Millen Atwood
Born 24 May 1817 in Wellington, Tolland Co., Connecticut.[1] Son of Dan Atwood and Polly Sawyer.[2] Baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Aug. 1841.[3] Served a mission to the eastern U.S., 1842–1844.[4] Assisted in the construction of the Nauvoo Temple, 1844–1846.[5] Ordained a seventy, 20 Apr. 1844.[6] Migrated to the Salt Lake Valley with the Brigham Young pioneer company, arriving 24 July 1847.[7] Returned to Winter Quarters, unorganized U.S. territory (later in Omaha, Douglas Co., Nebraska), and Nauvoo, Hancock Co., Illinois, 1847–1848.[8] Married Relief Cram, 20 Apr. 1848, at Winter Quarters.[9] Returned to the Salt Lake Valley with the Brigham Young pioneer company, arriving by 24 Sept. 1848.[10] Served as a teamster during the Utah Indian wars, Feb. 1850.[11] Served a mission in Europe, mainly in Scotland, 1852–1856.[12] Accompanied the Martin Handcart Company to Utah Territory, July–Nov. 1856.[13] Participated in plural marriage, 1857.[14] Served a mission to the eastern U.S., 1869–1870.[15] Served on the Salt Lake Stake high council, 1873–1881.[16] Gave blessings to EBW and her family, 1875–1876.[17] Appointed as the bishop of the Salt Lake City Thirteenth Ward, 1881–1890.[18] Visited by EBW, 20 Nov. 1887.[19] Received a book from EBW, May 1889.[20] Died 17 Dec. 1890 at Salt Lake City.[21]
[1] Willington, CT, Town Clerk, Records of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1720–1854, p. 78, Millen Atwood, microfilm 1376042, DGS 4015999, image 215/231, FHL. “Family Tree,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org, accessed 16 June 2020), Millen Atwood (KWJ4-14Y).
[2] Willington, CT, Town Clerk, Records of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1720–1854, p. 78, Millen Atwood, microfilm 1376042, DGS 4015999, image 215/231, FHL. “Millen Atwood,” Go Ye into all the World (https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/missionary/, accessed 19 June 2020).
[3] Seventies Quorum Records, Fourteenth Quorum of Seventies, Genealogy, pp. 15, 25, Biography, p. 2, CR 499, CHL. “Millen Atwood,” Go Ye into all the World (https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/missionary/, accessed 19 June 2020). Andrew Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, vol. 1 (Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson Historical, 1901), 633–634.
[4] Seventies Quorum Records, Fourteenth Quorum of Seventies, Genealogy, pp. 15, 25, Biography, p. 2, CR 499, CHL. Andrew Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, vol. 1 (Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson Historical, 1901), 633–634. “Millen Atwood,” Go Ye into all the World (https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/missionary/, accessed 19 June 2020).
[5] Seventies Quorum Records, Fourteenth Quorum of Seventies, Genealogy, pp. 15, 25, Biography, p. 2, CR 499, CHL. Andrew Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, vol. 1 (Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson Historical, 1901), 633–634.
[6] Seventies Quorum Records, Fourteenth Quorum of Seventies, Genealogy, pp. 15, 25, Biography, p. 3, CR 499, CHL.
[7] Millen Atwood, Journal, Apr.–July 1847, pp. [1]–[3], MS 616, CHL. “Millen Atwood,” Pioneer Database (https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/overlandtravel/, accessed 17 June 2020). EBW, Diary, 24 July 1888.
[8] Seventies Quorum Records, Fourteenth Quorum of Seventies, Genealogy, pp. 15, 25, Biography, p. 3, CR 499, CHL. Andrew Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, vol. 1 (Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson Historical, 1901), 633–634.
[9] “Sealings and Adoptions of the Living, 1846–1857; Index, 1846–1857,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Winter Quarters, vol. A, p. 691, lines 4885–4886, Millen Atwood and Relief Cram, 20 Apr. 1848, microfilm 183374, DGS 5265582 (restricted access), FHL. “Death of Bishop Atwood,” Deseret Evening News (Salt Lake City), 17 Dec. 1890, [2].
[10] “Millen Atwood,” Pioneer Database (https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/overlandtravel/, accessed 17 June 2020).
[11] Utah Territory, Adjutant General, Utah Territorial Militia Records, 1849–1877, nos. 4307–4308, 1850, “Uncertain teamster payrolls,” Millen Atwood, DGS 4332881, image 10/15, FHL. Andrew Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, vol. 1 (Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson Historical, 1901), 633–634.
[12] Millen Atwood,” Go Ye into all the World (https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/missionary/, accessed 19 June 2020). “Editorial—Arrivals, Appointments,” Latter-Day Saints’ Millennial Star, 22 Jan. 1853, 58–59. “Account of His Mission,” Deseret News (Salt Lake City), 26 Nov. 1856, 300–301.
[13] Levi Savage, Journal, Mar. 1855–Oct. 1858 images 188–190/279, MS 2001, CHL. “Millen Atwood,” Pioneer Database (https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/overlandtravel/, accessed 17 June 2020). “Account of His Mission,” Deseret News (Salt Lake City), 26 Nov. 1856, 300–301. Candy Moulton, The Mormon Handcart Migration (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2019), 62–63.
[14] “Sealings of Couples, Living and by Proxy, 1851–1889,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Endowment House, vol. C, 19 Jan. 1856–1861, p. 68, line 419, Millen Atwood and Ester Young, 19 Feb. 1857, microfilm 1149514, DGS 7226455 (restricted access), FHL. “Sealings of Couples, Living and by Proxy, 1851–1889,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Endowment House, vol. L, 14 May 1878–6 Nov. 1883, p. 13, Millen Atwood and Deborah Norris, 9 Oct. 1878, microfilm 183402, DGS 5270235 (restricted access), FHL.
[15] Thirteenth Ward, Ensign Stake, Thirteenth Ward Manuscript History and Historical Reports, 1849–1960, pp. 9–14, 21, 24, 29, LR 6133 2, CHL. “Millen Atwood,” Go Ye into All the World (https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/missionary/, accessed 19 June 2020).
[16] Salt Lake Stake, Manuscript History and Historical Reports, 1847–1949, vol. 2, LR 604 2, CHL. Seventies Quorum Records, Fourteenth Quorum of Seventies, Genealogy, pp. 15, 25, Biography, p. 5, CR 499, CHL.
[17] EBW, Diary, 24 Oct. 1875 and 23 Apr. 1876.
[18] Thirteenth Ward, Ensign Stake, Thirteenth Ward Manuscript History and Historical Reports, 1849–1960, pp. 9–14, 21, 24, 29, LR 6133 2, CHL. EBW, Diary, 25 Dec. 1881.
[19] EBW, Diary, 20 Nov. 1887.
[20] EBW, Diary, 24 May 1889.
[21] Salt Lake Co., UT, Management and Archives, Death Records, 1849–1966, p. 12, Millen Atwood, DGS 4139830, images 25–26/223, FHL. Thirteenth Ward, Ensign Stake, Thirteenth Ward Manuscript History and Historical Reports, 1849–1960, pp. 9–14, 21, 24, 29, LR 6133 2, CHL.