Hiram B. Clawson

Who was Hiram B. Clawson?

Hiram B. Clawson was a Latter-day Saint businessman and Church leader in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Clawson was born in Utica, New York. He was educated at the Utica Academy. In 1838 he joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints along with his widowed mother. In 1841 they moved to Nauvoo.

Clawson went west with the Latter-day Saints, arriving in Salt Lake City in 1848. He supervised the building of the first adobe building in Salt Lake City and then was the head mason for the Council House of which Truman Angell was the architect. Also for a time while Angell was away on a mission Clawson served as acting architect of the Salt Lake Temple.

Clawson was a close associate of Brigham Young and for many years served as his business manager. He also was involved in the building of the Salt Lake Theatre and was often a performer in its plays. Clawson was also for a time manager of the theatre.

Clawson served as an aide-de-camp to Daniel H. Wells in running the Nauvoo Legion in 1850. He later served as adjutant general of the Legion from 1863 until the legion was disbanded in 1870.

In 1865 Clawson bought out William H. Hooper to become partners with Horace S. Eldredge. Clawson and Eldredge dissolved their firm in 1868 and sold it to Zion's Cooperative Mercantile Institution. Clawson was then the general superintendent of ZCMI from 1868-1873. After been replaced for a short time by Hooper Clawson took over the head of ZCMI again from 1874-1875. In 1875 Clawson bought the agriculture, hide and wool departments of ZCMI which he ran as an independent business until 1885.