Chapter Six: "The Rise and Fall of Nauvoo"

File — Box: 13, Folder: 11-13

Identifier: G

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection: The John Taylor family papers (1844-1994) are a collection of material reflecting the life and work of John Taylor, third president of the LDS Church, and his descendants, John W. Taylor, Raymond Woolley Taylor, and Samuel Taylor. Included are letters, biographies, research materials, genealogies, articles written by other authors, diaries, journals, and books. Correspondence comprises a major portion of the collection and has been organized within the papers of each individual. Consequently, correspondence will be found throughout the collection. Exceptions to this are letters pertaining to specific subjects, such as Ray's correspondence with publishers and promoters for Uranium Fever and correspondence relating to the posthumous reinstatement of John W. Taylor. All correspondence between Samuel and Raymond Taylor has been consolidated into section six, regardless of subject matter and has been arranged chronologically.

Section one contains the material on John Taylor and The Kingdom or Nothing. The majority of this section includes correspondence during the period of Taylor's presidency in the 1880s, copied by Raymond Taylor from now-restricted files at the Historical Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The letters, in some cases only extracts from the originals, deal with a variety of subjects including official church business, financial matters, divorce among church members, polygamy, letters from individuals outside of Utah requesting information on Mormonism, and personal letters from church members requesting favors, special consideration, and financial aid. There are also letters from John Taylor to his wives and church leaders. Most of the correspondence has been bound into nine letterbooks. The letters have not been arranged chronologically and so the letterbooks lack any concrete organization. Interspersed with the correspondence are articles, speeches, revelations, and other research materials as well as correspondence between Samuel and Raymond Taylor. This latter correspondence has been ignored in Sam's and Ray's consolidated correspondence, Boxes 57-62. Other materials contained in section one include biographical information on Taylor, copies of his revelations, research pertaining to several of his wives, and collected notes dealing with various aspects of the Mormon church during the 1880s, including information on Winter Quarters and the sugar beet industry. The John Taylor materials end with several manuscript versions of The Kingdom or Nothing. Included are numerous revisions and rewrites as well as the final copy-edited manuscript presented to the publishers.

The second section contains the materials collected by Jane Woolley Taylor, wife of John W. Taylor, and includes material on John W. Taylor as well as personal materials of her own. Material pertaining to John W. include correspondence to church and business associates and family members biographical materials, information on business ventures, speeches, and a copy of the minutes of the meeting of the Council of Twelve Apostles in 1911 at which John W. Taylor and Matthias Cowley were disfellowshipped for practicing polygamy. Also included are materials pertaining to the efforts of Sam and Ray Taylor to have their father reinstated into the church. Janet Woolley Taylor's materials are of a more personal nature and include correspondence with family and friends, journals of her various trips and of the underground, childhood papers and momentos, writings, invitations and announcements, and financial papers. Of special interest is a bound volume of a series of interviews between Janet Woolley Taylor and Samuel Taylor. Also included are genealogies, biographies and family histories of the extended family including material on the Carruth, Cahoon, and Woolley family members.

Section three contains Samuel Taylor's papers. These include correspondence and interviews with family members and acquaintances of John W. Taylor, which provide additional biographical data on his life. Also included in Sam Taylor's papers in addition to the John W. Taylor material is personal correspondence, several of his writings and magazine articles, and other miscellaneous--research items, including a thesis on Mormonism entitled "Development of Attitudes in Sectarian Conflict: A Study of Mormonism in Illinois in Contemporary Newspaper Sources," by Cecil A. Snider. Two of Samuel's major works are contained in this section of the collection: Family Kingdom and Nightfall at Nauvoo. The former book was researched and written from the 1930s to 1950, and is the story of Jane Woolley Taylor and her polygamous marriage to John W. Taylor. Sam did not intend for the book to be a history of Mormonism and polygamy, but the story of one particular family group. Nightfall at Nauvoo was written many years later during the 1960s and provides a history of the Mormons in Nauvoo, Illinois, prior to beginning their migration to the Salt Lake Valley. This section contains correspondence, notes, rewrites, and final versions of each of the books.

Section four contains the research and writing done by Raymond and Samuel on Uranium Fever. This book represents the first collaborative effort of Sam and Ray Taylor in the writing of a major work. The story of Ray's involvement in mining follows the story of the uranium boom in the four corners area of Utah during the 1950s and 1960s. This portion of the collection contains research information pertaining to uranium mining in general, and more specifically to such people as Stella Dysart, Vernon Pick, Charles Steen, and other individuals involved in the uranium mining business. This section contains research materials, manuscripts, revisions, and some correspondence.

Section five contains Raymond W. Taylor's papers, including a wide variety of materials ranging from personal and business matters to his collection of research materials, histories, and journals pertaining to Mormonism and the Mormon church. His personal letters include correspondence with Utah politicians and statesmen during the 1950s, and general correspondence in conjunction with his search for information and materials pertaining to the history of Mormonism. The research materials collected by Ray Taylor comprise the bulk of this portion of the collection. Miscellaneous research materials pertaining to Mormon individuals and topics include information on Ezra Taft Benson, J. Reuben Clark, fundamentalism within the Mormon Church, the Mormon doctrine forbidding blacks from holding the priesthood, the excommunication of LaMar Peterson, Brigham Young's will and estate, Joseph Smith, William Smith, and the sugar beet industry, among others. Raymond had also acquired a collection of diaries, journals, and histories of individuals connected in some respect with the Mormon church. Included is information on such persons as Abraham H. Cannon, Matthias Cowley, Philip DeLaMare, Levi W. Hancock, Mosiah Lyman Hancock, Joseph Lee Robinson, Eliza R. Snow, Preston Thomas, John Woodhouse, and others. Also included are the L. John Nuttal diaries from 1876 to 1889 and some Nuttal correspondence as well as a volume of the Genealogy of the Dilworth Families in America.

Section six contains the consolidated correspondence of Sam and Raymond Taylor, and in several respects is a valuable part of the collection. The correspondence is arranged chronologically and covers the years from 1936 to Ray's death in 1972. Sam and Ray corresponded on a variety of subjects including personal and business matters, the writing and publication of several of Sam's works, and the research being done by Ray. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of their correspondence is their discussions of Mormonism. Both men offer original and thoughtful insight into their religion and their letters reflect opinions and concerns on a wide variety of church-related topics.

Two oversize items were transferred to the Manuscripts Division map case: the "Projected Development Study of the Church Wells School," compiled by Dee R. Taylor, architect; and "Chart of the Genealogy of the Dilworth Families of America."

Dates

1844-1994

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.

Some original items have been removed and placed in Reserve. Access must be given by the Manuscripts Curator and by appointment. An archivist must remain with the items if being used. Photocopies are available in the collection for research use.