David King Udall

David King Udall
Name	David King Udall
Birth date	1851-03-27
Birth place	St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Death date	1921-03-19
Death place	Arizona Territory, United States
Occupation	Politician, rancher, Latter-day Saint leader
Spouse	Ida Frances Hunt, Ella Stewart, Mary Ann Linton, Amariah Glazier, Emily Wells, Eliza Leavitt
Children	John Hunt Udall, Levi Stewart Udall, Joseph A. Udall, others
Parents	David Patterson Udall, Susan N. King
Religion	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

David King Udall was an American pioneer, politician, rancher, and leader within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who played a significant role in the settlement and civic development of what became Arizona. A member of a prominent Udall family of politicians and public servants, he bridged leadership in Latter-day Saint communities, territorial politics, and agricultural enterprise during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His life intersected with national debates over polygamy, territorial governance, and westward settlement.

Early life and family

Born in St. Louis, David King Udall was the son of David Patterson Udall and Susan N. King, the latter linking him to the King family prominent in early Latter-day Saint migration. During childhood his family moved west as part of Mormon pioneer movements through Missouri and Illinois to the Great Basin region, eventually settling in Utah Territory. He married Ida Frances Hunt in a Latter-day Saint ceremony and later entered plural marriage, becoming connected by marriage to families such as the Hunts, Stewarts, and Wells. His descendants include notable public figures in Arizona and beyond, with ties to the political careers of members of the Udall political family such as Stewart Udall, Morris Udall, and Mark Udall.

Political and civic career

Udall served in multiple civic capacities in the Arizona Territory, including as a territorial legislator and local official in towns such as St. Johns, Arizona and Snowflake, Arizona. He represented settler interests amid competing claims from Apache groups and federal Indian agents, engaging with territorial institutions like the Arizona Territorial Legislature and interacting with federal officials stationed in Washington, D.C. and at Fort Apache. As a Republican-aligned leader, he worked with territorial governors including Richard C. McCormick and John C. Frémont-era figures in shaping irrigation and land policies, and he participated in county-level governance structures such as Apache County administration. Udall's civic role involved coordination with local merchants, railroad promoters like those associated with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, and settlers arriving via trails like the Mormon Trail and Old Spanish Trail.

Mormon Church service and community leadership

A committed member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Udall served in ecclesiastical positions including bishop and stake leadership in frontier congregations. He helped organize wards and stakes in Arizona Territory communities, liaising with church authorities in Salt Lake City and corresponding with leaders such as John Taylor and later presidents of the church. Udall was involved in cooperative efforts to establish irrigation projects reminiscent of earlier Mormon communal enterprises like those in Provo and Brigham City, Utah. His church service overlapped with interactions with prominent LDS families, including the Kimballs and the Cannons, influencing settlement patterns, temple considerations, and missionary activity in the Southwest.

Ranching, business, and land interests

Udall became a leading rancher and cattleman, acquiring and managing large tracts of rangeland in northeastern Arizona Territory. He partnered with regional businessmen and stockmen tied to entities such as ranching associations and local bank interests, negotiating grazing rights and water access in dispute-prone basins like those near the Little Colorado River. Udall engaged with land legislation originating from Congress, including ramifications of the Homestead Act and federal land surveys conducted by the General Land Office. He was active in constructing irrigation ditches, establishing mills, and fostering commercial centers that connected to markets via routes to Phoenix, Arizona and Flagstaff. His business dealings brought him into contact with entrepreneurs and institutions such as John D. Lee-era Mormon economic networks and later Arizona commercial magnates.

Legal issues and polygamy prosecution

Udall's practice of plural marriage made him a target of federal anti-polygamy enforcement following legislation like the Edmunds Act and the Edmunds–Tucker Act. He faced legal scrutiny including grand jury proceedings and indictments common to many Latter-day Saint leaders in the late 19th century; these prosecutions involved prosecutors from Washington, D.C. and local U.S. Attorneys operating under policy directives tied to President Grover Cleveland and earlier administrations. Udall navigated legal challenges by alternating periods of public compliance, legal contestation, and cooperation with church strategies that ranged from civil disobedience to negotiated settlements. The broader legal battles over polygamy influenced territorial politics and the path to Arizona statehood.

Legacy and descendants

David King Udall's legacy is evident in the civic institutions, ranching operations, and large family network that continued to shape Arizona and national public life. His sons and descendants held judicial, legislative, and executive positions in state and federal arenas, contributing to legal traditions in the Arizona Supreme Court and U.S. Congress. The Udall name remains associated with conservation, public policy, and western heritage through figures linked to the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy and philanthropic initiatives bearing the family name. Historic homes, ranch lands, and archival collections in repositories such as libraries in Salt Lake City and historical societies in Arizona preserve papers and artifacts documenting his role in western settlement and Mormon community formation.

Category:1851 births Category:1921 deaths Category:People from St. Louis Category:American ranchers Category:Udall family