John Esplin was a native of Scotland who immigrated to the United States in the 1850s and settled in Utah. His son, H.W. Esplin, kept records of the family geneology and passed these on to Hattie Esplin, granddaughter of John Esplin, who was appointed family geneologist in 1920. Hattie Esplin did much to forward the geneology research in her family, including creating the "Esplin Family Bulletin."
Fred Esplin, who donated this collection, is a native Utahn, having grown up in Cedar City and graduated from Southern Utah University. He received his master's degree from the University of Utah and has taught communication courses at both the U and Penn State. His education includes graduate study at American University and a White House internship. Esplin has spent most of his career in public broadcasting, including positions with the Public Broadcasting Service, the Pennsylvania Public Television Network, WITF-TV-FM in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and KUED in Salt Lake City. In 2006, Fred Esplin was appointed as the University's first Vice President for Institutional Advancement.
The John Esplin family papers (1842-1979) contain letters from the 1800s addressed to John Esplin, as well as other documents that were the property of John Esplin. There are also notebooks and an account book, including many with geneological information. There are also correspondence, documents, and bulletins from the 1900s relating to geneology when Hattie Esplin, granddaughter of John Esplin, was the family geneologist. Also included in the collection are collected pamphlets regarding atomic testing and fallout.
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Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.
Donated by Fred Esplin (box 1) in 2008.
Donated by Fred Esplin (box 2, folders 1-13) in 2010.
Donated by Fred Esplin (box 2, folders 14-17) in 2017.
Donated by Esplin family (box 2, folder 18 and box 3) in 2015.
Processed by Elizabeth Rogers in 2008.
Addendum processed by Charlotte Hansen in 2010.
Addendum processed by Betsey Welland in 2018 and 2019.
Forms part of the
Memories of a section of land owned by the family in Orderville, Utah.
David Armand and Isabella Esplin were husband and wife.
The first part of this letter is missing.
David Esplin was John Esplin's nephew.
Map was in John Esplin's Bible.
Book includes time of farmhands, payments made, and prices of goods.
Journal contains the handwriting of H.W. Esplin and Hattie Esplin.
Promissory note was found within the notebook, torn into three pieces.
Included are transcripts of letters from the 1800s.
This article written by Fred Esplin was published in