Charles R. Dana
Encyclopedia
Charles Root Dana was an American
Mormon
leader, pioneer, and missionary
, and a politician in territorial Utah.
. Around 1825 he married Margaret Kennedy Luck, a widow, and adopted her daughter Elizabeth. The couple would have six more children.
Dana converted to Mormonism
in 1838. In 1840 he was serving as a missionary
in Boonville, New York
for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS Church). In 1842–43 he was a missionary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
.
Dana was involved in bringing a suit before Joseph Smith
in his function as judge of the municipal court at Nauvoo, Illinois
. He was a friend of Smith's and wrote of an experience where Smith healed Dana's wife when she was seriously ill.
As a mason
by trade, Dana helped complete the Nauvoo Temple
in 1844 after Joseph Smith's death
. In the completed temple Dana married two additional wives in 1846, Emily Waterman and Susan Sue Thomas, according to the Mormon practice of polygamy. He was not sealed
for eternity to Susan, as she was a widow with two sons of her own.
In 1847, when the Mormons left Nauvoo, many migrating west to Utah under Brigham Young
, Dana left Mount Pisgah, Iowa on a mission to the eastern United States to solicit funds for the emigration. Though slow in progress, Dana appealed to his listeners humanity by emphasizing the Mormon suffering and made political connections with Thomas L. Kane
in Philadelphia and Duff Green
in Washington, D.C.
. Green gave Dana access to community groups and national leaders, and many made personal donations, including President
James K. Polk
, James Buchanan
, and Dolley Madison
. In 1848 Dana returned to Washington on another fund-raising mission, but argued more in defense of Mormon doctrine and received much less charity.
, but his first wife Margaret died on the plains during 1850. He settled in Ogden
, where he took another wife, Harriet Elizabeth Gibson.
Dana became a community leader. He served on the First
and Second
Territorial Legislatures, serving 1851 through 1853, representing Weber County
. He was also one of the original members of the Ogden
City Council
when it was organized in 1852. His son Joseph would also serve on the Ogden City Council in the early 20th century. Dana was also a leader in the LDS Church. He served as a counselor in the Weber
Stake presidency when it was first formed in 1851.
In 1853 Dana went on an LDS mission to England
, where he was made Pastor over conferences in Bedfordshire
, Cambridgeshire
, and Norwich
. He would never see his wife Harriet again. Some report that during his mission she left him and their two children for another man, divorcing Dana and burning his journals. Their daughter Margaret Elizabeth reported that her mother had gone to visit family in Michigan
and began the trip home to Ogden but was never heard from again, possibly killed by Indians. In 1857 Dana returned from his mission as one of the leaders taking Mormon immigrants from Liverpool
to Boston
.
Before coming back to Utah, Dana had sent home two sisters, Elizabeth and Jane Culley, and he returned with two more, Ann Barlow (1835–1895) and Mary Ann Cato. Having been married four times before, Dana was married to these four new women on September 14, 1857 by Brigham Young
. During the Utah War
Dana moved with his family to Fillmore, Utah
until the conflict ended. Back in Ogden, the growing family moved into a house in town and a farm outside of town.
Before Dana died at the age of 66, he was President of a Council of Seventies.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
leader, pioneer, and missionary
Missionary (LDS Church)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
, and a politician in territorial Utah.
Biography
Dana was born in Schenectady, New YorkSchenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
. Around 1825 he married Margaret Kennedy Luck, a widow, and adopted her daughter Elizabeth. The couple would have six more children.
Dana converted to Mormonism
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
in 1838. In 1840 he was serving as a missionary
Missionary (LDS Church)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
in Boonville, New York
Boonville (town), New York
This page is about the town in New York. For other communities of the same name, see Boonville or for the village, see Boonville , New York...
for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS Church). In 1842–43 he was a missionary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
.
Dana was involved in bringing a suit before Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith was founder of what later became known as the Latter Day Saint movement or Mormons.Joseph Smith may also refer to:-Latter Day Saints:* Joseph Smith, Sr. , father of Joseph Smith...
in his function as judge of the municipal court at Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the population was just 1,063 at the 2000 census, and despite being difficult to reach due to its location in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its...
. He was a friend of Smith's and wrote of an experience where Smith healed Dana's wife when she was seriously ill.
As a mason
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
by trade, Dana helped complete the Nauvoo Temple
Nauvoo Temple
The Nauvoo Temple was the second temple constructed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known as the Mormons. The church's first temple was completed in Kirtland, Ohio, United States in 1836. When the main body of the church was forced out of Nauvoo, Illinois in the...
in 1844 after Joseph Smith's death
Death of Joseph Smith, Jr.
The death of Joseph Smith, Jr. on June 27, 1844 marked a turning point for the Latter Day Saint movement, of which Smith was the founder and leader. When he was attacked and killed by a mob, Smith was the mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois, and running for President of the United States...
. In the completed temple Dana married two additional wives in 1846, Emily Waterman and Susan Sue Thomas, according to the Mormon practice of polygamy. He was not sealed
Sealing (Mormonism)
In Mormonism, a sealing is an ordinance , performed in temples by a person holding the sealing power. The purpose of this ordinance is to seal familiar relationships, making possible the existence of family relationships throughout eternity. LDS teachings place great importance on the specific...
for eternity to Susan, as she was a widow with two sons of her own.
In 1847, when the Mormons left Nauvoo, many migrating west to Utah under Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
, Dana left Mount Pisgah, Iowa on a mission to the eastern United States to solicit funds for the emigration. Though slow in progress, Dana appealed to his listeners humanity by emphasizing the Mormon suffering and made political connections with Thomas L. Kane
Thomas L. Kane
Thomas Leiper Kane was an American attorney, abolitionist, and military officer who was influential in the western migration of the Latter-day Saint movement and served as a Union Army colonel and general of volunteers in the American Civil War...
in Philadelphia and Duff Green
Duff Green
Duff Green , American politician and journalist, was born in Woodford County, Kentucky.He was a school teacher in his native state, served during the War of 1812 in the Kentucky militia, and then settled in Missouri, where he worked as a schoolmaster and practiced law...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. Green gave Dana access to community groups and national leaders, and many made personal donations, including President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
James K. Polk
James K. Polk
James Knox Polk was the 11th President of the United States . Polk was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He later lived in and represented Tennessee. A Democrat, Polk served as the 17th Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 12th Governor of Tennessee...
, James Buchanan
James Buchanan
James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century....
, and Dolley Madison
Dolley Madison
Dolley Payne Todd Madison was the spouse of the fourth President of the United States, James Madison, and was First Lady of the United States from 1809 to 1817...
. In 1848 Dana returned to Washington on another fund-raising mission, but argued more in defense of Mormon doctrine and received much less charity.
Life in Utah
In 1849 Dana immigrated to Utah TerritoryUtah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
, but his first wife Margaret died on the plains during 1850. He settled in Ogden
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
, where he took another wife, Harriet Elizabeth Gibson.
Dana became a community leader. He served on the First
1st Utah Territorial Legislature
The 1st Utah Territorial Legislature convened on September 22, 1851 and ended on March 6, 1852.-Sessions:* General Session: September 22, 1851 - February 18, 1852* Special Session: February 19, 1852 - March 6, 1852-Members:...
and Second
2nd Utah Territorial Legislature
The 2nd Utah Territorial Legislature convened on December 13, 1852 and ended on January 21, 1853. -Members:...
Territorial Legislatures, serving 1851 through 1853, representing Weber County
Weber County, Utah
Weber County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah, occupying a stretch of the Wasatch Front, part of the eastern shores of Great Salt Lake, and much of the rugged Wasatch Mountains. As of the 2000 census, the population was 196,533, an increase of 24.1% over its population in 1990. By...
. He was also one of the original members of the Ogden
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
when it was organized in 1852. His son Joseph would also serve on the Ogden City Council in the early 20th century. Dana was also a leader in the LDS Church. He served as a counselor in the Weber
Weber County, Utah
Weber County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah, occupying a stretch of the Wasatch Front, part of the eastern shores of Great Salt Lake, and much of the rugged Wasatch Mountains. As of the 2000 census, the population was 196,533, an increase of 24.1% over its population in 1990. By...
Stake presidency when it was first formed in 1851.
In 1853 Dana went on an LDS mission to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where he was made Pastor over conferences in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, and Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
. He would never see his wife Harriet again. Some report that during his mission she left him and their two children for another man, divorcing Dana and burning his journals. Their daughter Margaret Elizabeth reported that her mother had gone to visit family in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and began the trip home to Ogden but was never heard from again, possibly killed by Indians. In 1857 Dana returned from his mission as one of the leaders taking Mormon immigrants from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.
Before coming back to Utah, Dana had sent home two sisters, Elizabeth and Jane Culley, and he returned with two more, Ann Barlow (1835–1895) and Mary Ann Cato. Having been married four times before, Dana was married to these four new women on September 14, 1857 by Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
. During the Utah War
Utah War
The Utah War, also known as the Utah Expedition, Buchanan's Blunder, the Mormon War, or the Mormon Rebellion was an armed confrontation between LDS settlers in the Utah Territory and the armed forces of the United States government. The confrontation lasted from May 1857 until July 1858...
Dana moved with his family to Fillmore, Utah
Fillmore, Utah
Fillmore is a city in Millard County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,253 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Millard County. It is named for the thirteenth US President Millard Fillmore....
until the conflict ended. Back in Ogden, the growing family moved into a house in town and a farm outside of town.
Before Dana died at the age of 66, he was President of a Council of Seventies.