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Diaries and a memoir

 Collection — Box: 1
Identifier: MSS 2360

Scope and Contents

Diaries and memoir tell of Church's life's work, the weather, his accounts of the U.S. Civil War including events at Fort Sumpter (South Carolina), Secession of the Southern States and the presidency and assassination of Abraham Lincoln. One diary contains a brief entry by Church's son, John A. Church, in 1889. The four diaries describe the day-to-day occurrences encountered by Church, including deaths of loved ones and acquaintances (which are described frequently). The fourth item, a memoir, written in 1911, describes, in detail, Church's youth and early adult life in Chagrin Falls, Ohio; his experiences in the Civil War; and various events of his life, including the death of his wife in 1910. Church's daughter Kate M. Church Williams finishes the memoir with a story about her father.

Dates

  • approximately 1858-1915

Creator

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Original materials are restricted due to their fragile condition, use microfilm copy. Access to the original with the permission of the Supervisor of Reference Services.

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to publish material from Diaries and a memoir must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Board of Curators.

Biographical History

Native of Chagrin Falls, Cuyahoga County, Ohio; hunter and horse shoer; Civil War veteran, Co. H of the 150th Ohio Infantry Regiment from May 1864-Aug 1864; later moved to Redlands and San Bernardino, California.

Extent

1 box (4 folders ;.5 linear feet)

Custodial History

Donated by Katherine Larson, Barbara Ybarra, Susan Nibley and Carolyn Zambrano, December 2002. The donors are great-granddaughter of Austin Church. The volumes were given by Austin Church to Katherine Church Williams, who then gave them to her daughter Elizabeth Nibley, who gave them to her four daughters, who donated the collection to BYU, as requested by their mother. Incomplete contents: fd. 1-3 contain diaries (1858-1915), fd. 4 contains a memoir (1911).

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated; Katherine Larson, Barbara Ybarra, Susan Nibley, Carolyn Zambrano; 2002.

Appraisal

19th Century Western and Mormon Manuscripts.

Title
Register of
Status
In Progress
Author
Garrett Schroath
Date
2011 March 3
Description rules
Appm
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English in Latin script.

Repository Details

Part of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Repository

Contact:
1130 HBLL
Brigham Young University
Provo Utah 84602 United States