Family works to restore monument for former apostle, Salt Lake City mayor

SALT LAKE CITY – A Utah family is working to refurbish a grave marker for their prominent ancestor who died more than a century ago.

For at least 125 years, a granite monument has stood at the gravesite of Daniel H. Wells at the Salt Lake City Cemetery. Wells was a pioneer and leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He also served for 10 years as mayor of Salt Lake City.

But the monument at his gravesite has gotten old, and cemetery staff asked Wells' descendants if they would be interested in restoring it.

"I found monuments are expensive to put in, and they're just as expensive to restore," said Quentin Wells, 84, a great-grandson of Daniel H. Wells.

He said the Wells family is now working to raise $10,000 to cover the expected costs of cleaning the monument, installing new plaques and making it "pristine and looking as it was when it first went up."

Who is Daniel H. Wells?

Daniel H. Wells arrived in Utah in 1848 with other Latter-day Saint pioneers. He served as superintendent of public works for the church, and in 1857 became an apostle and counselor to then-church President Brigham Young.

Quentin Wells wrote a book about his great-grandfather that was published in 2016 by the Utah State University Press. He said Daniel H. Wells was an "important figure" in the history of Utah, although "not a very well-known one, surprisingly."

"He combined business activities with civic activities, and church activities and political activities," said Quentin Wells. "Over a period of about 40 years, he was really a major influence in this state."

Daniel H. Wells was also a military leader in Nauvoo, Illinois and Utah, and he served as territorial attorney general decades before Utah became a state.

He also got involved in Salt Lake politics.

"He ran for mayor, I think at Brigham (Young)'s request, and was elected," Quentin Wells said.

Daniel H. Wells served as the third mayor of Salt Lake City from 1866-1876. He died in 1891 at age 76.

Honoring their ancestor

Quentin Wells, who lives in Millcreek, said the monument that was built at his ancestor's gravesite has deteriorated over the years.

"The weather around here is hard on stone," he told KSL.

He said the cemetery sexton reached out and asked if he would be interested in "refurbishing the monument and cleaning it up, making it look presentable again so that people could read what was written on it."

The cemetery, which is the resting place of many prominent Utahns and past Latter-day Saint leaders, is owned and operated by Salt Lake City.

"Headstones are private property, and families are responsible for their care and maintenance," said city spokesperson Jana Cunningham. "When Salt Lake City Cemetery staff notice a headstone is deteriorating or damaged, they will contact the family to make them aware."

The city helps pay to repair or replace headstones if they are damaged by extreme weather, such as the 2020 windstorm, Cunningham added. But that doesn't apply in this case.

The Wells family has launched a GoFundMe* to try to raise funds to help cover the costs of the restoration, so the monument will properly honor their relative.

"I'd like to think he's really worth remembering," Quentin Wells said, "along with some of the other pioneers that made this state what it is."

*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited into the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

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