Inventory of the Howard O. Spencer Correspondence

Sara Gunasekara
Department of Special Collections
General Library
University of California, Davis
Davis, CA 95616-5292
Phone: (530) 752-1621
Fax: (530) 754-5758
Email: speccoll@ucdavis.edu
© 2013
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.


Creator: Spencer, Howard O.
Title: Howard O. Spencer Correspondence
Date (inclusive): 1874-1886
Extent: 0.2 linear feet
Abstract: Howard O. Spencer (1838-1918) served as a Mormon missionary in England and was an early settler of the town of Orderville, Utah. The collection contains eighteen letters, the majority of which are written by Spencer to his family while he was serving as a missionary in England. Also included is one letter written to Spencer by Brigham Young Jr. while Young was in England. The letters discuss Spencer's life in England, family news, and religion.
Physical location: Researchers should contact Special Collections to request collections, as many are stored offsite.
Repository: University of California, Davis. General Library. Dept. of Special Collections.
Davis, California 95616-5292
Collection number: MC254
Language of Material: Collection materials in English.

Biography

Howard Orson Spencer was born on June 16, 1838 to Orson and Catherine Curtis Spencer in Middlefield, Massachusetts.
He served as a Mormon missionary in England from 1869-1870 and 1877-1879. According to his sister's book, Life Sketches of Orson Spencer: "In the Fall of 1874, he [Howard] was called by President Young to go to Long Valley in the southern part of Utah and preside. The next spring the people there commenced to live in the United Order, from which the settlement dervied the name Orderville."
Howard Spencer had several wives. He was married in 1860 to Louisa Cross (1841- ), married in 1875 to Percis Ann Brown (1857- ), and married in 1877 to Asenath Emmeline Carling (1858-1924).
He passed away on March 4, 1918.
Source:
Rogers, Aurelia Read Spencer. Life Sketches of Orson Spencer And Others And History of Primary Work. [Salt Lake City]: G. Q. Cannon, 1898.

Scope and Content

The collection contains eighteen letters, the majority of which are written by Howard Spencer to his family while he is serving as a missionary in England. Also included is one letter written to Spencer by Brigham Young Jr. while Young was in England. The letters discuss Spencer's life in England, family news, and religion.

Arrangement of the Collection

The collection is arranged in three series: 1. Outgoing, 2. Incoming, 3. Third Party.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Spencer, Howard O.--Correspondence
Young, Brigham, 1836-1903--Correspondence
Mormon Church--History
Kane County (Utah)--History

Access

Collection is open for research.

Processing Information

Sara Gunasekara processed this collection.

Acquisition Information

Extracted from D-016, Mining Records Collection in 2013.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Howard O. Spencer Correspondence, MC254, Department of Special Collections, General Library, University of California, Davis.

Publication Rights

Copyright is protected by the copyright law, chapter 17, of the U.S. Code. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Department of Special Collections, General Library, University of California, Davis as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

 

Series 1. Outgoing 1874-1881

Physical Description: 12 letters

Scope and Content Note

Contains letters written by Howard O. Spencer. Many of the letters are written while Spencer is serving as a missionary in England.
Arranged chronologically.
Box MC254:1

Unidentified 1874 December 29

Box MC254:2

My Dears 1878 February 15

Box MC254:3

Wives and Children 1878 May 18

Box MC254:4

Wives and Children 1878 May 24

Box MC254:5

Wives and Children 1878 June 9

Box MC254:6

John R. 1878 October 22

Box MC254:7

Loui [Louisa Cross Spencer] 1879 January 8

Box MC254:8

Loui [Louisa Cross Spencer] 1879 April 16

Box MC254:9

Wives and Children 1879 October 11

Box MC254:10

Wives and Children 1881 March 20

Box MC254:11

Wives and Children 1881 April 10

Box MC254:12

My Dear Wife And Little Daughter and Grandmother undated

 

Series 2. Incoming 1880

Physical Description: 1 letter

Scope and Content Note

Contains one letter from Brigham Young Jr. in Leeds, England to Howard Spencer in Orderville, Utah.
Box MC254:13

Young Jr., Brigham 1880 January 31

 

Series 3. Third Party 1875-1886

Physical Description: 5 letters

Scope and Content Note

Contains letters to or from individuals other than Howard O. Spencer. Several of the letters are to his wife, Louisa. Arranged chronologically.
Box MC254:14

Unidenified to Louisa [Louisa Cross Spencer]

Box MC254:15

Brinkerhoff, Millie to Mrs. Howard O. Spencer 1876 September

Box MC254:16

Katie to Mama and Papa 1882 May 20

Box MC254:17

Anne to Louisa [Louisa Cross Spencer] 1885 February 4

Box MC254:18

Heaton, Alvin F. to Mother [Louisa Cross Spencer] 1886 July 12

Box MC254:19

Envelopes undated