Salt Lake Valley and settling in Provo and Willard (known then as Willow Creek), as well as in College Ward (Cache Valley) - then called West Millville.

Journal of Charles L. Walker (volume 1) - Transcribed diary excerpts from a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Includes accounts of the reactions to the Utah Expedition (1857), summaries of Brigham Young's addresses (especially those pertaining to plural marriage), and interactions with other Mormons.

Journal of Charles L. Walker (volume 2) - Transcribed diary excerpts from a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Includes accounts of the reactions to the Utah Expedition (1857), summaries of Brigham Young's addresses (especially those pertaining to plural marriage), and interactions with other Mormons

Journal of Charles L. Walker (volume 3) - Transcribed diary excerpts from a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Includes accounts of the reactions to the Utah Expedition (1857), summaries of Brigham Young's addresses (especially those pertaining to plural marriage), and interactions with other Mormons.

Journal of Charles L. Walker (volume 4) - Transcribed diary excerpts from a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Includes accounts of the reactions to the Utah Expedition (1857), summaries of Brigham Young's addresses (especially those pertaining to plural marriage), and interactions with other Mormons.

Journal of James J. Chandler, commenced April 19th 1882 - Consists of the diary of mormon James J. Chandler who in April 1882 was called upon by his church to 'labor as a school teacher among the Shoshoni Indians located on the Malad River' and instructed to keep a journal. Entries continue through Jan. 24, 1910. At the end of the volume is a family record.

Photocopy of handwritten missionary diary. The author describes his two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Hawaiian Islands (Sandwich Islands) from April 1895 to March 1897.

Photocopy of handwritten missionary diary. The author describes his two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Hawaiian Islands (Sandwich Islands) from April 1895 to March 1897.

Philip Andrew Paskett's journal records his life in the Grouse Creek area of Box Elder County, Utah. The entries average about two per year. In addition to the journal, this item includes: A little history of James Pope Paskett, 'Love your neighbors', clipping from a newspaper, sketch of Phillip Paskett's life, a faith promoting incident, Paskett's journal, contract, wishes and precepts, and details about the funeral of Phillip Paskett. The information covers dates between 1830 (approximation) and 1935 with the bulk of the material concentrating on 1871-1935. For more pictures and images related to the Paskett family in the Grouse Creek Cultural Survey: Mormon Buckaroo Territory, 1985 digital collection, please see : http://digital.lib.usu.edu/cdm/search/collection/Grouse/searchterm/paskett/order/nosort

Diary of Ralph Smith covering his life from Jan. 1846 to 1896 (parts written retrospectively) with emphasis on his activities as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and living in Logan, Utah. Also includes transcripts of extracts from newspaper clippings. Typed from the original by Bertha Dalton Smith. 23x26 cm.

The journal of Thomas Sleight (1833-1918) A Pioneer of Bear Lake Valley [Covering the Period 1857 to 1918]. A typewritten transcription from the original. Edited by Ira N. Hayward. Volume VII Joel E. Ricks Collection of Transcriptions. The Library of the Utah State Agricultural College, Logan, Utah, 1955.