Daniel Hanmer Wells (1814–1891) was a remarkable Utah pioneer, civic leader, and apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints whose life of service helped shape the early settlement and institutions of the Salt Lake Valley.

In about 1914—the 100-year anniversary of his birth—a large granite monument was placed to mark his resting place. Today that monument stands in need of careful restoration. More than a century of weather has left the stone dulled and the engravings on each side of the monument heavily worn. In fact, a bronze plaque that was installed at some point after the original monument fell off last year and is sitting in a workshop at the cemetery.

Polishing the granite and fabricating and installing new plaques will restore dignity and clarity to this memorial, ensuring that future generations of descendants and visitors can clearly read the record of his contributions and pay their respects in a setting that honors his legacy.

In late 2025, the sexton of the Salt Lake Cemetery contacted Quentin T. Wells to ask if he would like to restore the monument. (Quentin, now aged 85, is a great-grandson of Daniel H. Wells and the author of the only scholarly biography of him, released in 2016 by Utah State University Press; https://www.amazon.com/Defender-Life-Daniel-H-Wells/dp/1646423755/)

Quentin is now spearheading the restoration of the monument, working with his son, Nicholas, his brother Jim (based in Southern California), and other family members. This involves several steps:

1. Have the granite block and column cleaned and polished. This was completed in mid-2026 at a cost of about $ 2500.

2. Replace the writing on each of the four faces of the large block of granite with new metal plaques or engravings.

We have considered several options for the plaques, including

a. Cleaning and re-etching the existing lettering on each side of the monument;

b. Preparing new 1-inch-thick granite slabs with words cut into the granite (much like a typical grave marker);

c. Obtaining new bronze plaques and affixing them to each side of the monument;

d. Obtaining new stainless-steel plaques and affixing them to each side of the monument.

After receiving about a dozen bids from providers around the country and discussing the situation with cemetery staff, we have ordered the first replacement as a 1/4-inch thick stainless steel plaque with black engraved enamel lettering. The cost of this was about $ 912. A photo of this first plaque is included here. We are ensuring that the quality meets our expectations and then will proceed with the other three plaques before having them all installed on the monument.

These new plaques will allow the descendants of Daniel H. Wells and others interested in his legacy to read the monument for the next 100 years.

The goal of this GoFundMe campaign is to raise $10,000 from descendants of Daniel H. Wells and others who wish to honor his contributions to pay for the refurbishments. This campaign was set up by Quentin’s son, Nicholas D. Wells, an attorney based in Kaysville, Utah.

Any amounts that are collected and are in excess of the actual costs of the cleaning, plaques, and installation, will be donated to a relevant charity (e.g, The Daughters of Utah Pioneers or The Sons of the Utah Pioneers). We will provide updates on this page about progress of the installation and the use of all funds.

Thanks so much for any help you care to offer!

A little more background on Daniel H. Wells:

Born October 27, 1814, in Trenton, New York, Wells moved to Illinois as a young man and became a landowner and justice of the peace in the area that became Nauvoo. Though not yet a member of the Church, he befriended the Saints, sold land to refugees on generous terms, served on the Nauvoo City Council, and later defended the city as a lieutenant general in the Nauvoo Legion during the turbulent days following the martyrdom of Joseph Smith. He was baptized in August 1846 and emigrated to the Salt Lake Valley in 1848 with Brigham Young’s company. In Utah he quickly rose to prominence: Attorney General of the provisional State of Deseret, lieutenant general of the territorial militia, superintendent of public works (overseeing construction of the Salt Lake Temple and Tabernacle), mayor of Salt Lake City for a decade (1866–1876), and a long-serving territorial legislator. In 1857 he was ordained an apostle and set apart as Second Counselor in the First Presidency under Brigham Young—a position he held for twenty years. After Young’s death he continued as a counselor to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He also served twice as president of the European Mission, dedicated the St. George Temple on behalf of Brigham Young, and became the first president of the Manti Utah Temple. Wells died in Salt Lake City on March 24, 1891, and was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.