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Mendon, Utah records

 Collection
Identifier: UUS_COLL MSS 257

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of canceled checks, receipts, financial statements, and warrants for Mendon City. The dates for this material range from 1923 to 1969. There are also twenty-three Mendon City receipt books spanning the period from 1890 to1969. Other miscellaneous Mendon City records from 1922 to 1978 are also included. Some of these miscellaneous city records cover topics such as animal control, church activities, community activities, and the American Legion. The collection is arranged by financial records, miscellaneous files, and then receipt books.

Dates

  • 1890-1978

Language of Materials

Material in English

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the Mendon, Utah records must be obtained from the Special Collections and Archives manuscript curator and/or the Special Collections and Archives department head.

Historical Note

Settlement in Mendon began in 1857 when Alexander Brice Hill, his wife Eliza Jane Wimmer, and his brother Robert Brice Hill, acquired land and built a log cabin north of Maughan's Fort (Wellsville), the first LDS community in Cache Valley. At that time, Mendon was called North Settlement because of its location in relation to Maughan's Fort. Permanent occupation of Mendon did not begin until May, 1859 when eight families arrived. (In 1858 Cache Valley settlers evacuated their homes prior to the arrival of the U.S. Army.)

In the winter of 1859-1860, Mendon had to be made into a temporary fort while territorial surveyor Jesse Williams Fox platted all of Cache Valley. Extensive development began after the survey was finished as a number of additional settlers came to Mendon in the spring of 1860. By October 1863, after county surveyor James H. Martineau conducted another survey, the city had nine square blocks along with a central public square.

On April 1, 1870, the Legislative Assembly of Utah officially incorporated Mendon. George W. Baker served as the first mayor, along with six councilors, two justices and one town marshal. The 1870 census reported 427 residents, made up of 168 adults and 259 minors. By 1890, new homesteaders were not allowed in Mendon due to scarcity of water, although this ban did not remain in effect as settlement continued in the early years of the 20th century.

According to historian Charles S. Peterson, Mendon has moved along with the rest of Cache Valley from being a strictly LDS village to an agricultural community. The process of this transition is reflected by the contents of this collection.

Extent

6 boxes (3 linear feet)

Abstract

This collection contains financial and miscellaneous records of Mendon, Utah.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Related Materials

See also MSS #166 – Mendon Historical Documents

Sources:

  • Abrams, James. "Straying and Maying in Mendon: The History of a Morphology of a Festival." ed. Charles S. Peterson. Special Course on Local (Cache County) History, 1981. (Unpublished paper).
  • Sorenson, Isaac. History of Mendon: A Pioneer Chronicle of a Mormon Settlement. Salt Lake City: Publishers Press, 1988.

Processing Information

Processed in April of 2000.

Title
Guide to the Mendon, Utah records 1890-1978
Author
Finding aid/Register created by Jolyn Hunting
Date
©2012
Description rules
Finding Aid Based On Dacs (Describing Archives: A Content Standard)
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid encoded in English.

Revision Statements

  • 2009: Template information was updated to reflect Archives West best practice guidelines.

Repository Details

Part of the Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives Repository

Contact:
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
3000 Old Main Hill
Logan Utah 84322-3000 United States
435 797-8248
435 797-2880 (Fax)