Nielson, Frihoff Godfred

File — Box: 8, Volume: 1-3

Identifier: VI

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Frihoff Godfred Nielson was born May 3, 1851, in Copenhagen, Denmark. He emigrated with his parents to America in 1861. His family arrived in Utah in the Captain Samuel W. Woolley Company, September 22, 1861. In 1862 he moved to Morgan County, Utah. At Peterson in Morgan County, he held many positions in his church, and acted as justice of the peace and taught school. Being called on a colonization mission to Arizona, he left Salt Lake City February 2, 1876, together with Lot Smith and others. He settled on the Little Colorado River, where he became one of the founders of Sunset about three miles west of Winslow, Arizona. Here he acted as secretary and treasurer of the Sunset United Order Company, school teacher, ward teacher, Sunday school superintendent, and state superintendent of Sunday schools. When the Sunset colony was broken up in the summer of 1884 he moved to Ramah, New Mexico. Nielson was ordained a Seventy September 6, 1891, and became a president of the 104th Quorum of Seventy. In 1894 he bought real estate in the Bluewater country, New Mexico, where a branch of the church was later organized. He located in this part of the country with part of his family. In 1899-1901 Nielson filled a mission to the northern states. In 1906 when the Saints in the Bluewater country were organized as a ward, he was ordained a high priest and set apart as an alternate high counselor in the St. Johns Stake. Upon the removal of Bishop LeSueur from the Bluewater Ward in July of 1918, Nielson was called to act as presiding elder. He also acted as ward clerk and held both these positions until June 1919 when he moved back to Ramah. For a number of years he served as postmaster at Ramah and later as assistant postmaster at Bluewater, New Mexico. When not engaged in clerical pursuits he has followed the occupation of a farmer and gardener. Nielson married Emma Waitstill Mecham, who bore her husband nine children, and Mary Ellen Everett, who bore him five children. The journal of Frihoff G. Nielson is a typescript of originals dating from 1851 to 1935 and bound in three volumes. Some of the main entries related to the Mormon settlement of Arizona and New Mexico have been extracted from the journals and follow:

January 19, 1876: Called to fill a mission to Arizona. Everyone expected to turn everything they have into the United Order, work together, and make it their permanent home. It is a new country not settled yet.
January 22, 1876: Wrote list of outfit to take to Arizona.
January 30, 1876: Started through Weber Canyon. Had six teams and nine men to help through the canyon.
February 1-3, 1876: In Salt Lake City preparing for the trip. Joined Lot Smith.
February 3, 1876: Traveled south with Lot Smith's company.
March 2, 1876: Went to Orderville. There are fifteen families. They eat at one table, have one stock yard, and are building one dwelling house. They raise wheat and corn, make cloth, and are raising stock.
March 5, 1876: Stored some provisions at Orderville to be picked up later. Left Orderville.
March 14, 1876: Drove to Kanab.
March 15, 1876: A company was organized. There are only six wagons with two more to join at Navajo Wells.
March 19, 1876: "...Jacob Hamblin gave a description of the country to which we were going. Said it was a fine country, abundant grass, fine timber, and plenty of water . . . friendly Indians. And that if he had his choice he should desire to live in Arizona . . . ."
April 8, 1876: Arrived at Lee's Ferry. Emma Lee very kind.
May 7, 1876: Arrived at J. Ballenger's camp, crossed the river, and drove into Lot Smith's camp at noon.
May 8, 1876: "Got out my provisions and seed and gave an account of it to the clerk and delivered over the provisions to the commissary ...."
May 9, 1876: Went to work on the dam.
May 23, 1876: "Many are very careless and do not care whether they work or not and are sitting down or talking most of the time."
May 24, 1876: Worked on the ditch. "An Indian came here this afternoon who wants to stay with us."
June 2, 1876: President Wells, Apostles Erastus Snow and Brigham Young, Jr., arrived. Brother Roundy of Kanarra was drowned and one wagon and provisions lost.
June 5, 1876: Visited George Lake's camp.
June 8, 1876: Lot Smith dissatisfied about the people who do not work. United Order organized. Some ill feeling was manifested.
June 13, 1876: Four men returned home to Salt Lake and Centerville being dissatisfied and not willing to stay.
June 14, 1876: Attended a meeting where the constitution and by-laws of the United Order were read.
June 16, 1876: Twenty-eight members signed their names to the preamble of the United Order.
July 2, 1876: Voted in as clerk of the company.
July 4, 1876: "A salute was fired at sunrise. Meeting at 10:00 a.m. where music, an oration by Lot Smith, addresses by H. Hobbs, J. T. Wood, recitations, songs . . . . Good order and good feeling prevailed."
July 6, 1876: Directors of the United Order are: Lot Smith, Edward E. Jones, James T. Woods, William Hayes, Dan Davis, F. G. Nielson, and Henry Hobbs.
July 10, 1876: So many want to go home.
July 19, 1876: In charge of commissary. Stock of provisions consisted of 4,000 pounds of flour and meal, 160 pounds of beans, 48 pounds of sugar, 211 pounds of rice, and 44 pounds of apples.
Daily projects consisted of working on the dam and ditch and fencing. Doled out supplies for the cooks weekly
August 28, 1876: Looked for a townsite.
August 29, 1876: Cut logs for a stockade. Brothers Smith, Lake, and McLaws started for timber to locate a place to put the sawmill. Brothers Hatch, Maughan, and others are going to live among the Zuni Indians.
September 1, 1876: Digging a well at the townsite.
September 11, 1876: Started in company with Brother L. Smith to explore for a mill site. Obed has three sides of their fort completed--made of rock. They are building houses.
September 20, 1876: Have on hand 4,800 pounds of flour and 200 pounds of meal.
October 15, 1876: Sent county tax money in with Mr. Behan, candidate for sheriff of the county.
November 17, 1876: Started for sawmill for lumber.
December 13, 1876: Left settlement for Kanab and Orderville to get supplies.
January 4, 1877: Arrived in Orderville and stayed with Bishop Orson Spencer.
January 5, 1877: Telegram from Kanab to Brigham Young letting him know Orderville could loan the Arizona people four tons of flour, meal, and potatoes.
January 7, 1877: Brigham Young, because of rheumatism in his feet and legs, needed to be carried from room to room at the dedication of the St. George temple.
January 9, 1877: Got permission from Brigham Young to borrow flour from Orderville.
January 16, 1877: Orderville increasing very fast. Now numbers four hundred people, and more coming every week. All eat at the same table. They have a school, evening schools, Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association, singing schools, carpenter shop, sawmill (with water power), and a telegraph line.
January 20, 1877: Loaded 6,000 pounds of flour, 1,000 pounds of corn meal, 1,000 pounds of graham, and 20 bushels of potatoes.
February 21, 1877: Arrived at Sunset camp.
April 9, 1877: Started back to Utah.
May 7, 1877: Arrived home. Worked on father's farm.
September 1, 1877: Attended Brigham Young's funeral.
October 20, 1877: Married Emma Waitstill Mecham. Made preparations to return to Arizona.
November 9, 1877: Left Salt Lake City for Arizona with Emma and sister Mary.
November 24, 1877: Arrived at St. George and went to temple. Visited the cotton mill.
December 24, 1877: Arrived back at Sunset. Was well received. Helping to get houses ready for winter.
January 27, 1878: Stake of Zion organized. Lot Smith elected president; Jacob Hamblin and L. H. H. Hatch, first and second counselors; F. G. Nielson, clerk and high council.
February 19, 1878: The appraising committee appraised Nielson's household property.
February 20, 1878: Emma and Mary commenced their week in the kitchen.
February 24, 1878: Sustained as superintendent of Sunday school. Ordered two copies of Juvenile Instructor for Sunday school.
March 13, 1878: Twelve Moquis, with one woman, came to the settlement saying they wanted to live there.
April 5, 1878: Lot Smith appointed a committee to investigate the matter of labor and adopt a system so labor can be more profitable.
May-July, 1878: During these months Nielson spent part of his time making and mending shoes along with his other work at the dairy, binding wheat, as superintendent of Sunday school, and as clerk of the stake. Nielson was a willing worker and often complained about those who did not do their share.
August 9, 1878: First son born to Frihoff G. and Emma Nielson.
November 9, 1878: Took an examination for school teaching certificate.
November 11, 1878: Estimated value of schoolhouse, furniture, fuel, and teachers' salaries preparatory to making a trustees report to the county superintendent in order to draw money from the public school fund.
December 1, 1878: Board of Trade (one from each settlement) appointed to establish prices of commodities.
December 5, 1878: Wrote letters to Indian commission in Washington. Received notice of election as justice of peace for Sunset. Taught school.
December 17, 1878: Settled with A. Perkins who withdrew from the United Order.
December 29, 1878: Met father and family who had come to Arizona--eleven people, one team of horses, a spring wagon, two ox wagons, four oxen, nineteen head of loose horn stock, and four loose horses.
January 1, 1879: "Father and family well received."
January 9, 1879: Wrote a letter for the company to President John Taylor asking questions in regard to the workings of the United Order.
February 4, 1879: Wrote a letter to the United States Postal Department asking for a new mail route from the Arizona settlements to Utah.
February 8, 1879: "Done chores. Wrote some in the morning on Stake reports, etc. In the afternoon made a bookcase for Peter and planed a board for Father. Attended council meeting in the evening . . . ."
February 11, 1879: School trustees received letter from county superintendent of schools that there was 489.08 dollars coming to the district.
February 15, 1879: Council meeting to set up better standards for appraisal before people are allowed to enter the United Order.
March 9, 1879: Lot Smith "finding fault with the way we done here . . . saying a reform was needed, but did not suggest any remedies."
May 17, 1879: Wilford Woodruff arrived in Sunset. Spoke on ordinances of the temple.
May 31, 1879: Acted as clerk of conference--gave statistical report.
June 3, 1879: Recorded a misunderstanding with Lot Smith over property. Lot accused Nielson of slander.
June 25, 1879: Drove to dairy where Sunset, Brigham City, and St. Joseph are engaged in dairying.
July 24, 1879: Celebration of Pioneer Day.
August 22, 1879: Baby Frihoff Brigham Neilson, one year, died.
September 5, 1879: Another conflict with Lot Smith regarding company property.
October 9, 1879: Made molasses--117 gallons in twenty-four hours. Three thousand bushels of corn raised.
October 16, 1879: "There are 7 women spinning and one weaving. 4 yads, of cloth wove today."
November 20, 1879: Requested additional copies of Deseret News and Juvenile Instructor for the company. Was refused.
November 27, 1879: Still keeping accounts for the company. Sent in school attendance to the county superintendent of public schools to obtain "our portion of the school fund due us which they want to deprive us of."
November 28, 1879: Went through the gristmill accounts with A. M. Derrick.
December 1, 1879: Wrote the minutes of conference for the Deseret News and mailed a copy to Orson Pratt, church historian.
December 6, 1879: Apostle Woodruff moved into a new room built for him.
February 5, 1880: Spoke upon the United Order concerning stewardship and dividend in the Order. Was not in favor of dividend.
February 15, 1880: "John W. Young speaking at Brigham City, told of the proper rearing of children, studying of laws of health, keeping word of wisdom. He said bread should be baked in small loaves, use graham for bread, meat to be rare cooked, eat slow, go to bed soon after dark and arise early."
March 1, 1880: Birthday of Wilford Woodruff celebrated with a dinner of chickens, geese, preserves, custard pies, etc.
March 10, 1880: "Have a foot-power turning lather for wood made in carpenter shop." Recorded gristmill and dam accounts.
April 1, 1880: Baby girl, Emma Pearl, born to Frihoff and Emma Nielson.
May 30, 1880: Conference subjects at this session: word of wisdom, education, economy, humility, charity, United Order, speaking evil, political rights, etc.
September 1, 1880: Relief Society organized at Sunset
September 8, 1880: Made adobies. Five men made about eight hundred bricks in one day. Will build a new dining hall sixty feet by thirty-two feet of frame and adobies.
September 27, 1880: Apostles Erastus Snow and Brigham Young, President F. M. Lyman, W. D. Dame, Brother Gillispie, James Houston, and others arrived from Snowflake conference.
March 25, 1882
Read semi-weekly News of March 18--the law against polygamy (Edmunds Bill).
June 30, 1882
Had harsh words with Lot Smith
July 13, 1882
A fair settlement given those who are going away, most of them taking considerably more than they brought in.
February 3, 1883: Another son born--Joseph Frihoff.
March 26, 1883: "Done my work in the kitchen and sorted out beets. Done some trading with the Moqui Indians, . . . Sent to Montgomery Ward and Co. for goods for my own use. Killed and dressed a sheep . . . . Fixed some shoes. Shingled 3 boys hair. Chopped wood for the kitchen and for home. Read some."
April 10, 1883: ". . . At the table Lot Smith and H. R. Burke got into words about womens work. Lot proposing women do baking of bread, etc. and Burk opposed it . . . . I told them I regretted to see this jangling and ill feeling and said I would sooner live by myself . . . .Hitched up 2 mules, 2 oxen, and with Alva Porter, Peter Mortensen, 5 cows, 4 calves, 1 bull, 6 hens and 1. rooster started for a new place 50 miles south in the mountains . . . ."
April 13, 1883: Reached St. Joseph. Drove up the creek or canyon five miles and began clearing ground. Four families here.
May 23, 1883: Gave notice (back at Sunset) he wished to be settled with and withdraw from the company. Lot Smith, J. H. James, and I. Call promised him a settlement.
June 11, 1883: "Got my things together and loaded up and about 4 o'clock p.m. hitched up and left Sunset with my family and a little over half my things . . . ."
June 19, 1883: Arrived at Navajo, New Mexico, where father and family lived.
July 9, 1883: Got city lot and ten-acre lot today.
August 2, 1883: Went back to Sunset to settle up accounts with Lot Smith. Collected money due for justice of peace job.
August 9, 1883: "Bid the folks there [Sunset] goodbye and started for Navaho, New Mexico."
August 18, 1883: Accepted into the Navaho Ward.
September 1, 1883: ". . . Plastered the house in the morning . . . . In the afternoon I fixed up a bedstead, etc. . . . and we moved my things into the house for the first time."
September 3, 1883: ". . . Boarded at my own table with my family for the first time."
September 8, 1883: Navajo Reservoir and Irrigation Company organized.
October 17, 1883: Voted in as president of Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association.
September 28, 1884
Post Office Department will establish a post office here named Ramah and will appoint Nielson as postmaster.
December 5, 1884
Taught school--twenty-three or twenty-four pupils.
May 21, 1885: "Sacked up 1000 1bs. potatoes and loaded them in the wagon, also about 100 doz. eggs, 8 1bs. butter and 14 chickens for Wingate and Coolidge."
June 8, 1885: Left for Snowflake to attend conference.
January 2, 1886: Arrived at St. George to visit and do temple work.
July 28, 1886: Received a letter from Erastus Snow and George Teasdale notifying him of his appointment as one of the committee of five to settle up and dispose of the property of the Sunset United Order.
August 28, 1886: "Spent nearly the whole day in conversation with Lot Smith on one side and us three brethren as sub committee on other side . . . . Brother Smith although treating us kindly today, yet seems to want to blind us and through shrewdness endeavor to get more property than would rightfully belong to him."
September 13, 1886: All five members of the committee members met and attended to business related to Sunset United Order.
December 7, 1886: "Met with the Committee throughout the whole day. Planned the settlement for Lot Smith. Total capitol for L. Smith 28, 844.58 dollars."
July 13, 1887: Bushman, Udall, Brookbank, Webb, and Nielson met to work on Sunset United Order accounts.
July 14, 1887: Attempted to settle accounts. "Lot Smith being very obstinate and disagreeable."
August 31, 1887: Began to gather up and deliver stock of United Order.
September 3, 1887: Received three bulls, forty-two cows, thirty calves, nine yearling heifers, four yearling steers, five two year-old steers, five three-year-old steers, and six four-year-old steers.
September 4, 1887: Lot Smith very abusive.
September 26, 1887: Met all day as a committee.
October 4, 1887: Moved Mary (second wife) to mother's. Too trying to Emma for them to live together.
October 20, 1887: "Had a good dinner today in honor of our 10th anniversary of being married to Emma. Had conversation with my wives in evening they do not feel right good, but are feeling better."
October 24, 1887: Emma to teach school.
December 19, 1887: In Woodruff in the evening. Met with Udall, Bushman, and Burk on committee of Sunset United Order business.
December 20, 1887: Committee met. Lot Smith present all day.
January 9, 1888: Visited day school. Twenty-eight pupils enrolled.
May 20, 1888: Emma expressed a desire to separate from Frihoff, but withdrew the complaint.
November 19, 1889: Made out 40.00 dollars bill to send to Montgomery Ward and Company for goods for the family.
February 4, 1890: Bought a house for Mary Ellen in St. Johns.
August 26, 1891: Took a trip to Wingate to sell farm products--corn, peas, beets, radishes, onions; fifty-five dozen eggs; twenty-four pounds of butter; eight chickens; fifty-two pounds of pelts; and two pounds of goat skin.
October 13, 1891: Loaded up 1,900 pounds of potatoes to take to Gallup to sell.
October 15, 1891: Realized 39.00 dollars for the load of potatoes.
April 17, 1892
News of the services of the laying of the capstone of the Salt Lake Temple
May 1, 1892
Subscription taken for completion of the temple. Nielson gave 25.00 dollars, Emma 4.00 dollars, Pearl 1.00 dollar, Freddy 0.75 dollar.
November 8, 1892
"Drove into Wingate disposed of load of potatoes, 23.25 dollars. Voted there, Republican ticket."
January 1, 1893: "Have donated during the past year to the completion of the Salt Lake Temple 36.00 dollars, to the Stake Academy 40.00 dollars . . . ."
March 4, 1893: Attended conference at St. Johns. Speakers were Elders Dalton and Cluff, and B. H. Roberts of the Seventies.
March 31, 1893: Took the train at Wingate for Salt Lake City. The route from Wingate was Albuquerque, LaJunta, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction, and Salt Lake. Three days travel.
April 4, 1893: Attended conference in Tabernacle.
April 6, 1893: Admitted to the Salt Lake Temple. "A grand, magnificent building in all its parts and interesting services were held including the hosanna shout."
April 12, 1893: Went to Morgan City to visit families.
June 30, 1893: Visited the Zuni school. Purchased twenty-two good school desks and ten broken ones to be used in school at Ramah.
July 1, 1893: Visited around the Zuni Village.
November 6, 1893: Getting big room of house ready for a store.
November 13, 1893: Took a load of vegetables to sell to the Zunis at school.
December 25, 1893: Christmas. Gave children in my family presents. Got house ready for children's dance.
January 2, 1894
Visited with Brother H. E. Baker, a missionary sent down by the First Presidency to investigate for external evidence concerning the Book of Mormon. Spent the year in the usual way, raising and selling farm products. Negotiated for purchase of Bluewater place with E. A. Tietjen and W. F. McLaughlin.
January 1, 1895: Noted the depression--crop failure, unemployment, and the strike of the railroad workers. Emphasis by the church on the Word of Wisdom and tithing. "The church advanced 6400 dollars for purchase of land from Box S Company on conditions we would incorporate. Ramah Land and Irrigation Co. incorporated under the laws of New Mexico."
September 19, 1895: Met George Q. Cannon in Albuquerque. Visited the fair with Mary Ellen and children.
September 20, 1895: Farmed at Bluewater and at Ramah. Attended to church duties, store, and supervising post office.
January 1, 1896: Notified that his name had been suggested as one to go on a mission.
December 31, 1896: He summarized the year: "One of struggle to obtain means. Crops very short through lack of water . . . . Much damage done by prairie dogs . . . . Not enough to pay expenses of my family. At Ramah we have built a reservoir . . . . At Bluewater have done nothing except raise a little hay mostly of poor quality.
"In the world, war with Cuba . . . corruption abound both among the masses and in official circles.
"In the church, . . . the gospel among the na tions is progressing with great success, the spirit of opposition having lost much of its power to harm or molest . . . . A. H. Cannon died, beloved and honored by all. Moses Thatcher, through rebellion having been expelled from his quorum and priesthood."
March 19, 1897: Mutual improvement meeting in St. Johns. John Henry Smith and Heber J. Grant were principal speakers.
1898: Same type of entries. Worked at Ramah and Bluewater.
July 22, 1899: Received "call" to go on a mission to the northern states.
September 30, 1899: Made preparations to leave for mission.
October 1, 1899: Entry by son Joseph Frederic Nielson telling of the departure of his father. Nielson blessed his wives and children and left by train for Salt Lake City with J. B. Bond and W. J. Winsor.
October 8, 1899: In Salt Lake City. Attended Sunday School Jubilee in the Tabernacle. Very beautifully lit up with electric lights.
October 9, 1899: Was "set apart" for mission to the northern states.
October 12, 1899: Left Salt Lake City for Chicago and mission. Headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri.
1900: Reported his mission experiences.
September 21, 1901: Released from his mission
September 26, 1901: Visited the Hedrickite church in Independence.
September 28, 1901: Arrived home in Bluewater where wife Emma lived with six children.
October 3, 1901: Left for Ramah to visit wife Mary and children.
1902-1927: From 1902-1907 Nielson divided his time between his family at Ramah and his family at Bluewater. Trains and automobiles made it easy to travel to St. George and Salt Lake City, Utah; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Mesa, Arizona, and Frihoff frequently visited his married children and went through the temple. Emma died January 15, 1920.
1927-1935: From 1927 to 1935 when the diary ends, Nielson has a home at Mesa where he worked in the temple during the winter and in the summer went to the ranches in Ramah and Bluewater. Mary died December 29, 1934.

Dates

1857-1986

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.