Charles R. Dana facts for kids

Charles Root Dana (born November 8, 1802 – died August 7, 1868) was an important American Mormon leader. He was also a pioneer who helped settle the West and a missionary. Later, he became a politician in Utah Territory.

Early Life and Faith

Charles Dana was born in Schenectady, New York. Around 1825, he married Margaret Kennedy Luck. She was a widow with a daughter named Elizabeth, whom Charles adopted. Charles and Margaret later had six more children together.

In 1838, Charles Dana became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). By 1840, he was serving as a missionary in Boonville, New York. From 1842 to 1843, he continued his missionary work in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Charles Dana was a friend of Joseph Smith, the first leader of the LDS Church. Charles wrote about a time when Joseph Smith helped heal his wife when she was very sick.

Building the Nauvoo Temple

Charles Dana was a skilled mason, which means he worked with stone. He helped finish building the Nauvoo Temple in 1844, after Joseph Smith had passed away. In 1846, at the completed temple, Charles married two more women, Emily Waterman and Susan Sue Thomas. This was part of the Mormon practice of plural marriage at that time.

Journey West and Fundraising

In 1847, many Mormons left Nauvoo, Illinois, and began moving west to Utah. This journey was led by Brigham Young. Charles Dana left from Mount Pisgah, Iowa, on a special mission to the eastern United States. His goal was to collect money to help the Mormons move to Utah.

It was a slow process, but Charles Dana spoke about the difficulties the Mormons faced. He also made important connections with people like Thomas L. Kane in Philadelphia and Duff Green in Washington, D.C. Duff Green helped Charles meet community groups and national leaders. Many people gave personal donations, including President James K. Polk, James Buchanan, and Dolley Madison. In 1848, Charles returned to Washington for another fundraising trip. This time, he focused more on explaining Mormon beliefs, and he received less money.

Life in Utah

In 1849, Charles Dana moved to Utah Territory. Sadly, his first wife, Margaret, died during the journey in 1850. He settled in Ogden, Utah, where he later married Harriet Elizabeth Gibson.

Charles Dana became an important leader in his new community. He served in the First and Second Territorial Legislatures from 1851 to 1853. He represented Weber County, Utah. He was also one of the first members of the Ogden City Council when it was formed in 1852. His son, Joseph, would also serve on the Ogden City Council many years later. Charles Dana was also a leader in the LDS Church. He served as a counselor in the Weber Stake presidency when it was first created in 1851.

Mission to England

In 1853, Charles Dana went on an LDS mission to England. There, he was made a Pastor over church groups in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Norwich. He would never see his wife Harriet again. Some reports say she left him and their two children. Other reports say she went to visit family and was never heard from again, possibly harmed during her trip home. In 1857, Charles Dana returned from his mission. He helped lead Mormon immigrants from Liverpool to Boston.

Before returning to Utah, Charles Dana had sent two sisters, Elizabeth and Jane Culley, to Utah. When he came back, he brought two more sisters, Ann Barlow and Mary Ann Cato. On September 14, 1857, Brigham Young married Charles to these four women. During the Utah War, Charles moved his family to Fillmore, Utah, until the conflict ended. Back in Ogden, his growing family lived in a house in town and also had a farm outside of town.

Charles Dana passed away at the age of 66. Before his death, he was a President of a Council of Seventies in the LDS Church.