Hiram B. Clawson Papers (Ms 40)
The Hiram B. Clawson Papers (1847-1899) consists largely of
correspondence from 1847 to 1899. The earliest are letters of Orson
Spencer to his children in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Salt Lake City while
on his mission to the British Isles; and those from relatives of Catherine
Curtis Spencer showing concern for her children after Spencer died during
the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo. Clawson's letters to Ellen Spencer Clawson
record his time with the Nauvoo Legion in Echo Canyon and Fort Bridger
(1857), time Spent in the Utah Territorial Penitentiary (1885-1886); a
trip to Arizona; and his activities in Washington, D. C. Clawson
(1826-1912) was a convert to the Mormon Church who migrated with his
mother to Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1841. Clawson was an actor who continued
his career in Salt Lake City; he was well-known for his comic and
character roles. He became manager of the Salt Lake Theatre in 1862, and
the collection holds some Salt Lake Theatre programs. An indexed register
is available.