Moses Thatcher was born February 2, 1842 in Sangamon County, Illinois the tenth child of Hezekiah Thatcher and Alley Kitchen Thatcher. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often referred to as Mormons), in 1847 Thatcher’s family traveled westward across the plains until arrival in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory. In 1849 the Thatcher family moved to California in connection with the Gold Rush. Six years later Thatcher and some of his family returned to Utah. By 1860 Thatcher had taken up residence in the newly settled community of Logan, Utah Territory and began a career as a businessman. During the 1860/1861 year Thatcher attended the University of Deseret (now University of Utah).
From 1866 to 1868 Thatcher served as a missionary in England for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Upon completion of his missionary labors, Thatcher returned to Logan and renewed his business ventures. Some of his business endeavors and positions included; serving as the Director and Secretary of Utah Northern Railroad Company (1870-77), Superintendent of the Logan ZCMI (1870-79), co-founder of Cache County’s first bank; the Thatcher Brothers Banking Company in 1883, and Trustee of the Brigham Young College in Logan (1877-97).
Thatcher was also highly involved with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1879 he was ordained as a Member of the Council of the Twelve Apostles. Some of his duties as an Apostle included overseeing the church’s interests in northern Mexico. During the 1880s he organized, supervised, and purchased land for the Mormon colonization of northern Mexico. During the 1890s Thatcher returned to Logan and became active with the Utah Democratic Party. In 1896 Thatcher was expelled from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles because of a ‘difference in opinions’ and “misunderstanding’ between quorum members concerning his political and religious views. Thatcher died in Logan in 1909.
For further information on Moses Thatcher, Sr. see: Godfrey, Kenneth W., “Moses Thatcher in the Dock: His Trials, The Aftermath, and His Last Days,” Journal of Mormon History, Vol. 24 # 1 (Spring 1998), pp. 54-88.
Provenance Note:
The materials that comprise this collection were donated to USU Special Collections & Archives by Leora Thatcher between the years of 1972 and 1976.
Scope & Content Note:
This collection contains the papers of Moses Thatcher, Sr. and his family spanning the period of 1866 to 1923. This collection contains
Moses Thatcher, Sr.’s diaries (in photocopy form, original diaries are in the possession of Brigham Young University), correspondence, papers concerning his
family, and other papers. His diaries document his missionary service in Great Britain from 1866 to 1868, his Presidency of the Cache Stake from 1878 to 1881, his ordination as
an L.D.S. Apostle in 1879, and his work concerning the opening of the Mexican Mission for the L.D.S. Church and the beginnings of Mormon colonization in northern Mexico. Other items
included are Thatcher’s two correspondence letter-books (1888-1890 and 1902-1903), a Memoranda Book (1879-1880) which contains information about his work in Mexico, and a family
scrapbook. This collection also contains the missionary diaries of Moses Thatcher, Jr. (in photocopy form) spanning the period of 1891-1892, Moses Thatcher, Jr.’s papers concerning
his studies at the Logan Brigham Young College, various biographical sketches, and other papers concerning family affairs. Box 3 of this collection, which contained the
Moses Thatcher, Sr. family photo album, was removed and has been reassigned as part of the Thatcher Family Photograph Collection (P0036).
Researcher Note:
Researchers interested in Moses Thatcher, Sr. should also see Coll Mss 244, Box 1, Folder
17 for a letter to George O. Pilkin written by Moses Thatcher, the B.G. Olesen Western Manuscript Collection which contains
numerous letters penned by Thatcher, and the Thatcher Family Papers Coll Mss 93, which contains various papers concerning
Moses Thatcher, Sr.
Researchers interested in viewing photographs concerning the Thatcher family and Thatcher Businesses should see the
Thatcher Family Photograph Collection P0036, the Thatcher Milling & Elevator Photograph Collection P0169, the Thatcher
Opera House Band Photograph Collection P0195, the Thatcher Brothers Banking Company Photograph Collection P0230, and
the Harriet A. Thatcher Preston Photograph Collection P0248.
Inventory:
Box 1: Diaries of Moses Thatcher, Sr., 1866-1881.
Fd 1: Diary of Moses Thatcher, Sr., April 9, 1866-April 12, 1867. Photocopy of holograph. Original at Brigham Young University, English Mission.
Fd 2: Diary of Moses Thatcher, Sr., April 13, 1867-July 14, 1868. Photocopy of holograph. Original at Brigham Young University.
Fd 3: Diary of Moses Thatcher, Sr., August 1, 1878-December 31, 1879. Photocopy of holograph. Original at Brigham Young University. Contains diaries "No. 1" (August 1, 1878- May 1879) and "No. 2" (July 20, 1879- December 31, 1879). "No. 1" is largely devoted to church matters, organization of various branches of the Board of Trade, YMMIA, work of Thatcher as Stake President. After April 1879 when Thatcher is ordained to the apostolate, diary is full of central church concerns. Much on the death of his father. "No. 2" deals with the opening of his Mexican Mission. First pages record blessings on him and (p. 73) a "revelation" to his first wife regarding plural marriage.
Fd 4: Diary of Moses Thatcher, Sr., Jan. 1, 1880-June 29, 1881. Photocopy of holograph. Original at Brigham Young University. Journal "No. 3". Mexican Mission. Pages in the back of the journal contain lists of letters sent, mission funds, baptisms, etc.
Box 2: Thatcher’s correspondence letter-books, a memoranda book, a family scrapbook, and other, 1879-1903.
Fd 2: Correspondence letter-book, Moses Thatcher, Sr., Sept. 3, 1888-April 11, 1890. 262 p. Mexican colonies, Council of Twelve Apostles, Thatcher's business interests, especially Oneida Mercantile Union. Much on internal Mormon matters.
Fd 3: Correspondence letter-book, Moses Thatcher, Sr., May 2, 1902-April 2, 1903. 500 p. (pp. 290-500, blank). Business affairs, major correspondence re: Mexico, Democratic party, family. Church matters almost wholly absent.
Fd 4: Scrapbook. "Press Clippings. Personal Mention of Moses Thatcher, from Oct. 5, 1896 to Dec. 27, 1896" removal of Moses Thatcher, Sr., from the Apostolate.
Fd 5: Steel Plate for engraved portrait of Moses Thatcher. Probably made when Thatcher was ordained an LDS Apostle. Smaller copy appears in Whitney's History of Utah, II:277.
Note: Box 3 has been transferred to photograph collection P0036
Box 4: Papers of the Moses Thatcher Family, 1885-1971.
Fd 1: Resolution of Sympathy from Deseret National Bank and Deseret Savings Bank, Salt Take City, Utah to the Thatcher Family on the death of Moses Thatcher, Sr., August 21, 1901.
Fd 2: Incomplete typescript (pp. 3-9) by Lucy W. Kimball. A life sketch with considerable elaboration on the circumstances of her plural marriages to Joseph Smith and Heber C. Kimball. Possibly the ms from which Andrew Jenson published her testimony regarding plural marriage in Historical Record, VI (May 1887), pp. 229-230.
Fd 3: "The Joseph of Cache Valley: A History of Hezekiah Thatcher." 4 pp. mimeographed. Largely copied from the biography in Tullidge's Histories, v. II.
Fd 4: "Biography of William T. Hopkins, 1845- "by David R. Roberts. 15 pp.
Fd 5: Hezekiah Thatcher Family Organization Newsletter, no. 1,2,3.
Fd 6: Patriarchal Blessing of Sarah Catherine Thatcher, April 2, 1923.
Fd 7: Missionary Experiences of Aaron F. Farr in Jamaica and England Mission, 1852-1853. Typescript, Brigham Young University, 1958.
Fd 8: Diary of Moses Thatcher, Jr., April 4, 1891-December 31, 1891. Photocopy. Original in possession of Leora Thatcher. English Mission.
Fd 9: Diary of Moses Thatcher, Jr., January 1, 1892-July 28, 1892. Photocopy. Original in possession of Leora Thatcher. English Mission.
Fd 10: Diary of Moses Thatcher, Jr., July 29, 1892-October 31, 1892: "My Trip to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and France in company with S.J. Jeppsen." Photocopy. Original at Brigham Young University.
Fd 11: Forms and supporting data regarding the Moses Thatcher, Jr. House, Logan, Utah. Submitted to the Governor's Review Committee, Utah Historic Sites Survey, by A..J. Simmonds, July 29, 1971.
Fd 12: Class Notes, Brigham Young College, December 1885-April 1887, Sarah Catherine Hopkins (Thatcher). 7 3/3 x 12 1/4" hd. vol.
Fd 13: Class Notes, Brigham Young College, General History, November 1887 & February-March 1890. Probably Moses Thatcher Jr.
For more information: 435/797-2663; Manuscript Librarian.
Special Collections & Archives, Merrill Library, Utah State University Libraries, Utah State University 84322-3000
