This small box is described by Gary Lawyer (Rosalie's husband) as probably a "letter box". LeAnna Maughan Steineckert said that her mother (LeJune) used to keep her hair combs in it.
The box is said to have been carved by Peter Adolph Forsgren while he was serving time in prison for "unlawful cohabitation". After the Manifesto discontinuing polygamy, families were left with the quandry of what to do with their "extra" wives. One does not just abandon those ties, so polygamy watchdogs were ever on the outlook for men who would spend time with any of their addtional families. Peter Adolph, along with almost all other men of Brigham City who had entered into plural marriage, served their "time" in prison, some men more than once. Somewhere in the family there is a photo of Peter with other prison companions that I have seen, but as of 2011 I have been unable to locate it.
This is a sample of a polygamist prisoners photo. George Q. Cannon is seated in the center. (Peter Forsgren is not part of this photo)
This is the reverside side of the Peter Forsgren letter box showing the manufacturer of the wood. It is not known if Peter modified an existing letterbox or built if from scratch.
This 1888 edition of the Book of Mormon belonged to Peter Adolph Forsgren. Notice that the name is incorrectly engraved as Peter A. Torsgren!
This is the title page of Peter's Book of Mormon showing date of publication. The 1888 edition is the first one to appear with the text divided into numbered verses.
(Other artifcats are published with the blog posts about Peter's Autobiography and the post dealing with Peter's 2nd wife, Elise Thommasen and her descendants)
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