27th Utah Territorial Legislature

The 27th Utah Territorial Legislature met in 1886. The regular election for the Territorial Council and the House of Representatives was held August 3, 1885.[1]

Session

The legislative session convened on January 11, 1886, at the City Hall in Salt Lake City, and ended on March 12, 1886.[2][3]

Members

Name County Office Notes
Territorial Council:
Joseph Barton Davis
Samuel Francis Morgan
Joel Grover Juab
James T. Hammond Cache
Robert W. Heyborne Iron
Jonathan S. Page Utah
James Sharp Salt Lake
Lewis W. Shurtliff Weber
Martin Slack Washington
Elias A. Smith Salt Lake President
John W. Taylor Salt Lake
Luther T. Tuttle Sanpete
Territorial House of Representatives:
Charles L. Anderson Tooele
Richard H. Baty Box Elder
John Q. Cannon Salt Lake
John Clark Salt Lake
William Creer Utah
Philo T. Farnsworth Jr. Beaver
Abram Hatch Wasatch
John Houston Garfield
Joseph Howell Cache
Joseph Kimball Rich
William H. King Millard
Anthon H. Lund Sanpete
Thomas J. McCullough Utah
David C. McLaughlin Summit
John Rider Kane
William W. Riter Salt Lake Speaker
William C.A. Smoot Jr. Utah
James R. Stewart Morgan
Edwin Stratford Weber
Albert D. Thurber Sevier
Samuel R. Thurman Utah
Joseph A. West Weber
Orson A. Woolley Salt Lake
Don Carlos Young Salt Lake

The House seat for Summit County faced a similar dispute to the House seat for Tooele in the Legislative Assembly of 1876. The Liberal Party ticket secured a rare victory over the dominant People's Party of the Mormon establishment, leading to the election of David C. McLaughlin to the House. Losing candidate Ward E. Pack, who had previously represented Summit in the legislatures of 1876 and 1880, sought to contest the result, alleging illegal votes in the Park City precincts from which McLaughlin hailed.[4] However, with the election overseen by the federal government's Utah Commission under the Edmunds Act, claims of fraud were rejected and the Liberal victory upheld.[5]

References

  1. ^ "The Election". Deseret Evening News. August 4, 1885. p. 3. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
  2. ^ "The Legislature". Deseret Evening News. January 11, 1886. p. 3. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
  3. ^ "Well Done Good and Faithful Servants". Deseret Evening News. March 13, 1886. p. 2. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
  4. ^ "The Summit County Election". Deseret Evening News. August 27, 1885. p. 3. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
  5. ^ "The Summit County Election". Deseret Evening News. August 20, 1885. p. 3. Retrieved February 5, 2026.