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Charles W. Nibley family papers, 1851-1999

Overview of the Collection

Title
Charles W. Nibley family papers
Dates
1851-1999 (inclusive)
Quantity
15 boxes, (6 linear feet)
Collection Number
UUS_COLL MSS 256
Summary
This collection contains Charles W. Nibley's correspondence, financial and personal papers, as well as speeches.
Repository
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division
Special Collections & Archives
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
Logan, UT
84322-3000
Telephone: 4357978248
Fax: 4357972880
scweb@usu.edu
Access Restrictions

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

Languages
English
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Biographical Note

Charles W. Nibley was born February 5, 1849, near Edinburgh, Scotland, the son of James and Jean Wilson Nibley. When Nibley was five years old, his family sailed to the United States and lived with relatives in Rhode Island for five years. In 1860 the Nibley family purchased oxen and a wagon and traveled to the Utah Territory to live with fellow members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Nibley family had converted to the Church in 1844). Upon arriving in the Utah Territory, they settled in present-day Wellsville where Nibley began working as a clerk in the village store. In 1866 Nibley moved to Brigham City where he worked transporting salt to mines in southern Idaho and co-owned a general store and hotel with Morris Rosenbaum. In 1869 he married his first wife, Rebecca Neibaur.

In 1877 Nibley was called by the Church of Jesus Christ to serve as a missionary in England, where he preached for two years. After completing his missionary work, Nibley returned to Logan, Utah, and became the manager of the United Order Lumber Company (a church-owned company). Ten months after his return from England, Nibley married his second wife, Ellen Ricks. Nibley provided separated houses on Logan's Center Street for each wife.

In 1882 Nibley was elected to the office of Logan City alderman. Ten days after his election, the Edmunds Act passed (this act made the practice of polygamy illegal and punishable by law), which prompted Nibley to resign from office and go into hiding. In the spring of 1885, Nibley moved Ellen and their son to remote Paris, Idaho, to avoid federal marshals who had been hunting for polygamists in the Cache Valley area. That summer in Paris, Nibley met and married his third wife, Julia Budge, the daughter of Nibley's former mission president.

On November 13, 1885, Nibley was arrested by federal marshals outside of Paris and was transported to Salt Lake City to await trial. In Salt Lake City, Nibley escaped from his captors and fled back to Paris, Idaho. For the next three years, Nibley evaded federal marshals. In 1888 Nibley arranged (through a friend, Fred Turner) to have himself arrested in Logan, tried for unlawful cohabitation before Judge Goodwin, and then acquitted. Prior to the trial, Nibley's friend secretly paid Judge Goodwin $150 to render a judgment in favor of Nibley. Nibley was tried and acquitted.

In 1889 Nibley moved to Oregon to work with David Eccles and George Stoddard in the lumber and railroading business. As a result of this job and other business ventures, Nibley became increasingly wealthy.

In 1907 Nibley was called by the Church to serve as the presiding bishop (an office that oversaw the financial workings of the entire Church), a position he held for the next eighteen years. During his time, the Church did away with tithing scrip and he placed the Church on a strict cash payment basis. He also was influential in getting the Church to build the Hotel Utah in downtown Salt Lake City. In 1925 Nibley was called to serve as the second councilor to Heber J. Grant, president of the Church.

Charles W. Nibley died December 11, 1931, and was buried in the Logan Cemetery.

Ellen Jane Ricks Nibley was born March 30, 1856, in Farmington, Utah Territory, the daughter of Joel and Sarah B.F. Ricks. Three years later, Ellen's family moved north and settled in present-day Logan. In 1874 Ellen received a graduation certificate after studying telegraphy. Later that year she found work in Mendon at the telegraph office, where she stayed until 1880. (Ellen also taught school during this time period.) In 1875 Ellen was called by Brigham Young to serve as president of the newly formed Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association.

During the spring of 1880, she met Charles W. Nibley, who she married March 30, 1880, in the Salt Lake City Temple. She became Charles's second of three wives and she resided in Logan. They had five children that lived to adulthood: Joel (1881), Preston (1889), Edna (1890), Florence (1894), and Nathan (1899).

In 1885 Charles took Ellen to remote Paris, Idaho, in order to evade federal marshals who were hunting for polygamists. During this period, Ellen was often alone because Charles' business ventures took him elsewhere and he had to hide from federal marshals when he was home. In 1895 Ellen moved back to Logan. From 1902 until her death, Ellen served as a temple worker in both the Logan and Salt Lake City Temples. Ellen died in Logan on February 1, 1935.

Charles W. Nibley Jr. was born April 7, 1872, in Brigham City, Utah Territory, to Charles W. and Rebecca Neibaur Nibley. In 1895 Nibley was called by the Church of Jesus Christ to serve as a missionary in the eastern United States, where he served for two years. On September 28, 1898, he married Marie Ollie Thatcher in the Logan Temple. They later had five children that lived to adulthood. Nibley died October 19, 1959, in Los Angeles, California.

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Content Description

This collection contains the papers of Charles W. Nibley and his family. This collection contains Nibley's correspondence (1878-1931), financial and personal papers, as well as speeches by and about Nibley. The Nibley family papers consist of an Ellen Ricks Nibley diary (1903-1934), four of Charles W. Nibley Jr.'s missionary diaries (1895-1897), family correspondence, family history and genealogy papers, oral history interviews conducted by Ken Godfrey with the Nibley family during 1997 and 1999, a family heirloom, and Nibley family books.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

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

Permission to publish material from the Charles W. Nibley family papers must be obtained from the Special Collections and Archives manuscript curator and/or the Special Collections and Archives department head.

Preferred Citation

Initial Citation: Charles W. Nibley family papers USU_COLL MSS 256, Box [ ]. Special Collections and Archives. Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library. Logan, Utah.

Following Citations: USU_COLL MSS 256, USUSCA.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Arranged by topic and date.

Processing Note

Processed in June of 2005. Reprocessed in 2024 to de-acidify, rehouse, and repair torn items.

Acquisition Information

The materials in this collection were donated to USU Special Collections and Archives by various members, descendants, and friends of the Charles W. Nibley family during the period of 1997 to 2005.

Related Materials

The Nibley Family Photograph Collection PO315.

USU Special Collections and Archives contains additional materials that are connected to the C.W. Nibley family businesses, and these items are housed as part of COLL MSS 238. These items include Bd Ms 11: Sumpter Valley Railroad Company Stock Register (1891-1910), Bd Ms 25-26: Oregon Lumber Company Stock Registers (1904-1933), and Bd Ms 30-31 & 94: Eccles Lumber Company papers (1889-1921).

Future Additions

This list is a working inventory. USU Special Collections & Archives continues to receive material from the Nibley family that will be added to this inventory.

Bibliography

Christensen, Michael E., "Charles W. Nibley: A Case Study of Polygamy," Journal of Mormon History , 1980.Sorenson, Gerri Waters, "The Bishop's Second Wife: The Life and Diary of Ellen Ricks Nibley," USU MA Thesis, 2001 (call # 920 N512-So).
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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Mormon Church--Utah--History.
  • Mormons--Utah--History
  • Polygamy--Utah--History.

Geographical Names

  • Cache Valley (Utah and Idaho)--History.
  • Logan (Utah)--History.

Finding aid/Register created by Zachary R. Jones
2012

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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