Hiram B. Clawson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hiram B. Clawson |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | November 7, 1826 Utica, New York, United States |
| Died | March 29, 1912 (aged 85) Salt Lake City, Utah, United States |
| Resting place | Salt Lake City Cemetery 40°46′38″N 111°51′29″W / 40.7772°N 111.8580°W |
Hiram Bradley Clawson (born November 7, 1826 – died March 29, 1912) was an important businessman and church leader. He lived in the 1800s and early 1900s. He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Contents
Early Life and Moving West
Hiram B. Clawson was born in Utica, New York. He went to school at the Utica Academy. In 1838, when he was about 12 years old, he joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His mother, who was a widow, also joined the church. In 1841, they moved to Nauvoo, which was an important gathering place for church members at that time.
Clawson later traveled west with many other Latter-day Saints. He arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1848.
Building Salt Lake City
When he arrived in Salt Lake City, Clawson helped build the new city. He was in charge of building the very first adobe building there. Adobe is a type of brick made from earth and straw. He then became the main bricklayer for the Council House. This building was designed by an architect named Truman O. Angell.
For a while, Angell was away on a church mission. During that time, Clawson took over as the acting architect for the Salt Lake Temple. This was a very important building project for the church.
Business and Theatre Work
Hiram Clawson was a close friend and helper to Brigham Young. Brigham Young was a key leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For many years, Clawson managed Young's businesses.
Clawson also helped build the Salt Lake Theatre. This was a famous place for plays and performances. He often acted in the plays himself. For some time, he even managed the entire theatre.
Military Service
In 1850, Clawson served as an aide to Daniel H. Wells. Wells was in charge of the Nauvoo Legion. This was a local defense group for the community. Later, from 1863 to 1870, Clawson was the adjutant general of the Legion. This meant he was a chief administrative officer. The Legion was later disbanded.
Leading ZCMI
In 1865, Clawson became business partners with Horace S. Eldredge. They bought out another businessman, William H. Hooper. In 1868, Clawson and Eldredge sold their company to Zion's Cooperative Mercantile Institution (ZCMI). ZCMI was a large department store and a very important business in Utah.
Clawson then became the general superintendent of ZCMI. He held this top management role from 1868 to 1873. After a short break, he led ZCMI again from 1874 to 1875. In 1875, Clawson bought some parts of ZCMI's business. These parts included agriculture, hides, and wool. He ran these as his own separate business until 1885.
Church Leadership
From 1884 to 1902, Hiram Clawson served as the bishop of the Twelfth Ward in Salt Lake City. A bishop is a local leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Family Life
Hiram Clawson had a very large family with many children. He had a total of forty-two children. Some of his children became well-known in their own right.
One of his sons was Spencer Clawson. Spencer later ran for mayor of Salt Lake City. Another son was Rudger Clawson. Rudger became a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, which is a very high leadership position in the church.
Another son, Thomas A. Clawson, became a dentist. He also served in important roles in the church. He took over as bishop of the Eighteenth Ward in Salt Lake City after Orson F. Whitney.
