Logan Temple time books, 1877-1884

The Logan Temple time books reflect labor time spent on the construction of the Logan Temple in Logan, Utah from 1877 to 1884. Cache Valley farmers divided their time between farming and contributing labor at the temple block. According to Melvin Larkin, in his 1954 thesis The History of the L.D.S. Temple in Logan, Utah there were originally 127 time books were kept, each containing the number and names of laborers, their place of residence, wages, type of work performed, and number of days worked. These titled notebooks included, Franklin Quarry (four books), Green Canyon Quarry (11 books), Hyde Park Quarry (three books), Lime Kiln (6 books), Saw Mill (24 books), Wood Camp (nine books), and Temple Block (seven books). Other contributions in kind were listed in various accounts contained in the temple ledger books, consisting of five volumes covering the years 1877-1886. Three of the time books are held in the Utah State University Special Collections and Archives and are available for scholarly consultation, the remaining 124 cannot be confirmed as extant as of 2026.

A temple district in northern Utah had been organized under Brigham Young's direction and was comprised of Cache, Box Elder, and Rich Counties. The nine-acre temple site was chosen by President Young and dedicated by the prayer of Orson Pratt on May 17, 1877. Charles Ora Card, a sawmill operator, was appointed superintendent of construction on May 17, 1884 by President John Taylor. The temple was constructed from local materials, and at its completion, it measured 171 feet long, 95 feet wide and 86 feet high at the square.