Anson Call
Anson Call was a pioneer and colonizer of several Utah communities.
He was born near Fletcher, Vermont on May 13, 1810. After reading the Book of Mormon and comparing it to the Bible he was convinced to joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which he did in 1836 in Kirtland, Ohio. In 1837 he secured the release of the Prophet Joseph from a Kirtland jail by posting a $500 bond.
After his baptism, he lived in Caldwell County, Missouri, before relocating to Adam-ondi-Ahman. He moved to Illinois in 1839, eventually settling in Nauvoo in 1842. He was among those who quarried stone to build the Nauvoo Temple.
In May 1846 Call sold his farm in Nauvoo and traveled West with the Brigham Young Company of 1848. After arriving in Utah Territory, he was active as a colonizer. He first settled in Bountiful, but then was called to help settle Fillmore, Utah in 1851 and he directed the construction of the Fillmore Pioneer Fort. He also supervised the construction of the Territorial State House in Fillmore.
In 1854, Call returned to Bountiful where he stayed until 1855 and built a permanent dwelling now known as the Anson Call House which is still standing today.
In 1855 he built Call’s Fort north of Brigham City in what is now known as Harper’s Ward. At one time, Call’s Fort was the northernmost outpost in Utah.
In 1856, he was part of the rescue company that traveled to assist the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies
Under his direction, the Bountiful Tabernacle was completed. President Brigham Young had called upon him to raise funds and oversee the completion of the building after construction stalled. He even used his own personal finances to pay off final construction debts to meet the deadline.[1]
Call’s permanent residence was in Bountiful, although he helped settle other areas of Utah and Arizona Territory. In 1864, Call led a party that established a place called Callville, also in Arizona Territory, situated along the Colorado River about 25 miles east of Las Vegas. The site is now under Lake Mead.
He was to be part of the select group of leaders who traveled to the Holy Land in 1872 to rededicate the land for the return of the Jews. He stayed behind in England, however, when it was determined the group was lacking adequate funds. Call donated $800 to the remainder of the group so that they could complete the trip.
Call practiced plural marriage and served several missions for the Church. He died in Bountiful on August 31, 1890. [2]
