Abraham O. Smoot

Abraham O. Smoot
Photo of A. O. Smoot by C. R. Savage.
Born	Abraham Owen Smoot (1815-02-17)February 17, 1815
Died	March 22, 1895(1895-03-22)
Spouse(s)	Margaret Thompson McMeans Sarah Gibbens Emily Hill Diana Caroline Tanner Eldredge Anne Kirstine Mauritzen Hannah Caroline Rogers

Abraham Owen Smoot (February 17, 1815–March 22, 1895) was a Mormon pioneer, the second mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah, mayor of Provo, Utah, and an early supporter of Brigham Young Academy, which evolved into Brigham Young University (BYU).

Early life

Smoot was born in Owenton, Kentucky on February 17, 1815 to George W. Smoot and Ann Rowlett Smoot. His family moved twice in his childhood, first to southwestern Kentucky and then to banks of the Blood River in Tennessee. His mother converted to Mormonism in 1833, and he did the same in March 1835.

Missions

In February 1836, he was ordained an Elder and began preaching in Kentucky and Tennessee with Wilford Woodruff, David W. Patten, and others.^[1] Woodruff would later marry Smoot's niece and name a son, Abraham Owen Woodruff, after Smoot.

Smoot moved to western Missouri in 1837. From there he embarked on a five-month proselytizing mission to southern Missouri and Arkansas in 1838. After participating in the Missouri Mormon War, Smoot moved to Montrose, Iowa. In August 1841, he left to preach in South Carolina, returning in July 1842. He led a branch of the church in Keokuk, Iowa. In 1844, he served another mission in Alabama.^[2]

Family

On November 11, 1838, he married Margaret Thompson McMeans McMeans in Far West, Missouri.^[1]

Smoot officiated in the Nauvoo Temple during the winter of 1845-1846.^[3] He began practicing polygamy in January 1846 by marrying Sarah Gibbens and Emily Hill. He eventually married three more women (Diana Caroline Tanner Eldredge, Anne Kirstine Mauritzen, and Hannah Caroline Rogers) and had twenty-seven children, three of whom he adopted. United States Senator Reed Smoot and Brigham Smoot were two of his sons; a daughter was Ida Smoot Dusenberry. Smoot's fourth child and third daughter, Zina Beal Smoot, was the wife of apostle Orson F. Whitney.

Leadership in Utah

Salt Lake City

Smoot led companies of pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, 1852, and 1856. He was an alderman from the Sugar House district from 1854 to 1857. He became mayor of Salt Lake City in 1857 after the death of his business partner and then mayor Jedediah M. Grant.^[4] He served as mayor until 1866. He also served twice as a bishop in Salt Lake City.^[3]

Provo and Brigham Young Academy

Smoot Administration Building at BYU

Brigham Young called Smoot to be president of the Utah Stake in Provo, Utah. Smoot reluctantly accepted, and moved to Provo in February 1868. Within a week, he was elected mayor, an office he held until 1881.^[5] He was a major investor in the Provo Woolen Mills, and was cofounder of a bank and a lumber company.^[6]

Smoot was the first head of the board of trustees of Brigham Young Academy. Smoot is also credited with making major financial contributions to the Brigham Young Academy that allowed it to continue functioning. Today, the administration building at BYU is named after Smoot.

References

1 2 Whitney, Orson Ferguson (1904). History of Utah: Biographical. Salt Lake City: G.Q. Cannon. p. 99.
↑ Whitney, Orson Ferguson (1904). History of Utah: Biographical. Salt Lake City: G.Q. Cannon. p. 100.
1 2 Whitney, Orson Ferguson (1904). History of Utah: Biographical. Salt Lake City: G.Q. Cannon. p. 101.
↑ Tullidge, Edward William (1886). History of Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City: Star Printing. pp. 874–875.
↑ Walch, Tad (2005-11-07). "Provo's wild bunch". Deseret News. p. B1.
↑ Whitney, Orson Ferguson (1904). History of Utah: Biographical. Salt Lake City: G.Q. Cannon. p. 102.

External links

Utah History Encyclopedia: Abraham Owen Smoot, media.utah.edu
Guide to A. O. Smoot missionary diaries at the Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University. Click "see diary" to see scans of the original diaries.
A. O. Smoot papers, MSS 896 at L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Brigham Young University. Contains missionary journals and correspondence written to Abraham Smoot.
A. O. Smoot papers, MSS 574 at L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Brigham Young University. Contains letters and patriarchal blessing.

Political offices
Preceded by Jedediah M. Grant	Mayors of Salt Lake City 1857–1866	Succeeded by Daniel H. Wells

Mayors of Salt Lake City, Utah

Grant Smoot Wells Little Jennings Sharp Armstrong Scott Baskin Glendinning Clark Thompson Morris Thompson Bransford Park Ferry Bock Neslen Bowman Marcus Erwin Wallace Jenkins Glade Stewart Lee Garn Harrison Wilson DePaulis Corradini Anderson Becker Biskupski

Members of the Council of Fifty of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Adams (1844–45)
Babbitt (1844–56)
Badlam (1844–45, 1851–68)
Benson (1846–69)
Bent (1844–46)
Bernhisel (1844–81)
Bonney (1844–45)
Brown (1844–45)
Budge (1882–1919)
Bullock (1846–82)
Burton (1867–1907)
Cahoon (1844–61)
Caine (1881–1911)
A.H. Cannon (1884–96)
A.M. Cannon (1880–1915)
G.Q. Cannon (1867–1901)
J.Q. Cannon (1884–1931)
Carrington (1845–89)
Clawson (1882–1912)
Clayton (1844–79)
Clinton (1867–92)
Cluff (1880–1915)
Coolidge (1844–48)
Cott (1880–83)
Cutler (1844–49)
Dana (1845–48)
Daniels (1845–46)
Dunham (1845)
Eaton (1844–45)
Eldredge (1848–88)
Emmett (1844–45)
Farnham (1845–?)
Farr (1880–1909)
A. Fielding (1844–75)
J. Fielding (1844–63)
Foster (1845–46)
D. Fullmer (1845–79)
J.S. Fullmer (1845–82)
Gibbs (1882–1924)
G.D. Grant (1845–76)
H.J. Grant (1882–1945)
J.M. Grant (1844–56)
Greene (1844)
Hardy (1882–84)
Hatch (1883–1911)
Haws (1844–46)
Heywood (1848–82)
Hollister (1844–46)
Hooper (1867–82)
Hunter (1867–83)
Hyde (1844–78)
James (1844–45)
Jennings (1880–86)
Johnson (1844–1905)
C.S. Kimball (1867–1925)
D.P. Kimball (1867–83)
H.C. Kimball (1844–68)
H.P. Kimball (1867–85)
Layton (1883–98)
Lee (1844–77)
Little (1880–87)
Lott (1844–50)
A.M. Lyman (1844–67)
F.M. Lyman (1880–1916)
Marks (1844–45)
Miller (1844–46)
Morley (1845–65)
Murdock (1880–1913)
Nuttall (1880–1905)
Pack (1845–46)
Page (1845–46)
Parker (1844–82)
Penrose (1882–1925)
Peterson (1882–1902)
Phelps (1844–72)
O. Pratt (1844–81)
P.P. Pratt, Sr. (1844–57)
P.P. Pratt, Jr. (1867–97)
Preston (1880–1908)
Reynolds (1881–1909)
C.C. Rich (1844–82)
J.C. Rich (1867–1908)
F.D. Richards (1849–99)
F.S. Richards (1880–1934)
H.J. Richards (1867–1919)
L. Richards (1844–76)
P. Richards (1848–74)
W. Richards (1844–54)
Rigdon (1844–45)
Rockwell (1844–78)
Rockwood (1845–79)
Roundy (1845–72)
Sharp (1867–91)
Shumway (1845–82)
Shurtliff (1883–1922)
E. Smith (1844–88)
G.A. Smith (1844–75)
H. Smith (1844)
John Smith (1880–1911)
J.H. Smith (1844–1911)
Jos. Smith (1844)
J.F. Smith (1867–1918)
S.S. Smith (1880–1910)
W. Smith (1844–45)
W.R. Smith (1880–94)
Smoot (1867–95)
E. Snow (1844–88)
L. Snow (1849–1901)
W. Snow (1848–53)
D. Spencer (1845–68)
O. Spencer (1844–55)
Stout (1867–89)
G.J. Taylor (1867–1914)
J. Taylor (1844–87)
J.W. Taylor (1884–1916)
W.W. Taylor (1880–84)
Teasdale (1882–1907)
Thatcher (1880–1909)
Thayre (1844–45)
Turley (1845–71)
Wasson (1844–45)
D.H. Wells (1848–91)
J.F. Wells (1880–1930)
Whitney (1844–50)
Wight (1844–45)
Winder (1881–1910)
Woodruff (1844–98)
Woodworth (1844–48)
Yearsley (1844–49)
B. Young, Sr. (1844–77)
B. Young, Jr. (1867–1903)
John Young (1849–70)
J.W. Young (1867–1924)
Jos. Young (1845–81)
J.A. Young (1867–75)
P. Young (1845–79)
S.B. Young (1884–1924)

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