Miraculous preservation of the postmaster's wife and children at Smithfield
Published October 11, 2026 at 6:56 PM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
During a fire in Smithfield, Cache County, that destroyed a private dwelling containing the post office, the postmaster's wife was awakened to find the house in flames. She successfully grabbed her two children and escaped the fire, though they lost their home and belongings.
Fuller account of this event (the complete account as preserved in The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 52, No. 25, 23 June 1890, p. 398):
A private dwelling in Smithfield, Cache County, containing the post office, was destroyed by fire on the 11th inst. The postmaster's wife was awakened to find the house in flames, and she had barely time to save her two children and escape, losing all their household effects.
In Their Own Words
“On Tuesday night, May 27th, the fire fiend opened out at Smithfield, Cache County, completely devouring the post office and contents, and came near eatching the postmaster’s wife and two children in its destructive jaws. At eleven o’clock, as the people were leaving Professor Alexanders lecture, the fire was first discovered. The post office is located in the back apartment of a private dwelling, where the postmaster and family reside. The lady was horrified, on awaking, to find the house in flames. She gathered her frightened and screaming little children in her arms and rushed into the street crying fire, not having time to dress. — Millennial Star 52:25”
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), 23 June 1890 (Vol. 52, No. 25). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1890-06-23_52_25 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Complete account: The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 52, No. 25, 23 June 1890, p. 398 https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1890-06-23_52_25
Filed under
Related Miracles
Similar miracle types and stories from the 1890s.
Miracle of the Week
One remarkable, documented account in your inbox every Monday, drawn from the full archive.