Horace S. Eldredge
Born: 6 February 1816
Called to Presidency of the Seventy: 7 October 1854
Died: 6 September 1888
Called to Presidency of the Seventy: 7 October 1854
Died: 6 September 1888
Biographical Articles
Biographical Encyclopedia, Volume 1
Biographical Encyclopedia, Volume 4
Improvement Era, April 1942, Brigham Young and Horace S. Eldredge
Biographical Encyclopedia, Volume 4
Improvement Era, April 1942, Brigham Young and Horace S. Eldredge
Jenson, Andrew. "Eldredge, Horace S." Biographical Encyclopedia. Volume 1. pg. 196-197.
ELDREDGE, Horace S., one of the First Seven Presidents of Seventies from 1854 to 1888, was the son of Alanson Eldredge and Esther Sunderlin and was born Feb. 6, 1816, in Brutus, Cayuga county, New York. When he was eight years old, his mother died, and his training devolved upon his eldest sister and an aunt. The influences by which he was surrounded during boyhood were those of refinement and piety, and we have his own testimony to the effect that at a very early age his mind was engrossed with reflections concerning a future state and the necessity of preparing for it. When sixteen years old he united with the Baptist church, but he was not able to accept certain doctrines of the Calvinistic creed. He remained a member of the Baptist church, however, until the spring of 1836. when for the first time he heard the gospel of Christ taught in its fulness, and he was soon afterwards baptized. During the summer of 1836 he married and settled on a farm near Indianapolis, Indiana; but prompted by the spirit of gathering, he sold his farm in the fall of 1838 and went to Missouri. He located at Far West. Mo., where he purchased a large farm and a house and lot in the town, expecting to make the place his permanent home. But he shared in the disappointment of thousands of other Saints who went to Missouri with similar anticipations. He had occupied his new home only a few weeks when the fires of mobocratic hatred towards the Saints burst forth with such fury that they had to flee, and in December, 1838. Bro. Eldredge left Far West and returned to Indiana. He always retained the title to his real estate in Missouri, and never received a dollar for it. During the fall of 1840, he joined the fast gathering community of Saints at Nauvoo. Ill., and was present at the breaking of ground for the Nauvoo Temple, an event which occurred shortly after his arrival. He resided in Nauvoo till the exodus therefrom in the spring of 1846, and shared in the expatriation of the inhabitants of that devoted city and in their march through the wilderness to Winter Quarters. Here he, with his family, spent two winters, and here he buried two children, victims of hardship and privation. In the spring of 1848, he started for Great Salt Lake valley, where he arrived the following September. Soon after his arrival he was appointed marshal of the Territory, assessor and collector of taxes and a brigadier-general of militia. At the general conference of the Church held in October. 1852. he was appointed to preside over the St. Louis (Mo.) conference and act as a general Church and emigration agent. The duties thus placed upon him were of a very important and arduous character, but he discharged them well. The autumn of 1854 found him home again with his family, when he was chosen and ordained one of the First Seven Presidents of Seventies. Joseph Young officiated in the ordination. In the following winter he served as a member of the Territorial legislature. In the fall of 1856 he formed a partnership with Wm. H. Hooper and engaged in mercantile business, opening with a $15,000 stock of goods in Provo. In the spring of 1857 he was assigned to his former position and duties at St. Mu. He was absent over a year, during which "the move" had taken place. About the time of his return to Utah the Saints began to return to their homes: and after getting his family back to their home in Salt Lake City, he again started east, in September, 1858. This time he went to purchase merchandise and machinery. He was absent nearly a year, and on his return the firm of Hooper & Eldredge opened out with a large stock of goods in the store just north of the Deseret Bank corner, in Salt Lake City. From this time on he was a leading figure in the mercantile and financial circles of the Territory, and was rated as one of its ablest business men. But business pursuits by no means engrossed all of his time or attention. In the spring of 1862, after having served another term in the legislature, he was appointed Church emigration agent at New York, which appointment was repeated one year later. From 1864-69 inclusive his time was mostly devoted to business affairs, and during that period he helped to establish Z. C. M. I., being at the time of his death one of the oldest directors of that institution. At the April conference, 1870, he was called to preside over the European mission. He was absent about fourteen months, during a portion of which time his health was very poor, his lungs being badly affected. After his return from that mission he made repeated journeys to the East and the Pacific coast, generally on business. He served several terms as superintendent of Z. C. M. I., which position he held at his death. He also acted as vice-president and president of the institution. He was one of the organizers of the Deseret National Bank and of the First National Bank of Ogden, of both of which he was president at the time of his death. The disease which terminated his life was a lung trouble, from which he suffered a number of years. He died at his residence in Salt Lake City Sept. 6, 1888. Horace S. Eldredge was a man of magnificent physique. He was fully six feet in height, broad-shouldered and compactly built. He had a fine countenance, the forehead being broad and high and the features of exquisite mould. His eye was clear and impressive, and his whole appearance expressive. His voice was peculiar, being remarkable resonant. When he made up his mind upon any matter, he could scarcely be moved: and he generally took an unequivocal stand upon every point of importance with which he had to deal, so that there was never any reason for doubt as to where he stood He had great native force, was strikingly straightforward in his utterances and had the most unqualified contempt for every species of trickery, to which he never resorted in his financial affairs. (For a more detailed life sketch see History of Salt Lake City, by Edward W. Tullidge, sup. p. 65.)
ELDREDGE, Horace S., one of the First Seven Presidents of Seventies from 1854 to 1888, was the son of Alanson Eldredge and Esther Sunderlin and was born Feb. 6, 1816, in Brutus, Cayuga county, New York. When he was eight years old, his mother died, and his training devolved upon his eldest sister and an aunt. The influences by which he was surrounded during boyhood were those of refinement and piety, and we have his own testimony to the effect that at a very early age his mind was engrossed with reflections concerning a future state and the necessity of preparing for it. When sixteen years old he united with the Baptist church, but he was not able to accept certain doctrines of the Calvinistic creed. He remained a member of the Baptist church, however, until the spring of 1836. when for the first time he heard the gospel of Christ taught in its fulness, and he was soon afterwards baptized. During the summer of 1836 he married and settled on a farm near Indianapolis, Indiana; but prompted by the spirit of gathering, he sold his farm in the fall of 1838 and went to Missouri. He located at Far West. Mo., where he purchased a large farm and a house and lot in the town, expecting to make the place his permanent home. But he shared in the disappointment of thousands of other Saints who went to Missouri with similar anticipations. He had occupied his new home only a few weeks when the fires of mobocratic hatred towards the Saints burst forth with such fury that they had to flee, and in December, 1838. Bro. Eldredge left Far West and returned to Indiana. He always retained the title to his real estate in Missouri, and never received a dollar for it. During the fall of 1840, he joined the fast gathering community of Saints at Nauvoo. Ill., and was present at the breaking of ground for the Nauvoo Temple, an event which occurred shortly after his arrival. He resided in Nauvoo till the exodus therefrom in the spring of 1846, and shared in the expatriation of the inhabitants of that devoted city and in their march through the wilderness to Winter Quarters. Here he, with his family, spent two winters, and here he buried two children, victims of hardship and privation. In the spring of 1848, he started for Great Salt Lake valley, where he arrived the following September. Soon after his arrival he was appointed marshal of the Territory, assessor and collector of taxes and a brigadier-general of militia. At the general conference of the Church held in October. 1852. he was appointed to preside over the St. Louis (Mo.) conference and act as a general Church and emigration agent. The duties thus placed upon him were of a very important and arduous character, but he discharged them well. The autumn of 1854 found him home again with his family, when he was chosen and ordained one of the First Seven Presidents of Seventies. Joseph Young officiated in the ordination. In the following winter he served as a member of the Territorial legislature. In the fall of 1856 he formed a partnership with Wm. H. Hooper and engaged in mercantile business, opening with a $15,000 stock of goods in Provo. In the spring of 1857 he was assigned to his former position and duties at St. Mu. He was absent over a year, during which "the move" had taken place. About the time of his return to Utah the Saints began to return to their homes: and after getting his family back to their home in Salt Lake City, he again started east, in September, 1858. This time he went to purchase merchandise and machinery. He was absent nearly a year, and on his return the firm of Hooper & Eldredge opened out with a large stock of goods in the store just north of the Deseret Bank corner, in Salt Lake City. From this time on he was a leading figure in the mercantile and financial circles of the Territory, and was rated as one of its ablest business men. But business pursuits by no means engrossed all of his time or attention. In the spring of 1862, after having served another term in the legislature, he was appointed Church emigration agent at New York, which appointment was repeated one year later. From 1864-69 inclusive his time was mostly devoted to business affairs, and during that period he helped to establish Z. C. M. I., being at the time of his death one of the oldest directors of that institution. At the April conference, 1870, he was called to preside over the European mission. He was absent about fourteen months, during a portion of which time his health was very poor, his lungs being badly affected. After his return from that mission he made repeated journeys to the East and the Pacific coast, generally on business. He served several terms as superintendent of Z. C. M. I., which position he held at his death. He also acted as vice-president and president of the institution. He was one of the organizers of the Deseret National Bank and of the First National Bank of Ogden, of both of which he was president at the time of his death. The disease which terminated his life was a lung trouble, from which he suffered a number of years. He died at his residence in Salt Lake City Sept. 6, 1888. Horace S. Eldredge was a man of magnificent physique. He was fully six feet in height, broad-shouldered and compactly built. He had a fine countenance, the forehead being broad and high and the features of exquisite mould. His eye was clear and impressive, and his whole appearance expressive. His voice was peculiar, being remarkable resonant. When he made up his mind upon any matter, he could scarcely be moved: and he generally took an unequivocal stand upon every point of importance with which he had to deal, so that there was never any reason for doubt as to where he stood He had great native force, was strikingly straightforward in his utterances and had the most unqualified contempt for every species of trickery, to which he never resorted in his financial affairs. (For a more detailed life sketch see History of Salt Lake City, by Edward W. Tullidge, sup. p. 65.)
Jenson, Andrew. "Eldredge, Horace S." Biographical Encyclopedia. Volume 4. pg. 313.
ELDREDGE, Horace S., president of the British Mission from 1870 to 1871. (See Bio. Ency., Vol. 1, p. 196.)
ELDREDGE, Horace S., president of the British Mission from 1870 to 1871. (See Bio. Ency., Vol. 1, p. 196.)
Bruce, Donald M. "Brigham Young and Horace S. Eldredge." Improvement Era. April 1942. pg. 214-215.
BRIGHAM YOUNG and HORACE S. ELDREDGE By DONALD M. BRUCE ONE of the lesser known of our pioneer leaders, Horace S. Eldredge was nevertheless one of the most ardent Church workers of his time. He was born in the town of Brutus, New York, on February 6, 1816. Before he was twenty years old, he heard a sermon preached by a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After further investigation he concluded that it was the only true order and decided to unite his destiny with that of the Saints, and moved to Nauvoo. He was present there during the exodus and moved into Winter Quarters. Although some of his relatives left for the West the first year, he stayed until 1848, when in Brigham Young's company he arrived in Great Salt Lake Valley on September 22, 1848, after three months on the way. There were few men that enjoyed the confidence of Brigham Young as Brother Eldredge did. That confidence is shown by the fact that during his first winter in the valley, he was appointed by Brigham Young to be marshall of the territory of Utah, assessor and collector of the taxes. In the fall of 1852 he was called to serve a mission to the East. There he presided over the St. Louis Conference, and acted as General Church Agent. Some idea of the immense amount of work covered by that last title may be gained from the fact that he was in charge of all immigration, both from Europe and from America. In 1853, over four hundred wagons and two thousand head of cattle started across the plains. The following year there was an even greater number, and Brother Eldredge was pressed to find the needed conveyances to transport them to the valley. In June of 1854, he left the East to return to Great Salt Lake City, where he served as a member of the Territorial Legislature, and in 1854 he became one of the General Authorities of the Church as a member of the First Council of the Seventy. Brigham Young wrote many letters to Brother Eldredge while he was in the east, either on Church business or buying for the Zion's Cooperative Mercantile Institution. Most of the letters were written while the U. S. troops were here intercepting the mails and making things generally uncomfortable for the Saints. In some of his letters, Brigham Young made reference to this interruption of the mail service. The contents of the letter in the accompanying photograph is given in its entirety, just as it was written over eighty years ago. Great Salt Lake City, Feby. 4, 1858. “Pres. Horace S. Eldredge, “Dear Brother:-- “Your letter of Novr. 14th arrived by the Cal. mail or the 3 instant, and its contents caused neither surprise nor discouragement, as they correspond with what we had anticipated from the movements of late. All circumstances considered, it will probably be best for you to at once arrange your affairs as to be able to leave for the mountains at any moment your judgment may dictate. And should you be unable to pay off all indebtedness, inform the creditors that we have plenty of funds to pay them, but since we have no communication except by Panama, and mail by that route is often carefully overhauled after it leaves our borders, they must patiently wait the progress and issue of the present disturbance is entirely the fault of our enemies on account of our religion, and we are only acting in self defense. Under the present aspect of affairs, I am unable to counsel you in regard to this year’s immigration, any further than to say to you and all others to make your way to Utah as soon and in the best manner, and by the best route you can. Our enemies have gone into winter quarters near the ruins of Fort Supply and Bridger, (which you are aware were evacuated and burned by us last fall), and for some weeks past we have not heard, though we are making such preparations as may be necessary for the preservation of our rights and lives. Please bring with you as much unruled paper like the small sample enclosed, as you can conveniently. Send all your letters by way of Panama, for no letters, papers, or mails have reached here from Independence since Mr. Kimball’s contract was annulled. “For explanation I enclose a copy of the current account between you and Br. Groesbeck. “Ever praying for your prosperity and welfare in the Kingdom of God, I remain, as ever, your Brother in the Gospel.” “Brigham Young.” “P. S. Mr. Postmaster and all others:--When you have read this letter please forward it to its destination, for keeping it can be of no possible benefit to you.” “B. Y.” |