Elizabeth Thompson Groesbeck and money! From her journal.

February 13, 1867 Nicholas wrote the following from his mission in England home to Elizabeth, ... “If you see him [Porter Rockwell] please to remember me to him and remember me to all of my renters, or your renters, for it is all one, William Showell, Smith McGarth and wife and all others. Please in your next to state what rooms are empty, if any; it does very well to fill up with, and it interests me some at the same time. Please state whether blacksmith shop rented or not; when you wrote last you did say who rented it and was not certain how long they would keep it.”

An account of Elizabeth’s generous nature was shared in the March 2009 Capitol Hill Neighborhood Council Bulletin (pictured above). A family, destitute because of illness and unemployment, rented a cottage (according to some reports this was the house at 76 West 200 North) from the Groesbecks. A puzzled friend asked the husband where he got the money to pay the rent. The man replied, “We receive the rent money from Mrs. Groesbeck. She comes around with the rent money a day or two before her husband comes around to collect it.”

Discovering Elizabeth's 1875-1883 journal clarifies many things. She felt entitled to direct some of her family's money to things she valued.  The account preserved in this 2009 Community Bulletin is reflected further in these journal entries.

March 1^st 1877 I rose prity early went down stairs get the churning redy then I went upstairs to do the work there   found Brother Groesbeck rather cross about sum vases that Mellie had got for apreacnt [a present] for me   this maid me feel raither bad as he had let agrait meney thousands of dolers go   I felt to say never mind those litel vases they wold not brake eneyone up   make your self happy as you can for I shall spen all the money I git holt of    I attended a funerel in the after noon of a littel boy by the name of Olson [Olaf Chas. Olson 1872-1877 (FamilySearch.org)]

January 1878 Wednesday 16^th I went to the picture gallery and thare I seen apicture of Jeneral Washington  I liked it and bot it   paid tenn dalers I knew that my Husband wold not like to have me spend

And thus Elizabeth needed to do some things in secret.

And then I went to my sewing. A little from Elizabeth Thompson Groesbeck's journal.

This 1882 picture by Sydney P. Hall of North American Indians being baptized appears to have originated here

On the 1^st day of March, 1875 great great grandmother Elizabeth Groesbeck wrote in her journal that her relief society president, Sister Hide (Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde, president of the 17^th Ward Relief Society) asked her to sew some clothing for the Indians “to go threw the house.”

While transcribing Elizabeth Thompson Groesbeck’s journal it was presumed she was referring to the Endowment House.

Page 1 1875

Monday March 1^st helpt to do the washing and in the afternoon Sister Hide [Hyde] called on me and wanted me to help fix sum close for the Indians to go threw the house [Endowment House] 

Journal entries from Frederick Kesler, a mill-wright and bishop of the Salt Lake 16th Ward, in this Juvenile Instructor blog post by J. Stapley, indicate he was building a house and font for the Lamanites.

[Frederick] Kesler's March 20 [1875] entry simply states: "Looking after materials for indian House & font to Baptising them in[.]" In the following days Kesler secured wood, piping, and the services of carpenters to construct this house and font. Then on Sunday, March 28, Kesler attended the dedicatory services for the font. I'm not exactly sure why they didn't use the endowment house font, in which Kesler frequently baptized people (first baptisms as well as for the renewal of covenants). The details about this font are, however, liturgical gold. At the end of the dedicatory details, Kesler notes that it was "the first Font build & Dedicated by the Holy priesthood for the Baptizing of the remnants of Jacob in this last dispensation & by myself[.]" In the following days, Kesler records baptizing in it.

Continuing with Elizabeth's journal
Page 2 March 1875

Wedens 3rd helpt with the work in the morning then I went to help make sum dreses for the Lamonits [Lamanites]

Thursday 4^th  don sum sewing and then I went to the relief society and after I returned Ann cum over and tuck me to the book store and I paid six dolers for the books I had bot

Friday 5^th Sarah Birbedg cum over and staid all day  Mis Cook cald to settle sum disabell fealins [disagreeable feelings] with Rosena

Saturday 6^th done the baking and cleaning and then I went to my sewing but did not domutch before I had comeney cum in.