Records from the mid-19th century provide a detailed view of the clerical and administrative work performed by Thomas Bullock in an office setting. According to the Church Historian's Office Journal - Volume 14, 29 April 1850-30 November 1851, Bullock was active in office duties during the winter of 1850 and 1851. On December 10, 1850, the journal notes that he was in the office during the morning and was working in the office shifting the partition during the afternoon. By December 11, 1850, the journal records that he could not work much because Joseph S. Scofield and others were fixing new desks in the office, though he was also noted as being sick at home. On December 12, 1850, the journal states that Bullock was in the office piling up Guardians and regulating papers.
During February 1851, Bullock's workload included significant accounting tasks. On February 11, 1851, the journal notes that he was assisting the Bishop to make out his accounts as a travelling agent to the States, and he was engaged all day on tithing books. On February 12, 1851, the journal records that Bullock was making out the accounts for Edward Hunter's poor fund and balancing them, which showed an increase of 62.76 in addition to bringing out 28 families and leaving behind two cows, three oxen, and one bull. On February 13, 1851, the journal states that Bullock made out an alphabetical list of the Presidency of Seventies in good standing, which included 191 individuals. The list noted that 104 were in Valleys, 56 were in Iowa, 1 was in Ill, 6 were in Mo., 13 were on missions, 13 were in mines, and 5 were not known.
Bullock's duties also involved clerical work related to religious and civic matters. On April 15, 1851, the journal records that he was in the office copying Conference Minutes and Journey South. On April 16, 1851, he was noted as laboring in the Temple rooms until 4 P.M. On April 17, 1851, the journal states that he was working on the private accounts of President Young. In June 1851, his clerical responsibilities continued. On June 11, 1851, the journal records that he made out the balance of a report of Prests Journey South for the Printer. On June 12, 1851, the journal states that he was in the office all day perusing papers to find information in relation to Indian Affairs.
Beyond office work, Bullock was involved in local community activities. On February 13, 1851, the journal records that he drove someone to a marriage ceremony. On June 14, 1851, the journal notes that Bullock was with the 14 Ward opening water ditches. These documents, which include entries from 1850 and 1851, show the breadth of the administrative and manual labor he performed during that period.
What this means for Tooele
For the residents of Tooele, these historical documents from 1850 and 1851 illustrate the specific administrative tasks, such as balancing accounts and recording minutes, that were necessary for local organization during that era. The records provide a granular look at the daily labor required to manage community funds and religious records in the mid-19th century.
