Pieced Together History of Harmon Cutler (FHE Spotlight)

Pieced Together History of Harmon Cutler (FHE Spotlight)

Harmon Cutler KWJP-6L8 Pieced Together History for FHE Spotlight

Harmon Cutler was the son of Samuel Cutler and Cordelia Hannah Young. Harmon was born July 16, 1799 in Dover, Duchess, New York and as a young man was apprenticed to learn the wagon trade. At the young age of 13 Harmon faced hardship and new responsibilities when both of his parents died of typhoid fever the same day, January 13, 1813. They were buried in one grave marked with a single stone, upon which was inscribed the following words: “Those who have a tear will stop and drop it here.” They left a family of ten children, the youngest only six months old. Harmon’s direct line had lived in this area of Dover for more than four generations and over 100 years.

At the age of 26 he married 19 year old Susannah Barton on November 13, 1825 at Coberskill, Schoharie, New York. Susannah was born there on 14 Dec 1805. He purchased a farm which he ran in connection with his wagon trade and they eventually had 8 children. Their last son was named Orson Parley Pratt. The Mormon Aposlte, Orson Pratt was living at their home at the time of the birth of their last son. He was called upon to do the christening. He favored the name of his brother Parley and the family wanted to name him after Orson. He was named Orson Parley Pratt Cutler.

On Jan 1, 1839, Harmon became a member of the LDS church. On August 6, 1840, he took his entire family and household effects in the wagon of his own making and journeyed over 50 days to arrive in Nauvoo where Harmon suffered tragedy again when his wife Susannah, only 34 years of age, died in Nauvoo on Nov 21, 1840 just two months after arriving in Nauvoo.

Many years later, about two years after his arrival in Utah, he and others returned to Nauvoo to bring the bodies of their wives to Utah. When digging up the bodies he found his wife, Susannah Barton Cutler, to be very heavy. They decided to open the casket and found the body petrified and looked as natural as the day she was buried. Harmon took out his handkerchief and wiped the mold from her teeth. (Source: Andra Jane Cole Henderson) Harmon was sealed to her by proxy in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City on 17 July 1857.

In the summer of 1842 he was married to Lucy Ann Pettigrew in the Zarahemla Stake, Nauvoo, Illinois. Her parents were David Pettigrew and Elizabeth Alden. Harmon and Lucy had five children together. Harmon and Lucy were endowed on the 7th of February 1846 just one day before the last endowments were performed. The following Ensign article tells of those last days in the Nauvoo temple:

“On 30 November 1845 the attic story was dedicated, and the administering of endowments commenced on 10 December. Over the next eight weeks, about 5,600 Saints received their temple ordinances. As the pressure to leave Nauvoo increased, President Young addressed the Saints on 3 February 1846. The plan was to leave the next day, but Saints still filled the temple. President Young urged the Saints to return to their homes and prepare for their departure.

In his history, President Young recorded: “Notwithstanding that I had announced that we would not attend to the administration of the ordinances, the House of the Lord was thronged all day, the anxiety being so great to receive. … I … informed the brethren that I was going to get my wagons started and be off. I walked some distance from the Temple supposing the crowd would disperse, but on returning I found the house filled to overflowing. Looking upon the multitude and knowing their anxiety, as they were thirsting and hungering for the word, we continued at work diligently in the House of the Lord. Two hundred and ninety-five persons received ordinances.”

The first wagons left on 4 February, temple work finally ceased on 8 February, and the great exodus from Nauvoo went forward. Looking back on that remarkable period, Elder Erastus Snow declared, “All felt satisfied that during the two months we occupied [the temple] in the endowment of the Saints, we were amply paid for all our labors in building it.” (July 2002 Ensign)

Harmon’s family was forced with the other Saints to leave Nauvoo. They came in Alpheus Cutler’s (Harmon’s 3rd cousin) company who had been assigned to lead the 3rd company leaving Nauvoo. They called the place where they settled Cutler’s Park (Pottawattamie, Council Bluffs, Iowa). Many of the Cutler clan and friends lived in this area.

Alpheus Cutler (L256-PHG) known as “Father Cutler” was a very prominent leader in the church. He had been baptized by David Patten after the miraculous healing of his daughter. He was a stonecutter and an architect so he was vital in planning and building temples. He was assigned to lead the building committees for the Far West and the Nauvoo temple. He was part of the School of the Prophets and was in the committee to organize the revelations for the Book of Commandments now known as the Doctrine and Covenants. He had memorized the Lectures on Faith and many of the revelations in the Book of Commandments. He had served on the High Council and the Council of Fifty. He had been appointed Captain of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s bodyguard and led the Nauvoo Legion at the funeral procession for Joseph and Hyrum. He even was part of the small group to hide the bodies of Joseph and Hyrum as the mob had threatened to do harm to them. Two of his daughters were married to Heber C Kimball. To honor his service there are three different Church historical landmarks named after him, one of which is a street in Nauvoo. Why is this man important in the history of Harmon Cutler? Alpheus Cutler gave great service in the history of the Church, but later apostatized believing that Joseph Smith had left him to lead the church. He took over 40 families with him and established church calling it “The True Church of Jesus Christ” but was later better known as the “Cutlerites”. Harmon did not choose to follow Alpheus, but chose to answer the call of the First Presidency when it came.

Even though Lucy’s mother and siblings were part of Brigham Young’s 1848 Wagon company, Harmon was asked by Brigham Young to stay in Council Bluffs to build Wagons for others who would be coming West. During that time he was able to procure the comforts of life and had a large farm. They were part of a flourishing Mormon community in the area, referred to as Pottawattamie County. In 1853 the First Presidency of the church sent Ezra T Benson and Jedidiah M Grant with a letter to all those in the area asking them to leave to come join them in Utah.

1851-September 21-Frontier Guardian Vol. 3, No. 21 (November 14, 1851)

Beloved Brethren: We send unto you our beloved brethren, Ezra T. Benson and Jedediah M. Grant, for the special purpose of counselling and assisting you to come to this place, and we desire you to give heed to their counsel in all things and come to this place with them next season; and fail not.

Come all ye officers in the Church, and all ye officers in the State or county. There is no more time for Saints to hesitate what course they will pursue. We have been calling to the Saints in Pottawatamie ever since we left them to come away; but there has continually been an opposing spirit, whispering, as it were-Stay another year, and get a better fit-out, until many who had means to come conveniently have nothing left to come with, even as a former Prophet said, "If a man will not gather when he has the chance, he will be afflicted with the Devil," his property will go to waste, his family fall by sickness, and destruction and misery will be on his path; even so has it been with some of you, and soon will it be with more of you, if you do not hearken to this call and come away.

What are you waiting for? Have you any good excuse for not coming? No! you have all of you, unitedly, a far better chance than we had when we started as Pioneers to find this place: you have better teams and more of them. You have as good food and more of it; you have as much natural strength as we have had to come; our women and children have walked here, and been blessed in walking here, and barefoot, too, only as they could occasionally get a skin from the Indians to make a moccasin, and can you not do the same? You can. And we say again, come home! And if you can get one good wagon and team to five families, and five teams to 100 souls; or no teams at all, more than cows and calves to your handcarts, you can come here with greater comfort and safety than the Pioneers came here who had nothing to come to; while you will have every thing; and here is the place for all the Saints to get their fit-out for Zion, even from all nations, therefore we say again, Arise and Come home.

Elder Hyde will return to your place, with Brs. Benson and Grant, and act in his calling as usual; but you must not depend too much on him, for he has his private affairs to settle and prepare to bring on his family, and come with you; and we have sent Brs. Benson and Grant to bless you, and counsel you and relieve Br. Hyde. Therefore we wish you to evacuate Pottawatamie, and the States, and next fall be with us all ye Saints of the Most High, and it shall be well with you if you will keep all the commandments.

Oh ye Saints, give not your heritage to reproach, neither sell your improvements in Pottawatamie to strangers for nothing. No! rather sell your improvements for their value or give them into the hands of those you shall be counselled to, for the benefit of the poor Saints who are coming after as consecration, for the benefit of the poor. It is a day of sacrifice, and those who are ready to sacrifice and do their duty, and come home, they may save being burnt. How long will the Saints in St. Louis, remain where they are? Arise and come with the Saints of Pottawatamie, and you shall be blessed. We remain your brethren in the New Covenant, BRIGHAM YOUNG, HEBER C. KIMBALL, WILLARD RICHARDS.

With this call to come to Zion, in June of 1852 there were 22 companies of Saints organized to make the trek West. Harmon was captain over the 12th company known and the Independent Springville Company. They departed on the 27th of June. The company consists of 262 saints, 231 oxen, 222 pounds of ammunition, 171 cows, and 154 sheep. There were 63 wagons, 47 arms, 28 spades and shovels, 20 dogs, and 17 horses in the company when it began its journey from the outfitting post at Kanesville, Iowa (present day Council Bluffs). Many of his children and their families were part of his company. One account said his company was attacked from Indians and another said the Indians had slyly stolen their horses, five of which belonged to Harmon.

One other fact of interest about Harmon’s company was the machinery traveling with him. De La Mare Philip was a convert from France and brought machinery with him that would convert sugar beets to sugar. He had 40 wagons of machinery pulled by oxen each weighing from 5 to 9 thousand pounds. Brigham Young was anxious to build up industry and so was eager to bring the machinery out west. It is said that Philip traveled mostly with Captain Harmon Cutler’s company. It is noted in Philip’s writings that they did come to snow storms by the Sweet Water where temperatures reached below zero and there was more than two feet of snow. They were forced to kill some cattle to eat, until they received further provisions in Wyoming. Also in Wyoming, Apostle Lorenzo Snow was returning from his mission in Italy. They were able to listen to his counsel and he camped with them overnight. The Utah Saints had sent more provisions to help them along the way, but near Bear River the snow was so deep that some of the machinery had to be left to pick up later. They arrived in Salt Lake in the beginning of October.

Harmon located in West Jordan (now Midvale) along with many other Cutlers and built a homestead of more than160 acres. His wife, Lucy Ann, not being content, ask for a divorce and division of property, which was granted. In the 1860 census Lucy lives with her parents and the children live with Harmon. Harmon later married Elizabeth Shields who died 5 months later. He then married Agnes McGregor and they had five children.

In 1856, Harmon was elected as Justice of the Peace in Salt Lake County. This same year he also received his Patriarchal Blessing from John Young. He was also the President of his High Priest quorum. He died at the age of 70 a true and faithful Latter Day Saint.

Abraham Kimball, a grandson to Alpheus son to Heber C Kimball, grew up with Alpheus as his father went west with Brigham Young. He left his two wives (daughters to Alpheus) with young sons at and the home of Father Cutler. He was to come back to take them West, but his wives died. Alpheus raised the boys to be afraid of the Mormons who had followed Brigham Young. Later Abraham traveled to Utah and met his family there and learn to love them and was baptized. He came back to Iowa to get his brother and he recorded a conversation that he had with his Grandfather Alpheus when he was in advanced years and had tuberculosis. He confided to his grandson, “I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, I know that Brigham Young is his legal successor, and always did know, but the trouble with me was that I wanted to lead and could not be led. I have run my race and sealed my doom, and I know what I have got to meet.” Addressing Abraham he said, Let what may turn up, never yield the point, (Never leave Mormonism) for it will save and exalt you in the Kingdom of God.” He then wept and asked his grandson not to divulge his confession to his followers while he still lived.

We the descendants of Harmon Cutler must understand our debt to Harmon. Our very first association with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was in great peril in 1851. The lives of we, the descendants of Harmon Cutler, would have been very different had he led his family away from Zion and followed “Father Cutler.” May we inherit from Harmon a sensitivity and receptiveness to the spirit. May we inherit his obedience and stalwartness in following the prophet in building Zion today.

Sources: Family Search Memories (Harmon, Alpheus)

The Cutler Family Book by Benjamin Lewis Cuter and Nellie Helena Sharp