Descriptive Summary
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division
Manuscript Collection
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
3000 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-3000
Phone: 435 797-8248
Fax: 435 797-2880
Email: scweb@usu.edu
UUS_COLL MSS 226
Cummings,
Horace Hall, 1858-1937
Horace Hall Cummings family papers
1865-1937
1880-1887
7 boxes
3 linear ft.
Collection is comprised mostly of letters received
by Horace Cummings. Although he is probably best known as the general superintendent of
Mormon Church schools, this collection documents two earlier periods of the life of
Horace H. Cummings. First was his short residence in Logan, Utah in the fall and winter
of 1880-81 where he taught at Brigham Young College and published the Logan Leader, a
weekly newspaper. Second was his Mormon mission to Mexico from 1885-1887 where he served
as mission president in 1887. Collection includes correspondence from his wife Barbara
Matilda, Erastus Snow, Henry B. Eyring, B.F. Cummings Sr., Julian Moses, and Helaman
Pratt. Also includes his Mexican mission account book, the 1880-81 account book for the
Logan Leader, and various personal and family ledgers dating from the 1860s to the
1930s.
Collection materials are in English.
Restrictions
Open to public research.
Copyright
It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of
the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her
transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and
hold harmless the Utah State University Libraries, its officers, employees, and agents
from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of
copyright.
Patrons must sign and comply with the USU Special Collections and Archives Use Agreement
and Reproduction Order form as well as any restrictions placed by the collector or
informant(s).
Permission to publish material from the Horace Hall Cummings family papers must
be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections
Department Head.
Acquisition information is unknown. However, the ledger housed in box 7 folder 5 was purchased by Ryan Roos in 2010 and added to the collection in 2013. Roos purchased the ledger in 2007 from Pioneer Book in Provo, Utah, who aquired if from an elderly resident.
Collection Processed by: John L. Powell. Register Created by: John L. Powell, October 9,
1997.
Horace Hall Cummings family papers, 18651937. (COLL MSS 226) Utah State University.
Special Collections and Archives Department.
Biographical note
Horace Hall Cummings was born in Provo, Utah on June 12, 1858. He was the son of
Benjamin Franklin and Catherine Hall Cummings. The young Horace Cummings worked at a
variety of jobs. At various times he was as a printer's devil at the Deseret News,
worked in the finishing department of the Deseret Woolen Mills and quarried granite for
the Salt Lake temple. He attended the Deseret University and studied under Dr. John R.
Park But Cummings had attended only three terms when he was forced to quit school in
order to support his family.
Looking for work, Cummings found a job teaching school at Mill Creek. This job turned
into a lifelong career as an educator. In addition to a profession, Cummings found a
wife as a result of that teaching job. Barbara Matilda Moses, whom he married on August
4, 1881 was a student in Horace's first classroom in Mill Creek. Barbara Matilda or
Tillie, was the daughter of Julian and Ruth Ridge Moses. The Cummings had seven sons and
two daughters. On April 13, 1890 Horace Cummings married a second wife, Matilda Sophia
Wilcox Bliss.
Although most of his life was spent in the Salt Lake Valley Cummings spent the fall and
winter of 1880-81 to the north in Cache Valley. In Logan, he taught at the Brigham Young
College in Logan. At the same time, he and his brother B.F. Cummings Jr. bought and
operated the Logan Leader a weekly newspaper. To bring in additional income Cummings
kept books for Barber & Sons, taught a winter term in the fifth ward and served
as a private tutor.
An active member of the Mormon Church all his life Cummings served a mission to Mexico
from 1885 to 1887. While in Mexico he distributed the first shipment of Books of Mormon
translated into the Spanish language. He also translated sections of the Doctrine and
Covenants into Spanish. He followed Helaman Pratt as the mission president in 1887. As
mission president he helped build up the Mormon colonies in Chihuahua by sending
converts to settle there.
After his mission, Cummings was very successful in his career. He was in charge of the
Utah Educational Exhibit at the 1904 World's Fair at St. Louis, Missouri. He wrote
textbooks on elementary science that were used for many years. But the pinnacle of his
career was serving for thirteen years as the general superintendent of Church schools.
Horace H. Cummings died in Salt Lake City on August 1, 1937.
Arranged in numeric sequence according to Box and Folder
Although he is probably best known as the general superintendent of Mormon Church
schools this collection documents two earlier periods of the life of Horace H. Cummings.
First, his short residence in Logan, Utah in the fall and winter of 1880-1881 and
second, his Mormon mission to Mexico from 1885 to 1887. Cummings served as mission
president for one year in 1887. The collection consists of correspondence, ledgers,
notes for missionary discussions and Christmas cards.
The collection is comprised almost entirely of letters received by Horace Cummings. The
bulk of the letters were written by Barbara Matilda Moses, or Tillie as she was called,
to her fiancee, and later husband, Horace H. Cummings. She wrote the first group of
letters in 1880-1881 while Cummings was living in Logan, Utah teaching at the Brigham
Young College. Tillie wrote the second group of letters in 1885-1887 when Cummings was
in Mexico. Her letters have been arranged chronologically. For most months there are
four or five letters.
In addition, the collection includes letters from Apostle Erastus Snow, Apostle Henry B.
Eyring, B.F. Cummings Sr., Julian Moses, and Helaman Pratt. These letters are arranged
alphabetically by the author. Some of these letters, including those from Henry B.
Eyring in Box five folders seven through eleven, are in Spanish.
The obvious gap in this collection is the lack of letters from Horace Cummings to his
correspondents. Only a few of Horace's letters are represented. The reason for this gap
is unknown. One important letter, in which Horace plays a practical joke on Tillie by
telling her that he has taken a second wife in Mexico, survives. It can be found in box
four folder twelve. Other letters from Horace can be found at the end of box four.
The collection also includes Cummings's Mexican mission account book, the 1880-1881
account book for the Logan Leader, and various personal and family ledgers dating from
the 1860s to the 1930s.
Sizeable collections of letters written by nineteenth century Mormon women are rare.
Tillie's letters are rich in information about the daily life of an average woman in
territorial Utah. But what makes this collection unique is how it candidly reveals
attitudes about polygamy. Tillie and her husband joke, and tease each other about
polygamy in the letters. This is a highly unusual perspective on the subject.
Additionally, this collection documents the Mormon presence in Mexico during the 1880s
and the founding of the colonies there.
Mormonism (Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints)
Cummings,
Horace Hall, 1858-1937.
Cummings,
Horace Hall, 1858-1937--Correspondence.
Cummings,
Barbara Matilda Moses--Correspondence.
Snow,
Erastus--Correspondence.
Eyring,
Henry, 1901--Correspondence.
Cummings, B.
F.--Correspondence.
Moses,
Julian--Correspondence.
Mormon
Church--Missions--Mexico.
Mormon
Church--Colonization--Mexico.
Polygamy.
Mormon women--Correspondence.
Mormons--Correspondence.
Mormons--Attitudes--Polygamy.
1
1
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1880 September 28
1
2
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1880 October 5
1
3
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1880 October 15
1
4
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1880 October 25
1
5
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1880 October 28
1
6
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1880 November 9
1
7
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1880 December 3
1
8
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1880 December 16
1
9
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1881 January 7
1
10
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1881 January 14
1
11
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1881 January 19
1
12
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1881 January 27
1
13
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1881 February 3
1
14
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1881 February 4
1
15
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1881 February 11
1
16
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1881 February 18
1
17
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1881 February 25
1
18
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1881 March 18
1
19
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1881 March 24
1
20
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1881 April 13
1
21
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1881 April 19
1
22
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1881 April 23
1
23
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1881 June 2
1
24
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1881 June 9
1
25
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1881 June 16
1
26
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1881 June 27
2
1
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1885 July 10
2
2
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1885 July 16
2
3
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1885 July 23
2
4
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1885 July 29
2
5
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1885 August 6
2
6
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1885 August 9
2
7
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1885 August 27
2
8
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1885 September 9
2
9
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1885 September 10
2
10
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1885 September 16
2
11
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1885 September 26
2
12
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1885 October 1
2
13
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1885 October 9
2
14
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1885 October 16
2
15
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1885 October 29
2
16
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1885 November 5
2
17
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1885 November 10
2
18
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1885 November 19
2
19
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1885 November 26
2
20
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1885 November 30
2
21
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1885 August 12
2
22
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1885 December 27
2
23
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 January 3
2
24
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 January 8
2
25
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 January 30
2
26
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 February 3
2
27
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 February 8
2
28
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 February 15
2
29
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 February 25
2
30
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 March 4
2
31
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 March 11
2
32
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 March 18
2
33
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 March 25
2
34
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 March 31
3
1
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 April 28
3
2
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 May 2
3
3
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 May 13
3
4
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 May 27
3
5
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 June 3
3
6
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 June 9
3
7
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 June 10
3
8
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 June 16
3
9
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 June 24
3
10
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 June 27
3
11
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 July 7
3
12
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 July 16
3
13
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 July 21
3
14
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 July 29
3
15
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 August 4
3
16
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 August 5
3
17
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 August 10
3
18
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 August 20
3
19
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 September 1
3
20
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 September 10
3
21
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 September 16
3
22
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 September 23
3
23
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 September 30
3
24
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 October 7
3
25
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 October 12
3
26
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 October 22
3
27
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 October 27
3
28
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 October 29
3
29
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 November 10
3
30
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 November 19
3
31
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 November 21
3
32
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 December 2
3
33
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 December 9
3
34
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 December 16
3
35
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1886 December 23
4
1
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1887 January 6
4
2
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1887 January 27
4
3
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1887 February 10
4
4
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1887 February 17
4
5
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1887 February 24
4
6
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1887 March 10
4
7
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1887 March 19
4
8
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1887 March 24
4
9
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1887 March 31
4
10
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1887 April 7
4
11
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1887 April 14
4
12
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1887 May 12
letter from Horace to Tillie enclosed
4
13
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1887 May 19
4
14
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1887 May 26
4
15
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1887 June 15
4
16
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1887 June 23
4
17
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1887 July 7
4
18
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1887 July 14
4
19
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1887 July 22
4
20
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1887 July 28
4
21
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1887 August 11
4
22
Letter from Barbara Matilda Moses (Tillie) to
Horace Cummings
1887 October 6
4
23
Letter from Horace Cummings to Tillie
undated
4
24
Letter from Horace Cummings to Catharine Hall (his
mother)
1885 November 26
4
25
Letter from Horace Cummings to Erastus Snow
1886 December 23
5
1
Letter from Henry Eyring to Horace Cummings
1887 November 17
5
2
Letter from Henry Eyring to Horace Cummings
1887 November 29
5
3
Letter from Henry Eyring to Horace Cummings
1887 December 8
5
4
Letter from Henry Eyring to Horace Cummings
1887 December 26
5
5
Letter from Henry Eyring to Horace Cummings
1888 January 13
5
6
Letter from Henry Eyring to Horace Cummings
1888 January 17
5
7
Letter from Henry Eyring to Horace Cummings
1888 February 6
5
8
Letter from Henry Eyring to Horace Cummings
1888 February 18
5
9
Letter from Henry Eyring to Horace Cummings
1888 April 14
5
10
Letter from Henry Eyring to Horace Cummings
1888 May 5
5
11
Letter from Henry Eyring to Horace Cummings
1888 May 19
6
1
Cummings, B.F. Jr.
1885 July 16
6
2
Cummings, B.F. Sr.
1885 September 13
6
3
Cummings, B.F. Sr.
1886 March 30
6
4
Cummings, Horace Jr.
1885 July 23-November 30
6
5
Cummings, Horace Jr. and Julian
1887 April 21
6
6
Cummings, J.C.
1886 October 29
6
7
Cummings, Imogene
1880 November 7
6
8
Goddard, Joseph
1888 May 8
6
9
MacDonald, A.F.
1887 July 1
6
10
Miranda, Rafael
1888 April 24 - 1887 November 15
6
11
Moses, Julian
1881 June 26 - August 21
6
12
Moses, Julian
1886 July 2
6
13
Perez, Amondo
Enero 28, de 1888
6
14
Pratt, Helaman
1887
6
15
Richardson, C.E.
1888 April 26
6
16
Smith, William
1885 August 3
6
17
Parry, Joseph Hyrum
1887 August 13
6
18
Snow, Erastus
1886 December 15
6
19
Snow, Erastus
1887 February 7
6
20
Snow, Erastus
1887 May 6
6
21
Snow, Erastus
1887 May 18
6
22
Snow, Erastus and H. Pratt
1887 May 29
6
23
Snow, Erastus
1887 June 5
6
24
Snow, Erastus
1887 June 15
6
25
Snow, Erastus
1887 June 19
6
26
Snow, Erastus
1887 July 24
6
27
Tamayo, Marcos
1887 November 27
6
28
Young, Emmie
1885 October 2
6
29
Young, Emmie
188? December 19
6
30
Young, Emmie
1885 December 22
(Christmas Card Enclosed)
6
31
Young, Emmie
1886 October 29
(Christmas Card Enclosed)
6
32
Young, Emmie
1886 December 12
6
33
Logan Leader Account Book
1880-1881
6
34
Mexican Mission Account Book
1886-1889
6
35
Receipt and release from estate of Barbara Moses
1891 July 10
6
36
Christmas cards received by Horace Cummings
1880-1889
6
37
Mill Creek Water Suit
undated
6
38
Two discussions with Reverends Santos Reyes Leon
1887 May 22
6
39
Envelopes
undated
7
1
Ledger containing sundry accounts (black 15cm)
1911-1934
7
2
Cummings family Ledger (marbled 33 cm)
1867-1890
7
3
Ledger B.F. Cummings sundries (brown 17 cm)
1893-1898
Removed from Cummings family ledger.
7
4
Loose papers removed from front of Cummings family
ledger
undated
7
5
Cummings, Horace, small pocket ledger
1881-1884