[Diary of John Henry Smith (apostle and father of George Albert Smith)] With other members of Smith family visits church sites and old family homes in Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, and Ohio. (1)
-- December, 1905
After Reed Smoot wrote the Presidency in December 1905 to have Owen Woodruff's post-Manifesto plural wife hide, Apostle George Albert Smith was the one who visited her in Salt Lake City to warn her to leave Utah. (2)
-- Dec 17, 1905
[Thomas A. Clawson Diary] he was invited by Apostle George Albert Smith to attend the dedication for the monument to Joseph Smith at Vermont, but he declined the invitation, "on account of my financial condition." (3)
-- Dec 18, 1905
[Apostle George Albert Smith Journal] departs SLC for Sharon, Vermont to attend dedication of the memorial to Joseph Smith's birth, returning to SLC on Jan 1, 1906 (4)
-- Monday, Dec. 18, 1905
[Diary of John Henry Smith (apostle and father of George Albert Smith)] Salt Lake City
At 7 a.m. in the Pullman Car Sofala the following party left for Sharon Vt.: Prest. Jos. F. Smith and his children Hyrum M. [and] Jos. F.
Smith Jr., Ida, wife of Hyrum, daughter Ina. Patriarch John Smith, Anthon H. Lund, Francis M. Lyman, Myself, George Albert Smith, Elias A. & Jesse M. and Edith A. Smith, C. W. Penrose, L. W. Shurtliff, Lorin Farr, A.M. Cannon, George Romney, Rulon S. Wells, John McDonald, B. F. Grant, B. F. Goddard, Ashby Snow, George H. Richards and Wife and child Oliver, Mrs. Susa Young Gates, S. B. Young, Frank Y. Taylor, Arthur Winter. The day was [spent in] reading and playing games. (5)
-- Thursday, Dec. 21, 1905
[Diary of John Henry Smith (apostle and father of George Albert Smith)] Syracuse, New York
We had breakfast on the train. We traveled up the Mohawk River and crossed the Hudson River and reached the Whim River Junction. We stoped over night. (5)
-- Friday, Dec. 22, 1905
[Diary of John Henry Smith (apostle and father of George Albert Smith)] White River Junction, Vermont
We went to South Royalton and hired sleighs and drove some six miles to Tunbridge, Vt., the old home of Asael Smith. We saw some of the old Records of town meetings at some of which our ancestor had been moderator. My grand Father John Smith obtained his majority here. A number of friends met us here from New York City.
We had a nice meeting [in] the Hall of the Hotel. (5)
-- Saturday, Dec. 23, 1905
[Diary of John Henry Smith (apostle and father of George Albert Smith)] South Royalton, Vermont
It is snowing. The Prophet Joseph Smith is one hundred years old today.
Our party and Many Visitors were driven to the old Mack Farm in Sharon Township, Windsor Co., Vt. where the Patriarch Joseph Smith lived and where Joseph Smith the Prophet was born December 23rd, 1805.
At 11 a.m. services were held in the Cottage owing to the storm. Singing America. Prayer by A. H. Lund, Councillor. Singing Page 166 We Thank Thee Oh God for a Prophet. Elder Junius Wells made his report of the Work done. Singing by R. C. East. Francis M. Lyman, Dr. Edgar Fish & Myself spoke. Singing by Emma Lucy Gates. Hyrum M. Smith, Jesse M. Smith and Charles W. Penrose spoke. President Joseph F. Smith offered the Dedicatory Prayer.
Singing by Choir. Benediction by George Albert Smith. On the Poarch of the house the Star Spangled Banner was sung. Some Pictures were taken.
A splendid Lunch was served in the basement. Fully five hundred people must have been present. The Utah party had a love feast at the dose and presented to President Joseph F. Smith an Elegant fob and chain. Some nice speaches were made. The hearth of the old Smith home is in the Center of the Cottage.
The monument wont cost less than $25,000.00. It is of gray granite polished and about 53 feet high.
We returned to South Royalton at 7:30 p.m. Services were held in the Hotel hall. (5)
Footnotes:
1 - White, Jean Bickmore, Church, State, and Politics, p.xviii, A John Henry Smith Chronology, http://bit.ly/johnhenrysmith
2 - "Plural Marriages After the 1890 ManifestO" by D. Michael Quinn, 11 August 1991
3 - Diary Excerpts of Thomas A. Clawson, Signature Books Library, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
4 - Journals of George Albert Smith
5 - White, Jean Bickmore, Church, State, and Politics: The Diaries of John Henry Smith, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1990, http://bit.ly/johnhenrysmith
LDS History Chronology: George Albert Smith
Mormon History Timeline: The life of George Albert Smith
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
