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Pioneer Database

1847–1868

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Date Unknown

Date Unknown

Birth Date
19 January 1815
Death Date
23 March 1906
Gender
Male
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Homer Duncan

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  • Homer initially traveled to the Salt Lake Valley in the Willard Richards Company in 1848 as a captain of ten.  He traveled with his wife, Asenath Melvina Robinson Banker, and their three children Julia Emily, John Chapman, and William Platt Putnam, and his brother Chapman Duncan and his wife Martha Jones. 

    At the end of a mission, he traveled home as captain of the Homer Duncan Company in 1857.

    At the end of another mission, he traveled home again as captain of the Homer Duncan Company in 1861.

    At The end of a third mission, he traveled home, again as captain, of the Homer Duncan Company in 1862.

    All of these were indicated in his autobiographical sketch of 1900.

    According to his obituary, he served missions to Canada (1839), the Eastern States, England, and Texas.  It also states that he "crossed the plains 21 times before the advent of the railroad and has never made that journey by steam power."

Willard Richards Company (1848)

  • Age at Departure: 33
  • Head of Household

Traveled with

  • Asenath Melvina Robinson Duncan (Age: 25)
  • Julia Emily Duncan (Age: 3)
  • John Chapman Duncan (Age: 1)
  • William Platt Duncan (Age: Infant)

Homer Duncan Company (1857)

  • Age at Departure: 42
  • Company Captain

Homer Duncan Company (1861)

  • Age at Departure: 46
  • Company Captain

Homer Duncan Company (1862)

  • Age at Departure: 47
  • Company Captain

Sources

  • Camp of Israel schedules and reports, 1845-1849.
  • Caroline B. Crosby, Journal, 1848 May 10-1853 February 7, 7-24, in Caroline Barnes Crosby papers, 1848-1882, in Jonathan Crosby and Caroline B. Crosby papers, 1848-1882.
  • Chapman Duncan reminiscences, 1852-1874, 11-11A, 23-25.
  • Duncan, Homer, [Autobiographical sketch], in Andrew Jenson, comp., Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, [1971], 1:626.
  • Duncan, Homer, Report of Elder Homer Duncan's Mission to England in the years 1860 and 1861.
  • Duncan, Homer, to Brigham Young, 27 Aug. 1861, in Brigham Young, Office Files 1832-1878, reel 38, box 28, fd. 4.
  • Duncan, Homer, to Brigham Young, 5 Aug. 1861, in Brigham Young, Office Files 1832-1878, reel 38, box 28, fd. 4.
  • Duncan, John, Autobiography, 1902, fd. 1, 1-2.
  • Duncan, John, Journal, 1851-1861, fd. 2, 103-4.
  • Homer Duncan autobiographical sketch, circa 1900, 23-27. Annotations reflected in this transcript were created by Andrew Jenson.
  • John, David, Journals, 1856-1908, reel 1, vol. 1, 253-64.
  • Journal History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Supplement after 31 December 1848, 18.
  • Missionary Department Missionary Registers, 1860-1959, Volume 1.
  • Richards, S. W. and Briant Stringam, 18 Aug. 1857, in Brigham Young, Office Files 1832-1878, reel 35, box 25, fd. 23.
  • Standifird, John Henry, Autobiographical sketch, fd. 2, p. 3-4, in John Henry Standifird, Correspondence [ca. 1857-1921].
  • Standifird, John Henry, Diaries, 1862-1923, vol. 1, 2.
  • "The Late Homer Duncan," Deseret Evening News, 24 March 1906, [1].
  • Turner, Frederick, The History of Frederick Turner , 3-4.
  • Utah Death Certificate Index, 1905-1967.
  • Wiggill, Eli, Autobiography, 1883, 466-85.
  • Wiggill, Eli, Reminiscences, 39-41.  Trail excerpt transcribed from "Pioneer History Collection" available at Pioneer Memorial Museum [Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum], Salt Lake City, Utah. Some restrictions apply.
  • Wride, Barry, Large Journal, June 23-September 13, 1861, in W. Thomas Wride, ed., Barry Wride, 1833-1913, His Family and His Journals (1999), 16-19.
  • Wride, Barry, Small Journal, June 23-July 25, 1861, in W. Thomas Wride, ed., Barry Wride, 1833-1913, His Family and His Journals (1999), 51-52.