Born in humble circumstances in Scarborough, Cumberland county, Maine, Dominicus Carter was the son of John and Hannah Knight Libby Carter. His father was a farmer, and Dominicus along with the rest of the family worked the farm. He had no formal schooling, but he did learn the trade of blacksmithing.

He married Lydia Smith in 1828 and a few years later they joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Some records have 30 June 1832, others have 30 June 1834.) They moved to Kirtland (it appears they were in Kirtland by 1834) where he "had the privilege of hearing and listening to the teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith."

In 1838 Dominicus and Lydia Smith Carter were a part of Kirtland Camp, the large wagon train that made the exodus from Kirtland to Missouri. While traveling, they lost their two-year-old daughter Sarah Emily. Then, twenty days after arriving in Far West, Lydia died, leaving Dominicus with four children. Together they endured the trials of expulsion from Missouri.

In March 1839 Dominicus married Sylvia Ameret Meacham.

In January 1844 he took his first plural wife, Mary Durfee.

His next plural wife was Sophronia Babcock, probably marrying in January 1846 in Nauvoo. Some records indicate that he also married Sophronia's younger sister Eliza Babcock. It appears that Dominicus and Eliza were married in 1846 during the Nauvoo period, but she was back with her mother soon after as evidenced by the Winter Quarters Wards Membership Lists. Eliza crossed the plains as Eliza Babcock, and in 1855 she married John Groves.

Dominicus was living near Nauvoo when the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were killed.

The trials of those days are well known and don't need to be repeated. It is said that Dominicus intended to leave with the early emigrants for the West, but he was asked to stay in Nauvoo and build wagons. He also worked on the Nauvoo temple and was one of those who received the blessings of that temple in December of 1845. Eventually they joined the body of the saints in Winter Quarters, but Sophronia died in childbirth on the plains on 26 August 1847.

In 1851 Dominicus, his wives and his six living children finally arrived in Salt Lake City. They moved to Provo in October of that year. But Sylvia Meacham decided that she didn't like the life of the polygamist wife and divorced him. It's unclear exactly when she left, but they had to be together for the conception of their son Isaac Morley, who was born in June of 1851 and died while they were crossing the plains. They had no more children together (see her bio) and Sylvia married her 2nd husband on 3 Nov 1855, so she was divorced from Dominicus by then.

Once Dominicus was settled in Provo, he took four more wives:

Polly Miner 1851

Elizabeth Brown 1852

Caroline Maria Hubbard 1854 (divorced in 1861)

Frances Nash 1857

Among his descendants, much is made of Dominicus Carter's nine wives, but before he ever came west he had already lost two of those wives, and three others chose to leave. During most of the Provo years he lived with four wives: Mary Durfee, Polly Miner, Elizabeth Brown and Fannie Nash. At his death all four of those women were at his bedside. By the count of his grand daughter Hannah Clark Pike, he had "46 children, 17 of whom preceded him in death, 87 grandchildren and 41 great grandchildren." (The book "Carter Pioneers of Provo Utah" says he had 52 children, but there are several known mistakes in that list.)

Dominicus Carter was described as a high-spirited man and a respected citizen of Provo:
He was First Counselor to President George A. Smith of the Utah Stake.
He served on the Provo City Council.
He was a Probate Judge for four years.
He was a good singer and in the early days led the singing in Provo.
He helped organize a band which furnished music for the early militia and was their leader for twenty years.

During the 1880s, when polygamists were hunted and tried, many men went into hiding – but Dominicus Carter stood his ground. As a result, he served time in the state penitentiary. He was in his seventies.

In the history that Hannah Clark Pike wrote about her grandfather, she said this: "For years he ran a blacksmith shop in Provo. I remember as a girl seeing him put the oxen in an old wood frame to shoe them. He and his older sons also ran a hostelry. I remember seeing the stages drive in, they would run out and change the horses. Sometimes the stage would hurry away and at other times they would remain and go to my father's large home and eat. He always lived in Provo, owning a great deal of property. His homes, blacksmith shop and hostelry were between 1st and 2nd North, 5th West and from 4th West to 5th West and 1st North, Provo. He died as he always lived, a true Latter-day Saint. While on his death bed he called his family around him and gave them many sacred charges for their guidance through life. He bore a strong testimony to the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith and advised his posterity to abide in his faith."

Donated by:Vauna Marie Kelly

Dominicus is buried at Block 4 Lot 10.