William W. Cluff
Encyclopedia
William Wallace Cluff was an American
Latter-day Saint missionary and leader in the 19th Century, and a member of the Utah Territorial Legislature.
Cluff was born in Willoughby
, Lake County, Ohio
. His parents David Cluff (Clough) and Sr. and Elizabeth (Betsey) Hall joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when Cluff was about one. In 1837 they moved west, intending to go to Missouri, but were delayed by illness and stopped in Springfield, Illinois
. In 1840 they moved to Nauvoo
to be with the body of the Church, and then moved west in 1846.
He arrived in Utah in 1850, and in 1853 he served in the Nauvoo Legion
during the Walker War. From 1854-1858 Cluff served as a missionary in Hawaii, and from 1860-1863 he served another mission, this time in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. In October 1863 he married Ann Whipple.
In 1864 Cluff went to Sandwich Islands
(Hawaii) with Lorenzo Snow
, Joseph F. Smith
, Ezra T. Benson
and Alma T. Smith to respond to messages from Jonathan Napela and other local elders that Walter M. Gibson, who had been sent by Brigham Young
to preside over the Church in Hawaii, which was committing irregularities such as selling the priesthood. Upon approaching the shore, their boat was capsized and Lorenzo Snow went under the water. Cluff found and dragged Apostle Snow's body to shore and gave him resuscitation after working with him for several minutes. The companions thought that Apostle Snow had died, but Cluff said "No, the Lord would not allow him to die being so far away from home" and Snow was saved from drowning. Cluff and the others were able to reestablish regular order in the Church while in Hawaii. After this Cluff returned to Utah.
In 1865 Cluff was called as regional presiding bishop over Morgan County, Utah
, Summit County, Utah
and Wasatch County, Utah
. From this point one, except for a mission in 1870-1871 to Scandinavia, Cluff resided in Coalville, Utah
. He served in two Utah Constitutional conventions during the 1870s and 1880s (both of which ended up being without effect since Utah was denied statehood) and also six terms in the Utah Territorial Legislature.
From 1877-1901 Cluff served as president of the Summitt Stake, which included all of Summit County, Utah.
Cluff was elected to the Utah Territorial House of Representatives in 1865 for the disctict including Summit County, Utah
and Green River County, Utah. He served there until 1870. After being replaced by Orrin S. Lee for one term he was again in the territorial house for the 1874 term. In the next election in 1876 Cluff was elected to the upper house of the state legislature, known as the Council. He was one of four councilors elected jointly from Salt Lake, Tooelle and Summit Counties. The other three were Wilford Woodruff
, Robert T. Burton
and John T. Caine. In 1882 council districts were redrawn and Summit was put with Wasatch County
(centered around Heber City), Uintah County, Utah
(the main city in this county is Vernal, Utah
) and Morgan County
. Cluff was elected as the Councilor from this new district. In 1884 Cluff was also made the president of the Council. This was Cluff's last term in the territorial legislature. He was succeeded by Samuel Francis
.
Family
Spouse:
Married Ann Whipple October 24, 1863, in Pine Valley, Washington Co., UT.
Ann Whipple Cluff (1842 - 1927)
Children:
Erastus Eli Cluff (1869 - 1871)
Albian Whipple Cluff (1873 - 1879)
Edwin Cluff (1873 - 1873)
Flora Marian Cluff Eldredge (1879 - 1953)
Joseph Fielding Cluff (1884 - 1884)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Latter-day Saint missionary and leader in the 19th Century, and a member of the Utah Territorial Legislature.
Cluff was born in Willoughby
Willoughby, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 22,621 people, 10,265 households, and 5,892 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,225.3 people per square mile . There were 10,700 housing units at an average density of 1,052.6 per square mile...
, Lake County, Ohio
Lake County, Ohio
Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of 2010, the population was 230,041. The county seat is Painesville, and the county name comes from its location on the southern shore of Lake Erie....
. His parents David Cluff (Clough) and Sr. and Elizabeth (Betsey) Hall joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when Cluff was about one. In 1837 they moved west, intending to go to Missouri, but were delayed by illness and stopped in Springfield, Illinois
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
. In 1840 they moved to Nauvoo
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...
to be with the body of the Church, and then moved west in 1846.
He arrived in Utah in 1850, and in 1853 he served in 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...
during the Walker War. From 1854-1858 Cluff served as a missionary in Hawaii, and from 1860-1863 he served another mission, this time in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. In October 1863 he married Ann Whipple.
In 1864 Cluff went to Sandwich Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
(Hawaii) with Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow was the fifth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1898 to his death. Snow was the last president of the LDS Church in the nineteenth century.-Family:...
, Joseph F. Smith
Joseph F. Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith, Sr. was the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
, Ezra T. Benson
Ezra T. Benson
Ezra Taft Benson was as an apostle and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .-Early life:Benson was born in Mendon, Massachusetts, the son of John Benson and...
and Alma T. Smith to respond to messages from Jonathan Napela and other local elders that Walter M. Gibson, who had been sent 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...
to preside over the Church in Hawaii, which was committing irregularities such as selling the priesthood. Upon approaching the shore, their boat was capsized and Lorenzo Snow went under the water. Cluff found and dragged Apostle Snow's body to shore and gave him resuscitation after working with him for several minutes. The companions thought that Apostle Snow had died, but Cluff said "No, the Lord would not allow him to die being so far away from home" and Snow was saved from drowning. Cluff and the others were able to reestablish regular order in the Church while in Hawaii. After this Cluff returned to Utah.
In 1865 Cluff was called as regional presiding bishop over Morgan County, Utah
Morgan County, Utah
Morgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2010 the population was 9,469. It was named for Jedediah Morgan Grant, father of Heber J. Grant, who served as president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
, Summit County, Utah
Summit County, Utah
Summit County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah, occupying a rugged and mountainous area. In 2010 its population was 36,324. It is part of the Salt Lake City Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Salt Lake City–Ogden–Clearfield Combined Statistical Area. The county is...
and Wasatch County, Utah
Wasatch County, Utah
Wasatch County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. It was named for a Ute Indian word meaning mountain pass or low place in the high mountains. Its county seat and largest city is Heber City.The county is governed by a county council with an appointed county manager.Wasatch County is...
. From this point one, except for a mission in 1870-1871 to Scandinavia, Cluff resided in Coalville, Utah
Coalville, Utah
Coalville is a city in Summit County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,382 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Summit County...
. He served in two Utah Constitutional conventions during the 1870s and 1880s (both of which ended up being without effect since Utah was denied statehood) and also six terms in the Utah Territorial Legislature.
From 1877-1901 Cluff served as president of the Summitt Stake, which included all of Summit County, Utah.
Cluff was elected to the Utah Territorial House of Representatives in 1865 for the disctict including Summit County, Utah
Summit County, Utah
Summit County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah, occupying a rugged and mountainous area. In 2010 its population was 36,324. It is part of the Salt Lake City Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Salt Lake City–Ogden–Clearfield Combined Statistical Area. The county is...
and Green River County, Utah. He served there until 1870. After being replaced by Orrin S. Lee for one term he was again in the territorial house for the 1874 term. In the next election in 1876 Cluff was elected to the upper house of the state legislature, known as the Council. He was one of four councilors elected jointly from Salt Lake, Tooelle and Summit Counties. The other three were Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
, Robert T. Burton
Robert T. Burton
Robert Taylor Burton was a member of the presiding bishopric of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1874 until his death...
and John T. Caine. In 1882 council districts were redrawn and Summit was put with Wasatch County
Wasatch County, Utah
Wasatch County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. It was named for a Ute Indian word meaning mountain pass or low place in the high mountains. Its county seat and largest city is Heber City.The county is governed by a county council with an appointed county manager.Wasatch County is...
(centered around Heber City), Uintah County, Utah
Uintah County, Utah
This page deals with the Utah County. For the Wyoming County, see Uinta County, Wyoming.Uintah County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 25,224 and by 2009 was estimated at 31,536. It was named for the Ute Indians, the tribe that lives in the basin. Its...
(the main city in this county is Vernal, Utah
Vernal, Utah
Vernal, Uintah County's largest city, is located in eastern Utah near the Colorado State Line, and 175 miles east of Salt Lake City. It is bordered on the north by the Uinta Mountains, one of the few mountains ranges in the world which lie in an east-west rather than the usual north to south...
) and Morgan County
Morgan County, Utah
Morgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2010 the population was 9,469. It was named for Jedediah Morgan Grant, father of Heber J. Grant, who served as president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
. Cluff was elected as the Councilor from this new district. In 1884 Cluff was also made the president of the Council. This was Cluff's last term in the territorial legislature. He was succeeded by Samuel Francis
Samuel Francis
Samuel Todd Francis, known as Sam Francis , was an iconoclastic anti-capitalist paleoconservative columnist, nationally syndicated in America, known for his controversial views on immigration, multiculturalism, miscegenation, and his involvement in debates concerning other controversial issues of...
.
Family
Spouse:
Married Ann Whipple October 24, 1863, in Pine Valley, Washington Co., UT.
Ann Whipple Cluff (1842 - 1927)
Children:
Erastus Eli Cluff (1869 - 1871)
Albian Whipple Cluff (1873 - 1879)
Edwin Cluff (1873 - 1873)
Flora Marian Cluff Eldredge (1879 - 1953)
Joseph Fielding Cluff (1884 - 1884)