Saturday, April 1, 2017

Ferdinand Ericksen ~ Pioneer of the Month ~ April 2017


Ferdinand Ericksen 
Ferdinand Ericksen and his first wife, Clementina Marion Morrison
The child is Beatrice.
Tina died soon after giving birth to their third Child Tina 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ferdinand Ericksen and second wife Carrie Lofgren 





Ferdinand Ericksen, son of Lars and  Stena, was born in Mt.  Pleasant, September 30, 1863.  He attended the district schools and took a two year course at B.Y. Academy at Provo.

He taught school for four years in Mt. Pleasant and then entered the Ann Arbor Law College, studying one year.  He was admitted to the bar of Michigan, June 5, 1890 and opened an office in Mt. Pleasant.


He was elected County Prosecuting Attorney in August, 1890 and County Collector in 1892.  In 1897 he was elected mayorl.  He was cashier of the Mt. Pleasant Bank from January 1893 to July 1895, and was a member of the board of directors.  He also had an interest in the Ericksen Meat and Grocery Company.


In 1894, he was elected Major of the National Guard of Utah, and in 1896 was appointed Judge Advocate, with the rank of Major, on Brigadier-General Willard Young's staff.  He was appointed a school trustee in 1896, to fill a vacancy, and in 1897 was elected to that position.

Addendum

He was one of the influential persons to bring about the construction of the Pioneer Monument that stands in front of the Carnegie Library today.



His Speech

"Judge Ferdinand Ericksen, in his presentation speech, gave a brief history of all that had been done by the committees and the source of obtaining the necessary funds for the erection of the monument on the beautiful spot on which it stands, and thanked the ecclesiastical authorities for the privilege of locating it there without cost or consideration for an indefinite period of time. He explained in brief, the inscriptions upon the Monument, the names of the persons inscribed, he said, being representative of many nationalities, and among them were names of noted scholars.. musicians, artists, teachers, etc. Men who would, because of their skill and ability, have achieved distinction in any community. He stated in brief that this determined band of fearless and God-fear¬ing men, together with their wives, who shared their labors and who had come here under most adverse conditions; he said that the now vast rich fields with growing crops, were then covered with sage brush, and that the roads, bridges and canals were yet to be constructed, the churches and temples of learning had not then even been planned. The Opera Houses and Amusement houses were unknown. In fact, there were none of the attractions, or features of civilization to induce those pioneers to come, but on the contrary, the existing conditions at that time were such as to discourage."

"Not only were the elements to be subdued and the arid soil made to produce a livelihood, but the roving and uncivilized Indians had to be met and conquered. In conclusion he stated that it was indeed fitting that we perpetuate the names and deeds d such worthy ancestors, and that this was the underlying and controlling thought and desire in erecting the Memorial. He said that he took great pleasure in performing the duties his commission imposed, and presented the Monument to the community in behalf of all those who had in any manner aided in its construction, to honor of all the pioneers, both men and women, who settled in Mt. Pleasant, as a memorial of the esteem in which the pioneers who had made the present Mt. Pleasant possible, were held."

from Mt. Pleasant History pp 188-189; Hilda Madsen Longsdorf
He died on April 20, 1927 in Salt Lake City.
He married Clementina Marion Morrison in December of 1885, a daughter of William and Mary Margaret Farquhar Morrison. New Family Search shows them to be the parents of three children, Clementina Beatrice, William, and Clementina Marian.  His wife, Clementina died while giving birth to Clementina

He was also a partner to Henry Ericksen in the Ericksen Meat and Grocery for short time.  Henry was a brother-in-law.  Ferdinand had a law office on the second floor of the grocery business.


"In 1898, during the time Ferdinand Ericksen was mayor of the city, the city purchased the north brick schoolhouse, (the now mortuary) corner First North and First West, and in due time, after remodeling it, placing in a heating plant, vaults and cells, suitable furniture, etc.,it became an up-to-date and creditable city hall, and was the first real home the Mt. Pleasant city council had ever known.

The north Public Square was cleared of the brush and burrs, and trees and grass were planted for a city park".  from Mt. Pleasant History pp 179-180 by Hilda Madsen Longsdorf

Birth: Sep. 30, 1863
Mount Pleasant
Sanpete County
Utah, USA
Death: 
Apr. 20, 1927
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake County
Utah, USA
Ferdinand Ericksen, son of Lars and Stena, was born in Mt. Pleasant, September 30, 1863. He attended the district schools and took a two year course at B.Y. Academy at Provo.

He taught school for four years in Mt. Pleasant and then entered the Ann Arbor Law College, studying one year. He was admitted to the bar of Michigan, June 5, 1890 and opened an office in Mt. Pleasant.


He was elected County Prosecuting Attorney in August, 1890 and County Collector in 1892. In 1897 he was elected mayorl. He was cashier of the Mt. Pleasant Bank from January 1893 to July 1895, and was a member of the board of directors. He also had an interest in the Ericksen Meat and Grocery Company.


In 1894, he was elected Major of the National Guard of Utah, and in 1896 was appointed Judge Advocate, with the rank of Major, on Brigadier-General Willard Young's staff. He was appointed a school trustee in 1896, to fill a vacancy, and in 1897 was elected to that position.

Addendum

He was one of the influential persons to bring about the construction of the Pioneer Monument that stands in front of the Carnegie Library today.



His Speech

"Judge Ferdinand Ericksen, in his presentation speech, gave a brief history of all that had been done by the committees and the source of obtaining the necessary funds for the erection of the monument on the beautiful spot on which it stands, and thanked the ecclesiastical authorities for the privilege of locating it there without cost or consideration for an indefinite period of time. He explained in brief, the inscriptions upon the Monument, the names of the persons inscribed, he said, being representative of many nationalities, and among them were names of noted scholars.. musicians, artists, teachers, etc. Men who would, because of their skill and ability, have achieved distinction in any community. He stated in brief that this determined band of fearless and God-fear¬ing men, together with their wives, who shared their labors and who had come here under most adverse conditions; he said that the now vast rich fields with growing crops, were then covered with sage brush, and that the roads, bridges and canals were yet to be constructed, the churches and temples of learning had not then even been planned. The Opera Houses and Amusement houses were unknown. In fact, there were none of the attractions, or features of civilization to induce those pioneers to come, but on the contrary, the existing conditions at that time were such as to discourage."

"Not only were the elements to be subdued and the arid soil made to produce a livelihood, but the roving and uncivilized Indians had to be met and conquered. In conclusion he stated that it was indeed fitting that we perpetuate the names and deeds d such worthy ancestors, and that this was the underlying and controlling thought and desire in erecting the Memorial. He said that he took great pleasure in performing the duties his commission imposed, and presented the Monument to the community in behalf of all those who had in any manner aided in its construction, to honor of all the pioneers, both men and women, who settled in Mt. Pleasant, as a memorial of the esteem in which the pioneers who had made the present Mt. Pleasant possible, were held."

from Mt. Pleasant History pp 188-189; Hilda Madsen Longsdorf
He died on April 20, 1927 in Salt Lake City.
He married Clementina Marion Morrison in December of 1885, a daughter of William and Mary Margaret Farquhar Morrison. New Family Search shows them to be the parents of three children, Clementina Beatrice, William, and Clementina Marian. His wife, Clementina died while giving birth to Clementina Marian.

He was also a partner to Henry Ericksen in the Ericksen Meat and Grocery for short time. Henry was a brother-in-law. Ferdinand had a law office on the second floor of the grocery business.


"In 1898, during the time Ferdinand Ericksen was mayor of the city, the city purchased the north brick schoolhouse, (the now mortuary) corner First North and First West, and in due time, after remodeling it, placing in a heating plant, vaults and cells, suitable furniture, etc.,it became an up-to-date and creditable city hall, and was the first real home the Mt. Pleasant city council had ever known.

The north Public Square was cleared of the brush and burrs, and trees and grass were planted for a city park". from Mt. Pleasant History pp 179-180 by Hilda Madsen Longsdorf

Obituary: 
Judge Ferdinand Ericksen, for many years prominent in legal business and political life of Utah, died Wednesday at St. Marks, hospital in Salt Lake City, after an illness of several months.He suffered a heart attack about six month ago and was ordered to a lower altitude by his physician. At that time he went to Dallas, Texas, to visit his sister, Mrs. O. C. Anderson. When his condition became worse he returned to Salt Lake and had been in the hospital since.
Judge Ericksen was active in the Democratic party for many years and was a factor in the development of Sanpete county in a business and political way. He was the son of Utah pioneers, Lars and Christina Hansen Ericksen, born in Mt. Pleasant September 30, 1863. He received his early education in the Sanpete county schools and later attended the Brigham Young academy at Provo. For a time he taught school in Mt. Pleasant and then attended the law school at the University of Michigan where he graduated in 1890. He was admitted to the bar of Michigan and Utah in the same year and returned to Utah to take up his profession. His political life was long and varied. He first entered politics in 1890 when he was elected Sanpete county attorney Later he served as county treasurer and was a candidate for state senator in 1894, but was defeated. In 1897 he was elected mayor of Mt. Pleasant, in which capacity he served for several terms. In 1904 he was elected judge of the Seventh judicial district and served a four year term. The same year he was a delegate in the national Democratic convention at St. Louis, MO. he was also a candidate for Representative in the House of Representatives of the United State. After serving as judge he returned to private practice in Mr. Pleasant. In 1912 Judge Ericksen moved to Salt Lake and became the law partner of the later Marks P. Braffet. This firm handled the legal business for the Utah Fuel company. In 1915 the partnership was dissolved and Judge Ericksen became general counsel for the Fuel company.
He is survived by the following children; Clarence E. Ericksen, Hollywood, Cal.; Mrs,. A. W. Proctor of Sterling, Alberta Canada; Mrs. Obed Nielson, Mt. Pleasant; Mrs E. W. Lambert, William M., F. Harlan, D. Alleen and Elroy L. Ericksen all of Salt Lake. The following brothers and sisters also survive; Mrs. Anderson, Dallas , Texas; Mrs Camilla Noland, Mount Pleasant; Mrs. John Pritchett, Huntington; Mrs. Lena Sorenson Provo, Louis, Orem and Amasa Ericksen, Mt. Pleasant.

Below is the Family group sheet of Ferdinand's Father,  Lars Ericksen.