Jesse Knight was a businessman who used his wealth to help support his church and community and to improve access to education for people living in Utah. He brought many talents to the table, like generosity, property planning, and an understanding of business and the mining industry.
More of the Story
Knight was born in Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1845. His family moved to Utah with other members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1847. His father died before he, his mother, and his brothers and sisters made it to Utah. They lived in Salt Lake City before moving to Utah County in 1857 when he was twelve years old. Knight’s family did not have much money, and they worked hard for what little they had. Knight married Amanda McEwan in 1869, and together they had five children.
As he grew older, he knew he wanted to find a way to provide for himself and his family. First, he bought a dairy farm, and during the 1870s, he decided to become a miner. One day Knight discovered the Humbug mine near Eureka, Utah, while he prospected for ore. He became very wealthy because of the Humbug and other mining claims that he owned and used his money to help his church, employees, and people who made less money than him.
Mining
Knight bought or developed coal, copper, and iron mines in Utah. He also mined gold and silver. Knight made sure that his company town of Knightville, Utah, had a meeting house, amusement hall, and a school. He also paid his workers better than other mine owners and business people of the era.
The Humbug mine is one of the most famous in United States history. Eventually, the mine produced so much wealth for Knight that he started a sugar company in Canada. He also bought land and operated lumberyards, brickyards, lime kilns, stone quarries, and a woolen mill. He had several farms and ranches too.
“Uncle Jesse”
Knight joined other business people who believed that their wealth made them stewards over the less fortunate. Therefore, he gave money to Brigham Young University, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many people knew Knight as “Uncle Jesse.” They saw him as a kind and wealthy uncle who cared about others.
Knight once said that the “earth is the Lord’s bank, and no man has a right to take money out of the bank and use it extravagantly on himself.” Knight believed that he was supposed to care for others, and he lived well too. He lived in a large, well-built home in Provo, Utah.
Knight used his money to help himself, his family, his church, his employees, and his neighbors. People and institutions often asked him for financial assistance. In particular, he gave money to Brigham Young Academy (now University) and the LDS Church during hard times. His talent for business influenced many people in Utah, Canada, and other parts of the United States.
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