Excerpts from the diary of Ralph Smith and history of Susannah J. Smith [typescripts], [between 1855-1978?]

File — Box: 1

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Scope and Contents

From the Collection: The Ralph and Susannah Smith collection consists of typescripts of family histories. In addition to "A History of Susannah J. Smith, 1862," the collection contains "Excerpts from the Diary of Ralph Smith, Pioneer of 1855," and a biographical sketch of Ralph Smith.

The biography of Susannah Jolley Smith (1850-1928), written by Sadie Holladay Nyman, covers Smith's birth in Thronely, County of Durham, England, to John Jolley and Susan Carter Jolley; the family's emigration to Utah in 1862; and their travel across the plains to Salt Lake City. Susannah's mother died on the plains after the birth of a son, who also died, leaving the father with five children. After arrival in Salt Lake City, Susannah "hired out" to support herself. She settled in Logan, Utah, in 1865 and became a polygamous wife of Ralph Smith in 1867. For many years she served as a midwife and cared for the sick in her community. In 1890 she was called to serve as president of the LDS Relief Society in Logan, serving for twenty-six years.

The excerpts from the diary of Ralph Smith were compiled by his daughter, Mabel S. Chambers. Ralph Smith (1835-1914) son of Thomas Smith and Mary Usher, was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 1 January 1846. In November of 1854, with his mother and "the rest of the family," he sailed from Liverpool, England, for America, arriving in Salt Lake City in September 1855. He participated in the 1857 Echo Canyon War, and in 1859 left Salt Lake City for Cache Valley. He was actively engaged in the settling of Logan--organizing wards, building a log schoolhouse, building roads and canals, and fencing fields. He worked on the railroad, quarried rock for building the tabernacle, and worked on the Logan LDS temple. Smith married Hannah Hodgetts in 1856, Emma Girdlestone in 1862, Susannah Jolley in 1867, and Mary Ann Stuart Routledge in 1874. In 1875, his wife, Susannah, "kept house for him at the point of the west mountains." In 1877, Smith was arrested for "cohabitation" and placed under bond, as were two of his wives. In 1888, he moved to Alberta, Canada, but returned to Logan in 1889, where he remained active in serving the LDS Church. There is also a one-page biography of Smith written by Sadie H. Nyman.

Dates

[between 1855-1978?]

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.