Item Detail
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Lott, Elsie Moore
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1880-1973
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MSS SC 290
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Biography
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Elsie Moore Lott was born December 21, 1880 in Provo, Utah to Stephen Bliss Moore and Eleanor Colton Moore. Elsie lived most of her early life on a ranch her father homesteaded at the foot of Mt. Timpanogos. She also lived in a house in Provo. Later in life, Elsie was an understudy of some Utah artists and then attended Pratt Institute in New York. While living in the east, she married Merrill Rowe Lott. Inspired by her father's stories and her life on the homestead, Elsie wrote the epic poem 'Wagons Rolled West,' which was included in her published book of poems, Wagons Rolled West. She died August 27, 1973.
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This collection consists of a 34-page typewritten manuscript entitled 'History of My Father, Stephen Bliss Moore, and My Mother, Eleanor Colton Moore: Pioneers and Children of Pioneers.' It was written by their daughter Elsie on July 8, 1953. A published version of this manuscript is also available in the Americana Collection, call number BX 8670.1 .M786L. The history begins with the birth of Stephen Moore in Orange, Massachusetts on February 29, 1836. Shortly after Stephen was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, his family was advised by Heber Kimball to sell everything and move west. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in September of 1847. Most of the biography focuses on Stephen's life. In his youth, he went through military training, went on a mission to the Elk Mountains, and was a rider for the Brigham Young Express. After settling in Utah Valley, Stephen was involved with developing the Tintic Mining District and developing the irrigation supply for the ranches on the Provo Bench. His work on the Alta Water Ditch is described in detail. Elsie dedicates part of the biography to telling about the life of her mother, Eleanor Colton Moore. Eleanor was born in Carthage, Hancock, Illinois and her family moved with the Mormons to Keg Creek, Nebraska when Eleanor was seven years old. Her father joined the Mormon Battalion, and the rest of her family went on to Utah in 1848. Elsie describes their journey and tells stories of events that happened along the trail. They settled in Utah Valley on a ranch across the river from the town of Provo. Elsie tells several stories about her mother's youth on this ranch: 'Mother often told me incidents of her life there in Provo: of the school spelling matches, the sociables, of riding horseback behind her escort to attend dances. She remembered the visits of Brigham Young.' Eleanor and her siblings learned to speak a little of the Indian tongue, but this got them into trouble when an Indian asked their sister Emily to marry him. She thought he was in jest, and replied yes. When the Indian returned to claim his bride, Emily refused to comply, and he became very angry. Eleanor's father had to drive him away with a gun. During the 'reformation' Eleanor was called out in church and asked why she was not married. She answered that she would marry when she was ready. One of the bishops approached her father later, but he said that his daughter would make her own decision. When Eleanor was 17, the 'manna' phenomenon took place. 'A sweet substance, which glistened like syrup, came out on the bushes along the river.' The people boiled this substance down into sugar, and they took this event as an answer to prayer similar to the manna in the Bible. Eleanor made ten pounds of the sugar and paid one tenth of it in tithing. Towards the end of the history, Elsie gives a physical description of her mother and pays tribute to her. The information in the manuscript about Elsie is mostly in the form of memories from her early childhood. She describes her family's brick house in Provo in detail as the first place she remembers living. She also remembers hearing the mining men talk of 'hanging walls, foot walls, tunnels'of galena, iron pyrites and lead bearing silver.' She tells several stories of dealing with 'Old Vic,' their stubborn old horse that tried to run away every chance he could get.
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