Jacob, Norton, 1804-1879

Norton Jacob was born in Sheffield, Massachusetts, on August 11, 1804. Influenced by the writings of Parley Pratt, he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1841 while living in Illinois. Jacob moved with the Mormons to Nauvoo in 1842, in time to witness the laying of the cornerstone of the Navuoo Temple. He learned of the death of Joseph Smith while on a mission to Michigan, where Jacob had been campaigning for Smith as a candidate for the U.S. presidency. Jacob returned to Illinois and worked on the Nauvoo Temple before departing for Salt Lake City with the Mormon Vanguard Brigade of 1847. He briefly returned to Winter Quarters, Nebraska, before moving permanently to Utah with his family in 1848. He lived in various settlements throughout Utah and operated one of the first mills in the region. Jacob died in Glenwood, Utah, in January 1879.

From the description of Diary and autobiography of Norton Jacob, 1844-1851. (Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens). WorldCat record id: 676830582