Nathaniel H. Felt
Encyclopedia
Nathaniel Henry Felt was a member of the Utah Territorial Legislature and a mid-level leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the 19th Century.
Felt was born in Salem, Massachusetts
to Nathaniel Felt and his wife the former Hannah Reeves. The older Felt died when Nathaniel H. was seven. Felt studied in local schools until age 15 when he became an apprentice to a tailor. With the aid of an older brother he later set up a tailor shop with multiple employees and was then involved in trade with China and parts of west Africa.
On 3 October 1839 Felt married Eliza Ann Preston. In 1842 they joined The LDS Church. Starting in late 1843 Felt served as president of the Salen Branch of the Church. In 1845 he moved to Nauvoo and donated carpets and furniture to be used as furnishings in the Nauvoo Temple. Felt was involved in the Battle of Nauvoo serving under the overall command of Daniel H. Wells
. Shortly after this Felt became ill and so went to St. Louis, Missouri
to try to regain his health, this was in the fall of 1846.
In February 1847 Felt was appointed president of the St. Louis Conference (roughly equivalent to a District
in present LDS Church organization) which had somewhere between 7000 and 10,000 Latter-day Saints under its jurisdiction. Besides various branches in St. Louis, Felt also supervised branches in Alton, Illinois
and Gravois. Felt also oversaw the purchasing of supplies and for and the chartering of steamboats for the British Mormons who would stop in St. Louis on their way to Utah. Another major activity of Felt while in St. Louis was giving priesthood blessings, visiting and comforting the sick, and other such things during the cholera epidemic.
After serving as conference president for slightly more than three years Felt was released in 1850 and started west with his wife and three children. He crossed the plains in the company of Joseph L. Heywood
and Edwin D. Woolley
which primarily consisted of wagons carrying goods bought by the Church to try to avoid paying exorbitant rates charged by some merchants in Utah.
Felt arrived in Utah in October 1850 and was appointed an alderman of Salt Lake City in January 1851. In August 1851 Felt was elected to the Utah Territorial Legislature. During the early 1850s he also helped George A. Smith
in founding the town of Parowan, Utah
. In the same year Felt was called as a traveling bishop of the LDS Church, with the assignment to instruct local bishops in various locations on the proper methods of processing and recording tithing and other donations.
In 1852 Felt was appointed chaplain of the Nauvoo Legion
(the name then used by the Utah Territorial Militia) with the rank of colonel and standing on the general staff. In 1854 Felt entered the practice of plural marriage, marrying Sarah Strange as his second wife. In 1854-1856 Felt served as a missionary in New York City
where he served as assistant editor of The Mormon under John Taylor.
Later in 1856 Felt married his third and last wife, Mary Louisa Pile. In 1858 Felt received the contract to supply grain to Camp Floyd
. He set up a grain distribution system with locations in Salt Lake City, Nephi, Utah
and Ephraim, Utah
.
From 1865-1867 Felt served a mission to Great Britain, for part of this time serving as president of the London District. From November 1869-May 1870 Felt served a mission in New England.
236.
Felt was born in Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
to Nathaniel Felt and his wife the former Hannah Reeves. The older Felt died when Nathaniel H. was seven. Felt studied in local schools until age 15 when he became an apprentice to a tailor. With the aid of an older brother he later set up a tailor shop with multiple employees and was then involved in trade with China and parts of west Africa.
On 3 October 1839 Felt married Eliza Ann Preston. In 1842 they joined The LDS Church. Starting in late 1843 Felt served as president of the Salen Branch of the Church. In 1845 he moved to Nauvoo and donated carpets and furniture to be used as furnishings in the Nauvoo Temple. Felt was involved in the Battle of Nauvoo serving under the overall command of Daniel H. Wells
Daniel H. Wells
Daniel Hanmer Wells was an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the third mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, United States....
. Shortly after this Felt became ill and so went to St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
to try to regain his health, this was in the fall of 1846.
In February 1847 Felt was appointed president of the St. Louis Conference (roughly equivalent to a District
District (LDS Church)
A district of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative unit composed of a number of congregations called branches. A district is a subdivision of a mission of the church and in many ways is analogous to a stake of the church. The leader of a district is the...
in present LDS Church organization) which had somewhere between 7000 and 10,000 Latter-day Saints under its jurisdiction. Besides various branches in St. Louis, Felt also supervised branches in Alton, Illinois
Alton, Illinois
Alton is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 27,865 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area in Southern Illinois...
and Gravois. Felt also oversaw the purchasing of supplies and for and the chartering of steamboats for the British Mormons who would stop in St. Louis on their way to Utah. Another major activity of Felt while in St. Louis was giving priesthood blessings, visiting and comforting the sick, and other such things during the cholera epidemic.
After serving as conference president for slightly more than three years Felt was released in 1850 and started west with his wife and three children. He crossed the plains in the company of Joseph L. Heywood
Joseph L. Heywood
Joseph L. Heywood was a local leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the 19th century, and the founder of Nephi, Utah....
and Edwin D. Woolley
Edwin D. Woolley
Edwin Dilworth Woolley, Sr. was a Mormon pioneer, an early Latter-day Saint bishop in Salt Lake City, and a businessman in early Utah Territory who operated mills....
which primarily consisted of wagons carrying goods bought by the Church to try to avoid paying exorbitant rates charged by some merchants in Utah.
Felt arrived in Utah in October 1850 and was appointed an alderman of Salt Lake City in January 1851. In August 1851 Felt was elected to the Utah Territorial Legislature. During the early 1850s he also helped George A. Smith
George A. Smith
George Albert Smith was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and as a member of the church's First Presidency.-Childhood:Smith was born in Potsdam, St...
in founding the town of Parowan, Utah
Parowan, Utah
Parowan is a city in and the county seat of Iron County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,790 at the 2010 census.Parowan became the first incorporated city in Iron County in 1851. A fort that had been constructed on the east side of Center Creek the previous year was an initial in the...
. In the same year Felt was called as a traveling bishop of the LDS Church, with the assignment to instruct local bishops in various locations on the proper methods of processing and recording tithing and other donations.
In 1852 Felt was appointed chaplain of the Nauvoo Legion
Nauvoo Legion
The Nauvoo Legion was a militia originally organized by the Latter Day Saints to defend the city of Nauvoo, Illinois, . To curry political favor with the ambiguously-political Saints, the Illinois state legislature granted Nauvoo a liberal city charter that gave the Nauvoo Legion extraordinary...
(the name then used by the Utah Territorial Militia) with the rank of colonel and standing on the general staff. In 1854 Felt entered the practice of plural marriage, marrying Sarah Strange as his second wife. In 1854-1856 Felt served as a missionary in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where he served as assistant editor of The Mormon under John Taylor.
Later in 1856 Felt married his third and last wife, Mary Louisa Pile. In 1858 Felt received the contract to supply grain to Camp Floyd
Camp Floyd
Camp Floyd was a short-lived U.S. Army post near Fairfield, Utah, United States. The site is now a Utah state park known as Camp Floyd / Stagecoach Inn State Park and Museum.-Camp Floyd:...
. He set up a grain distribution system with locations in Salt Lake City, Nephi, Utah
Nephi, Utah
Nephi is a city in Juab County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,733 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Juab County. It was settled by Mormon pioneers in 1851, and is the principal city in Juab Valley, an...
and Ephraim, Utah
Ephraim, Utah
Ephraim is a city in Sanpete County, Utah, United States. The population was 6,135 at the 2010 census, making it the largest city in Sanpete County. It is the location of Snow College and is located along U.S. Route 89.-History:Ephraim was founded in 1854...
.
From 1865-1867 Felt served a mission to Great Britain, for part of this time serving as president of the London District. From November 1869-May 1870 Felt served a mission in New England.
Sources
- Orson F. Whitney. History of Utah: Biographical. p. 548-550.
- excerpt from Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah
- bio of Felt entitled An Essex County Man's Silver Cord by Fred E. Woods and Jonathan C. Felt. In turn this article is largely the same as Fred E. Woods, “Nathaniel H. Felt: An Essex County Man,” in Regional Studies In Latter-day Saint Church History
- The New England, eds. Donald Q. CannonDonald Q. CannonDonald Quayle Cannon is a retired professor at Brigham Young University who specializes in Mormon history, particularly early Mormon history and international Mormon history....
, Arnold K. GarrArnold K. GarrArnold Kent Garr is the chair of the department of Church history and Doctrine in the Religious Education Division of Brigham Young University . He was also the lead editor of the Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History....
and Bruce A. Van Orden, (Provo: Religious Studies Center: Brigham Young UniversityBrigham Young UniversityBrigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
, 2004), p. 219-
236.