John Mills Whitaker Papers: Finding Aid
Finding aid prepared by Mitchell W. K. Toda, May 8, 2002.
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical
Gardens
Manuscripts Department
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2129
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
© 2002
The Huntington Library. All rights reserved.
Overview of the Collection
Title: John Mills Whitaker Papers
Dates (inclusive): 1883-1960
Bulk dates: 1883-1949
Collection Number: mssWhitaker papers
Creator:
Whitaker, John Mills, 1863-1960.
Extent: 40 pieces in 2 boxes.
Repository:
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.
Manuscripts Department
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2129
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
Abstract: This collection consists of the typed transcripts of the journals keep by Mormon missionary and active church member John
Mills
Whitaker (1863-1960) and a typed transcript of the funeral service held for him. The
journals cover the majority of Whitaker’s life and discuss both his personal and professional life in Utah between 1883 and
1960.
Language: English.
Access
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services
Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.
Administrative Information
Publication Rights
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to
quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such
activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is
one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item]. John Mills Whitaker Papers, The Huntington Library, San
Marino, California.
Provenance
Acquired on January 5, 1956.
A photocopy of a transcript of the funeral service of John Mills Whitaker
(1863-1960) was a gift of Eugene T. Whitaker, on May 5, 1975.
Related Materials in the Huntington Library
Forms part of the Mormon File, 1807-1962.
Biographical Note
John Mills Whitaker (1863-1960) was born in Centerville, Utah. His parents were
Thomas William and Elizabeth Mills Whitaker. At an early age he studied the Isaac
Pitman system of shorthand. With this skill Whitaker began recording speeches and
sermons given in the Mormon Church.
While going to school at the University of Deseret he began working part time for
Franklin Dewey Richards (1821-1899). In 1886, Whitaker married Ida Oakley Taylor,
the daughter of John Taylor (1808-1887), the then president of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints. They went on to have 9 children.
Whitaker helped establish the Salt Lake Stake Library and Free Reading Room, was
secretary to John Willard Young (1844-1924) while he owned the Salt lake and Fort
Douglas Railway and assisted him in establishing the Utah Western Railway Company,
was secretary for the Deseret Sunday School Union, took part in the Eastern States
Mission, was involved in the prohibition movement, developed curriculum and taught
at the Granite Seminary School, and helped in public welfare programs after the
depression of 1929.
He also found the time to serve as bishop of the Sugar House ward and to transcribe
all of his yearly journals from shorthand into typewritten transcripts.
Bibliography
University of Utah. Libraries. Western Americana Dept.
Register of The Papers of John Mills Whitaker (Salt Lake City, Utah: University of Utah, 1969). Manuscript reference CD 3549.5 .U88 no. 2
Scope and Content
This collection consists of the typed transcripts of the journals keep by John Mills
Whitaker (1863-1960) and a typed transcript of the funeral service held for him. The
journals cover the majority of Whitaker’s life and discuss both his personal as well
as professional life.
Several journals deal with his functions as a secretary to Franklin Dewey Richards
(1821-1899) where Whitaker discusses the political oppression of the Mormons by the
United States government, the public and political opposition to the practice of
polygamy, and the persecution of the Mormons. Some of the people covered in these
journals include George Quayle Cannon (1827-1901), Grover Cleveland (1837-1908),
Erastus Fairbanks Snow (1818-1888), Lorenzo Snow (1814- 1901), and Wilford Woodruff
(1807-1898).
Other journals deal with Whitaker’s functions as secretary to John Willard Young
(1844-1924), and he discusses in detail the financial aspects of the railroads being
built in Utah, public education, and the statehood of Utah. In later journals
Whitaker discusses Brigham Henry Roberts (1857-1933) and Reed Smoot (1862-1941) and
their problems in dealing with the U. S. Congress.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in the following manner:
1. Journals – folder titles have been copied from the original folders that the collection was housed in when they first arrived
at the library (Box 1)
2. Journals and funeral service transcript (Box 2)
Indexing Terms
Subjects
Cleveland, Grover,
1837-1908.
Whitaker, John Mills,
1863-1960.
Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints. Eastern States Mission.
Deseret Sunday School
Union.
University of
Deseret.
Utah Western Railway
Company.
Curriculum planning -- Utah.
Depressions -- 1929 -- United
States.
Education -- Utah.
Libraries -- Utah -- History -- 19th
century -- Sources.
Libraries -- Utah -- History -- 20th
century -- Sources.
Mormon Church -- Bishops.
Mormon Church -- Doctrines --
Polygamy.
Mormon Church -- Utah -- History --
19th century -- Sources.
Mormon Church -- Utah -- History --
20th century -- Sources.
Mormon Church -- Political
activity.
Mormon Church -- Public
opinion.
Mormons -- Archival
resources.
Mormons -- Civil rights.
Mormons -- Doctrines.
Mormons -- Education.
Mormons -- Legal status, laws,
etc.
Mormons -- Missions.
Mormons -- Persecutions.
Mormons -- Political activity --
History -- 19th century.
Mormons -- Political activity --
History -- 20th century.
Mormons -- Social conditions.
Mormons -- Utah -- History -- 19th
century -- Sources.
Mormons -- Utah -- History -- 20th
century -- Sources.
Mormons -- Utah -- Social life and
customs.
Polygamy -- Religious aspects -- Mormon
Church.
Prohibition -- Utah.
Public schools -- Utah.
Public welfare -- United States --
History.
Railroads -- Utah.
Shorthand.
Sunday schools -- History.
Theology -- Study and teaching --
United States.
Utah --
Statehood.
Centerville (Utah) --
Description and travel.
Forms/Genres
Diaries -- Utah -- 19th century.
Diaries -- Utah -- 20th century.
Additional Contributors
Cannon, George Q. (George Quayle),
1827-1901.
Cleveland, Grover, 1837-1908.
Richards, F. D. (Franklin Dewey),
1821-1899.
Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry),
1857-1933.
Smoot, Reed, 1862-1941.
Snow, Erastus Fairbanks, 1818-1888.
Snow, Lorenzo, 1814-1901.
Taylor, John, 1808-1887.
Woodruff, Wilford, 1807-1898.
Young, John W. (John Willard),
1844-1924.
Journals and funeral transcript
Note
Folder titles have been copied from the original folders that the collection was housed in when they first arrived at the
library.
Folder 1
1847-1883
Commencement of Daily Journals Data and historical matters 1847 to 1883 No 1 [15 p.]
Folder 2
1883-1886
Daily Journal No 2 Jany 1883 to May 1886 [30 p.]
Folder 3
1886
Journal No 3 Jany 1886 to May 1886 [10 p.]
Folder 4
1886-1887
Journal No 4 May 1886 to September 1887 [62 p.]
Folder 5
1887-1888
Journal No 5 Sept 1887 to Sept 1888 [54 p.]
Folder 6
1888-1889
Journal No 6 Sept 1888 to March 1889 [34 p.]
Folder 7
1889-1890
Journal No 7 March 1889 to March 1890 [29 p.]
Folder 8
1890-1897
Journal No 8 March 1890 to Dec 3 1897 [60 p., also includes 1 newspaper clipping, 1 of 2 folders]
Folder 9
1890-1897
Journal No 8 March 1890 to Dec 3 1897 [69 p., 2 of 2 folders]
Folder 10
1892-1899
Journal No 9 Dec. 3 – 1897 to July 1899 [85 p.]
Folder 11
1899-1916
Journal No 10 May 23 1899 to Feby 1 – 1916 [111 p., 1 of 2 folders]
Folder 12
1899-1916
Journal No 10 May 23 1899 to Feby 1 – 1916 [123 p., 2 of 2 folders]
Box 2
Journals (continued) and funeral service transcript
Folder 1
1915-1921
First part Journal No 11 June 1915 to Dec 31 – 1921; 2nd Part Journal # 11 Feby 3 – 1916 to March 14 – 1920 [86 p.]
Folder 2
1922
Finished Copy 1922 – Jany 1 to Dec 31 – 1922 [3 p.]
Folder 3
1923
Daily Journal – Finished Copy Duplicate enclosed 1923 – # 13 [7 p.]
Folder 4
1924
Daily Journal – Finished Copy Duplicate enclosed 1924 – # 14 [3 p.]
Folder 5
1925
Daily Journal – Finished Copy Duplicate enclosed 1925 – # 15 [8 p.]
Folder 6
1926
Daily Journal – Finished Copy Duplicate enclosed 1926 – # 16 [4 p.]
Folder 7
1927
Daily Journal – Finished Copy Duplicate enclosed 1927 – # 17 [7 p.]
Folder 8
1928
Daily Journal – Finished Copy Duplicate filed with original here 1928 - # 18 [6 p.]
Folder 9
1929
Daily Journal – Finished Copy Duplicate filed with original here 1929 - # 19 [12 p.]
Folder 10
1930
Daily Journal Finished Copy Duplicate filed with original & Paper 1930 - # 20 [26 p., also includes 1 newspaper clipping]
Folder 11
1931
Daily Journal – Finished Copy. Duplicate filed with original papers – 1931 – 21 [34 p.]
Folder 12
1932
Daily Journal – Finished Copy Duplicate filed with original 1932. # 22 [19 p.]
Folder 13
1933
Daily Journal – Finished Copy Duplicate filed with original # 23 – 1933 [20 p., also includes 3 pieces of correspondence,
1 photograph, and 1 newspaper clipping]
Folder 14
1934
Daily Journal – Finished Copy Duplicate filed with original # 24 – 1934 [15 p., also includes 2 pieces of correspondence,
1 photograph, 1 newspaper clipping]
Folder 15
1935
Daily Journal – Finished Copy Duplicate filed with original # 25 – 1935 [7 p.]
Folder 16
1936
Daily Journal – Finished Copy Duplicate filed with original # 26 – 1936 [14 p.]
Folder 17
1937
Finished Daily Journal – 1937 – In duplicate see original file # 27 [38 p., 31 of those pages are part of a booklet, Funerary
services for Elizabeth Mills Whitaker]
Folder 18
1938
1938 Finished Daily Journal In Duplicate (# 28) [5 p.]
Folder 19
1939
1939 Finished Daily Journal In duplicate # 29 [8 p.]
Folder 20
1940
1940 Finished Daily Journal In duplicate # 30 [2 p.]
Folder 21
1941
Finished Copy Daily Journal In duplicate 1941 - # 31 [5 p., also includes 1 piece of ephemera and 1 newspaper clipping]
Folder 22
1942
Finished Copy Daily Journal In duplicate 1942 - # 32 [8 p., also includes 1 newspaper clipping]
Folder 23
1943
Finished Copy Daily Journal In duplicate 1943 - # 33 [5 p.]
Folder 24
1944
Finished Copy Daily Journal In duplicate 1944 - # 34 [3 p.]
Folder 25
1945
Finished Copy Daily Journal In duplicate 1945 - # 35 [2 p.]
Folder 26
1946
Finished Copy Daily Journal In duplicate – 1946 - # 36 [24 p., 19 of these pages consist of a typed transcript of the funeral
services for Ida Oakley Taylor Whitaker]
Folder 27
1947
Finished Copy Daily Journal In duplicate – 1947 - # 37 [11 p.]
Folder 28
1948
Finished Copy Daily Journal In duplicate – 1948 - # 38 [11 p.]
Folder 29
1949
Finished Copy Daily Journal In duplicate – 1949 - # 39 [3 p.]
Folder 30
1960
Transcript of the funeral services for John Mills Whitaker, 1863-1960 [20 p.]
