Sevier County UT Archives Biographies.....Poulson, Niels Christian 1875 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 September 1, 2011, 4:41 pm

Source: See below
Author: S. J. Clarke, Publisher

NIELS CHRISTIAN POULSON.

    The activity and prominence of Niels Christian Poulson in connection with
municipal and church affairs is indicated in the fact that he is now mayor of
Richfield and a bishop in the church. He was born in Richfield in 1875 and is a
son of Niels and Caroline (Petersen) Poulson, who were natives of Denmark.
Following their conversion to the faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints they came to America and settled in Sevier county in 1873.
Upon locating in Richfield the father assumed a commanding place in the new city
and his labors constituted an element in its continued growth and progress. He
was for fifteen years the street supervisor and upon the building of the
Marysvale branch of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad he was elected by the
people to supervise the work and look after the interests of the residents of
the valley. As a director of the canal company Mr. Poulson had much to do with
the building of the irrigation ditches of the valley and is regarded as the
father of the water system of Sevier county. A prodigious worker and born
leader, he left to his son and namesake a heritage greater than gold-an
untarnished name and an example well worthy of emulation.

    Niels Christian Pouison whose name introduces this review was educated in
the graded schools of his native county and in the Brigham Young University at
Provo and the Latter-day Saints University at Salt Lake. When his education was
finished he returned to Richfield and became connected with the mercantile
business. He was engaged in trade, however, for only a year when he was
appointed by President McKinley to the position of postmaster of Richfield and
through the succeeding thirteen years filled that office to the satisfaction of
his fellow citizens regardless of party politics. During his incumbency in the
position the ground was purchased for the present handsome federal building at
Richfield. About the time of his retirement from the office of postmaster the
church called him to a mission to the northern states, where he labored for over
two years and was secretary of the mission and on his return to Utah he was
appointed bishop of the first ward of Richfield, which post he still fills.

    About the same time Mr. Poulson entered the grocery and produce business in
connection with his brother and remained active along that line until June,
1919, when he retired from commercial pursuits. He is now giving his entire time
and attenton to his municipal and churchly offices. In the fall of 1917 he was
elected mayor of Richfield and is still serving in that capacity. His
administration has been one of progress and advancement along every line and his
own industry sets a splendid example to others. He feels no hesitancy in
demanding the best possible service from city employes, for he is himself giving
undivided time, thought and effort to the duties of his position. Since he
became mayor many thousands of dollars have been spent for sidewalks and more
would have been invested in that way had not the war stopped work of that
character. The matter of public highways has always been a question of deep
interest to Mayor Poulson and other progressive citizens but for a long period
there was much opposition to the improvement of the roads by those who did not
wish to pay additional taxes. Mr. Poulson and his supporters, however, felt the
necessity of good streets and called a mass meeting of the citizens to talk over
the situation. The evening selected for the meeting was in a particularly bad
season-of the year when the mud was knee deep in the streets. In his talk to the
people the Mayor asked this one question over and over: "How long are you going
to walk in the mud and stall your teams with gum to the wagon hubs?" His
argument won out and an election was called, at which only thirteen votes were
cast against the improvement of the streets, so that six and a half miles of
concrete roadway is now being built in Richfield, the Mayor happily watching the
work. With equal capability, promptness and efficiency Mayor Poulson handled the
influenza epidemic of 1918. The doctors of southern Utah were inoculating the
public at a cost of four dollars per individual. A friend of the Mayor's
remarked to Mr. Poulson that he had just paid out twenty-eight dollars to have
his wife and six children inoculated against the disease. MY. Poulson figured
that the serum must be expensive and not a poor man's serum, so he wrote to the
state board of health, asking the price thereof. The reply was that all the
serum was furnished free of charge by the board. The Mayor immediately acted. He
at once wrote to the board of health for a supply and for the services of a
trained nurse to administer the serum. Then he announced to the citizens that
they could be inoculated free of charge by calling at the city hall.
Twenty-seven hundred citizens responded to the offer, so that Mr. Poulson saved
to the people something over ten thousand dollars at a cost to the city
government of thirty-five dollars per week-the salary paid to the Salt Lake
nurse. Mr. Poulson is indeed a man of broad vision, of keen discernment and
sound judgment. He acts with the utmost promptness in cases of emergency and
works for the progress and benefit of Richfield and Sevier county.

    Mr. Poulson was married to Miss Dora Staples, a daughter of George. Staples,
a pioneer of Elsinore and a much respected man. They are the parents of six
children: Laurel Mae, Helen Mar, Rich, Carol, Garth and Shirley Deane, all of
whom are attending the schools of Richfield. Such in brief is the history of
Niels Christian Poulson, who has spent his entire life in Richfield and whose
activities have ever been directed for the benefit and upbuilding of his
community along material, political and moral lines. His labors have been
far-reaching and effective and over his public career there falls no shadow of
wrong or suspicion of evil. In office he has ever been faultless in honor,
fearless in conduct and stainless in reputation.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from

UTAH SINCE STATEHOOD
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL

ILLUSTRATED
VOLUME IV
CHICAGO-SALT LAKE: THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY
1920


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