George Mousley Cannon

Who was George Mousley Cannon?

George Mousley Cannon was the first president of the Utah State Senate.

Cannon was born in St. George, Utah to Angus Munn Cannon and his wife the former Sarah Maria Mousley. Cannon was born in a wagon box because at that time no homes had been constructed in St. George. When Cannon was about seven he moved with his family to Salt Lake City. From 1877 to 1880 Cannon studied at the University of Utah. After this he taught at the school located on the farm of his uncle George Q. Cannon.

In 1882 Cannon left the school to become Deputy County Recorder for Salt Lake County. He then served as County Recorder from 1884 to 1890.

Cannon married Marian Adelaide Morris on December 25, 1884 and they had 10 children.

In 1890 he moved to Brigham Young's old Forest Farm which he had just purchased and he turned the area into the Salt Lake City neighborhood of Forest Dale. After that Cannon became a cashier in Zion's Savings Bank and Trust Company. He served as a delegate to the 1895 Utah State Constitutional Convention and chaired the committee which formulated the articles on taxation and public debt. Then in 1896 Cannon was elected to the Utah State Senate and served as its first president.