Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Helon Henry Tracy papers, 1875-1889
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Tracy, Helon Henry, Sr., 1849-1893
- Title
- Helon Henry Tracy papers
- Dates
- 1875-1889 (inclusive)18751889
- Quantity
- 0.5 linear feet
- Collection Number
- ACCN 1053
- Summary
- The Helon Henry Tracy papers (1875-1889) contain diaries, journals, bookkeeping ledgers, prison inmate rosters, articles, research materials, and newspaper court reports. Tracy was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints imprisoned for polygamy in Utah in 1886.
- Repository
-
University of Utah Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library
University of Utah
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT
84112-0860
Telephone: 8015818863
special@library.utah.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Helon Henry Tracy (1849-1893) was born the seventh son of Moses and Nancy Tracy in Council Bluffs, Iowa. His parents joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in 1833, and were among the converts who were driven from their homes in the state of Missouri to Illinois, and were subsequently expelled from Nauvoo in the winter of 1846. Tracy came with his parents to Utah territory in 1850, settling in Weber County in a community known as Marriott. He married Emma Maria Burdett in 1867, by whom he had fourteen children. In 1870, he married Emma's sister, Mary Jane Burdett, by whom he had seven children. Tracy was admitted to the School of the Prophets in 1871, and remained a member until the school was dismissed in 1873. He was one of forty-four missionaries called to serve a proselytizing mission to the eastern United States and Great Britain in 1881-1882. Upon his return, he married a third woman, Phoebe Ann Truelover Draper, in 1882, by whom he had three children. In 1886, Tracy was indicted and charged with polygamy and unlawful cohabitation, in violation of the Edmunds Bill of 1882. He was tried before Judge O.W. Powers in 1886, and was convicted and sentenced to incarceration. He served nearly one year in the Territory of Utah Penitentiary. While in prison, he kept a detailed account of this experiences in both a diary and a journal. There were many other brethren of the LDS church who were incarcerated at the same time, including the Apostle Lorenzo Snow, with whom Tracy shared a cell. Upon his release, Tracy continued to practice polygamy clandestinely. He died at age forty-four.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Helon Henry Tracy papers (1875-1889) contain diaries, journals, bookkeeping ledgers, prison inmate rosters, articles, research materials, and newspaper court reports.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library's Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.
Preferred Citation
Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Volume | ||
1 | 1 | Missionary Diary | 1881-1882 |
Folder | |||
1 | 1-7 | Prison Diaries, Journals, Photocopies, and Transcripts | 1886-1887 |
1 | 8-9 | Bookkeeping Ledger and Transcripts | 1886 |
1 | 10 | Photocopy of Prison Roster | 1886 |
1 | 11 | Lorenzo Snow, Poem | 1886 |
1 | 12 | "A Record of Family Descent, Kept by Helon Tracy and Other Family Members," Transcript | 1875 |
1 | 13 | Research Materials and Biographical Information | |
1 | 14 | "A Strange Affair That Speaks Volumes about the Birth of a Child" | 1889 |
1 | 15 | Court Proceedings concerning Helon Henry Tracy as reported in The Ogden Daily Herald | 1886 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Latter Day Saints--Diaries
- Latter Day Saints--Polygamy
- Polygamy--Utah
Personal Names
- Tracy, Helon Henry, Sr., 1849-1893--Diaries
Form or Genre Terms
- Diaries