Harmful language link added to finding aid 08/16/2023.
Charles Willden (1806-1883), originally a steel refiner in Sheffield, England, joined the LDS Church and migrated to Iron County, Utah. He then moved to and homesteaded Cove Creek. He built a substantial stockaded structure called Fort Willden, serving as a refuge for those traveling to Cedar City and St. George. Brigham Young later asked if Willden would give the fort to the LDS Church and it was renamed Cove Fort. Willden served a mission in England and died in Beaver in 1883.
The Charles Willden family papers consist of materials primarily relating to Charles (1806-1883) and Elliott Willden, Charles' son. Included is a biography of Charles Willden, an early settler of southern Utah, compiled by his great granddaughter, Jennie Jensen Hancock. The biography includes diary extracts from an LDS mission to England in 1847 and family group sheets. Also included is a biography of his son, Elliott Willden, by Manila May Willden Hardy.
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Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.
Processed by Della Dye and Nancy Coulam in 1983.