Historical archives from BYU and the LDS Church highlight the interconnected lives of early Utah pioneers, specifically detailing the missionary service of Lorenzo Dow Young and the prolific photographic career of C.R. Savage, who famously documented religious leaders including Brigham Young.
Life and service of Lorenzo Young
Lorenzo Dow Young, a figure central to early Church history, led several significant migrations and missionary efforts in the 19th century. Born on October 19, 1807, in Smyrna, Chenango, New York, Young was the son of John Hayden Young and Abigail "Nabby" Howe. His religious life was marked by early commitment, having been baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1832 at age 24.
According to the Church History Biographical Database, Young served in various capacities, including a mission to Pennsylvania in 1832 as an Elder. He later participated in the Joseph Smith Presidential Campaign Mission from April 15 to June 27, 1844, while residing in Nauvoo, Illinois.
Pioneer migrations and leadership
Young's role as a pioneer leader was cemented when he joined the Brigham Young Vanguard Company. Between April 16 and July 21, 1847, he traveled with this group toward the Salt Lake Valley. During this period, his family included Lorenzo Sobieski Young, who was six years old at the time.
Following the initial migration, Young was appointed as a company captain for the Lorenzo Dow Young Company, which operated from May 20, 1850, through September of that year. His later missionary service included a call to proselytize in Davis County, Utah Territory, beginning on October 15, 1855.
The photographic legacy of C.R. Savage
While Young was navigating the hardships of pioneer life, C.R. Savage was establishing a visual record of the era through photography. Born in England on August 16, 1832, Savage's move to Utah was motivated by his 1848 baptism and membership in the LDS Church.
After immigrating to New York in 1856, Savage traveled to Florence, Nebraska, on assignment from the LDS Church. He eventually moved his family to Council Bluffs, Nebraska, in 1860, before arriving in Salt Lake City on August 29, 1860. Upon his arrival, he immediately began business arrangements with Marsena Cannon, a daguerreotype photographer and owner of a studio on East Temple.
Business evolution and archival losses
Savage's career evolved through various partnerships and business ventures in Utah. In 1862, following Cannon's departure to St. George, Savage partnered with George Martin Ottinger. This firm was legally dissolved in 1870, leading Savage to form the Pioneer Art Gallery. As his needs for space grew, he replaced that gallery with the Art Bazaar.
Tragedy struck Savage's business on two separate occasions. On June 26, 1883, a fire destroyed the Art Bazaar along with all of his negatives. A second fire in 1911 destroyed the remaining negatives from the final 25 years of his career. Despite these losses, the BYU C.R. Savage Collection preserves original prints, including stereographs, cabinet prints, and boudoir prints.
Documenting the American West
The scope of Savage's work provided a vital window into the American West. He is perhaps most renowned for his documentation of the joining of the transcontinental railroad at Promontory, Utah, on May 10, 1869, working alongside photographers Andrew J. Russell and Alfred A. Hart.
Beyond landmark events, Savage was a prolific portrait photographer. The BYU collection notes that his numerous portraits of Brigham Young and other LDS Church leaders are well represented in his surviving work. His collection also features hundreds of images of Salt Lake City and the broader West, including locations such as California, Wyoming, and Yellowstone National Park.
Enduring historical records
The historical records of both men conclude in Salt Lake City. Lorenzo Dow Young passed away on November 21, 1895, in Salt Lake City. C.R. Savage died on February 3, 1909. While the Art Bazaar eventually closed permanently on December 31, 1926, the digital archives maintained by BYU and the LDS Church continue to preserve their respective histories for modern researchers.
