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Ricks, Joel, 1858-1944

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1858 - 1944

Biographical History

Joel Ricks was born in Farmington, Utah, on July 21, 1858, to Joel Ricks, Sr. and Sarah Beriah Fiske Allen Ricks. The Ricks family moved to Cache Valley, in 1859, to settle in Logan. In 1881, Joel, Jr. married Susette Cardon with whom he had eight children. He spent his working life as a telegrapher for the Utah Northern Denver, Rio Grande Western, and Union Pacific Railroads. He also served as the station agent at many of his posts. While living at Castle Dale, Utah, in 1895, he was elected to represent the people of Sevier County as one of the 105 delegates to the first Constitutional Convention of the new State of Utah. Mr. Ricks made a lifelong study of the Book of Mormon. He traveled through Arizona to Mexico, in 1893, to explore the possible geographical sights of the Book of Mormon lands. In addition, he made the first of four trips to Columbia, South America, in 1903, for the purpose of conducting personal research. He was the author of four books and several pamphlets on Book of Mormon subjects and had published several maps on what he believed to be significant material relating to them. He was a historian of great ability. Later in his life, Joel, Jr. worked as a genealogist for his family for the Utah Genealogical Society, extracting thousands of marriage bonds in Virginia. He collected and wrote stories of the living pioneers in Cache Valley in 1923-1924. These stories were printed in the local newspaper. Joel Ricks, Jr. died in River Heights, Utah, on November 23, 1944, and is buried in the Logan City Cemetery.

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

Early recollections of Logan

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230306026]
Identifier: MSS SC 843
Scope and Contents This collection is a compilation of personal histories and diaries gathered by Joel Ricks. Most of these items are the result of interviews conducted by Ricks, but some are copies of journals and autobiographies. The 27 items in the collection are the stories of 26 individuals with one person responsible for two records.These materials are typescripts probably made in the 1970s. They are mainly concerned with histories of the various individuals and the early settlement of...
Dates: 1890-1920

Filtered By

  • Subject: Pioneers -- Utah -- Biography -- Logan X