Oversize Documents
Series
Scope and Contents
From the Collection:
The George Albert Smith family papers (1731-1968) is composed of the personal papers of George A. Smith (1817-1875) and six members of his family: Elias Smith (1804-1888), John Henry Smith (1848-1911), George Albert Smith (1870-1951), Lucy Emily Woodruff Smith (1869-1937), and Emily Smith Stewart (1895-1973). In addition to these individuals there is also a small amount of materials from the Woodruff, Farr, and Chase families, ancestors to the George A. Smith family. The collection has been arranged by family name and contains information on them and their affiliation with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Included are correspondence, genealogical information, journals, patriarchal blessings, ecclesiastical and legal documents, wills, railroad passes, temple records, real estate surveys and certificates, biographies and autobiographies, letterpress books, appointment books, reports, handbooks, programs, speeches, and general business documents dealing with the affairs of the LDS Church.
Among the early Smith family documents, located in box 1, are items dating from 1731 to 1849. These materials include correspondence, journals, family records, church records, and genealogical information. Representative of individuals having papers among these documents are Samuel Smith (1714-1785), Asael Smith (1744-1830), John Smith (1781-1854), Asael Smith (1773-1848), Joseph Smith, Jr. (1805-1844), and Don Carlos Smith (1816-1844). Notable among these records is an original holographic letter written by Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The papers of Elias Smith, located in box 2 and dating from 1804 to 1888, are composed of correspondence, from 1834 to 1887, with individuals such as Joseph F. Smith and John Taylor. There are also ecclesiastical and legal documents among the papers. Notable is a copy of a manuscript, entitled "Liberty Jail Journal," and an account of the Haun's Mill Massacre. Also of interest is a letter from Brigham Young to Jesse W. Fox, relating President Young's wishes in the survey of Utah lands.
Among the papers of George A. Smith (1839-1875), located in boxes 3-6, is correspondence from 1861 to 1872. There is also a small number of personal papers, including the last will and testament of George A. Smith. The papers also include photocopies of George A. Smith's journals, written between 1840 and 1874, as well as an autobiographical sketch to the year 1838. Documents of three of George A. Smith's wives, including Bathsheba W. Bigler Smith, Susan West Smith, and Lucy Messerve Smith Smith, are also found with his papers. An interesting item is a small diary kept by Bathsheba Smith while traveling to Utah circa 1849.
The papers of John Henry Smith (1848-1911), found in boxes 7-15, include a large body of correspondence for the years 1881 to 1911. Also included are letterpress books kept by him between 1884 and 1900. Of interest is a file of letters from prominent LDS Church authorities such as Heber J. Grant, Lorenzo Snow, John Taylor, and Wilford Woodruff. There is also a file of letters from Joseph Smith III, president of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now called the Community of Christ). Photocopies of John Henry Smith's journals from 1874 to 1911 are present, as are other personal papers, including patriarchal blessings, missionary certificates, and an extract from the Council of the Twelve Apostles meeting in July 1900. This last item concerns the seniority and succession in the Quorum of the Twelve and in the First Presidency. Among John Henry Smith's papers are items pertaining to his wife, Sarah Farr Smith, and the Lorin Farr family. Documents relating to Sarah Farr Smith include correspondence, from 1880 to 1913, and other personal papers. The Lorin Farr materials include items of Aaron Farr, Nancy B. Chase Farr, and Tirzah Farr Gay.
The principal body of manuscript materials in this collection are the papers of George Albert Smith, found in boxes 16-131. Included are fifty-two boxes of correspondence dating from 1882 to 1951. This correspondence includes a "letter sent" file (1882-1910) and letterpress books of outgoing letters from 1897 to 1909. After 1910, George Albert Smith interfiled his incoming and outgoing correspondence in a yearly alphabetical file. In addition, there is one file of letters he received during his mission to the Southern States between 1892 and 1894. The 1880 to 1951 journals of George Albert Smith are photocopies of the originals retained by the LDS Church. There are files on his activities in the LDS Church, the Boy Scouts of America, and the Sons of the American Revolution. An interesting document among the church files is a report of excerpted statements from the weekly Council of the Twelve meetings concerning the status of African Americans in the LDS Church. Also included are financial records of George Albert Smith, including ledgers, income tax returns, and salary statements, as well as estate papers for various individuals, such as John Henry Smith, Sarah Farr Smith, Wilford Woodruff, Annie D. Watson, Samuel M. Barrett, Mary Hansen, and others.
The papers of Lucy Emily Woodruff Smith, wife of George Albert Smith, include correspon- dence (1880-1937), photocopies of her journals (1888-1894), patriarchal and missionary blessings, and biographical sketches. These documents are located in boxes 132-143. Also included is a file on the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association of the LDS Church and documents of the Woodruff family. These include Wilford Woodruff letters, documents of Wilford Woodruff, Jr., and papers of Emily Jane Smith Woodruff. There is also a large amount of Woodruff genealogical information and notes, as well as photocopies of materials in the Nauvoo Restoration, Inc., files. The correspondence also includes a consolidated file of letters of George Albert Smith and other members of the Smith and Woodruff families.
The Woodruff Family Papers can be found in boxes 144-148 and consist of documents similar to those in previous sections. They are arranged according to family member name and date from 1829 to 1926. Included are letters, news clippings, correspondence, biographical information, diaries, genealogical information, and other items for individuals, such as Wilford Woodruff, Wilford Woodruff, Jr., Emily Jane Smith Woodruff, Emma Smith Woodruff, Asahel Hart Woodruff, and others.
The papers of Emily Smith Stewart, daughter of George Albert and Lucy Emily Woodruff Smith, includes correspondence, dating from 1901 to 1968, and a large file on her activities with the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, including correspondence, minutes of meetings, campaign materials, and printed matter. Various women's organizations are represented in the papers, such as Beta Sigma Phi, Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Soroptomist Club. There are also items on her family. The Emily Smith Stewart papers are located in boxes 149-175.
Additional materials, located in box 176, were added to the collection in March 1976. Included is a book, Builders of the Kingdom, by Merlo J. Pusey, that contains biographical accounts of George A. Smith, John Henry Smith, and George Albert Smith; words to a prayer given by George Albert Smith, Jr., dedicating the monument to his father's grave; and two essays, "The Understanding Heart," by Irene Jones, and "Uncle Jesse Smith," by Richard P. Harris.
Oversize items in the collection are located in box 177 and map folders. Items in box 177 date from the 1870s to the 1940s and include phrenological charts, award and graduation certificates, resolutions, genealogical charts, maps, and blueprints for the homes of George Albert Smith and Wilford Woodruff, as well as other documents. Map folder items include a centennial anniversary certificate to George Albert Smith in tribute to Utah's first pioneers; maps showing boundaries of wards and stakes in Salt Lake City; genealogical charts for Wilford Woodruff's family; and blueprints for George Albert Smith's Yale Avenue home. These materials are, for the most part, undated. Journals and letterpress books in the form of microfilm are listed in the inventory. Many items in the collection are photocopies of originals that are accessible with the permission of the Manuscripts Divison Head.
The University of Utah purchased the collection from Emily Smith Stewart in 1965. Between 1965 and 1969, Mrs. Stewart transferred the papers to the library. Portions of the collection, mainly the journals, are photocopies of originals in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Historical Department. These copies were made for Mrs. Stewart upon her request before she sold the papers to the university.
In addition to manuscript materials, the collection also included a large amount of memorabilia which was donated by the library to the LDS Church Historical Department. In most cases, printed books and pamphlets not directly connected with the manuscript materials were placed in the library's Western Americana Division. Photographs and audio-visual materials have been transferred to the Multimedia Section of the Manuscripts Division (P0036 and A0036).
This register has been revised to reflect the new housing of some of the collection due to preservation treatments done in the 1990s. Much of the original phrasing, including outdated terminology, has either been updated or put in quotations.
Click here to view digitized materials from the collection or the links below.
Among the early Smith family documents, located in box 1, are items dating from 1731 to 1849. These materials include correspondence, journals, family records, church records, and genealogical information. Representative of individuals having papers among these documents are Samuel Smith (1714-1785), Asael Smith (1744-1830), John Smith (1781-1854), Asael Smith (1773-1848), Joseph Smith, Jr. (1805-1844), and Don Carlos Smith (1816-1844). Notable among these records is an original holographic letter written by Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The papers of Elias Smith, located in box 2 and dating from 1804 to 1888, are composed of correspondence, from 1834 to 1887, with individuals such as Joseph F. Smith and John Taylor. There are also ecclesiastical and legal documents among the papers. Notable is a copy of a manuscript, entitled "Liberty Jail Journal," and an account of the Haun's Mill Massacre. Also of interest is a letter from Brigham Young to Jesse W. Fox, relating President Young's wishes in the survey of Utah lands.
Among the papers of George A. Smith (1839-1875), located in boxes 3-6, is correspondence from 1861 to 1872. There is also a small number of personal papers, including the last will and testament of George A. Smith. The papers also include photocopies of George A. Smith's journals, written between 1840 and 1874, as well as an autobiographical sketch to the year 1838. Documents of three of George A. Smith's wives, including Bathsheba W. Bigler Smith, Susan West Smith, and Lucy Messerve Smith Smith, are also found with his papers. An interesting item is a small diary kept by Bathsheba Smith while traveling to Utah circa 1849.
The papers of John Henry Smith (1848-1911), found in boxes 7-15, include a large body of correspondence for the years 1881 to 1911. Also included are letterpress books kept by him between 1884 and 1900. Of interest is a file of letters from prominent LDS Church authorities such as Heber J. Grant, Lorenzo Snow, John Taylor, and Wilford Woodruff. There is also a file of letters from Joseph Smith III, president of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now called the Community of Christ). Photocopies of John Henry Smith's journals from 1874 to 1911 are present, as are other personal papers, including patriarchal blessings, missionary certificates, and an extract from the Council of the Twelve Apostles meeting in July 1900. This last item concerns the seniority and succession in the Quorum of the Twelve and in the First Presidency. Among John Henry Smith's papers are items pertaining to his wife, Sarah Farr Smith, and the Lorin Farr family. Documents relating to Sarah Farr Smith include correspondence, from 1880 to 1913, and other personal papers. The Lorin Farr materials include items of Aaron Farr, Nancy B. Chase Farr, and Tirzah Farr Gay.
The principal body of manuscript materials in this collection are the papers of George Albert Smith, found in boxes 16-131. Included are fifty-two boxes of correspondence dating from 1882 to 1951. This correspondence includes a "letter sent" file (1882-1910) and letterpress books of outgoing letters from 1897 to 1909. After 1910, George Albert Smith interfiled his incoming and outgoing correspondence in a yearly alphabetical file. In addition, there is one file of letters he received during his mission to the Southern States between 1892 and 1894. The 1880 to 1951 journals of George Albert Smith are photocopies of the originals retained by the LDS Church. There are files on his activities in the LDS Church, the Boy Scouts of America, and the Sons of the American Revolution. An interesting document among the church files is a report of excerpted statements from the weekly Council of the Twelve meetings concerning the status of African Americans in the LDS Church. Also included are financial records of George Albert Smith, including ledgers, income tax returns, and salary statements, as well as estate papers for various individuals, such as John Henry Smith, Sarah Farr Smith, Wilford Woodruff, Annie D. Watson, Samuel M. Barrett, Mary Hansen, and others.
The papers of Lucy Emily Woodruff Smith, wife of George Albert Smith, include correspon- dence (1880-1937), photocopies of her journals (1888-1894), patriarchal and missionary blessings, and biographical sketches. These documents are located in boxes 132-143. Also included is a file on the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association of the LDS Church and documents of the Woodruff family. These include Wilford Woodruff letters, documents of Wilford Woodruff, Jr., and papers of Emily Jane Smith Woodruff. There is also a large amount of Woodruff genealogical information and notes, as well as photocopies of materials in the Nauvoo Restoration, Inc., files. The correspondence also includes a consolidated file of letters of George Albert Smith and other members of the Smith and Woodruff families.
The Woodruff Family Papers can be found in boxes 144-148 and consist of documents similar to those in previous sections. They are arranged according to family member name and date from 1829 to 1926. Included are letters, news clippings, correspondence, biographical information, diaries, genealogical information, and other items for individuals, such as Wilford Woodruff, Wilford Woodruff, Jr., Emily Jane Smith Woodruff, Emma Smith Woodruff, Asahel Hart Woodruff, and others.
The papers of Emily Smith Stewart, daughter of George Albert and Lucy Emily Woodruff Smith, includes correspondence, dating from 1901 to 1968, and a large file on her activities with the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, including correspondence, minutes of meetings, campaign materials, and printed matter. Various women's organizations are represented in the papers, such as Beta Sigma Phi, Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Soroptomist Club. There are also items on her family. The Emily Smith Stewart papers are located in boxes 149-175.
Additional materials, located in box 176, were added to the collection in March 1976. Included is a book, Builders of the Kingdom, by Merlo J. Pusey, that contains biographical accounts of George A. Smith, John Henry Smith, and George Albert Smith; words to a prayer given by George Albert Smith, Jr., dedicating the monument to his father's grave; and two essays, "The Understanding Heart," by Irene Jones, and "Uncle Jesse Smith," by Richard P. Harris.
Oversize items in the collection are located in box 177 and map folders. Items in box 177 date from the 1870s to the 1940s and include phrenological charts, award and graduation certificates, resolutions, genealogical charts, maps, and blueprints for the homes of George Albert Smith and Wilford Woodruff, as well as other documents. Map folder items include a centennial anniversary certificate to George Albert Smith in tribute to Utah's first pioneers; maps showing boundaries of wards and stakes in Salt Lake City; genealogical charts for Wilford Woodruff's family; and blueprints for George Albert Smith's Yale Avenue home. These materials are, for the most part, undated. Journals and letterpress books in the form of microfilm are listed in the inventory. Many items in the collection are photocopies of originals that are accessible with the permission of the Manuscripts Divison Head.
The University of Utah purchased the collection from Emily Smith Stewart in 1965. Between 1965 and 1969, Mrs. Stewart transferred the papers to the library. Portions of the collection, mainly the journals, are photocopies of originals in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Historical Department. These copies were made for Mrs. Stewart upon her request before she sold the papers to the university.
In addition to manuscript materials, the collection also included a large amount of memorabilia which was donated by the library to the LDS Church Historical Department. In most cases, printed books and pamphlets not directly connected with the manuscript materials were placed in the library's Western Americana Division. Photographs and audio-visual materials have been transferred to the Multimedia Section of the Manuscripts Division (P0036 and A0036).
This register has been revised to reflect the new housing of some of the collection due to preservation treatments done in the 1990s. Much of the original phrasing, including outdated terminology, has either been updated or put in quotations.
Click here to view digitized materials from the collection or the links below.
Dates
- 1731-1969
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.
Extent
From the Collection: 85 Linear Feet (177 boxes, 3 oversize folders, and 6 microfilm reels)
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Creator
- From the Collection: Smith family (Family)
Repository Details
Part of the J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections Repository
Contact:
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City Utah 84112 United States
801-581-8863
special@library.utah.edu
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City Utah 84112 United States
801-581-8863
special@library.utah.edu