Henry Herriman
Born: 9 June 1804
Called to Presidency of Seventy: 6 February 1838
Died: 17 May 1891
Called to Presidency of Seventy: 6 February 1838
Died: 17 May 1891
Biographical Articles
Jenson, Andrew. "Harriman, Henry." Biographical Encyclopedia. Volume 1. pg. 193-194.
HARRIMAN, Henry, one of the First Seven Presidents of Seventies from 1838 to 1891, was the son of Enoch Harriman and Sarah Fowler, and was born June 9, 1804, at Rowley (now Georgetown), Essex county, Mass. He was baptized by Orson Hyde in the early part of 1832. In 1834 he removed to Kirtland, Ohio, and that same year he accompanied the Prophet Joseph and about two hundred other men to Missouri in Zion's Camp. He returned to Kirtland in the fall of 1834, and in 1835 he was ordained a Seventy under the hands of Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon. Feb. 6, 1838, he was ordained and set apart as one of the First Seven Presidents of Seventies, to fill a vacancy caused by the removal of John Gaylord. This high and responsible position he occupied until the time of his death—a period of more than fifty-three years, and after the death of Levi W. Hancock in 1882 until his own demise he was the senior president of all the Seventies. By comparison it will be seen that Elder Harriman occupied the same position in the Church longer than any other man among the general authorities since the organization of the Church. In 1838 he acted as one of the leaders of the so-called Kirtland Camp, which traveled about a thousand miles from Ohio to Adam-ondi-Ahman, in Daviess county, Mo. At the latter place Elder Harriman spent a few months, and was then forced to leave his possessions in Daviess county and remove to Far West, where he remained until early in the spring of 1839, when he, together with the rest of the Saints, was expelled from Missouri under the exterminating order of Gov. Lilburn W. Boggs.
After this he took an active part in the upbuilding of Nauvoo, until he again was made an exile in 1846, and came west during the general exodus of the Saints, after receiving his endowments in the Nauvoo Temple. He finally arrived in Great Salt Lake valley in 1848, crossing the plains in Heber C. Kimball's company. In the spring of 1849, he became one of the four brethren who first settled Fort Herriman, in Salt Lake county. The new settlement was named in honor of Elder Harriman, who was also the first presiding Elder there. In the spring of 1857 he was called on a mission to Great Britain. In crossing the plains from Salt Lake City to the Missouri river he acted as president of the only company of missionaries, who ever crossed the plains with handcarts. Though fifty-two years of age, he pulled his handcart as faithfully and ably as his younger missionary companions. Together with nineteen other Elders from the Valley he arrived in Liverpool, England, Aug. 4, 1856; but they all returned in 1858 owing to the so-called Utah war, which gave occasion for nearly all the American Elders abroad to be called home. Elder Harriman embarked from Liverpool in the ship "Underwriter" Jan. 21. 1858, to return home. About four years later, he was called on the Dixie mission, where he remained about twenty-five years, and finally removed to Huntington, Emery county, in December, 1887, where he resided until the time of his death, which occurred May 17, 1891. During the last few years of his life his health was poor. Henry Harriman was one of the Elders who were present at Adam-ondi-Ahman, in 1838, when the Prophet Joseph declared that the remnants of an altar found on the top of the hill, near Grand river, were what was left of the identical altar upon which Father Adam offered sacrifice.
HARRIMAN, Henry, one of the First Seven Presidents of Seventies from 1838 to 1891, was the son of Enoch Harriman and Sarah Fowler, and was born June 9, 1804, at Rowley (now Georgetown), Essex county, Mass. He was baptized by Orson Hyde in the early part of 1832. In 1834 he removed to Kirtland, Ohio, and that same year he accompanied the Prophet Joseph and about two hundred other men to Missouri in Zion's Camp. He returned to Kirtland in the fall of 1834, and in 1835 he was ordained a Seventy under the hands of Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon. Feb. 6, 1838, he was ordained and set apart as one of the First Seven Presidents of Seventies, to fill a vacancy caused by the removal of John Gaylord. This high and responsible position he occupied until the time of his death—a period of more than fifty-three years, and after the death of Levi W. Hancock in 1882 until his own demise he was the senior president of all the Seventies. By comparison it will be seen that Elder Harriman occupied the same position in the Church longer than any other man among the general authorities since the organization of the Church. In 1838 he acted as one of the leaders of the so-called Kirtland Camp, which traveled about a thousand miles from Ohio to Adam-ondi-Ahman, in Daviess county, Mo. At the latter place Elder Harriman spent a few months, and was then forced to leave his possessions in Daviess county and remove to Far West, where he remained until early in the spring of 1839, when he, together with the rest of the Saints, was expelled from Missouri under the exterminating order of Gov. Lilburn W. Boggs.
After this he took an active part in the upbuilding of Nauvoo, until he again was made an exile in 1846, and came west during the general exodus of the Saints, after receiving his endowments in the Nauvoo Temple. He finally arrived in Great Salt Lake valley in 1848, crossing the plains in Heber C. Kimball's company. In the spring of 1849, he became one of the four brethren who first settled Fort Herriman, in Salt Lake county. The new settlement was named in honor of Elder Harriman, who was also the first presiding Elder there. In the spring of 1857 he was called on a mission to Great Britain. In crossing the plains from Salt Lake City to the Missouri river he acted as president of the only company of missionaries, who ever crossed the plains with handcarts. Though fifty-two years of age, he pulled his handcart as faithfully and ably as his younger missionary companions. Together with nineteen other Elders from the Valley he arrived in Liverpool, England, Aug. 4, 1856; but they all returned in 1858 owing to the so-called Utah war, which gave occasion for nearly all the American Elders abroad to be called home. Elder Harriman embarked from Liverpool in the ship "Underwriter" Jan. 21. 1858, to return home. About four years later, he was called on the Dixie mission, where he remained about twenty-five years, and finally removed to Huntington, Emery county, in December, 1887, where he resided until the time of his death, which occurred May 17, 1891. During the last few years of his life his health was poor. Henry Harriman was one of the Elders who were present at Adam-ondi-Ahman, in 1838, when the Prophet Joseph declared that the remnants of an altar found on the top of the hill, near Grand river, were what was left of the identical altar upon which Father Adam offered sacrifice.