Fish, Joseph, 1854-1943

File — Box: 10, Folder: 4

Identifier: VIII

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the introduction, by Silas Leavitt Fish, it is learned the journal from which this typescript was made was copied by Joseph Fish into a large leather-bound record book of 480 pages. He copied the journal from the beginning "amplifying much of it." The book was filled in 1895 and a small record book of 202 pages served for his entries from 1896-1919. These two record books are contained in the typescript copy.

1836: Joseph Fish's mother was baptized into the Mormon church.
1837: The Fish family arrived at Joliet, Illinois.
1839: Joseph's father was baptized.
1840: The family moved to Nauvoo where his father worked on the temple.
1844: Joseph was six years old when Joseph and Hyrum Smith were martyred.
1846: The family crossed the river on May 23, and got as far as Farmington, where they stopped for the winter.
1847: On May 8 the family left for the West. They arrived at Council Point on the Missouri River where they remained for three years.
1850: On June 1 the Fish family left Council Point under Milo Andrus, the company captain. They arrived in Salt Lake City August 29. The Fish family settled in Parowan.
1856: William Horne Dame was named president of Parowan Stake. The Reformation began in the fall. The Law of Consecration was being observed.
1857: The Mountain Meadows Massacre occurred, and news of Johnston's Army reached Parowan. Fish and William Davenport started a school.
1858: Saints from San Bernardino arrived. Many settled at Beaver. Thomas L. Kane passed through Parowan on his way to Salt Lake City. Joseph gathered salt from the lake near Parowan. Dancing was the principal amusement.
1859: Joseph married Mary Campbell Steele.
1860: Philo Dibble put on a show of paintings.
1864: Joseph taught school.
1865: President Young and company visited in southern Utah. He urged them to arm themselves and take measures to defend themselves against the Indians. Joseph taught school.
1866: George A. Smith in Parowan and Panguitch. He cautioned against Indian raids. The company of militia passed in review for him. Panguitch was abandoned.
August 22, 1866: Joseph started with a company of men to explore the Colorado River south and east of Parowan for crossings.
September 7, 1866: Arrived home.
1867: The telegraph wire has connected all the main settlements of the territory.
May 8, 1867: President Young and company arrived at Parowan on his return to Salt Lake City. President Young said he would cut Amasa Lyman off from the Quorum of the Twelve. Indian depredations continue. Guards stationed regularly with the stock.
January 11, 18684: Organized to start a library. Seven hundred dollars was raised for the Emigrating Fund.
January 26, 1868: Dramatic Association still active, and they presented the play Pizarro.
April 25, 1868: Cavalry and brass band are preparing for Brigham Young's arrival.
May 23, 1868: Inspections of militia by Generals Snow and Pace.
July 25, 1868: Attended meetings in Salt Lake City. "A number of prominent men from the East were at the meeting, some of them members of Congress."
July 26, 1868: Married Eliza Jane Lewis. "My wife Mary was willing . . . but still took the matter a little hard."
August 7, 1868: A general muster of the Iron County Military District held at Harmony.
September 30, 1868: A mass meeting was held for the purpose of petitioning Congress to admit Utah into the Union as the State of Deseret.
November 6, 1868: Joseph W. Young met with a select group to organize a class of the School of the Prophets.
1869: Navajo Indians commenced depredations in southern Utah.
April 7, 1870: President Brigham Young stopped at Parowan on his way north.
June 12, 1870: Amasa M. Lyman held a meeting and quite a number went to hear him. He has been cut off from the church. "He preaches a kind of infidel or universal doctrine that would save all mankind."
September 5, 1870: Brigham Young stopped at Parowan on his way to Kanab.
September 18, 1870: Brigham Young and company arrived. Said he intended to have a ranch and dairy at Pipe Spring.
December 5, 1870: Brigham Young and company stopped on this way to St. George for the winter. Much prospecting for gold and silver this fall.
September 28, 1871: Much excitement over the arrest of President Brigham Young for polygamy.
October 30, 1871: Brigham Young arrived. He "is out on bail."
June 1, 1872
Joseph W. Young called a meeting to organize the Republican party.
August 7, 1872
Joseph arrives in Salt Lake City on his way to visit relatives in Canada. He describes Salt Lake and compares it to Salt Lake of 1850. Was given the certificate of a missionary to preach to his kindred in the states and Canada. Took the train East and here he describes in detail his trip. Back in Salt Lake, he meets his wife Mary and buys some supplies for the co-op store before starting back to Parowan.
December 20, 1872
President Young and party arrive with Thomas L. Kane (traveling to better his poor health).
February 19, 1873: President Young and party return from the south.
December 12, 1873: President Young and party going south.
April 9, 1874: President Young and party going north.
April 10, 1874: Meeting called to organize the United Order for Parowan Stake. William H. Dame was elected president of the United Order, Jesse N. Smith vice president, and William Adams secretary.
April 12, 1874: United Order organized in Beaver.
June 14, 1874: Beaver is full of apostates.
July 9, 1874: H. B. Clawson passed through on railroad business.
November 16, 1874: John D. Lee arrested.
November 17, 1874: William H. Dame arrested on an indictment for the Mountain Meadows Massacre.
July 17, 1875: It is claimed John D. Lee has turned state's evidence.
July 23, 1875: Trial for John D. Lee began.
October 1, 1876: The famous Lee trial is finished. He was convicted and sentenced to be shot. William Nelson, U. S. marshal, said the authorities of the church were innocent of the Mountain Meadows Massacre.
March 1, 1877: Joseph's little company (United Order) paid a dividend of seven per cent after the company settlement.
March 23, 1877: John D. Lee was taken from Beaver to Mountain Meadows where he was executed.
April 18, 1877: Brigham Young was in Parowan to organize a stake, but the people were divided on the choice for president so the organization was postponed.
December 3, 1878: Started for Arizona.
January 1, 1879: Noted the ruins on the Colorado near Grand Falls.
January 15, 1879: Arrived at Snowflake and purchased land from Brother Flake.
June 28, 1879: The first quarterly conference of the stake was held. Jesse N. Smith is president.
July 25, 1879: Started back to Utah for the rest of his family.
November 12, 1879: Arrived back at Snowflake, business as usual.
October 15, 1880: "J. W. Young's trips are quite expensive and he spends about all the company makes trying to secure favor with the railroad officials."
May 26, 1882
Interview with Solomon Barth about political matters.
June 3, 1882
Indian depredations reported.
July 7, 1882
Admitted to the bar.
August 4, 1882
Started for St. Louis to purchase goods for the ACMI.
August 8, 1882
In St. Louis purchasing 12,000 dollars worth of merchandise for the store.
September 24, 1882
In St. Johns for a political convention. Samuel H. Rogers, John W. Freeman, John Kartchner, and Solomon Barth were present.
September 30, 1882
ACMI paid a dividend of thirty-five per cent.
November 7, 1882
Went to Holbrook for the election.
August 6, 1883: Started for St. Louis to purchase goods. Bought about 15,000 dollars worth.
April 1, 1884: Arrived in St. Louis where he again made purchases.
August 29, 1884: The anti-Mormons are making a "general move against the Mormons . . . for polygamy." Udall, Kempe, Christofferson, Tenney, Flake, Skousen, and Wilhelm indicted.
December 2, 1884: Total business for ACMI for the year was 85,000 dollars.
January 1, 1885-January 10, 1885: Avoiding U. S. marshals who are looking for him for polygamy charges.
January 31, 1885: Jesse N. Smith came to invite everyone in danger of being arrested to go to Mexico.
February 1, 1885: Anti-Mormon party becoming quite bitter.
February 5, 1885: With Jesse N. Smith started for Mexico on horseback in advance of the wagons and families. Waited at Nutrioso for them. The companies organized.
February 5, 1885-March 7, 1885: Covered the distance to the Mexican border. Settled their revenue tax and camped to wait for a land permit.
September 16, 1885: David K. Udall sent to prison in Detroit for perjury. Company still waiting on the border of Mexico. There are about twenty families.
February 25, 1886: Arrived back in Snowflake after being gone a year. Family in Snowflake in a destitute condition.
March 6, 1886: Started working in the store in Woodruff again.
August 10, 1886: David K. Udall, F. G. Nielsen, H. R. Burke, and John Bushman were appointed as a committee to settle up the Sunset United Order.
September 9, 1886: Quit working for ACMI.
1889: Jesse N. Smith has returned after being in Washington trying to secure their lands.
April 8, 1890: "I had my father adopted to the Prophet Joseph Smith."
April 18, 1891: Took the train to Los Angeles to obtain a government freighting contract from Holbrook to Apache. He won the contract. In Los Angeles when President Harrison and party arrives.
July 11, 1893: Left for Mexico with his wife Julia, her three children, and his son Joseph C. and John L.
July 31, 1893: Arrived at LaMorita, but could not get through customs. They were told their papers would have to go to Mexico City to be signed.
August 6, 1893: Got a thirty day pass into Mexico by leaving one team and wagon.
September 18, 1893: Decided to return to the Gila River when Brother G. C. Williams did not start his business that Fish was planning to help with.
October 9, 1893: Bought a piece of land at Layton and began building a house.
December 31, 1893: "The year of 1893 has gone and with it many joys and disappointments .... I buried one of my children in a foreign land, have lived poorly and worked hard ... my trip to Mexico was hard on me .... I was not financially able to make such a trip for pleasure only."
June 10, 1894: Working on the store he and Zundel are building. In priesthood meeting the subject of financing the academy always comes up. People are tired of hearing about it.
September 1, 1894: Attended the Republican convention at Solomonville. Got up a fair ticket but cannot hope to elect many of them. Burt Dunlap for the Council, Joseph Fish and T. E. Williams for the House, Wight for sheriff, Frank Diphart for treasurer, Moorman for prosecuting attorney, Leon for recorder, George Cluff for probate judge, Logan for surveyor, and Hill and Hayes for supervisors.
November 6, 1894: Election day--Republicans won.
January 16, 1895: Started for Phoenix to attend the legislature.
February 7, 1895: "Lawmaking does not move very fast."
February 11, 1895: "The Woman's Suffrage Bill was up before the house today and occupied the afternoon .... It passed the house by a vote of 16 to 7, but was finally killed by a council."
March 21, 1895: "I have introduced some 5 or 6 bills, all of which I have got through. One in relation to schools; one in relation to highways; but my main work was the classification bill . . . ."
September 21, 1895: Started for Phoenix to attend the Irrigation Congress.
September 30, 1895: Zundel sold the store leaving Fish with no job and no income.
November, 1895-December, 1895: Working in the mill.
May 29, 1896: Jesse N. Smith wrote Fish his "views on the late manifesto and how Utah got to be a state."
June 17, 1896: Many in Snowflake are urging him to go back and work in ACMI. Fish is now fifty-six years old.
July 1, 1896: Sold his place in Thatcher and Layton.
July 17, 1896: Returned to Snowflake.
August 13, 1896: Went to work at Holbrook in the ACMI.
October 22, 1896: Plans to begin gathering notes and write a history of Arizona.
June 11, 1899: Subpoenaed for United States Grand Jury. While in Prescott he gathered stories for his history.
June 26, 1900: The family celebrates Joseph's birth. His wives Adelaide and Julia, eleven of his thirteen living children, and fifteen of his twenty-five grandchildren were present.
September 23, 1900: Sent to Heber J. Grant and got himself a Blickensderfir typewriter to begin copying his History of Arizona.
June 16, 1901: Requested Whitney to return his manuscript to his History of Arizona from Salt Lake City. Fish does not have the money to get it published.
September 15, 1902
Mailed his manuscript to Arthur H. Clark Company. The publisher thought it good but too long.
March 24, 1903: Revised manuscript and returned to Arthur H. Clark Company.
November 11, 1903: His wife Adelaide asked for a divorce.
March 13, 1905: Adelaide granted her separation from Joseph. She had not lived with him for "a long period of time."
August 14, 1905: Arrested for unlawful cohabitation. Others arrested were Henry M. Tanner, Levi M. Savage, C. P. Anderson, and James W. LeSueur. They were let out on bond.
December 8, 1905: Polygamy cases came up and they were each fined 100 dollars.
April 1, 1910: Left the store and took the U. S. census for 1910.
There are no entries until 1916. Fish summarizes the six intervening years, "I got the Post Office .... I built a small room for the Post Office. I soon got several others offices crowded upon me such as the School Trustee, Clerk of the Irrigation Company of Woodruff, Justice of the Peace . . . and several things in this line such as High Counselor, and teacher in the ward." These were lean years for Fish.
February 1, 1916: Begins to sell his property. Gave up the post office.
April 12, 1916: Left for Utah with his wife Julia and her children, three wagons, and seven horses.
May 12, 1916: In Salt Lake City visiting friends and trying to get his history published. Andrew Jenson suggested that he revise the history to include only the Mormon settlements in Arizona and then perhaps the church would publish it.
July 6, 1916: After much looking, purchases a place in Beaver. His wife Eliza joins him again.
March 1, 1917: Moves to Enterprise. He is seventy-seven years old.
June 9, 1918: The ward in Enterprise was expected to buy 9,200 dollars in war savings stamps. This is about 77.00 dollars for each family.
October 18, 1918: At a meeting a few of the brethren talk about trying to control the influenza epidemic. All public gatherings were cancelled.
December 10, 1918: Elected justice of the peace of Enterprise.
January 13, 1919: The first meeting in three months was held. All other meetings had been cancelled due to the flu.
March 3, 1919: Received his pension papers for serving with Captain Andrews Company. He would receive 420.00 dollars to December 4 and 20.00 dollars per month from that time forward.
March 14, 1919: Four deaths from influenza--no meetings and no school.
March 29, 1919: Nine deaths from the flu epidemic.
April 20, 1919: Meeting held. The flu seems to be abating.
June 27, 1919: Joseph's seventy-ninth birthday.
January 22, 1920: Spends his time rewriting and revising his history.
October 22, 1920: Mr. Rich, a Republican, talked against the League of Nations and extravagance of the Democratic party.
October 24, 1920: "Grant Ivins read the League of Nations Covenant and commented on it from a Democratic point of view."
November 4, 1920: Utah went Republican at the election.
From this date to September 10, 1926, Joseph Fish's entries concern his church work, his family, his histories, and the house and lot in Enterprise he calls home. He died December 10, 1926, at eighty-six years of age.

Dates

1854-1943

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.