Richard Harrison was born in England in 1808. He converted to "Mormonism" in 1840 when he accepted baptism at the hands of John Taylor and an immigrant to America in 1843. Richard had part in subsequent history of Nauvoo, including assistance in the completion of the Nauvoo Temple.

Coming to Utah in 1849, he lived at first in the Fourteenth Ward, Salt Lake City and in 1850 was called on a mission to Southern Utah to help develop the iron industry, he being an iron-molder by trade. He arrived in Parowan in January of 1851; made a farm and built a house there, but in the fall was called by Elder George A. Smith to settle on Coal Creek (now Cedar City) to assist in making iron there. He was president of the first company formed for that purpose and on March 17, 1853, history records that "four hundred pounds of castings were made from native iron."

Richard continued with the iron company until 1859 when he was honorably released. He represented Iron County in the Territorial Legislature in 1855, and was a memebr of the high council of that stake. In the early sixties he moved to Pinto (now Washington County) where he resided until his death in 1882, as an exemplary citizen, faithful to his convictions and to his trust and esteemed by all who knew him.

-Document copied by Mary M. Urie of Hamiltons Fort, Iron County, Utah, from her father's journal.