Register of the Charles Kelly Papers,

Charles Kelly was born 3 February 1889, the first of six sons of Alfred and Flora Lepard Kelly. His father was a Baptist preacher until, as Kelly put it, "he was starved out." During the early years, the family lived a precarious existence, subsisting on contributions from adherents of Alfred Kelly's eccentric religious practices. For a time they lived in Chicago where Kelly ran a mission for the poor. When that proved a failure, the family moved to Tennessee where they founded a religious colony. Alfred was also an eccentric father who inspired little love in his sons. Charles Kelly said once that his father "beat us all once a week for the good of our souls."

By 1910 Kelly had left his family and spent some time at Valparaiso University. Unfortunately, he ran out of money and spent the next several years discovering the country. When the United States entered World War I, Kelly reluctantly joined the army, but was not sent overseas because he was, at 112 pounds, below the required weight.

After the War, Kelly settled in Salt Lake City because he liked the country and wished to pursue a musical career there. He played the violin and cornet very well, but positions were scarce and Kelly returned to the printing business. He had been taught to set type as a child to help his father print religious tracts and had worked as a printer intermittently since that time. Although the printing business was a difficult one, Kelly became a partner in the Western Printing Company which position he held until 1940. Shortly after his arrival in Salt Lake, he married Harriett Greener. They had no children.

Besides music, Kelly was an artist--an interest which had been enhanced by his friendship with the western artist Charles M. Russell during the time Kelly worked in Great Falls, Montana, prior to his army experience. Painting was also the source of his interest in western history. As Kelly put it,

Prowling the desert for subject material I accidentally stumbled onto the old Donner Trail on the Salt Desert. No one here knew anything about it; so I began doing some research, out of curiosity, and found that historical research--especially in this section--was much more fascinating that either of the other two hobbies. ( Pony Express Courier, June, 1937, p. 2)

Out of this newly awakened interest was born Kelly's first book, Salt Desert Trails, which he published himself in 1930. This book was followed by Holy Murder, the story of Orrin Porter Rockwell; Old Greenwood, about Mountain Man Caleb Greenwood; Miles Goodyear, trapper and trader in pre-Mormon Utah; and Outlaw Trail, about Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch. In addition to these, Kelly edited several journals for publication, including John D. Lee's, and wrote more than a hundred articles on western history, as well as many book reviews.

In 1940, Kelly sold his interest in the printing business because, he said, "No one paid his bills." He and his wife wanted to buy a fruit farm near Fruita, Wayne County, Utah, but the threat of war made land prices raise beyond Kelly's means. In the meantime, he was offered a temporary position as caretaker of Capitol Reef and provided with a timber and adobe house to live in. The "temporary" position stretched to a twenty-year long second career for Kelly and ended in 1959 with his retirement. The years in Fruita were quiet ones and Kelly wrote many articles and conducted a voluminous correspondence with all manner of people, particularly Dale L. Morgan and J. Roderic Korns, two other western history enthusiasts.

After his retirement, the Kellys returned to Salt Lake City and lived there quietly until Charley died in 1971. Harriett Kelly, his wife, died in 1974.

Charles Kelly was regarded by most as a difficult man. His ideas about people and history were definite. He conceived distinct and vocal dislikes. Of Governor George D. Clyde, whom he considered an enemy of Utah's scenic wonders, he said ". . . his happiest day will be when he can photograph an oil derrick underneath Rainbow Bridge." ( Salt Lake Tribune, 10 July 1961)

This misanthropic tendency was probably his most identifiable trait. In 1937, he wrote a brief autobiographical piece for Pony Express Courier and said, about himself, "I belong to no organizations of any kind whatever, never go out socially, not interested in politics, and hate radios. I really ought to move to California, but if I did the Mormons would say they ran me out of Utah--so I stay just to spite them."

His spitefulness was sometimes malicious. During the early 1920's, he held a position with the Ku Klux Klan in Salt Lake. His primary motive may have been professional, as he indicated in his journal:

I am wondering if I should resign from my job with the Klan Nobody comes anymore except a few who have a motive for coming. . . . We are getting very little work on the strength of it anyway, as nobody lives up to their oath. Albers wants me to join the Masons, but I can't see that they are any better. (Journal, 23 September 1922)

But he also exhibited anti-Semitic tendencies,

I wondered again why it is that everybody of whatever nationality or religion wants to kill a Jew on sight. I know why I want to kill them, but I wonder if they have the same effect on everyone else. If the Jews are God's chosen people, I hope God never chooses me (Journal, 6 January 1918)

He was emphatically unreligious, a trait he blamed on the example of his father:

If I were convinced that I possessed an immortal soul; if I had positive proof of the existence of heaven and hell, and if I were given a choice of abode after leaving this earthly sphere; I would ten thousand times rather spend eternity in an atmosphere of flaming sulphur and brimstone in company with honest sinners than to twang a harp, wear a crown and walk the golden streets of paradise with father and those other religious hypocrites who made life for us a hell on earth. (Autobiography, p. 221)

But Kelly could also be kind. A. R. Mortensen admitted, in his memorial, that Kelly had "a barbwire personality" but added, "with it all, he had a generosity of spirit, an underlining of kindness and loyalty to those who earned his respect and admiration."

Kelly loved western history, especially as it touched Utah, "Having seen all that country again I am satisfied to live in Utah, as I believe there is more of interest to see around here than any other place in the world. . . ." (Journal, 24 July 1929) He was judged to be a competent writer. A review of Salt Desert Trails called it "thoughtfully illustrated, well. documented and indexed, sincere and honest. . . ." And reviews of other works contained similar sentiments. Kelly was considered a careful rather than a brilliant writer, though not without some critics. His friend Dale Morgan wrote him in 1948,

And as a final postscript to you, Charlie, I hereby request that the next time you publish a limited edition of some historical work, footnote it properly so that it isn't so much work to check statements when they are called in question. . . .If for no other reason, do it as a favor to me.

1889Born at Cedar Springs, Michigan, to Alfred and Flora Lepard Kellyca. 1918Enlisted in U.S. Army1919Moved to Salt Lake City, married Harriett Greener1924Became a partner in Wester1929First expedition across the salt flats to site of Donner Trail1930Published Salt Desert Trails1934Holy Murder1936Old Greenwood1937Miles Goodyear1938Editor, Journals of John D. Lee Outlaw Trail1938Descended Colorado River with Russell G. Frazier and Julius Stone1939Sold interest in Western Printing Company1940Moved to Fruita, Utah1943Appointed custodian of Capitol Reef National Monument1950Appointed park ranger1952Named superintendent, Capitol Reef National Monument1959Retired, returned to Salt Lake City1960Honorary Life Member, Utah State Historical Society1969Award of Merit, American Association of State and Local History1971Died at home in Salt Lake City

The Charles Kelly Collection consists of 4.5 linear feet of correspondence, manuscripts, and notes on Utah and western history. Areas of emphasis include pre-Mormon explorations and trails, outlaws, and the more exotic facets of Mormonism.

A sizeable portion of the collection contains correspondence. Unfortunately, only a few of Kelly's replies are included. However, the letters, particularly those of Dale Morgan and Rod Korns are valuable for the information they contain. These are completely professional letters with little personal news or gossip. Instead, they deal with hypotheses and supporting material on western history, particularly pre-Mormon trails to the Pacific Coast. Each member of the trio used the other two to expound on new theories or defend old ones. Morgan wrote to Kelly in 1946, "If you ever rewrite the [Miles] Goodyear biography, let me know, because I have a raft of corrections you will want to take into account in the rewriting."

Kelly's letters are roughly divided by correspondent. All those from Morgan and Korns are together, arranged chronologically. Other Kelly friends having separate folders include Frank Beckwith, Hoffman Birney, and others. Most of the correspondence is, however, arranged by date and includes communications from a great variety of persons on a great variety of subjects. Exceptions to this arrangement include correspondence contained in the research part of the collection. Those letters dealing with one specific subject at length have been filed with that subject, i.e. Mountain Meadows Massacre, Butch Cassidy, Porter Rockwell, and so forth.

Also contained in the Kelly Collection are manuscripts by Kelly and others. His book manuscripts and raw materials are followed by articles and book reviews. Material prepared by other authors comes next, followed by anonymous manuscripts.

Research notes comprise the last portion of the Kelly papers. This section includes much biographical information on trappers, traders, and pioneers, particularly those still living in the 1930's who were available for Kelly and his friends to talk to. Miscellaneous indices, notes, and newspaper transcripts complete the collection.

Restrictions on Access:

Restrictions on Access

Arrangement:

Creator:

Kelly, Charles 1889-1971.

Language:

English.

Sponsor:

Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, 2007-2008

Quantity:

9 boxes (4.5 linear ft.) and 16 reels of microfilm

Language of the Finding Aid:

Finding aid written in Englishin Latin script

EAD Creation Date:

1999.