John Carter (1768-1852) and his wife, Hannah Knight Libby (1786-1867) left their homes in Maine and New Hampshire during the early 1800s and began traveling westward that eventually spread over much of the Southwest. Their story of migration is rooted in the great migration of the Latter-Day Saints to their final settlement in the Great Salt Lake Valley, Utah Territory.

During their travels westward they arrived in Kirtland Ohio, then the headquarters of the LDS Church. For the next three years, the Saints dedicated much of their time and talents to construct the Kirtland Temple. In the early to mid-1830s, after developing a thriving community in Kirtland, Ohio, violence against the Church escalated to the point that it was no longer safe for members to remain. When the Prophet Joseph Smith moved to Missouri, members followed, leaving behind their comfortable homes, their cherished possessions, and their beloved temple.

They fled to Far West, Missouri in hopes of a brief respite, but unfortunately it was not meant to be. In February 1839, Church members had begun gathering in Illinois after persecution forced them from their homes in Missouri and Ohio finally settling in Nauvoo. In August 1840, plans were formally announced to build another temple in Nauvoo. Regardless, the Saints were undaunted by the fact that they had been forced to leave the Kirtland Temple behind and abandon two temple-building projects in Missouri. Three months later, on April 6, 1841, the temple cornerstones were laid. In June 1844, work on the temple temporarily stopped when the Saints learned of the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Pressure from enemies of the Church made it clear that the Saints would soon have to leave Nauvoo. Leaders had hoped to complete the temple before departing, but as persecution intensified it was decided to abandon their beloved city and temple the next spring. In early 1846, Hannah, with some of her children, left Nauvoo for Kanesville, Iowa. It was in Nauvoo that this family would be forever divided as John and three children remained in Illinois.

When in Kanesville Richard Harrison Carter (1820-1848) answered the call for the Mormon Battalion. The other family member remained in Kanesville until 1851, having been delayed in departing earlier, by helping the Church leaders prepare the emigrant trains for the long journey ahead, finally arriving in Great Salt Lake City, UT Territory on June 20, 1851.

In the early 1870s, John “H” Carter traded his property in Provo which consisted of an adobe house, two log houses, a blacksmith shop, a barn, and several cords of wood, for eighty-five acres of land north and west of Provo, later to be known as Carterville. Through hard work and determination his efforts to make Carterville a thriving community were successful. Over the years, Carterville has been incorporated into the city of Orem and no longer exists today.

Our website is named after and in honor of his noble efforts.