George W. Brimhall

Who was George W. Brimhall?

George Washington Brimhall was a politician in territorial Utah. He was the father of George H. Brimhall.

Brimhall was the son of Sylvanus Brimhall and his wife the former Lydia Ann Guiteau. He was born along Canada Creek in the state of New York. In 1827 the family moved to Olean Point, New York and a short time later to Melville, Cattaraugus County, New York. After cutting and milling lumber at this location, the Brimhalls loaded it into a boat, went down the Allegany River to Pittsburgh and sold it, and then went down the Ohio to Dearborn County, Indiana. In 1837 Brimhall moved with his family to McHenry County, Illinois.

Brimhall joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in McHenry County, Illinois in 1842. He spent the next two years as a missionary in McHenry and surrounding counties and then moved to Nauvoo in March 1844. Shortly after this he moved to Knoxville, Illinois where he met Lucretia Metcalf whom he married in July 1845. Lucretia was opposed to going west with the Mormons. Brimhall hoped if he went to Utah he would be able to persuade her to come and join him with their three children.