Camilla Cobb

Who was Camilla Cobb?

Camilla Cobb was the founder of the first kindergarten in Utah.

She was born Camilla Clara Mieth in Dresden. Her older sister, Anna, was married to Karl G. Maeser. Cobb joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1855 and emigrated to the United States with the Maesers on the packet ship Tuscarora in 1857. She arrived in Utah, with the Maesers, in 1860.

Camilla married James T. Cobb, who had been baptized after his arrival in Utah by Karl G. Maeser, who he worked under in teaching at the 20th Ward School, in 1864. James and Camilla Cobb became the parents of seven children.

In 1874, while in New York and surrounding areas visiting her husband's relatives, Cobb was trained as a kindergarten teacher in New Jersey in the system run by Adolph Douai. Upon her return to Utah in the fall of 1874 she founded a kindergarten in Salt Lake City with the help of John W. Young. The following year she wrote an article in the Woman's Exponent explaining the importance of Kindergarten. She only maintained her school as a kindergarten for two years, and later opened it to children of all ages. Among her students was Heber J. Grant, who would later be president of the LDS Church.