Author Description

Charles Ora Card (1839-1906) was a prominent citizen and religious leader in Cache Valley, Utah Territory, before abruptly migrating to Alberta, Canada, in 1886. There, within the space of sixteen years, Card's dedication and vision left a lasting imprint on the Canadian West by virtue of the settlements, industries, and irrigation agriculture he helped to establish. With the aid of an insightful introduction provided by the editors, The Diaries of Charles Ora Card reveal the life and times of a significant figure on the Canadian and U.S. frontiers. Fleeing Utah to escape prosecution for polygamy, Card's commitment to that practice also made him a controversial figure in Canada. The diaries begin in 1886 with his own account of his arrest by U.S. marshals for having more than one wife and end in 1902-03 with his retirement to Utah, trying to reconnect with his families and the communities that had changed substantially during his Canadian years. They show the Mormon church during a critical period, provide one of the most significant contemporary descriptions of the colonizing of Alberta, and reflect the life of pioneers as they adapted, developed, and settled two distinct regions of the North American West.