The materials in this collection were donated to USU Special Collections and Archives in various batches during the early 1980s by S. George Ellsworth, the trustee of the Joel E. Ricks estate.
No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from the Joel Edward Ricks papers must be obtained from the
JJoel Edward Ricks was born October 18, 1889, in Rexburg, Fremont County, Idaho, the son of Nathan and Sarah Ann Taylor Ricks. In 1908, Ricks enrolled at the University of Utah and graduated in 1912 with a BA in history. He then took a teaching position at South Sanpete High School in Gunnison, Utah, where he taught and served as the school's principal until 1917. In 1917, Ricks found employment at Weber College where he worked as a teacher until 1920, and from 1920 to 1922, he served as president of the college. During this period, he married Katherine "Kitts" McKay of Huntsville, Utah on June 8, 1917 in the Salt Lake Temple.
While working at Weber College, Ricks also enrolled at the University of Chicago where he received an MA (1920) and later a PhD (1930) in American history. His PhD dissertation was entitled "Forms and Methods of Early Mormon Settlement in Utah and the Surrounding Regions: 1847-1877."
On July 1, 1922, Ricks began his career at the Utah Agricultural College (now Utah State University). He taught at USU from 1922 to 1967, serving as head of the History Department from 1922 until 1955. While at USU, Ricks served on many committees, including chairman of the Awards and Honors Committee, president of the Faculty Association, president of Phi Kappa Phi, and as chairman of the University Semi-Centennial Committee. He also served on the Board of Trustees for the Utah State Historical Society (USHS) and was its president from 1949 to 1957. He worked to ensure that the USHS was a state-wide organization with its membership open to all, and he established branches or county chapters throughout the state, the first of these being the Cache Valley Historical Society (see Coll Mss 43: Cache Valley Historical Society papers). He was also an ardent supporter of the Sons of the Utah Pioneers organization.
Ricks was the author of a number of publications, including
This twenty-five-box collection contains the professional papers of Joel Edward Ricks and spans the period of 1846 to 1972. This collection contains Ricks' correspondence (1907-1969), diaries (1944 and 1947), research papers, an unpublished manuscript, photographs, and other papers. Of particular interest are the materials in Boxes 5-9 which contain both original and transcriptions of original diaries, correspondence, and other similar materials that Ricks collected and used for his personal research on Utah history and the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Arranged by material type and dates.
Cache Valley Historical Society papers
USU Special Collection and Archives also contains another Joel E. Ricks collection,
(incomplete)
(incomplete)
Work was published by the
This is a final, handwritten draft.
Typescript Draft, pp. 1-83.
Typescript Draft, pp. 84 - end.
Later typescript draft, pp. 1-92.
Later typescript draft, pp. 93 - end.
Typed transcription
Typescript copy
Typescript copy
(incomplete)
(typed transcription)
Drafts
Drafts
Drafts
Drafts
Drafts
Drafts
Four page footnoted paper (not same wording as chapter)
Various primary sources, including correspondence, Alberta Stake records, maps, and transcriptions from the letterbooks of Lorenzo Snow, Wilford Woodruff, and John Taylor
An account of the Benjamin F. Johnson Family trek to help settle Canada
Miscellaneous primary source materials concerning colonia Juarez, Dublan, Diaz, Oaxaca, Pacheco, etc.
primary source material as above
primary source material as above
primary source material as above
Typescript and handwritten drafts of Joel Ricks Colorado Chapter
John Taylor letter book transcriptions, and Young Stake records
Most dealing with the shipment of merchandise west to Utah from Horace S. Eldridge in St. Louis. (Also Johnston's Army related.)
Speech given at the dedication of a monument honoring the victims of the massacre at the Mountain Meadows at Harrison, Arkansas
typed lecture notes in early form
typed lecture notes
handwritten lecture notes with an emphasis on Texas and Oregon
handwritten lecture notes with an emphasis on Mining and on New Mexico
handwritten lecture notes with an emphasis on Colorado and Idaho
handwritten lecture notes with an emphasis on Arizona
handwritten lecture notes with an emphasis on Lewis and Clark
handwritten lecture notes with an emphasis on The Astorians, Overland communication and transportation, The Pony Express, Jedediah Smith, Zebulon Pike, etc.
handwritten lecture notes with an emphasis on The Cattle Trade
handwritten lecture notes, ¬ miscellaneous
miscellaneous material including manuscript histories of the Indian Chieftain Calf shirt and of John Phillips, a "hero" of Fort Phil Kearney
miscellaneous handwritten materials including research notes and primary transcriptions
miscellaneous materials
(notes covering Idaho, Washington, and Montana Territories)
Includes material on MD., KY., OH., VA., N.C., etc.
Frederick Jackson Turner taught this course while working as a guest lecturer at Utah State
American History including information on Ohio, Louisiana, Kentucky, Illinois, etc.
Includes notes on the Russian Revolution
Notes on W.W. II
Notes on W.W. II
(See also USU Photographic Collection numbers A-4495 to A-4496, A-4498 to A-4519, and A-4575 to A-4576.)
(See also Box 25, Item 7.)
Also published in the Utah Historical Quarterly Volume XVIII
Article on Logan City history, 1880-1950; Article on the 100th Anniversary of Logan City settlement.
"Sixtieth Anniversary Edition"
Cache Valley Centennial Issue
100th Anniversary of pioneer settlement in Utah edition. Incomplete
Picture used on dust jacket of the USHS publication "Pageant In the Wilderness"