Fisher wrote in the October 1980 issue of New York History, "Like the other founders of the Mormon Church, Brigham Young has been studied as a spiritual leader and as an administrator. That he earned his bread in the early years as a carpenter and other homely tasks has been mentioned only in passing by his biographers, and his workaday life in Mendon, where he was living when he became interested in Mormonism, has not been studied at all.
One reason for this neglect is the lack of historical sources for Young's earlier years. After he joined the Mormon Church in 1832 he began to keep a journal. And from that time to the end of his life, he and his contemporaries left a clear record of his activities. It is not surprising that there are no similar accounts of Brigham's youth and his years as a young carpenter and builder in Mendon. He had not yet distinguished himself from the general population of farmers and artisans who then inhabited Western New York.
But in addition to his own terse references in later writings, sources for Brigham Young's Mendon years do exist. One is literary - a group of documents relating to my own ancestors, the Sheldon family of Mendon, contemporaries of Brigham Young. The other is physical - the artifacts and related evidence recovered in six summers of archaeological excavation at the site of Brigham Young's mill site in Mendon.
Having determined the site of Young's house and shop, I obtained exclusive digging rights in 1972 from Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hutchinson, who then owned the property, and began an archaeological investigation that would lead to additional information about Brigham Young's years in Mendon, and possibly to fresh insights into his life and character during that time when he began his great spiritual adventure."
Among the most interesting artifacts recovered from the Brigham Young site are some slip-trail decorated red earthenware sherds attributed to Heber Kimball's (1801-1868) business in Mendon, New York; the decoration adorning these artifacts is similar to the decoration found on a multi-colored trail-slipped jar that Heber's son, Solomon Kimball (1847-1920) donated to the Museum of Church History in 1870, saying that it was made by his father. This jar is the reason that another jar was just identified at Crocker Farm's most recent auction in Sparks, Maryland.
According to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, "Heber C. Kimball was born on June 14, 1801, in Sheldon, Vermont. He was ordained as one of the original 12 Apostles on February 14, 1835, and later sustained as first counselor to President Brigham Young who was also from Vermont, on December 27, 1847. Kimball died on June 22, 1868, in Salt Lake City, at the age of 67. He was a potter by trade, and he frequently referred to the Saints as "Clay in the Hands of the Potter." He delivered his discourse on April 2, 1854."
Furthermore, twentieth century historian, Stanley B. Kimball (1926-2003) wrote about his grandfather, "The energetic Heber could turn out 20 dozen milk pans on a hard day at the potter's wheel. Apparently he specialized in common brownware made from fine-textured clay burned to a very high degree and covered by a hard brown glaze. It was used mainly for simple kitchen and table items - jars, crocks, pitchers, bottles, mugs, pots, milk pans, cups, churns and plates"
Nevertheless, this is the collection of locally made pottery that was recovered on Brigham Young's property, and thought to have been owned by Young when he occupied the area, dating from the 1820s to the 1830s.
All of these attributions come from Sheldon Fisher, but I would also like to note the form and glazes found on the jugs and mugs that Fisher says were made at the Kimball Pottery, and how these objects could easily be misinterpreted for New England production today, thus showing proof as to why an attribution should never be developed on just a glaze.
Alvin Wilcox Pottery, West Bloomfield, NY
19th Century Red Earthenware Bowl
Attributed to Alvin Wilcox's Pottery in W. Bloomfield, NY
Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY
See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History
19th Century Red Earthenware Candle Mold
Attributed to Alvin Wilcox's Pottery in W. Bloomfield, NY
Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY
See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History
19th Century Red Earthenware Artifact
Attributed to Nathaniel Rochester's Pottery in Rochester, NY
Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY
See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History
Heber Kimball Pottery or Alvin Wilcox Pottery
19th Century Red Earthenware Artifact
Attributed to Either Heber Kimball or Alvin Wilcox in Western New York
Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY
See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History
19th Century Slip-Trailed Red Earthenware Sherds
Attributed to Heber Kimball's Pottery in Mendon, NY
Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY
See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History
19th Century Red Earthenware Sherds
Attributed to Heber Kimball's Pottery in Mendon, NY
Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY
See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History
19th Century Red Earthenware Mug
Attributed to Heber Kimball's Pottery in Mendon, NY
Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY
See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History
19th Century Red Earthenware Jug
Attributed to Heber Kimball's Pottery in Mendon, NY
Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY
See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History
19th Century Red Earthenware Pan
Attributed to Heber Kimball's Pottery in Mendon, NY
Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY
See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History
19th Century Red Earthenware Pan
Attributed to Heber Kimball's Pottery in Mendon, NY
Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY
See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History
19th Century Red Earthenware Jug
Attributed to Heber Kimball's Pottery in Mendon, NY
Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY
See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History
19th Century Red Earthenware Object Possibly a Mug
Attributed to Heber Kimball's Pottery in Mendon, NY
Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY
See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History
19th Century Red Earthenware Sherds
Attributed to Heber Kimball's Pottery in Mendon, NY
Recovered at the Site of Brigham Young's House in Mendon, NY
See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: Museum of Church History
Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...
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