David King Udall was born on September 7, 1851 in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of David and Eliza King Udall. David grew up in Nephi, Utah. He married Eliza Luella Stuart on February 1,1875. David King then went on a mission that same year to Great Britain. He returned in 1877 and moved his family to Kanab, Utah in 1878. He was called as bishop to St. Johns ward in Arizona. David moved to Arizona in 1880. Eliza Luela Stuart (Ella) and David King had five children: Pearl, Erma, Luella, David K., Jr. and Levi S. In 1887, he was made stake president to preside over seven wards in Arizona. Pres. David K. Udall testified in the Case of Miles P. Romney and was later tried for perjury for that testimony. He was sentenced to three years in the Detroit House of Correction. He served time in Detroit from Sept 2, 1885 to December17, 1885 when he received a presidential pardon. He served as stake president until 1922; he was then ordained patriarch for the St. Johns Stake. The Mesa, Arizona Temple was dedicated in 1927, and David King was chosen to be temple president and served in that capacity until 1934. Eliza Luella died on May 28, 1937. David died in St. Johns on February 18, 1938.
Ida Fances Hunt was born on March 8, 1858 at Hamilton Fort (near Cedar City, Utah) in the back of a wagon to parents John Hunt and Lois Pratt. The family was on their way to Utah from San Bernardino. Ida grew up in Beaver, Utah. She kept books for Beaver Woolen Mills, sang in the choir, and held leading roles in socials and dramas in Beaver. She taught in the territorial school. The family moved to New Mexico where they hauled freight for the government for two years. Afterwards, the family settled in Snowflake, Arizona. Four years later, on May 26, 1882, Ida married David K. Udall in the St. George Temple. Since she was a plural wife, she spent much of her life between 1883-1892 living with relatives in Nephi, Utah and Snowflake to avoid the U.S. Marshall. She feared being forced to testify against her husband. They had six children: Pauline, Grover, John, Jesse, Gilbert and Don. Ida died on April 26, 1915.
Provenance:
The David King and Ida F. Hunt Udall Papers are part of the Maria Ellsworth Papers. These papers were donated to USU Special Collections in installments between 1997 and 1998. The papers in this collection represent efforts by Maria to research her Udall roots, particularly Ida F. Hunt, her grandmother on her mother’s side. Maria wrote a biography of Ida called Mormon Odyssey: The Story of Ida Hunt Udall, Plural Wife. This book was given the MHA award for best biography of the year in 1993.
Scope and Content:
This collection consists of documents, records, letters and writing by or about David King and Ida F. Hunt Udall. There are also some articles and writing by or about their other Udall relatives.
Box 1 contains papers relating to David K. Udall and other Udall Family. Box 2 holds Original and copies of Ida’s Journal, Birthday book and ledger. Box 3 consists of David Udall’s Memoirs and Ida’s writings and personal papers. Box 4 is correspondence and tributes of David K and Ida Hunt. Box 5 contains Ida research, and files on Pearl Udall, Rudger Clawson, Joseph Nelson, and Stewart Udall.
Inventory:
Box 1
Fd 1 Document: Udall Estate Papers, Will and Testament of David K. Udall
Fd 2 Documents: Desert Land Entry Papers
Fd 3 Document: Patriarchal Blessing of David K. Udall
Fd 4 Tributes to and biographies of David K. Udall
Fd 5 Newspaper Clippings
Fd 6 Genealogy
Fd 7 Obituaries
Fd 8 Original Correspondence- David K. Udall - Letters Sent
Fd 9 Letter Sent David K. Udall - copies
Fd 10 Letter to David K. Udall from Jessie N. Smith, 30 June 1885
Fd 11 Letters received - David K. Udall. Copies
Fd 12 Letters to Maria Ellsworth about David K. Udall and Ida Hunt Udall from other Udall family
Fd 13 Talks given by Jesse Udall and Nicholas Udall
Fd 14 Morris K. Udall: Tributes
Fd 15 Leah Smith Udall: Biography of John Udall
Fd 16 Leah Smith Udall’s “Love’s Old Sweet Song”
Fd 17 David K. Udall Family Organization Newsletters
Fd 18 1989 December 8-9, Tucson, A-Z Udall Family Reunion
Fd 19 Research
Box 2
Fd 1 Ida Hunt Birthday Book and Ledger Book. Originals
Fd 2 Ledger Book .Typed copy
Fd 3 Birthday Book. Photocopy
Fd 4 Birthday Book. Typed copy
Fd 5 Continuation of Ida’s Birthday Book. Original and typed copy
Fd 6 Ida Hunt Journal
Fd 7 Photocopy of Ida Hunt Journal
Fd 8 Typed Copy of Ida Hunt Journal
Box 3
Fd 1 Typescript of Ida’s Journal by Carol Thompson
Fd 2 Memoirs of David King Udall 1851-1938 (bound)
Fd 3 Memoirs of David King Udall 1851-1938. Photocopy
Fd 4 May Hunt Larson: “The Trip to Arizona 1877" (from Ida’s Journal)
Fd 5 Ida Hunt’s Diary, During Journey to New Mexico
Fd 6 Typed Extracts from Ida Hunt’s Journal
Fd 7 Ida Frances Hunt Blessings
Fd 8 Ida Hunt Udall: Poems written and received
Fd 9 Ida’s autograph book. Original
Fd 10 Notebook for Home Nursing Course and Transcript
Box 4
Fd 1 Documents. Ida: capital stock certificate, personal record
Fd 2 Ida. Letters Sent. Originals
Fd 3 Ida. Letters Sent. Originals
Fd 4 Ida. Letters Sent. Originals
Fd 5 Letters of Ida Hunt Udall. Typed copies
Fd 6 Letters of Ida Hunt Udall. Typed copies
Fd 7 Letters Sent 1879-1915, extracts from letters
Fd 8 Ida. Letters Received. Originals
Fd 9 Letters Sent. Typed copies
Fd 10 Sketch of the Lives of my Grandparents by Ida
Fd 11 Letter to John Hunt and family from Joseph West [mentions Ida]
Fd 12 Celia Mounts Hunt: letter and temple records
Fd 13 Writings by: Pearl Udall Nelson, Louise Lee Udall, and Leah S. Udall
Fd 14 John Fell Squires Autobiography Excerpt (story mentions David Udall)
Fd 15 Ida F. Hunt Funeral Services
Fd 16 Julia Murdock Farnsworth, “Tribute to Ida F. Hunt Udall.” Original
Fd 17 Tribute to David King and Ida Udall by George Albert Smith
Fd 18 Don T. Udall on Ida F. Hunt
Fd 19 Handwritten Poem honoring “Aunt Ida”
Fd 20 Roberta Flake Clayton’s memoirs of Ida Hunt Udall
Box 5
Fd 1 Ida Research Notes
Fd 2 Pearl Udall
Fd 3 Pearl Udall Nelson “Sketch of Mother’s Life” [Ella S. Udall]
For more information: 435/797-2663; Manuscript Librarian.
Special Collections & Archives, Merrill Library, Utah State University Libraries, Utah State University 84322-3000
