Harden Bennion

Who was Harden Bennion?

Harden Bennion was the Secretary of State of Utah from 1916 to 1920. He also served in the Utah State Senate and as chairman of the Utah Democratic Party.

Bennion was born in Taylorsville, Utah Territory. At age six he moved with his parents to present-day West Point, Nevada a small community in the Muddy River Valley where they had been called to settle by the LDS Church. For five years they were involved in raising sheep and cattle at that location, and then when Bennion was about 13 he moved back to Taylorsville with the rest of his family. At age fourteen he was involved in a major cattle run from Nevada to Rush Valley, Utah along with his father. In 1876 the Bennion family moved to Vernon in Tooele County, Utah.

In 1878 Bennion began studying at the University of Deseret from which he received a certificate as a teacher after one year. However for the next seven years Bennion was involved in sheep herding and farming in Vernon.

He later worked for George M. Cannon who was the Salt Lake County recorder. After leaving employment there in 1893 Bennion married Vilate Kimball Nebeker, the daughter of George Nebeker.