Register of the Andrew Karl Larson Papers,

Andrew Karl Larson was born on 11 December 1899, in Washington, Utah, the great grandson of Robert D. Covington, the founder of Washington. Larson graduated from Dixie High School in 1921 and later graduated from Dixie College, having studied art, history, English, and music. In the late 1920s, he taught music at various schools in Washington County, and taught history, biology, civics, English, art, and debate at Hurricane High School for twenty years. On 14 November 1928, Larson married Katharine Miles in the St. George Tabernacle. In 1946, Larson received his masters degree from Brigham Young University in Provo. His thesis, "Agricultural Pioneering in the Virgin River Basin," was a first step in Larson's long career as an historian of Utah's "Dixie," the place of Larson's birth and childhood, and the area of southern Utah that is comprised of the valleys and hills surrounding the Virgin River. The purpose, Larson wrote, of his thesis, was "to set forth the agricultural contributions of the settlements now found in the Virgin River Basin, and to note the influence of these contributions towards establishing a permanent, stable society in that region."

Larson's career was now based on the study and research of his home region of "Dixie." In 1946, he accepted a position at Dixie College teaching English and History. In 1957, the Deseret News Press published Larson's Red Hills of November: A Pioneer Biography of Utah's Cotton Town, followed by I Was Called to Dixie: the Virgin River Basin: Unique Experiences in Mormon Pioneering in 1961. In the winter of 1962, reviewer David E. Miller wrote in the Utah Historical Quarterly that I Was Called to Dixie was a publication that "opens the door to an understanding and fuller appreciation of the Mormon colonizing effort in a region that has, until now, been virtually neglected by historians. It is a significant contribution to the history of Utah and the West." Critic Ernest H. Linford called the book "undoubtedly the most complete and authoritative account of the historic Cotton Mission to Utah's Dixie -- an invaluable source of solid information on the social, intellectual, economic and ecclesiastical history of Washington County -- an excellent addition to anybody's shelf of Mormon Americana." (Quoted from a November 1971 alumni tribute at Dixie College, Mss A 2072) Larson had begun to achieve success as a Utah historian. In 1965, Larson was made a fellow of the Utah State Historical Society, in honor of his scholarly historical works.

Larson retired from his teaching position at Dixie College in 1965, and although he was of retiring age, his work as an historian did not cease. He continued with research on notable "Dixie" personages with the 1971 University of Utah Press publication of Erastus Snow - the Life of a Missionary and Pioneer for the Early Mormon Church. Erastus Snow was born in 1818 in Vermont, joined the Mormon Church in 1833, and was with Orson Pratt when Pratt's company entered the Salt Lake Valley for the first time. In 1849, Snow was called to become an apostle of the church and in 1861 was called to preside over the Southern Utah Mission, the "Cotton Mission," which sought to farm and settle the Virgin River area. Snow founded St. George in December 1861, and died in 1888. Many of Larson's sources for the Snow biography were family and church correspondence of the Snow family, and he was given access to more primary sources through the cooperation of the Erastus Snow Family Organization. Publication of Erastus Snow prompted a follow-up biography of Erastus's son, Erastus Beman Snow - Son of the Dixie Cotton Mission and Son of Erastus Snow, the Apostle, published by Pioneer Press, Dugway Utah, in 1973.

Larson's wife, Katharine Miles Larson, died on 3 July 1975. She had helped Larson edit a two-volume edition of the numerous diaries of Charles Lowell Walker, of whom Katharine was a descendent. The book, Diary of Charles Lowell Walker, was published by Utah State University Press in 1980.

In 1979, Larson completed his autobiography: The Education of a Second Generation Swede: an Autobiography, published by the Deseret Press. The book is an account of his life from his childhood only to 1955, because, as Larson wrote in the preface " in that year I began keeping a diary." A volume of Larson's poetry, Lines for Judith - Family and Nature Poems, The Art Press, St. George Utah, and dedicated to his wife and daughter, Judith, was published in 1981. In that year Larson also wrote an informal biographical account of his friend Leonard Sproul -- Raised by his own Bootstraps.

In addition to these books, Larson also published many articles and reviews in historical periodicals. In the 1960s, he served ward and stake clerkships in St. George. Larson also was president of the Washington County Education Association, president of Dixie College Faculty Association, and vice-president of Utah Education Association. He also was a member of various associations, including the Utah Academy of Arts, Sciences and Letters, the Utah State Historical Society, and the Cotton Mission Chapter of the National Sons of Utah Pioneers. On 23 July 1983, Larson died in Ogden, Utah. Throughout the span of his life and career, Larson's devotion had been to his home region of Dixie. In a November 1971 Dixie College alumni tribute to Larson, it is written that: "He is acknowledged as the historian of the Virgin River Basin."

NOTE: Much of this biographical material has been gleaned from a 1971 Dixie College alumni tribute (found in Mss A 2072), Larson's 1983 obituary (found in Mss B 144: box 13, folder 4), and a 1983 memorial statement in the Summer 1983 issue of the Utah Historical Quarterly, pages 289 to 290.

1899 Andrew Karl Larson born in Washington, Utah. 1921 Larson graduated from Dixie High School. 1928 Larson married Katharine Miles, November 14, in the St. George Tabernacle. 1946 Larson earned a masters degree from Brigham Young University, Provo, and accepted a teaching position at Dixie College, St. George. 1957Red Hills of November: a Pioneer Biography of Utah's Cotton Town published by Deseret Press. 1961I Was Called to Dixie: the Virgin River Basin: Unique Experiences in Mormon Pioneering published by Deseret Press. 1965 Larson made a fellow of the Utah State Historical Society. He also retired from his teaching position at Dixie College. 1971Erastus Snow - the Life of a Missionary and Pioneer for the Early Mormon Church published by University of Utah. 1973Erastus Beman Snow - Son of the Dixie Cotton Mission and Son of Erastus Snow published by Pioneer Press, Dugway, Utah. 1975 Katharine Miles Larson died, July 3. 1979 Larson's autobiography, The Education of a Second Generation Swede published by Deseret Press. 1980 Two-volume edition of Diary of Charles Lowell Walker published by Utah State University Press. 1981 A volume of Larson's poetry, Lines for Judith - Family and Nature Poems published by The Art Press, St. George, Utah. 1983 Larson died, July 23.

This collection is divided into seven series.

The first series contains business and family correspondence, both incoming and outgoing. The general business correspondence is arranged chronologically, followed by correspondence dealing with specific publications or subjects, mostly about the publication of Erastus Snow - the Life of a Missionary and Pioneer for the Early Mormon Church. The family correspondence includes letters from both the Larson and Miles families.

The second series consists of transcriptions of speeches and religious lessons given by Larson. The first section of speeches contains paper copies of those that are regarding Utah history and history in general. The dated speeches are filed first, in chronological order, followed by the undated speeches, in alphabetical order. The second section of speeches consists of radio scripts, contained in one folder. The third section of speeches consists of religious lessons that Larson gave as a clerk in the ward and stake of St. George. These lessons are arranged alphabetically. The fourth section consists of miscellaneous speeches and notes on speeches, while the fifth section contains remarks that Larson gave at various funerals and memorial services. The sixth section of speeches consists of paper copies of talks given by Katharine Miles Larson.

The third series consists of biographical materials that Larson gathered and/or wrote for historical research. All of these materials are transcriptions unless otherwise note. These papers are arranged alphabetically by the subject's last name. Included in this series are papers of Zaidee Walker Miles, mother of Katharine Miles Larson, as well as notes on Erastus Snow, apostle and Utah pioneer.

The fourth series contains Larson's class notes and papers from his personal schoolwork from the 1930s to the 1950s. The notes are filed first, arranged alphabetically by subject, followed by the papers which are arranged alphabetically by title.

The fifth series consists of Larson's research files, notes, essays, and notebooks that accumulated over the many years of his work. The materials are arranged alphabetically by subject or title of essay, and include copious miscellaneous research files. Boxes 11 and 12 of this series contain smaller boxes of research notes that have been kept in their original order.

The sixth series consists of a small amount of personal papers. Included in these materials, in box 13, folder 4, is Larson's obituary.

The seventh series contains Larson's handwritten autobiography, volumes I and II, as well as his diaries from 1955 to 1983.

Restrictions on Access:

Restrictions on Access

Arrangement:

Creator:

Larson, Andrew Karl, 1899-1983.

Language:

English.

Sponsor:

Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, 2007-2008

Quantity:

15 boxes (7.5 linear ft.)

Language of the Finding Aid:

Finding aid written in Englishin Latin script

EAD Creation Date:

1999.