John Hamilton and Helen Melvina Groesbeck Morgan, Part 6

A closer look at John and Helen Melvina Morgan’s home reveals interesting details; lace curtains, scalloped tasseled blinds, a nice double front door, and ornamental trim on the porch. There is a hint of the same ornamental trim on the front porch of the neighbor to the North. And there is the question of when was it taken? Which children are with them? Is the child next to Helen Melvina pasted onto the picture?

The First West of Salt Lake City in the 1880s is the Second West of today. In the 1970s The Salt Palace building eliminated First South between West Temple and 2nd West. When the Morgan College was at 144 West First South, the 14th Ward House was across the street at 151 West First South. The move to the Morgan’s new home at 163 South 1st West [now 2nd West] was only ½ block west and ½ block south of their college and the 14th Ward House.

Presently South Temple to 2nd South on 2nd West is very unappealing. Concrete, blacktop, Salt Palace loading docs, and an underpass line the street. There is, however, one refreshing spot. It is the restored 1877 home at 126 South 2nd West, across the street from where the John Morgan home was at 163 South. It is much in the style of their home. It was built by Lewis S. Hills and is on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Salt Lake City, Utah. It houses Honest Jon’s Hills House Antiques Gallery.

[John Morgan Journal, Marriott Library, Salt Lake City, continued from April 5, 1879 return home.]

1879, April 6
At home all day. Not well, but resting up a little. Quite a fever part of the time.

April 7
Went out to Conference this p.m. and enjoyed the privilege very much, it being the first time since 1875. Rain and snow tonight, needed badly.

April 8
At conference forenoon and afternoon today. Brother Murphy came home to dinner with me.

April 9
Attended the meeting of the Board of Trade [paragraph 10] this a.m., and of the Pres. Of Stakes this p.m.

April 10
At home part of the day and feeling well. Wrote some to Brother Standing.

April 11
Went to Brother G. [probably Nicholas Groesbeck] today and spent the day, returning late in the evening.

April 12
Very windy today and quite unpleasant. At home all day.

April 13
Pleasant day. Quite a crowd of friends and relatives in to see me today. Spent the day pleasantly.

April 14
Started Mellie [daughter Helen Melvina, born 19 Jan 1870] to school to Mrs. [Mildred Eliza Johnson] Randalls today, bought slate, etc. for her. Visited Mrs. Johnson, Andrew’s mother and found her feeling well and getting along well. Rained hard this p.m. and turning cold. Visited Savages [photography shop] with Mellie [wife Helen Melvina] to get some pictures framed.

[I didn’t know Mrs. Randall’s first name until I found her in Pioneer Women of Faith and Fortitude, Vol III, M to R, International Society of Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, 1998, pg. 2486-87. Mildred Eliza Johnson Randall is one of eight Randall biographies in the book. She appears to me to be the Mrs. Randall John and Mellie Morgan selected to teach their nine-year-old daughter, Mellie. She could also be the Sister Randal[l] Nicholas Groesbeck mentions in his 13 Feb 1867 letter, Nicholas and Elizabeth Thompson Groesbeck, Part 4. ]

“… Mildred Eliza [Johnson Randall] was born in 1827, in Virginia. Hers was a home of culture and refinement in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Her father taught school, and she was scholastically inclined. She desired to follow the teaching profession and attended the Augusta Female Seminary in Stanton, Virginia. She also enjoyed doing fine needlework. She often traded her chores to her sisters so she could sew or pursue her studies.

“When she was seventeen years of age, her father died. She requested two books he had written on English and math, and her share of the inheritance in money to enable her to pay for additional schooling.

“After teaching in Virginia some years, she went to visit her brother, Cicero, in Council Bluffs. While there, she was converted and baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on May 22, 1859. She left shortly thereafter for the Rocky Mountains with Captain James Brown’s Wagon Company. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on August 29, 1859.

“Mildred went to Bountiful and lived with the Randall family. On May 29, 1860 she became Mrs. Alfred Randall, in the Endowment House. She returned to Salt Lake City and began teaching in the 17th Ward. To this marriage was born two sons, but both died soon after their births. She resumed her teaching.

“In 1865, she and her husband were called on a mission to the Church Plantation in Laie, Hawaii. … While there Mildred conducted two schools, one for foreign children and one for native children. Upon her return to Salt Lake, she took charge of Brigham Young’s private school on his Eagle Gate property. She taught all classes from ABC’s through reading, writing, spelling, arithmetic, geography, history and botany. She was well liked by her pupils. …”

(To be continued.)

Picture of John Morgan Home used with permission of The Utah State Historical Society, all rights reserved. I took the pictures of the home at 126 South 2nd West this month.

John Hamilton and Helen Melvina Groesbeck Morgan part 5

On March 4, 1878 John Morgan was again called to the Southern States Mission where he served until the spring of 1879. When he arrived home Mellie and the children had moved from the apartment in the school house to a nice home located at 163 South First West and John saw his baby daughter Ruth for the first time

[From the John Morgan Journal, Marriott Library, University of Utah. Southern States Mission]

Georgia [1878]
October 17
[from Elledges]
Started to write my letters and answered one from my wife informing me that a little babe had been born into my family at home [daughter Ruth born 4 Oct 1878]. Rained hard during part of the day. Turned cold and cleared off late. After supper we walked over to Mr. Huffakers where we stayed tonight. Found a good feeling.
…
Alabama [1878]
December 25
Early this a.m. Brother R. A. Elkins took Elders Ralph Smith and E. Edlefson 10 miles on the way to Rome. I walked some distance with them and parted leaving them feeling well. In the p.m. I rode to the P. O. and got a letter from my wife.
…
North Carolina [1879]
February 5
Wrote some letters and then carried my clothes to Mrs. Harrisons to get them washed. Then rode across the hills to the P. O. Received my mail that contained my release to return home for which I feel very grateful. Preached at Mr. Gibbs. Good attention.
…
March 21
Walked over to Elledges this a.m. and met the Brethren. At 11 a.m. bid them goodbye. Edlef[son] accompanying me, we rode to Tunnell Hill where I had to wait for the train until 3:40 p.m. Arrived in Chattanooga at 6:10. Had supper, then met Sissons Tinslow and Mills. R. R. men. Had a talk over the emigration matter.
…
March 23
The emigrants continued to gather during the day and at a late hour all got in. Our baggage was loaded and at 8:30 p.m. we boarded the M. and C. R. R. enroute for Zion. The officers and men of the road with one honorable exception were decidedly ungentlemanly. At Woodville, we picked up a car containing Jas. Jack’s family.
…
March 28
Secured a place for the people and had to wait during the day for Bishop Jensen to come with wagons to take us out to the settlement. He arrived during the afternoon. Busy during the day.

March 29
Started as soon as we could load our wagons for the settlement, where we arrived at 9 p.m. after a hard days trip through one of the finest valleys I ever saw. Glad to arrive with my emigrants at last.
…
April 4, 1879
Started early this a.m. for home. Passed Cheyenne at 1:30 and turned west on the U. P. Fell quite sick, no appetite.

April 5
Passed Laramie, Rawlins, Evanston, and many towns of smaller note during the day. Nothing of interest until near Ogden where I met Pres. Smith who asked me to have supper with him. At Ogden, Brother and Sister G. [probably Nicholas and Elizabeth Groesbeck] met me and at 8:20 p.m. I reached home after an absence of 13 months. Weary, tired and most sick. Found my dear ones all well and glad am I to be at home with them once more.

History of Helen Melvina Groesbeck Morgan by granddaughter Marjorie Morgan Gray submitted to Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum 9 June 1977. The picture of John Morgan's home appears in the following publications.

[Picture caption:] “The John Morgan home at 163 South 1st West Street. The front part was built in about 1875; the central part in the late sixties and in the early seventies it was a private school The home was owned and completed by Nicolas Groesbeck and given to his daughter Helen Melvina Groesbeck Morgan, wife of John Morgan, where that family lived until 1896.” Nicholas Groesbeck by Nicholas Groesbeck Morgan, Sr., photocopy of 20 page pamphlet, no publishing date, pg. 19.

[Picture caption:] “John and Helen Melvina Morgan with two of the children in front of their roomy, well-built home, at 163 South 1st West, a gift of Nicholas Groesbeck. They were forced to give it up in the panic of 1893.” Nichlas Groesbeck Morgan, The Man Who Moved City Hall, by Jean R. Paulson, 1979, pgs. 6-7.



The numbering of the streets to the west, and running parallel with West Temple changed after 1970.

Copy of real estate record of Nicholas Groesbeck's properties on First West and dates of title transfers from Helen Rex Frazier collection.

(To be continued.)