Ellsworth, S. George (Samuel George), 1916-1997

Samuel Claridge was born on 5 December 1828 in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshaire, England. As a young man he ran a bakery in Hemel Hempstead. On 9 December 1849 he married Charlotte Joy (born 28 September 1819). Claridge joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in June 1851 and emigrated to Utah in 1853. He established a farm and home in Nephi, Utah. He married his second wife, Rebecca Hughes, in 1865. At a conference in 1868 he was called by Brigham Young to settle the Moapa Valley in Nevada. He and some of his family lived there from 1868 until February 1871 but returned to Utah following prosecution for polygamy. They lived in Mount Carmel before joining the United Order at Orderville. He was an officer, a leader, and supporting member for nearly ten years. During those years he went to England on a proselyting mission for the LDS Church. During the fall of 1883 he moved his family to the Gila Valley, Graham County, Arizona. His tent was one of the first staked at the site of the village of Thatcher. At Thatcher he continued farming and raised his numerous children. Claridge served as bishop of Thatcher for thirteen years before he was ordained a patriarch, a position he held until his death twenty-two years later.

From the guide to the Claridge family photograph collection, 1807-1989, 1870-1949, (Utah State University. Special Collections and Archives)

Louisa Barnes Pratt was born Nov. 10, 1802 in Warwick, Massachusetts to Willard and Dolly Stephens Barnes. As a child Louisa moved to Dunham, Canada, with her family, where she ran her own sewing business. Louisa Barnes married Addison Pratt on April 3, 1831. Both were converted to the Mormon Church by Jonathan Crosby, husband of Louisa Pratt's sister, Caroline Barnes Crosby. Louisa and Addison Pratt lived in many different places throughout their lives and were separated for much of that time. During one separation from her husband, Louisa was left the task of moving her family to the Salt Lake Valley. During this trip she became determined to help women to claim their rights and have a say in councils and meetings along with the men. On one of Addison's missions to the Pacific Islands, she and her children went along. There, she taught and served the people of Tubauai, Society Islands, while also teaching her own children. After a final separation from Addison, Louisa moved back to Utah. She settled in Beaver, Utah, and lived out the rest of her life there, with occasional trips to Salt Lake City. Louisa Barnes Pratt died in her home Sept. 8, 1880.

From the description of Louisa Barnes Pratt research, 1802-1999. (Utah State University). WorldCat record id: 55114965

Historian and professor at Utah State Agricultural College.

From the description of S. George Ellsworth photograph collection, ca. 1940-1995. (Utah State University). WorldCat record id: 47186489

Samuel George Ellsworth was born on June 19, 1916, in Stafford, Arizona. He served on a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mission to the North Central State Mission before attending the Utah State Agricultural College, from which he received a degree in history and mathematics in 1941. During World War II, Elsworth served as a staff sergeant at Hammer Field in Fresno, California, and also as a chaplain in the Philippines. He received a PhD in history and philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1951, and was a professor at the Utah State Agricultural College until 1983. Ellsworth was the author of multiple books on Utah and Mormon history, and served as Curator of Local Manuscripts at Utah State University in Logan, Utah. He died on December 22, 1997.

From the description of An inventory of historical resource materials on microfilm for Cache Valley, Utah-Idaho, 1957. (Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens). WorldCat record id: 501069484

Addison Pratt was born Feb. 21, 1802 in Winchester, New Hampshire, son of Henry Pratt and Rebekah Jewell. Addison Pratt was at various times, a sailor (mainly on whaling ships), a farmer, and Mormon missionary to the Society Islands in the South Pacific. He married Louisa Barnes on April 3, 1831. Addison separated from his wife in 1858 over the planned exodus of Mormons to Utah and polygamy, staying in California with his daughter. His wife and remainder of family moved with the bulk of L.D.S. Church members to Utah. Addison Pratt died Oct. 14, 1872 in Anaheim, California. Louisa Barnes Pratt died Sept. 8, 1880 in Beaver, Utah.

From the description of Addison Pratt research, 1802-1990. (Utah State University). WorldCat record id: 55114948

From the description of Addison Pratt family papers, 1830-1931. (Utah State University). WorldCat record id: 55114926

James Clarence Ellsworth was born on May 26, 1885 in Luna Valley, New Mexico, the son of James Henry and Eliza R. McCleve Ellsworth. He married Julia Claridge on June 12, 1907. Ellsworth served on an L.D.S. mission to Australia between 1908-1910. At various periods in his life, he worked as an oiler and a sweeper, a town clerk in Safford, Arizona, and Mayor of Payson, Utah. James and Julia had five sons: James Claridge, Elmo Hughes, Spencer David, Samuel George, and Theron Charles Claridge. He died on March 7, 1970.

From the description of James Clarence Ellsworth family papers, 1900-1994. (Utah State University). WorldCat record id: 55114922

Samuel Claridge was born on Dec. 5, 1828 in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, England. On 9 December 1849 he married Charlotte Joy (born Sept. 28, 1819). Claridge joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in June 1851 and emigrated to Utah in 1853. He established a farm and home in Nephi, Utah. He married his second wife, Rebecca Hughes, in 1865. At a conference in 1868 he was called by Brigham Young to settle the Moapa Valley in Nevada. He and some of his family lived there from 1868 until Feb. 1871, but returned to Utah following prosecution for polygamy. They lived in Mt. Carmel before joining the United Order at Orderville. There, he was an officer, a leader, and supporting member for nearly ten years. During those years he went to England on a proselyting mission for the LDS Church. During the fall of 1883 he moved his family to the Gila Valley, Arizona. His tent was one of the first staked at the site of the village of Thatcher. At Thatcher he continued farming and raised his numerous children. Claridge served as bishop of Thatcher for 13 years before he was ordained a patriarch, a position he held until his death 22 years later.

From the description of Claridge family photograph collection, 1807-1989 (bulk 1870-1949). (Utah State University). WorldCat record id: 55533660

Asahel Henry Smith was born Dec. 5, 1880 to Augusta Maria Outzen and Jessie N. Smith. His father was a pioneer settler in Snowflake, Arizona, and President of the Snowflake Stake of the LDS Church. Pauline was born Mar. 26, 1885 to Ida Hunt and David K. Udall. Asahel and Pauline were married on April 2, 1909 in the Salt Lake Temple. They went on to have nine children. Asahel and Pauline lived in Snowflake, Arizona for their first year of marriage. They moved to Hunt, Arizona in 1910 and lived there until 1922. Asahel spent his time farming, ranching and serving in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Asahel served as bishop for 6 years and 5 years on the Hunt Stake High Council. In 1922, the Smith family moved back to Snowflake, Arizona. Pauline was named Stake Primary President and Asahel was named president of the High Priest Quorum; each served for 17 years. Asahel spent time as the town clerk in Snowflake, and he also worked as secretary of Snowflake and Taylor Irrigation Company. Asahel died in Snowflake on September 7, 1947. In 1950, Pauline moved to Mesa, Arizona and lived there until her death on July 24, 1968.

From the description of Asahel Henry Smith and Pauline Udall family papers, 1860-1998. (Utah State University). WorldCat record id: 55114979

S. George Ellsworth was born on June 19, 1916 in Safford, Arizona. He got a B.S. in history at Utah State Agricultural College and joined the army. After he left the army, he went back to school and received his Doctorate degree in History. He eventually became the head of the department of history at U.S.A.C. (renamed Utah State University in 1957). In 1972, Utah's heritage by S. George Ellsworth was published by Peregrine Smith Press, Salt Lake City, Utah. It became the textbook for Utah's seventh grade students on the social and geographical history of Utah. The 2nd edition was published in 1981. Of Ellsworth's many awards, one was the Mormon History Association's Book of the Year for Utah's Heritage. One article said of the book and author "Few authors of similar works have dealt with the Twentieth Century in Utah as well as Ellsworth." Also it states "George Ellsworth ... clearly shows the meticulous efforts of an author who loved his labors." S. George Ellsworth died in his home in Logan, Utah on December 22, 1997.

From the description of Utah's heritage research, 1960-1994. (Utah State University). WorldCat record id: 55114957

Historian.

From the description of Papers, 1941-1972. (Utah Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 80221927

Samuel Claridge was born Dec. 5, 1828 in England. He married Charlotte Joy (born Sept. 28, 1819) on Dec. 9, 1849. Samuel Claridge joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1851, and emigrated to Nephi, Utah in 1853. He married his second wife, Rebecca Hughes, on July 3, 1865. At a conference in Nephi, July 19-20, 1868, Samuel Claridge was called by Brigham Young to settle the Muddy in Moapa Valley, Nevada. He and some of his family lived there from 1868-1871, until the Nevada Law prosecutions began. They relocated to Mount Carmel for three years. Samuel Claridge then joined the United Order at Orderville, Utah, where he was an officer, a leader, and supporting member for nearly ten years. During those years, he also served on an LDS mission to England. In the fall of 1883, he moved his family to the Gila Valley in Arizona. There he continued farming and raising a large family: four by his first wife (Charlotte died March 1884) and fifteen by his second wife Rebecca. Samuel Claridge served as bishop of Thatcher, Arizona, for thirteen years, when he was ordained a patriarch, a position he held until his death in 1919.

From the description of Samuel Claridge research, 1864-1987. (Utah State University). WorldCat record id: 55114943

S. George Ellsworth was born June 19, 1916 in Safford, Arizona to James Clarence and Julia Claridge Ellsworth. Ellsworth served an LDS mission to the North Central State Mission 1936-1938. He returned home to his family in Logan, Utah after his mission. In Logan he attended Utah State Agricultural College (U.S.A.C.) and graduated with a B.S. in history and mathematics in 1941. S. George Ellsworth married Maria Smith, daughter of Asahel H. Smith and Pauline Udall Smith of Snowflake, Arizona, on October 24, 1942. Shortly after, Ellsworth enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force. During WWII, Ellsworth served at Hammer Field, in Fresno, California, and from January 1945 to June 1946, Ellsworth served as a Chaplain in the Philippines. From 1946-1951 Ellsworth attended the University of California at Berkeley. He received his M.A. in History in 1947. Four years later he received his Ph. D. in History and Philosophy. Ellsworth returned to Logan and taught History at U.S.A.C. (later Utah State University) for the next thirty-one years. From 1966-1969 Ellsworth served as the head of the U.S.U. Dept. of History. In 1983, Samuel George Ellsworth retired and began to research and write full-time. In addition to his distinguished career as a historian, George Ellsworth played an active role in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. George and Maria Ellsworth had two sons: Stephen George and Mark Addison Ellsworth. S. George Ellsworth passed away in his home in Logan, Utah on December 22, 1997.

From the description of S. George Ellsworth papers, 1916-1997. (Utah State University). WorldCat record id: 55114909

S. George Ellsworth was a history professor at Utah State University, specializing in Utah history, Mormon biography, and history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In addition, S. George Ellsworth was chairman of local arrangements in 1974 for the organization's annual Oral History Workshop which was held at Jackson Lake Lodge, Morgan, Wyoming on Sept. 12-15, 1974.

The Oral History Association was established in 1966 and seeks to bring together persons interested in oral history as a way of collecting human memories. The O.H.A. has an international membership, including local historians, librarians and archivists, students, journalists, teachers, and academic scholars from many fields.

From the description of Oral History Association records, 1972-1991. (Utah State University). WorldCat record id: 55114969

Samuel George Ellsworth was born on June 19, 1916 in Safford, Arizona to James Clarence and Julia Claridge Ellsworth. As a child Ellsworth grew up living in a number of different places including Arizona, Utah, California, and Missouri. He graduated from high school in Kansas City, Missouri in 1934 and attended Kansas City Junior College between 1934 and 1936 studying pre-architecture.

Ellsworth served an LDS mission to the North Central State Mission (headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota) between 1936 and 1938. As a missionary, he served as the Mission Supervisor of Sunday Schools and Mutual and as the Mission Secretary. During this time, Ellsworth's interests in history replaced his previous ambitions in architecture. Ellsworth returned home to his family in Logan, Utah after his mission. In Logan he attended Utah State Agricultural College and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in history and mathematics in June 1941. After graduation Ellsworth moved to Bunkerville, Nevada to become principal of the Virgin Valley LDS Seminary and a teacher at Virgin Valley High School from September 1941 to November 1942.

On July 4, 1942, S. George Ellsworth met Maria Smith, daughter of Asahel H. Smith and Pauline Udall Smith of Snowflake, Arizona. George and Maria Ellsworth were married in the Mesa, Arizona LDS Temple on October 24, 1942. Shortly after he married, Ellsworth enlisted in the United States Army Air Force. During the Second World War Ellsworth served as a staff sergeant, clerk, and administrative inspector at Hammer Field, in Fresno, California. From January 1945 to June 1946, Ellsworth served as a Chaplain in the Philippines.

After leaving the Army, George Ellsworth continued his education. Between 1946 and 1951 Ellsworth attended the University of California at Berkley. He received his Master of Arts degree in History in 1947 after finishing his thesis entitled "A History of Mormon Missionary Activity in the United States and Canada, 1830-1845." Four years later he received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in History and Philosophy. His completed dissertation was named "A History of Mormon Missions in the United States and Canada, 1830-1860." During his time in graduate school Ellsworth was a teaching assistant in History at the University of California, School of Agriculture at Davis, for the 1948-1949 school year. He also served as a teaching assistant at Berkley in 1949 and 1950. During the summer session of 1949 Ellsworth worked as a visiting instructor in History at Utah State Agricultural College in Logan, Utah.

After receiving his Ph.D. at Berkley, Ellsworth returned to Logan and taught History at USAC for the next thirty-one years. He began in January 1951 as an assistant professor of History. In July 1954 he became an associate professor, and in March 1963 he was promoted to full professor. From 1966 to1969 Ellsworth served as the head of the Department of History. His teaching at USAC included classes in Western Civilization, Greek History, Roman History, History of Utah, Social History of the United States, American Philosophy, Recent United States History, Hispanic American History, Colonial Latin America, Sources and Literature, Introduction to Historical Research, Historical Method and Research, and Ancient World Civilization. During his career, Ellsworth served as a visiting professor at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia in 1954 and Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah in 1956. In 1983, Samuel George Ellsworth retired and became a Professor Emeritus.

In addition to his long teaching career at Utah State Agricultural College (in 1957 the college changed its name to Utah State University), George Ellsworth was also a member of many local, state, and national historical associations. Some of these associations included the American Historical Association; the Organization of American Historians; the Western History Association; the Mormon History Association; the Oral History Association; Utah State Historical Society; Cache Valley Historical Society; Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters; Phi Alpha Theta; Phi Kappa Phi; the Heritage Committee of the Utah American Revolution Bicentennial Commission; and the Utah Endowment for the Humanities. Ellsworth served two terms as president of the Cache Valley Historical Society between 1954 and 1956. He was a member of the executive council in the Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. He was the president of the Faculty Association at Utah State University during the 1962-1963 school year. He was the co-founder of the Western Historical Quarterly (the journal of the Western History Association) with Leonard Arrington and became the managing editor of the journal from 1969 to 1979. Ellsworth also served as a member of the board of directors for the American Issues Forum and a member of the executive committee for the Utah Endowment for the Humanities.

George Ellsworth received a number of prominent awards during his career in History. In 1959, George Ellsworth was the Faculty Honor Lecturer of the Utah State University Faculty Association. His lecture, "Zion in Paradise: Early Mormons in the South Seas," was published that same year (Logan, Utah: The Faculty Association, Utah State University, 1959). Ellsworth received the Professor of the Year, Utah State University, Robins Award, in 1965. He was awarded the Mormon History Association Book of the Year Award for Utah's Heritage in April 1973. He became a Fellow in the Utah State Historical Society of September 1973. In 1974 Ellsworth was given the Award of Merit by the American Association for State and Local History. He was awarded an Honorary Life Membership in the Western History Association in 1984. In 1990 George Ellsworth received the Distinguished Service Award from Utah State University.

During his career, Ellsworth wrote numerous articles, reviews, and encyclopedia entries dealing with LDS and Utah History. In 1972, Ellsworth's textbook Utah's Heritage, a history textbook devoted to Utah History, was published. This textbook became the primary text for seventh-grade study of the geography, history, people, and culture of Utah in classrooms across the state. A second edition of the text was published in 1985. Ellsworth also published Dear Ellen: Two Mormon Women and Their Letters in 1974. This book examined the letters of two Mormon women. The first was the first wife of a very prominent Latter-Day Saint leader and polygamist, while the second was the wife of an LDS pioneer who did not practice polygamy.

After thirty-one years as a professor at Utah State University, Ellsworth retired in 1983 and began to research and write full-time. He conducted the research for four major projects in the lives of his own ancestors. The first of these projects looked at the Mormon pioneer outposts of Mount Carmel and Orderville in Utah. Ellsworth's grandfather, Samuel Claridge, had been a leader in the United Order at these settlements. His subsequent book, Samuel Claridge: Pioneering the Outposts of Zion (1987), traces the life of his grandfather.

After his research on Samuel Claridge, Ellsworth began to collect the papers of two of Maria's ancestors, both of whom were important figures in Mormon missionary history. In 1990, The Journals of Addison Pratt was published. This project was an effort to edit and publish the journals of Addison Pratt, an early Mormon missionary to the Society Islands in the South Pacific. Addison Pratt was the great, great-grandfather of Maria Smith. The History of Louisa Barnes Pratt, was published the year after Ellsworth's death in 1997. In this book Ellsworth once again edited the journals of a family member. Louisa Barnes Pratt was the wife of Addison Pratt and worked with her husband in the Society Islands. She is considered to be the first female Latter-Day Saint missionary.

Seasons of Faith and Courage: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in French Polynesia A Sesquicentennial History, 1843-1993 was a joint project with Kathleen C. Perrin and was published in 1994. This book discusses the history of the LDS congregations in French Polynesia. Kathleen C. Perrin served with her husband over the Tahiti Papeete Mission from 1989 to 1992 and has a bachelor's degree in French and the Humanities from Brigham Young University.

In addition to his distinguished career as a historian, George Ellsworth played an active role in his callings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and in his own family. George and Maria Ellsworth have two sons: Stephen George and Mark Addison and three grandchildren. Samuel George Ellsworth passed away in his home in Logan, Utah on December 22, 1997.

From the guide to the S. George Ellsworth papers, 1916-1997, (Utah State University. Special Collections and Archives)

Samuel George Ellsworth was born on June 19, 1916 in Safford, Arizona. He graduated from high school in Kansas City, Missouri, then attended Kansas City Junior College in 1935 and 1936. After serving an LDS mission to the North Central State Mission, he attended Utah State Agricultural College where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in history and mathematics in June 1941. During World War II Ellsworth served as a staff sergeant, clerk, and administrative inspector at Hammer Field in Fresno, California. From January 1945 to June 1946, Ellsworth served as a Chaplain in the Philippines. After leaving the Army, Ellsworth continued his education at the University of California at Berkley where he received his Master of Arts degree in History in 1947, and his Ph.D. in History and Philosophy in 1951. He returned to the Utah State Agricultural College where he taught until his retirement in 1983.

In addition to his long teaching career, George Ellsworth published extensively and was a member of many local, state, and national historical associations. He received a number of prominent awards and wrote numerous articles, reviews, and encyclopedia entries dealing with LDS and Utah history. Ellsworth is perhaps best known for his seventh-grade textbook Utah's Heritage . This textbook came out in 1972 and a second edition was published in 1985. Ellsworth also published Dear Ellen: Two Mormon Women and Their Letters in 1974, The Journals of Addison Pratt in 1990, Seasons of Faith and courage: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in French Polynesia A Sesquicentennial History, 1843-1993 (a joint project with Kathleen C. Perrin) in 1994, and The History of Louisa Barnes Pratt came after his death in 1998.

On October 24, 1942 George Ellsworth married Maria Smith. The couple would have two sons, Stephen and Mark. Ellsworth passed away in his home in Logan, Utah on December 22, 1997.

From the guide to the S. George Ellsworth photograph collection, ca. 1940-1995, (Utah State University. Merrill-Cazier Library. Special Collections and Archives)