Son of Henry Hooper and Mary Noel Price. He was named William Henry after his father and grandfather.
Married Elects Jane Harris, 1836. Children - May Daire Hooper, Wilhelmina Hooper.
Married Mary Ann Knowlton, 24 Dec 1852, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. Children - William Henry Hooper, George R. Hooper, Mary Hooper, Harriet Hooper, Elizabeth Hooper, Annie Corrinne Hooper, Cora Ella Hooper, Sidney Knowlton Hooper, Alice Hooper.
History - The English ancestors of the late Captain Hooper include the name of the martyr, John Hooper, Bishop of Gloucester, afterward of Worcester, who was burned at the stake in the year 1555, during the reign of England's queen, "Bloody Mary." Among his American ancestors was William Hooper, of Boston, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The earliest member of the family in this country was Captain Henry Hooper, an officer in the English service and a member of the Provincial Legislature. From him came the Hoopers of Dorchester County, Maryland, where in Warwick Manor, Eastern Shore.
A limited education was all that he received, owing doubtless to the death of his father, which occurred when William was about three years old. The family were in poor circumstances, and it required an effort to battle successfully with the world. At the age of fourteen the boy accepted a clerkship, which enabled him to help his mother and sisters. In his spare moments he labored upon the farm. When he was seventeen he removed to Baltimore, where he was clerk in a bank, but on account of failing health he soon returned to his birthplace, taking with him a stock of goods, with which he went into business for himself. He was a natural merchant and financier, energetic and tactful, and made up for a lack of scholastic training by shrewd practical wisdom and a steadily increasing fund of general knowledge. At nineteen he built a coasting steamer, which he christened the "Benjamin D. Jackson." Shortly afterwards he went to St. Louis, then a city of six thousand inhabitants; but within a year returned to his native State.
In 1835 he sold out his business in Maryland, and removed to Galena, Illinois. There, in the following year, be married Miss Elects Jane Harris, who bore to him two daughters. The mother died May 15, 1844, about six years before Mr. Hooper came to Utah. Her daughters also died, May, at Galena, in 1854, and Willimina at Platteville, Wisconsin, in 1866. In Illinois Mr. Hooper engaged in mercantile pursuits, first with George Wann, under the firm name of Hooper and Wann, subsequently changed to Hooper, Peck and Soales, merchants, miners, smelterers and steamboat proprietors. Mr. Hooper built the steamer "Lynx" and several other vessels, and was a steamboat captain on the Mississippi. The high water disaster near St. Louis, in May 1847, left him penniless, and he began life again as clerk at the Planter's House in that city.
Captain Hooper came to Utah in 1850, taking charge of Holladay and Warner's mercantile business at Salt Lake City. He was not then connected with the Latter-day Church; but on December 24, 1852, he married Miss Mary Ann Knowlton, a Mormon girl, and this alliance led to his conversion, about a year later, to her faith. He was elected a member of the Legislature, and in 1857 was appointed by Governor Brigham Young, Secretary pro tem of the Territory, succeeding Almon W. Babbitt in that position; the latter having been killed by Indians while crossing the plains the previous season.
In 1859 came his first election as Delegate to Congress. He succeeded Dr. John M. Bernhisel in that position. He took his seat in the House of Representatives at a time when the nation was in a turmoil over the pending secession of the Southern States. Utah was then seeking admission into the Union, and Delegate Hooper, writing from Washington to Hon. George Q. Cannon, in December 1860, said: "I think three-quarters of the Republicans of the House would vote for our admission, but I may be mistaken. Many say they would gladly swap the Gulf States for Utah. I tell them that we show our loyalty by trying to get in, while others are trying to get out, notwithstanding our grievances, which are far greater than any of the seceding States; but that I consider we can redress our grievances better in the Union than out of it." During his first term in Congress, he succeeded in securing a settlement of some of Utah's claims against the general government, to-wit: the expenses of two unpaid and unrecognized sessions of the Legislature, Governor Young's account against the United States Treasury, and the cost of the Indian War of 1850.
At the State Convention of Deseret, under which name Utah sought admission into the Union in 1862, Captain Hooper was elected a Senator, and with his colleague, Hon. George Q. Cannon, and Dr. Bernhisel, (the latter re-elected Delegate), labored faithfully though vainly at the nation's capital, to secure Statehood for the Territory. At the expiration of Judge Kinney's term as Delegate, which ended in 1865, Captain Hooper's name was again put forward, and received the suffrages of the people.
He now served as Delegate during four consecutive terms, making five terms in all. He was loved by his fellow Congressmen, and wielded a remarkable influence among them, warding off blow after blow aimed at the people of Utah. During his first term he possessed much power, but after his return to Congress in 1865–6 he was more potent than ever. His most memorable speech in the House was against the Cullom Bill, an anti-polygamy measure, March 23, 1870. Though not a polygamist himself, Delegate Hooper knew that those of his constituents who practiced that form of marriage were sincere, and that to them it was a religious principle. He therefore defended them in the exercise of what they and he deemed their rights under the Constitution. Throughout his Congressional career he displayed great energy, as he did in every sphere of life in which he moved. He made a splendid record, doing excellent service to an appreciative constituency. His genial manner and address, even more than his recognized ability, gave him a powerful influence in the national legislature, and he was a universal favorite among the members of the House. His last term expired March 4, 1873. Upon his return to Utah, on the 15th of that month, he was given a hearty reception, many leading citizens, with bands of music, going by special train to meet and welcome him home. His successor as Delegate was Hon. George Q. Cannon.
At the inception of Zion's Co-operative mercantile Institution Captain Hooper, who had previously figured as a prominent merchant of Utah, became connected with it as a director, and in 1873 he was elected General Superintendent. He acted in that capacity for about eighteen months. In October, 1877, he succeeded Brigham Young as President of Z. C. M. I., and like him was retained in office until his death.
Captain Hooper was one of Utah's leading bankers. Associated with Horace S. Eldredge and Lewis S. Hills, he founded a bank in 1869, and in 1870, with an increased capital, it was organized as the Bank of Deseret. In 1872 the capital was still further increased, and the necessary bonds being deposited, the institution became known as the National Bank of Deseret, of which he was President, remaining such to the end of his days. He was also a director of the Utah Central Railroad.
William H. Hooper died at his home in Salt Lake City on the 29th of December, 1882. His wife, Mary Ann Knowlton Hooper, survived him a little over four years, dying March 22, 1887. They were the parents of six daughters and three sons.
Military titles seem almost inherent in the Hooper family. While the head of the Utah branch derived his title from his former occupation of steamboat captain, his great-great grandfather was a Brigadier General, and others of his American ancestors were Colonels and Captains in the Colonial service. Three of his daughters, Mrs. Young, Mrs. Caine and Mrs. Palmer, married officers,—the first and third Captain and Lieutenant, respectively, in the regular army, and the second, Captain in the Utah Volunteers. Sidney K. Hooper, the only living son, was Second Lieutenant in Torrey's regiment of Rough Riders. Captain Hooper was an affectionate husband and father, and a genial kind-hearted gentleman, respected by all classes of the community.
Married Elects Jane Harris, 1836. Children - May Daire Hooper, Wilhelmina Hooper.
Married Mary Ann Knowlton, 24 Dec 1852, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. Children - William Henry Hooper, George R. Hooper, Mary Hooper, Harriet Hooper, Elizabeth Hooper, Annie Corrinne Hooper, Cora Ella Hooper, Sidney Knowlton Hooper, Alice Hooper.
History - The English ancestors of the late Captain Hooper include the name of the martyr, John Hooper, Bishop of Gloucester, afterward of Worcester, who was burned at the stake in the year 1555, during the reign of England's queen, "Bloody Mary." Among his American ancestors was William Hooper, of Boston, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The earliest member of the family in this country was Captain Henry Hooper, an officer in the English service and a member of the Provincial Legislature. From him came the Hoopers of Dorchester County, Maryland, where in Warwick Manor, Eastern Shore.
A limited education was all that he received, owing doubtless to the death of his father, which occurred when William was about three years old. The family were in poor circumstances, and it required an effort to battle successfully with the world. At the age of fourteen the boy accepted a clerkship, which enabled him to help his mother and sisters. In his spare moments he labored upon the farm. When he was seventeen he removed to Baltimore, where he was clerk in a bank, but on account of failing health he soon returned to his birthplace, taking with him a stock of goods, with which he went into business for himself. He was a natural merchant and financier, energetic and tactful, and made up for a lack of scholastic training by shrewd practical wisdom and a steadily increasing fund of general knowledge. At nineteen he built a coasting steamer, which he christened the "Benjamin D. Jackson." Shortly afterwards he went to St. Louis, then a city of six thousand inhabitants; but within a year returned to his native State.
In 1835 he sold out his business in Maryland, and removed to Galena, Illinois. There, in the following year, be married Miss Elects Jane Harris, who bore to him two daughters. The mother died May 15, 1844, about six years before Mr. Hooper came to Utah. Her daughters also died, May, at Galena, in 1854, and Willimina at Platteville, Wisconsin, in 1866. In Illinois Mr. Hooper engaged in mercantile pursuits, first with George Wann, under the firm name of Hooper and Wann, subsequently changed to Hooper, Peck and Soales, merchants, miners, smelterers and steamboat proprietors. Mr. Hooper built the steamer "Lynx" and several other vessels, and was a steamboat captain on the Mississippi. The high water disaster near St. Louis, in May 1847, left him penniless, and he began life again as clerk at the Planter's House in that city.
Captain Hooper came to Utah in 1850, taking charge of Holladay and Warner's mercantile business at Salt Lake City. He was not then connected with the Latter-day Church; but on December 24, 1852, he married Miss Mary Ann Knowlton, a Mormon girl, and this alliance led to his conversion, about a year later, to her faith. He was elected a member of the Legislature, and in 1857 was appointed by Governor Brigham Young, Secretary pro tem of the Territory, succeeding Almon W. Babbitt in that position; the latter having been killed by Indians while crossing the plains the previous season.
In 1859 came his first election as Delegate to Congress. He succeeded Dr. John M. Bernhisel in that position. He took his seat in the House of Representatives at a time when the nation was in a turmoil over the pending secession of the Southern States. Utah was then seeking admission into the Union, and Delegate Hooper, writing from Washington to Hon. George Q. Cannon, in December 1860, said: "I think three-quarters of the Republicans of the House would vote for our admission, but I may be mistaken. Many say they would gladly swap the Gulf States for Utah. I tell them that we show our loyalty by trying to get in, while others are trying to get out, notwithstanding our grievances, which are far greater than any of the seceding States; but that I consider we can redress our grievances better in the Union than out of it." During his first term in Congress, he succeeded in securing a settlement of some of Utah's claims against the general government, to-wit: the expenses of two unpaid and unrecognized sessions of the Legislature, Governor Young's account against the United States Treasury, and the cost of the Indian War of 1850.
At the State Convention of Deseret, under which name Utah sought admission into the Union in 1862, Captain Hooper was elected a Senator, and with his colleague, Hon. George Q. Cannon, and Dr. Bernhisel, (the latter re-elected Delegate), labored faithfully though vainly at the nation's capital, to secure Statehood for the Territory. At the expiration of Judge Kinney's term as Delegate, which ended in 1865, Captain Hooper's name was again put forward, and received the suffrages of the people.
He now served as Delegate during four consecutive terms, making five terms in all. He was loved by his fellow Congressmen, and wielded a remarkable influence among them, warding off blow after blow aimed at the people of Utah. During his first term he possessed much power, but after his return to Congress in 1865–6 he was more potent than ever. His most memorable speech in the House was against the Cullom Bill, an anti-polygamy measure, March 23, 1870. Though not a polygamist himself, Delegate Hooper knew that those of his constituents who practiced that form of marriage were sincere, and that to them it was a religious principle. He therefore defended them in the exercise of what they and he deemed their rights under the Constitution. Throughout his Congressional career he displayed great energy, as he did in every sphere of life in which he moved. He made a splendid record, doing excellent service to an appreciative constituency. His genial manner and address, even more than his recognized ability, gave him a powerful influence in the national legislature, and he was a universal favorite among the members of the House. His last term expired March 4, 1873. Upon his return to Utah, on the 15th of that month, he was given a hearty reception, many leading citizens, with bands of music, going by special train to meet and welcome him home. His successor as Delegate was Hon. George Q. Cannon.
At the inception of Zion's Co-operative mercantile Institution Captain Hooper, who had previously figured as a prominent merchant of Utah, became connected with it as a director, and in 1873 he was elected General Superintendent. He acted in that capacity for about eighteen months. In October, 1877, he succeeded Brigham Young as President of Z. C. M. I., and like him was retained in office until his death.
Captain Hooper was one of Utah's leading bankers. Associated with Horace S. Eldredge and Lewis S. Hills, he founded a bank in 1869, and in 1870, with an increased capital, it was organized as the Bank of Deseret. In 1872 the capital was still further increased, and the necessary bonds being deposited, the institution became known as the National Bank of Deseret, of which he was President, remaining such to the end of his days. He was also a director of the Utah Central Railroad.
William H. Hooper died at his home in Salt Lake City on the 29th of December, 1882. His wife, Mary Ann Knowlton Hooper, survived him a little over four years, dying March 22, 1887. They were the parents of six daughters and three sons.
Military titles seem almost inherent in the Hooper family. While the head of the Utah branch derived his title from his former occupation of steamboat captain, his great-great grandfather was a Brigadier General, and others of his American ancestors were Colonels and Captains in the Colonial service. Three of his daughters, Mrs. Young, Mrs. Caine and Mrs. Palmer, married officers,—the first and third Captain and Lieutenant, respectively, in the regular army, and the second, Captain in the Utah Volunteers. Sidney K. Hooper, the only living son, was Second Lieutenant in Torrey's regiment of Rough Riders. Captain Hooper was an affectionate husband and father, and a genial kind-hearted gentleman, respected by all classes of the community.
Son of Henry Hooper and Mary Noel Price. He was named William Henry after his father and grandfather.
Married Elects Jane Harris, 1836. Children - May Daire Hooper, Wilhelmina Hooper.
Married Mary Ann Knowlton, 24 Dec 1852, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. Children - William Henry Hooper, George R. Hooper, Mary Hooper, Harriet Hooper, Elizabeth Hooper, Annie Corrinne Hooper, Cora Ella Hooper, Sidney Knowlton Hooper, Alice Hooper.
History - The English ancestors of the late Captain Hooper include the name of the martyr, John Hooper, Bishop of Gloucester, afterward of Worcester, who was burned at the stake in the year 1555, during the reign of England's queen, "Bloody Mary." Among his American ancestors was William Hooper, of Boston, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The earliest member of the family in this country was Captain Henry Hooper, an officer in the English service and a member of the Provincial Legislature. From him came the Hoopers of Dorchester County, Maryland, where in Warwick Manor, Eastern Shore.
A limited education was all that he received, owing doubtless to the death of his father, which occurred when William was about three years old. The family were in poor circumstances, and it required an effort to battle successfully with the world. At the age of fourteen the boy accepted a clerkship, which enabled him to help his mother and sisters. In his spare moments he labored upon the farm. When he was seventeen he removed to Baltimore, where he was clerk in a bank, but on account of failing health he soon returned to his birthplace, taking with him a stock of goods, with which he went into business for himself. He was a natural merchant and financier, energetic and tactful, and made up for a lack of scholastic training by shrewd practical wisdom and a steadily increasing fund of general knowledge. At nineteen he built a coasting steamer, which he christened the "Benjamin D. Jackson." Shortly afterwards he went to St. Louis, then a city of six thousand inhabitants; but within a year returned to his native State.
In 1835 he sold out his business in Maryland, and removed to Galena, Illinois. There, in the following year, be married Miss Elects Jane Harris, who bore to him two daughters. The mother died May 15, 1844, about six years before Mr. Hooper came to Utah. Her daughters also died, May, at Galena, in 1854, and Willimina at Platteville, Wisconsin, in 1866. In Illinois Mr. Hooper engaged in mercantile pursuits, first with George Wann, under the firm name of Hooper and Wann, subsequently changed to Hooper, Peck and Soales, merchants, miners, smelterers and steamboat proprietors. Mr. Hooper built the steamer "Lynx" and several other vessels, and was a steamboat captain on the Mississippi. The high water disaster near St. Louis, in May 1847, left him penniless, and he began life again as clerk at the Planter's House in that city.
Captain Hooper came to Utah in 1850, taking charge of Holladay and Warner's mercantile business at Salt Lake City. He was not then connected with the Latter-day Church; but on December 24, 1852, he married Miss Mary Ann Knowlton, a Mormon girl, and this alliance led to his conversion, about a year later, to her faith. He was elected a member of the Legislature, and in 1857 was appointed by Governor Brigham Young, Secretary pro tem of the Territory, succeeding Almon W. Babbitt in that position; the latter having been killed by Indians while crossing the plains the previous season.
In 1859 came his first election as Delegate to Congress. He succeeded Dr. John M. Bernhisel in that position. He took his seat in the House of Representatives at a time when the nation was in a turmoil over the pending secession of the Southern States. Utah was then seeking admission into the Union, and Delegate Hooper, writing from Washington to Hon. George Q. Cannon, in December 1860, said: "I think three-quarters of the Republicans of the House would vote for our admission, but I may be mistaken. Many say they would gladly swap the Gulf States for Utah. I tell them that we show our loyalty by trying to get in, while others are trying to get out, notwithstanding our grievances, which are far greater than any of the seceding States; but that I consider we can redress our grievances better in the Union than out of it." During his first term in Congress, he succeeded in securing a settlement of some of Utah's claims against the general government, to-wit: the expenses of two unpaid and unrecognized sessions of the Legislature, Governor Young's account against the United States Treasury, and the cost of the Indian War of 1850.
At the State Convention of Deseret, under which name Utah sought admission into the Union in 1862, Captain Hooper was elected a Senator, and with his colleague, Hon. George Q. Cannon, and Dr. Bernhisel, (the latter re-elected Delegate), labored faithfully though vainly at the nation's capital, to secure Statehood for the Territory. At the expiration of Judge Kinney's term as Delegate, which ended in 1865, Captain Hooper's name was again put forward, and received the suffrages of the people.
He now served as Delegate during four consecutive terms, making five terms in all. He was loved by his fellow Congressmen, and wielded a remarkable influence among them, warding off blow after blow aimed at the people of Utah. During his first term he possessed much power, but after his return to Congress in 1865–6 he was more potent than ever. His most memorable speech in the House was against the Cullom Bill, an anti-polygamy measure, March 23, 1870. Though not a polygamist himself, Delegate Hooper knew that those of his constituents who practiced that form of marriage were sincere, and that to them it was a religious principle. He therefore defended them in the exercise of what they and he deemed their rights under the Constitution. Throughout his Congressional career he displayed great energy, as he did in every sphere of life in which he moved. He made a splendid record, doing excellent service to an appreciative constituency. His genial manner and address, even more than his recognized ability, gave him a powerful influence in the national legislature, and he was a universal favorite among the members of the House. His last term expired March 4, 1873. Upon his return to Utah, on the 15th of that month, he was given a hearty reception, many leading citizens, with bands of music, going by special train to meet and welcome him home. His successor as Delegate was Hon. George Q. Cannon.
At the inception of Zion's Co-operative mercantile Institution Captain Hooper, who had previously figured as a prominent merchant of Utah, became connected with it as a director, and in 1873 he was elected General Superintendent. He acted in that capacity for about eighteen months. In October, 1877, he succeeded Brigham Young as President of Z. C. M. I., and like him was retained in office until his death.
Captain Hooper was one of Utah's leading bankers. Associated with Horace S. Eldredge and Lewis S. Hills, he founded a bank in 1869, and in 1870, with an increased capital, it was organized as the Bank of Deseret. In 1872 the capital was still further increased, and the necessary bonds being deposited, the institution became known as the National Bank of Deseret, of which he was President, remaining such to the end of his days. He was also a director of the Utah Central Railroad.
William H. Hooper died at his home in Salt Lake City on the 29th of December, 1882. His wife, Mary Ann Knowlton Hooper, survived him a little over four years, dying March 22, 1887. They were the parents of six daughters and three sons.
Military titles seem almost inherent in the Hooper family. While the head of the Utah branch derived his title from his former occupation of steamboat captain, his great-great grandfather was a Brigadier General, and others of his American ancestors were Colonels and Captains in the Colonial service. Three of his daughters, Mrs. Young, Mrs. Caine and Mrs. Palmer, married officers,—the first and third Captain and Lieutenant, respectively, in the regular army, and the second, Captain in the Utah Volunteers. Sidney K. Hooper, the only living son, was Second Lieutenant in Torrey's regiment of Rough Riders. Captain Hooper was an affectionate husband and father, and a genial kind-hearted gentleman, respected by all classes of the community.
Married Elects Jane Harris, 1836. Children - May Daire Hooper, Wilhelmina Hooper.
Married Mary Ann Knowlton, 24 Dec 1852, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. Children - William Henry Hooper, George R. Hooper, Mary Hooper, Harriet Hooper, Elizabeth Hooper, Annie Corrinne Hooper, Cora Ella Hooper, Sidney Knowlton Hooper, Alice Hooper.
History - The English ancestors of the late Captain Hooper include the name of the martyr, John Hooper, Bishop of Gloucester, afterward of Worcester, who was burned at the stake in the year 1555, during the reign of England's queen, "Bloody Mary." Among his American ancestors was William Hooper, of Boston, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The earliest member of the family in this country was Captain Henry Hooper, an officer in the English service and a member of the Provincial Legislature. From him came the Hoopers of Dorchester County, Maryland, where in Warwick Manor, Eastern Shore.
A limited education was all that he received, owing doubtless to the death of his father, which occurred when William was about three years old. The family were in poor circumstances, and it required an effort to battle successfully with the world. At the age of fourteen the boy accepted a clerkship, which enabled him to help his mother and sisters. In his spare moments he labored upon the farm. When he was seventeen he removed to Baltimore, where he was clerk in a bank, but on account of failing health he soon returned to his birthplace, taking with him a stock of goods, with which he went into business for himself. He was a natural merchant and financier, energetic and tactful, and made up for a lack of scholastic training by shrewd practical wisdom and a steadily increasing fund of general knowledge. At nineteen he built a coasting steamer, which he christened the "Benjamin D. Jackson." Shortly afterwards he went to St. Louis, then a city of six thousand inhabitants; but within a year returned to his native State.
In 1835 he sold out his business in Maryland, and removed to Galena, Illinois. There, in the following year, be married Miss Elects Jane Harris, who bore to him two daughters. The mother died May 15, 1844, about six years before Mr. Hooper came to Utah. Her daughters also died, May, at Galena, in 1854, and Willimina at Platteville, Wisconsin, in 1866. In Illinois Mr. Hooper engaged in mercantile pursuits, first with George Wann, under the firm name of Hooper and Wann, subsequently changed to Hooper, Peck and Soales, merchants, miners, smelterers and steamboat proprietors. Mr. Hooper built the steamer "Lynx" and several other vessels, and was a steamboat captain on the Mississippi. The high water disaster near St. Louis, in May 1847, left him penniless, and he began life again as clerk at the Planter's House in that city.
Captain Hooper came to Utah in 1850, taking charge of Holladay and Warner's mercantile business at Salt Lake City. He was not then connected with the Latter-day Church; but on December 24, 1852, he married Miss Mary Ann Knowlton, a Mormon girl, and this alliance led to his conversion, about a year later, to her faith. He was elected a member of the Legislature, and in 1857 was appointed by Governor Brigham Young, Secretary pro tem of the Territory, succeeding Almon W. Babbitt in that position; the latter having been killed by Indians while crossing the plains the previous season.
In 1859 came his first election as Delegate to Congress. He succeeded Dr. John M. Bernhisel in that position. He took his seat in the House of Representatives at a time when the nation was in a turmoil over the pending secession of the Southern States. Utah was then seeking admission into the Union, and Delegate Hooper, writing from Washington to Hon. George Q. Cannon, in December 1860, said: "I think three-quarters of the Republicans of the House would vote for our admission, but I may be mistaken. Many say they would gladly swap the Gulf States for Utah. I tell them that we show our loyalty by trying to get in, while others are trying to get out, notwithstanding our grievances, which are far greater than any of the seceding States; but that I consider we can redress our grievances better in the Union than out of it." During his first term in Congress, he succeeded in securing a settlement of some of Utah's claims against the general government, to-wit: the expenses of two unpaid and unrecognized sessions of the Legislature, Governor Young's account against the United States Treasury, and the cost of the Indian War of 1850.
At the State Convention of Deseret, under which name Utah sought admission into the Union in 1862, Captain Hooper was elected a Senator, and with his colleague, Hon. George Q. Cannon, and Dr. Bernhisel, (the latter re-elected Delegate), labored faithfully though vainly at the nation's capital, to secure Statehood for the Territory. At the expiration of Judge Kinney's term as Delegate, which ended in 1865, Captain Hooper's name was again put forward, and received the suffrages of the people.
He now served as Delegate during four consecutive terms, making five terms in all. He was loved by his fellow Congressmen, and wielded a remarkable influence among them, warding off blow after blow aimed at the people of Utah. During his first term he possessed much power, but after his return to Congress in 1865–6 he was more potent than ever. His most memorable speech in the House was against the Cullom Bill, an anti-polygamy measure, March 23, 1870. Though not a polygamist himself, Delegate Hooper knew that those of his constituents who practiced that form of marriage were sincere, and that to them it was a religious principle. He therefore defended them in the exercise of what they and he deemed their rights under the Constitution. Throughout his Congressional career he displayed great energy, as he did in every sphere of life in which he moved. He made a splendid record, doing excellent service to an appreciative constituency. His genial manner and address, even more than his recognized ability, gave him a powerful influence in the national legislature, and he was a universal favorite among the members of the House. His last term expired March 4, 1873. Upon his return to Utah, on the 15th of that month, he was given a hearty reception, many leading citizens, with bands of music, going by special train to meet and welcome him home. His successor as Delegate was Hon. George Q. Cannon.
At the inception of Zion's Co-operative mercantile Institution Captain Hooper, who had previously figured as a prominent merchant of Utah, became connected with it as a director, and in 1873 he was elected General Superintendent. He acted in that capacity for about eighteen months. In October, 1877, he succeeded Brigham Young as President of Z. C. M. I., and like him was retained in office until his death.
Captain Hooper was one of Utah's leading bankers. Associated with Horace S. Eldredge and Lewis S. Hills, he founded a bank in 1869, and in 1870, with an increased capital, it was organized as the Bank of Deseret. In 1872 the capital was still further increased, and the necessary bonds being deposited, the institution became known as the National Bank of Deseret, of which he was President, remaining such to the end of his days. He was also a director of the Utah Central Railroad.
William H. Hooper died at his home in Salt Lake City on the 29th of December, 1882. His wife, Mary Ann Knowlton Hooper, survived him a little over four years, dying March 22, 1887. They were the parents of six daughters and three sons.
Military titles seem almost inherent in the Hooper family. While the head of the Utah branch derived his title from his former occupation of steamboat captain, his great-great grandfather was a Brigadier General, and others of his American ancestors were Colonels and Captains in the Colonial service. Three of his daughters, Mrs. Young, Mrs. Caine and Mrs. Palmer, married officers,—the first and third Captain and Lieutenant, respectively, in the regular army, and the second, Captain in the Utah Volunteers. Sidney K. Hooper, the only living son, was Second Lieutenant in Torrey's regiment of Rough Riders. Captain Hooper was an affectionate husband and father, and a genial kind-hearted gentleman, respected by all classes of the community.
Family Members
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