Henry W. Miller
Encyclopedia
Henry W. Miller was the first member of the Iowa legislature from the area of Council Bluffs, Iowa
.
Miller was born in Lexington
, Greene County, New York
. He was trained as a carpenter as a youth and In about 1828 he moved to Illinois and settled in Quincy, Illinois
. In September 1839 Miller converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was made president of the Freedom Stake of the church, heading the Church's operations in Adams County, Illinois
. The stake lasted from October 1840 until May 1841. He relocated to Nauvoo, Illinois
in about 1841. Miller was made a member of the Nauvoo Temple
building committee and then sent to the lumber-mills in Wisconsin to work on providing wood for the temple. Miller later returned to Nauvoo and was one of the executors charged with selling Mormon land after most Mormons had left.
After the Mormons were forced out of Nauvoo, Miller settled on the east side of the Missouri River at a place called Miller's Hollow. This was later renamed Kanesville, and is the current Council Bluffs, Iowa
. Miller was elected to the legislature from Potawatomie County, Iowa in 1851.
In 1852 Miller went to Utah, serving as a captain of a pioneer company. Miller served as a member of the Utah Territorial Legislature from 1852 until 1854.
Miller served a mission to the Cherokee in 1855–1857. Besides preaching to and baptizing many Cherokee, Miller also baptized many of those who had followed Lyman Wight
who he found in this same general vicinity. On his return he went through Missouri, and aided Erastus Snow
in getting cattle to help with the trip west. From 1864 Miller led a group of Mormons in founding a settlement they called Millersburg at what is now Beaver Dam, Arizona
. After Millerburg was flooded out in 1866 Miller lived in St. George, Utah
for most of the remained of his life, although he died while visiting his brother in Farmington, Utah
.
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, known until 1852 as Kanesville, Iowathe historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trailsis a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across...
.
Miller was born in Lexington
Lexington, New York
Lexington is a town in Greene County, New York, United States. The population was 805 at the 2010 census.The Town of Lexington is in the southwest part of Greene County.- History :The town was first settled around 1788....
, Greene County, New York
Greene County, New York
Greene County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Its name is in honor of the American Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene. Its county seat is Catskill...
. He was trained as a carpenter as a youth and In about 1828 he moved to Illinois and settled in Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...
. In September 1839 Miller converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was made president of the Freedom Stake of the church, heading the Church's operations in Adams County, Illinois
Adams County, Illinois
Adams County is the westernmost county of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 67,103, which is a decrease of 1.7% from 68,277 in 2000...
. The stake lasted from October 1840 until May 1841. He relocated to 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...
in about 1841. Miller was made a member of 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...
building committee and then sent to the lumber-mills in Wisconsin to work on providing wood for the temple. Miller later returned to Nauvoo and was one of the executors charged with selling Mormon land after most Mormons had left.
After the Mormons were forced out of Nauvoo, Miller settled on the east side of the Missouri River at a place called Miller's Hollow. This was later renamed Kanesville, and is the current Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, known until 1852 as Kanesville, Iowathe historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trailsis a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across...
. Miller was elected to the legislature from Potawatomie County, Iowa in 1851.
In 1852 Miller went to Utah, serving as a captain of a pioneer company. Miller served as a member of the Utah Territorial Legislature from 1852 until 1854.
Miller served a mission to the Cherokee in 1855–1857. Besides preaching to and baptizing many Cherokee, Miller also baptized many of those who had followed Lyman Wight
Lyman Wight
Lyman Wight was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. He was the leader of the Latter Day Saints in Daviess County, Missouri in 1838. In 1841, he was ordained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. After the death of Joseph Smith, Jr...
who he found in this same general vicinity. On his return he went through Missouri, and aided Erastus Snow
Erastus Snow
Erastus Fairbanks Snow , born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1849 to 1888. Snow was also a leading figure in Mormon colonization of Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico.Snow Canyon State Park Erastus...
in getting cattle to help with the trip west. From 1864 Miller led a group of Mormons in founding a settlement they called Millersburg at what is now Beaver Dam, Arizona
Beaver Dam, Arizona
Beaver Dam is an unincorporated community in Mohave County located in the extreme northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona, in the Arizona Strip region. It is located along Interstate 15 approximately 10 miles northeast of Mesquite, Nevada...
. After Millerburg was flooded out in 1866 Miller lived in St. George, Utah
St. George, Utah
St. George is a city located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Utah, and the county seat of Washington County, Utah. It is the principal city of and is included in the St. George, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is 119 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and 303 miles ...
for most of the remained of his life, although he died while visiting his brother in Farmington, Utah
Farmington, Utah
Farmington is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Ogden–Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 18,255 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Davis County...
.
Sources
- Keatley, John H. Hisotry of Pottawatamie County. O. L. Baskin, 1883. p. 21.
- "Missionaries of the Latter Day Saints Church in Indian Territory" Chronicles of Oklahoma Volume 13, No. 2 (June, 1935).