Pioneer Stories

= Authentic pioneer that immigrated prior to May 10, 1869
= Story includes pioneer pictures

Title:	Pioneer:	Author:
Arza Madsen Adams	Arza Madsen Adams	Dale W Adams
A muggy evening added to Arza’s discomfort with the chills and fever. Malaria had driven him to bed for several days, even though he had much work to do on his farm located just north of the village of Carthage, Illinois. It was dusk when William and John Barnes, two non-Mormon acquaintances, knocked on the cabin door with devastating news: Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum had just been murder...
The Adventures of Nathan W. Adams	Nathan William Adams	Dale W Adams
Much fanfare accompanied the completion of the transcontinental railroad at Promontory Point, Utah on May 10, 1869. Two weeks later Major John Wesley Powell and nine companions in four row boats left Green River, Wyoming, with almost no fanfare, to explore the Green and Colorado Rivers. It was a trip fraught with danger that only six of the men completed. Although not involved in running the r...
William Henry Adams, Jr.	William Henry Adams Jr.	Golden V. Adams, Jr.
William Henry Adams Jr. came to Utah with his baby sister and parents when only three years old. During the time they were crossing the plains he was accidentally shot with a pepperbox pistol through both knees, the bullet lodging in the left knee. It was removed by Willard Richards with a knife. For a time it was feared he would never walk agam. He Was a member of one of the first seven fami...
William Henry Adams, Sr.	William Henry Adams Sr.	Golden V. Adams, Jr.
William Henry Adams, Sr., was one of the first three settlers of Pleasant Grove on July 19, 1850 with Philo T. Farnsworth and John Mercer. He scouted the area along Provo River and came back with his report of straight logs for houses, and rocks for foundations. He surveyed the town site with these two assisting and set his own stakes for forty acres. He was a stonemason and assisted in the erect...
John Adamson	John Adamson	L. Hall
NAME: John Adamson BIRTH: 22 Jan 1812, Boreland, Fife, Scotland DEATH: 10 Jun 1902, Wellsville, Utah PARENTS: ANDREW ADAMSON & MARGARET CUNNINGHAM MARRIAGE: 31 Dec 1836 SPOUSE: HELEN CAMERON BIRTH: 6 May 1809, Pathhead,Fife, Scotland DEATH: 30 May 1884, Wellsville, Utah CHILDREN BIRTH JANET 25 Apr 1838 ANDREH 15 Nov 1839 MARGARET 8 Oct 1841...
Jens Peter Ahlstrom	Jens Peter Ahlstrom	Unknown
Jens Peter Ahlstrom: Born: 15 April, 1835, Malmo, Sweden. Died: 12 January, 1903, Manti, Utah. Parents: Ole Neilson Ahlstrom and Ingebarg Bunderson. Arrived in Salt Lake Valley about 1865. JENS Peter Ahlstrom’s first spouse was Inger Marie Larsen, born 21 August, 1836, Hollensgaard, Hfrrng, Denmark. Married 21 February, 1857, Burlington, Des Moines, Iowa. Died 22 J...
Abel Alexander	Abel Alexander	L. Johnson
ABEL ALEXANDER BIOGRAPHY: ABEL ALEXANDER BIRTHDATE: 08 Jan 1822 Calne, Wiltshire, England DEATH: 30 Aug 1897 Woods Cross, Davis, Utah PARENTS: Henry Alexander & Mary Dolman Alexander PIONEER: 26 Oct 1864 William Hyde Wagon Company SPOUSE: Sara Alexander MARRIED: Abt. 1846 SPOUSE DEATH: 03 Dec 1875 Woods Cross, David, Utah CHILDREN: Emma...
Richard Alldridge	Richard Alldridge	Catherine T. Jensen
Richard Alldridge: Richard Alldridge was born in Floore, Northampton, England, 15 May 1815, son of Robert Alldridge and Elizabeth Haycock Alldridge. He married Ann Gordan Blunt, daughter of John Blunt and Jane Gordan Blunt, September 1836, Northampton, Northampton, England. Northampton was occupied by the Danes who probably fortified it in A.D.9l4. Town walls and a castle were built....
John Alleman	John Alleman	Unknown
John Alleman: Born: 28 June 1808, Middletown, Swatara Twp, Dauphin, Penn. Died: 28 Oct 1883, Springville, Utah, Utah Entered Valley: 3 Oct 1852, 14th Wagon Co., Capt John B. Walker Parents: John Christopher and Catherine Heppick Alleman Married: Christean Stentz, 11 Dec 1832, Middletown Swatara Twp, Dauphin, Penn. Wife born: 28 Nov 1811 near Middletown Swatara Twp, ...
Alanson David Allen	Alanson David Allen	Elva Merkley
Alanson David Allen was born May 1, 1829 at Deposit, Tompkins, Dalaware County, New York. He was the son of Albern Allen and Marcia Allen. His parents joined the Church and moved to Missouri. Alanson knew and talked with the Prophet, Joseph Smith. He was within hearing distance at the time the Prophet was martyred. They experienced the trials and threats of mobs when they were in Nauvoo. They obey...
Albern Allen	Albern Allen	LaRon Taylor
ALBERN ALLEN & MARCIA ALLEN Albern Allen, b 22 May 1802, Cornwall, Litchfield, CT, Md Marcia Allen, 1826, Hartwick, Otsego, NY, d 2 Jun 1867, Ogden, Weber, UT In a rapidly changing world, Albern Allen was born four months after Napoleon was elected President of Italian (Cisalpine) Republic, and just 1 day before Washington DC was incorporated (1). We know little of Albern’s childhoo...
Andrew Allen	Andrew Allen	D. Adkins
ANDREW ALLEN WAS BORN 16 NOV, 1849 IN POTOWATAMIE CO. NEAR COUNCIL BLUFFS, Nebraska. HE WAS THE SEVENTH CHILD AND THE SECOND SON OF JUDE ALLEN AND HIS WIFE MARY ANN NICHOLAS.IN THE YEAR 1852, HIS FATHER AND FAMILY JOINED THE BENJAMIN GARDNER COMPANY AND STARTED THE LONG TREK ON FOOT AND BY OX-TEAM AND WAGON TO CROSS THE PLAINS TO UTAH TERRITORY. THE CHILDREN WALKED MOST OF THE WAY, DRIVI...
Andrew Lee Allen	Andrew Lee Allen	Theda Judd
Andrew Lee Allen: Andrew's mother died when he was nine years old. He went to live in Rochester, New Hampshire with his grandfather, Reverend Avery Hall and wife, Abigail. He learned the blacksmith trade and received religious instruction from his grandfather. He left his grandfather's home at age fourteen, apparently making his own way in the world. At age 21 he joined in t...
Daniel Allen - A Life of Consecration	Daniel Allen	LaRon Taylor
Daniel Allen was born on December 9, 1804, just one week after Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned Emperor of France in Paris by Pope Pius VII. And this it was just 4 days after Thomas Jefferson was re-elected as President of the United States. We have little information relating to courtship and marriage, but Daniel met, courted, and eventually married Mary Ann Morris on 6 Oct, 1831 (1). D...
Daniel Rapalyea Allen	Daniel Rapalyea Allen	David L. Walton
Daniel Rapalyea Allen Born: 2 August 1816, Newtown, Long Island, New York. Died: 23 January 1873, Salt Lake City. Daniel Rapalyea (or Rapyelle) Allen was born 2 August 1816, son of Robert Allen (born, 22 May 1784, Oyster Bay, Nassau, Queens, New York; died 8 August 1835, Hempstead, Queens, New York) and Letta Whaley (born 1790, Queens, New York; died, 4 February 1849, Jamaica, Queen...
Elihu Marcellus Allen	Elihu Marcellus Allen	Brent J. Belnap
Elihu Marcellus Allen (by wagon) Name: Elihu Marcellus Allen Born: 14 May 1791, Cambridge, Washington, New York Died: 11 October 1850, Great Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah Pioneer Arrival: 2 October 1847, Company: Jedediah M. Grant Company, Captain Hazen Kimball 3rd Ten Parents: George Allen and Rebecca Married 1st: Laura Foote, born 23 April 1792, Win...
Elihu Moroni Allen	Elihu Moroni Allen	Brent J. Belnap
Elihu Moroni Allen: Name: Elihu Moroni Allen Born: 9 October 1835, Greenwood, Steuben, New York Died: 22 November 1912, Pocatello, Bannock, Idaho Pioneer: 2 October 1847, Jedediah M. Grant Company (by wagon) Captain Hazen Kimball 3rd Ten Parents: Elihu Marcellus Allen and Lola Ann Clawson Pioneer Arrival: 2 October 1847 Company: Jedediah M. Grant Co...
Elijah Allen	Elijah Allen	Theda Judd
Elijah Allen His father was a prosperous farmer in New York State. After the family joined the L.D.S. Church, they moved to Kirtland, Ohio and towns in Illinois with other members of the Church, suffering many hardships. When still in his teens, Elijah left the family and tried to find work. He asked for counsel from Brigham young, who hired him to work as a teamster. He did this ...
Joseph Allen	Joseph Allen	unknown
Joseph Allen Joseph was born 10 April, 1843, in Parma, Cayahoga, Ohio. He died 25 July, 1921, in Rockland, Power, Idaho, where he was buried 27 July, 1921. He was the first son born to Jude Allen, son of Andrew Allen and Eunice Miner, and Mary Ann Nicholas, daughter of Jesse Nicholas and Mary small. Joseph married Lucinda Drucilla Lasley, daughter of John Welton Lasley and Eliz...
Joseph Stewart Allen	Joseph Stewart Allen	LaRae McNamarra
Joseph Steward Allen 1997 Sesquicentenial Project Sons of Utah Pioneers Name: Joseph Stewart Allen Born: 25 June, 1806, Whitestown, Oneida, New York Died 25 April, 1889, Huntington, Emery, Utah Entered Utah 30 September, 1853, John E Forsgren Handcart Company Spouse#1: Lucy Diantha Morley, DOB 4 October 1815 in Kirtland, Geauga, Ohio Married...
Jude Allen	Jude Allen	Unknown
Jude Allen, Historical Sketch for 1997 Sesquicentennial Project, Sons of Utah Pioneers Birth: October 12, 1811 at Willsborough, Essex County, New York. Death: February 13, 1990, Calls Fort, Box Elder County, Utah. Arrival in Utah: September 24, 1852 as a member of the Benjamin Gardner Company of Wagon Pioneers. Jude Allen was born on October 12, 1811 at Wil...
George Alley	George Alley	J. Alley
BIRTHDATE: 13 Dec 1792, Lynn, Massachusetts DEATH: 18 Nov 1859, Salt Lake City, Utah PARENTS: Hannah Batchellor and Joseph Alley SPOUSE: Mary Symonds MARRIED: 15 Sep 1822 PIONEER: 1848 Brigham Young Company Children: George Hubbard 1823 Margaret Maria 1825 Lydia Ann 1828 Susan Hannah 1830 Stephen Webb 1832 Elizabeth Royce 1835 Charles Henry 1839 ...
George H. Alley	George Hubbard Alley	J. Alley
Birth: 14 June, 1823, Lynn, Massachusetts Death: 6 April, 1910, Salt Lake City, Utah Parents George Alley & Mary Symonds Arrived in Utah 20 September, 1848, Brigham Young's Company “I, George Hubbard Alley, do hereby swear, before the great and living God, that during engagement, and while I am an employee of Russell, Majors and Haddell, I will under no circumstances, us...
Stephen Webb Alley	Stephen Webb Alley	J. Alley
Stephen Webb Alley Born: 12 December, 1832, Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts Died: 13 June, 1921, Salt Lake City, Utah Parents: George Alley and Mary Symonds Arrived in Utah: 1 June, 1848, Brigham Young's Company Spouse: Emma Turner Married: 3 October, 1868, Salt Lake City, Utah Emma Died: 27 June, 1926, Salt Lake City, Utah Children: ...
The Story of Melvin "P" Anderson, A Modern Pioneer	Melvin P Anderson	Dona H. Anderson
THE STORY OF MELVIN "P" ANDERSON A Modern Pioneer Melvin Anderson was born and raised in Lehi, Utah. He has spent his whole life-time as a citizen of this community. His father, Evans L. Anderson was a true farmer, acquiring good land to raise crops and a herd of pure-bred Holstein cows. Melvin’s Great Grandfather, from church history, survived the Haun’s Mill Massacre and bec...
Edward Alma Bagley	Edward Alma Bagley	Clell V Bagley
Edward Alma Bagley Edward Alma Bagley was born at Southampton, York, New Brunswick, Canada, the 10th of April 1847, the ninth of 12 children of Edward Cyrenius and Julia Ann Grant Bagley. Southampton is a very beautiful town, as is all of New Brunswick. New Brunswick is a seaside Province of Canada, bordering on the state of Maine under the Provinces of Nova Scotia and Quebec. ...
History of James and Ann Crompton Barlow. Edward Martin Company Handcart Pioneers	Ann Crompton Barlow	Tim Booth
Ann Crompton Barlow was born on August 27, 1805 in Prestwich, Lancastershire, England, daughter of Thomas Crompton and Martha Mottershead. She was their ninth child and the twin of Martha Crompton. All of her brothers ands sisters were born and christened in Prestwitch, Lancastershire, England. The following are her brothers and sisters: John Crompton, born January 8, 1792, married Ann H...
History of Oswald Barlow, St. George Pioneer	Oswald Barlow	Tim Booth
Oswald Barlow was born July 20, 1829 in Prestwich, Lancashire, England. He was the oldest of eight children born to James Barlow (b. 3 Nov 1802, d. 22 Jul 1849) and Ann Crompton Barlow (b. 28 Aug 1804, d. 18 Oct 1887) who were married on February 13, 1831 in St. Mary Eccles, Lancashire, England. Oswald was born prior to the marriage of James and Ann Barlow. His father was never named bu...
History of Lewis Barney: From His Birth to Arrival in Salt Lake City	Lewis Barney	David Lynn Rogers
Excerpts From The History of Lewis Barney: From His Birth to Arrival in Salt Lake City. * Lewis Barney was the son of Charles Barney and Mercy Yeoman. Charles was the son of Luther Barney and Niber Abigail Winship. On the maternal side, his grandfather was Stephen Yeoman, and his grandmother was Abigail Fountain. His parents settled land in Western New York between Buffalo and Batavia. ...
James Thomas and Louisa Belliston	James Thomas Belliston	Angus H. Belliston
James Thomas Belliston was born on 18 February 1819 at St. Giles in the Fields,Westminster, London, Middlesex Shire, England. He was the oldest of twelve children of John Belliston and Elizabeth Carpenter. Only six of these children lived to maturity. The family were members of the Wesleyan Church; James Thomas joined the Baptists in about 1843, after he had moved to Birmingham and had married Lou...
Thomas and Sophia Belliston	Thomas Belliston	Angus H. Belliston
On 1 December 1845, Thomas Belliston was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire,England. His father, James Thomas, and mother, Louisa Miller, were both age twenty-six andliving with their little family in Birmingham. Thomas was the fourth child, but a little brother and sister had died three years earlier of whooping cough. Now his two year old brother,William Robert had a baby brother to play with. The...
Amelia Jane Davis Blanchard	Amelia Jane Davis Blanchard	Darwin L. Salisbury
AMELIA JANE DAVIS BLANCHARD In the spring of 1860, May 19th, a new baby came into this world. She was the second white girl born in Logan, Utah. She must have been a pretty baby, with a very pleasant disposition because her personality in later years showed such characteristics well developed. Her name was Amelia Jane Davis. She was the daughter of David W. Davis and Ann H. Davis. Having...
A Fathers Journey of Love	Jesse Brinkerhoff	George L Brinkerhoff
This Story is about my grandfather Jesse Brinkerhoff, who was born, May 26, 1867 in St. George Utah. He was the 6th of 9 children born to James and Rebecca Hannah Hawk Brinkerhoff. First let me give some Brinkerhoff family history. The Brinkerhoff family in America can be traced to Joris Dirkson Brinkerhoff, born in 1604 in Vorden, Gelderland, Netherlands. He Married Susannah Dubles when h...
Still Giving Her Life	Margaret Church Callister	Elizabeth C. Zaleski
"After you've raised 16 children on a farm in Delta, sent them all to college, participated in church and community affairs, what do you do for an encore? "You work in a hospital, go on a mission, and become Utah's Mother of the Year." (Maxine Martz, "Long Record of Service for the 1978 Utah Mother of the Year," Deseret News, April 1978). Margaret Church...
John Carling	John Carling	LaRon Taylor
John Carling & Emeline Keaton John Carling, b 11 Sept., 1800, Kingston, Ulster, NY, md Emeline Keaton 1 Sept., 1830, d 2 Apr., 1855, Fillmore, Millard, UT. The year 1800 began the nineteenth century with some notable events. The Italian physicist Alessandro Volta invented the electric battery, providing the first source of a continuous circuit. John Chapman, better known as...
Richard Carlisle and Jane Field	Richard Carlisle	Angus H. Belliston
RICHARD CARLISLE AND JANE FIELD By Angus H. Belliston Richard Carlisle and Jane (or Jenney) Field were both born in England – Richard on 30 April 1798 in Riseholme, Lincolnshire and Jane on 18 November 1795 in Willingham, Lincolnshire. The couple was married on 27 June 1822. By 1840, just eighteen years later, twelve children had been born to them. Only six lived to ma...
Annie Rasmussen Christensen	Annie Rasmussen Christensen	Sydnee Halladay
The following is a letter from Annie to her parents in Norway. [Annie was also known as Annie Trondheim]. Fairview, Utah January 12, 1871 I will begin by sending a greeting to you for a Happy New Year from your daughter, Anne. Dear Father and Mother, I want to thank you for the sweet Christmas gift that you sent my two elder sons. Such an unexpected gift and such happiness that filled my...
The History of Tilda Christena Christenson	Tilda Christena Christenson	Philip Asay Wasden
History of Tilda Christena Christensen Wasden Transcribed by Philip A. Wasden. Phil is the grandson of James Brooks Wasden and Tilda Christena Christensen. The following are some of the incidents that Tilda related in her own words of her early life: "I was born in Fort Gunnison, Sanpete County, Utah, the daughter of John and Christena Christensen, at two p.m. on Satu...
Margaretta Unwin Clark & Anson Call	Margaretta Unwin Clark	Ariel Knowles
In 1847, Margaretta Unwin Clark, a nineteen-year-old young woman employed in a Nottingham England stocking factory, was hurrying home after work when she came to a scene on a street corner where a young man, probably a little older than herself, was street preaching to a small but quickly gathering group. The songs being sung were not like the chanting she was used to hearing. She paused for a few...
Andrew Wood Cooley - A story of Devotion to Family	Andrew Wood Cooley	Jay M. Smith
Andrew Wood Cooley was a descendant of Benjamin Cooley, a settler in Springfield, Massachusetts in the 1640s. His ancestors had moved westward through the years until they arrived in Michigan in the mid 1800's. It was from here that Andrew left for California in 1863, but stopped in Utah to visit an aunt who had joined the Mormon Church in New York. He learned about the Church, was baptize...
Benjamin Cross	Benjamin Cross	Ivan Y. Haskell
BENJAMIN CROSS and Family Benjamin Cross, was chosen to be the first bishop of Peteetneet Creek March 23, 1851 and was Ordained by President Brigham Young, also sustained by the members at the meeting with Heber C. Kimball and President Brigham Young in attendance. The counselors he chose were Joseph Curtis and Breed Searle. The family of Breed Searle and Benjamin came to Peteetneet tog...
True Grit: The Elizabeth Cunningham Story	Elizabeth Nicholson Cunningham	Dale W Adams
After years of widowhood and a life of hardship, Elizabeth Nicholson Cunningham died on March 19, 1890 in American Fork, Utah. Except for her friends and relatives, her passing wasn’t noteworthy at the time. From an historical perspective, however, she lived a remarkable life and exhibited substantial faith and grit. She and her family lived poor in Scotland and then nearly lost their lives in ...
James Davenport and Almira Phelps	James Davenport	Angus H. Belliston
JAMES DAVENPORT AND ALMIRA PHELPS By Angus H. Belliston James Davenport and Almira Phelps were my great-great grandparents -- great grandparents of my mother, Elsie Maughan. James was born on 1 May 1802 in Danville, Caledonia, Vermont. We know very little about Almira, except that she was born on 23 January, 1805 in Canajoharie, Montgomery County, New York, and was ...
The Life of Edward William Davis	Edward William Davis	Joan Wallace Weston
Edward William Davis was born February 1, 1794 and Sarah Drabble was born January 16, 1802 in Tower Hamlets, London, Middlesex, England. "Nothing is known of his childhood or young manhood, except that he had a fine profession as a silk and cloth weaver. A story that has come down through the family was that Edward made curtains for Queen Elizabeth of England. They were interlaced ...
Survival Tips From a Pioneer Born 100 Years Too Late	John Kimball Francis Jr.	John K. Francis
Introduction I grew up in a hard scrabble farm in Idaho. I sometimes tell folks that the Depression lasted in that part of the country until 1963 (when I left home) . We really did pioneer and hunter-gathering things. My mother used to reuse gift wrapping paper and rebuild hand-me-down clothes. My father would pull nails out of scrap lumber to reuse it and then straighten out the nails. I had...
George Freestone, Frontiersman	George Freestone	Angus H. Belliston
GEORGE FREESTONE, FRONTIERSMAN By Angus H. Belliston My mother had a special love for her Freestone grandparents and longed to see her grandfather, George, who lived so far away in the Uintah Basin of Utah. In her journal she mentioned his name with reverence, and wished she could see “that tender hearted, soft-spoken, very kind man” again. George Freestone wa...
Thomas Freestone and Ann Fall -- Perseverance!	Thomas Freestone	Angus H. Belliston
THOMAS FREESTONE AND ANN FALL By Angus H. Belliston Thomas Freestone, the father of my great grandfather, George Freestone, was born in Fixton, Suffolk, England on 19 May 1795. This was a comparatively prosperous time in England, and Thomas could have stayed there in relative comfort. But in about 1825 Thomas left England to emmigrate to Prince Edward Island, Canada. ...
A Forgotten Pioneers	Elizabeth Gaskell	Dale W Adams
Many of the early pioneers who came to the Inter-Mountain West in the mid-1800s were individuals who drew little attention from later writers. Some of them, such as Elizabeth Gaskell, lived obscure, although interesting lives. She was born in Pennybridge, Lancaster, England and her parents were William and Ann Gaskell. Her year of birth was either 1817 or 1827, most likely 1817. Eliz...
John Streator Gleason, Miner	John Streator Gleason	S. John Bennett
Mining In Rush Valley One of the premier days of my life is the day I took my Mother (Marie Gleason Bennett) to Ophir City in the County of Tooele. It was here where family tradition has it that John S. Gleason sold his "Million Dollar" gold mine, the Mountain Lion Mine, in the year 1873 and used the proceeds to purchase the family farm in Pleasant Grove City. She had relived this s...
John Streator Gleason and the Martyrdom of the Prophet	John Streator Gleason	Ann W. Engar
John Streator Gleason (1819-1904) was a scout for the 1847 first group into Salt Lake Valley. He joined the Church in 1839 and moved with his wife Desdemona Chase and her parents to Nauvoo in 1842, where he became a trusted friend of the prophet Joseph Smith. The first and only issue of the Nauvoo Expositor, printed June 7, 1844, advocated the repeal of Nauvoo’s charter and charged Jos...
ELIZABETH JANE GREEN Biography by Cora Beck Adamson and amended by Rodney Orr Chapman	Elizabeth Jane Green	Rodney Orr Chapman
ELIZABETH JANE GREEN 19 Feb 1840 - 2 Apr, 1890 Elizabeth Jane Green was born in Newport, Monmouthshire, South Wales, 19 Feb 1840, the daughter of Richard William Green and Anna Phillips. Elizabeth was the second child in a family of nine children, she being the eldest daughter. Richard Charles 1-15 Mar 1838, Elizabeth Jane 19 Feb 1840, Ann 1841, David Donovan 27 April 1842, Edward S...
Biography of Robert Kenyon Green (1806-1884)	Robert Kenyon Green	Shane A. Green
DRAFT December 28, 2006 By Shane A. Green Early Days in New York Robert Green was born on 5 Aug 1806 in Tiscon, Onondaga Co., NY. His parents were Kinyon Green (1776) and Lucy Austin (1780). He was the third of twelve children. He married Fanny Greeley on 3 Oct 1826. The Green family must have been close friends with the Greeleys, because a few years later two of the Ro...
George Niles Haskell	George Haskell	Ivan Y. Haskell
GEORGE NILES HASKELL And FAMILY George Niles Haskell was born in the small town of Danbury, County of Grafton, State of New Hampshire, and was the first son of Ebeneezer Haskell and Mary Pittsley Haskell. He was born 16 October 1797. Mary and Ebeneezer were married 16 February 1797 in Freetown, Bristol County, Massachusetts. Ebeneezer had come to New Hampshire to be the "Surveyor of...
Nelson Higgins - Through it All	Nelson Higgins	LaRon Taylor
Nelson Higgins was born in Otsego County, NY on 1 Sep, 1806 (one month after the end of the Holy Roman Empire) to Daniel Higgins and Mary Dagget. The name Nelson means courageous, a champion, the chief. It didn’t take long for Nelson to live up to that name, and he did so throughout his life (1). Several articles report that Nelson’s dad moved to Ohio when Nelson was 10 years old, but ...
George Washington Hill: Stalwart convert and a missionary to the Indian people	George Washington Hill	Kent B. Beus
My great-great grandfather, George Washington Hill, at the early age of 23, stood the test to live by principles he knew to be true. He remained true and faithful ever thereafter. In 1845 in Dallas County, Missouri, after having purchased some land and built a small home, he began courting my great-great grandmother, Cynthia Stewart. Says he, "I proposed to her. Her answer was t...
An Overlooked Pioneer	John Hiott	Dale W Adans
John Hiott was one of those who came to Utah alone, without family members and never had children after arriving. Although only fragments of his life are found in records, he must have lived an interesting, yet difficult life. He survived the handcart disaster of 1856, settled in what is now American Fork for a time, joined the militia that opposed Johnston’s army, was called on the difficult M...
John Hiott: An Obscure Pioneer	John Hiott	Dale W Adams
John Hiott came to Utah without family members and had no children after arriving. Although only fragments of his life appear in records, he lived during an interesting, yet difficult time. He survived the handcart disaster of 1856, settled in what is now American Fork for a time, joined the militia that faced Johnston’s army, was called on the difficult Muddy Mission in 1864, joined the exodus...
A Widow Supporting Her Family	Jane Jenkins Howe	Ray Don Reese
Jane Jenkins was born on 24 August 1806 in Wick , Glamorgan, South Wales. She married William Howe on 7 May 1833 in St. Brides, Glamorgan, South Wales. They made their home in Wick which is a small community near the sea. They were blessed to have four children born to them. They were Cecilia, William, Ann, and Jane. Her husband, William, was the talk of the surrounding country because he w...
Elizabeth Horrocks Jackson - Handcart Pioneer of 1856	Elizabeth Horrocks Jackson	Kirk J Oborn
Elizabeth Horrocks was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England on August 5, 1826. She is the daughter of Edward Horrocks and Alice Houghton. Elizabeth was the oldest of 11 children, and when she was about 7 years old she worked in a silk factory enabling her to assist her parents in supporting the family. At the age of 15 she joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and seven yea...
Charles Jameson - Haun's Mill Survivor	Charles Jameson	LaRon Taylor
Charles Jameson, b 28 April, 1803, Codorus, York, PA, m Mary Ann Hedrick abt 1823, d 19 Oct., 1886, Minersville, Beaver, UT Just as the United States doubled in size through the Louisiana Purchase, David Jameson and Magdaline Miller added to that number by the birth of their son, Charles Jameson on 28 Apr, 1803 while living in Codorus, York County, Pennsylvania. He and Mary Ann...
Nearly Pioneers: Jens and Dorthea Jensen of Pleasant Grove, Utah	Jens Christen Jensen	Dale W Adams
Most pioneer stories involve building religious faith through hardships and challenges, but some early migrants to Utah don’t fit this mold. Some were disappointed by life in Utah and returned to their place of origin. Others moved on seeking greener pastures elsewhere. Still others remained in Utah but became disaffected with the dominant religion. Some became Jack Mormons, others became voca...
Pioneer Historian and Traveler	Andrew Jenson	Dale W Adams
Of the Danes who early joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Andrew Jenson left the largest historical footprint. During a career that spanned 65 years he authored more than two-dozen books, edited four historical journals, and compiled thousands of pages of biographical sketches and local church histories. Early Life Andrew was born in Damgren, Torslev Parish...
Thomas John & Margaret Thomas	Thomas John	ElRoy Taylor
Thomas John & Margaret Thomas Thomas John, b 29 Jan 1820, Pembrokeshire, South Wales, m Margaret Thomas, Jul 14, 1840, d Jan 20, 1890, Portage, Boxelder, Utah. In the 19th century, shoemaking was a respected and much needed trade, but it was hard to make a living at this during the poor times in Wales. Thomas John was a shoemaker, and worked long days trying to provide food on ...
Friend of the Prophet	Benjamin Franklin Johnson	Homer M. LeBaron
Joseph Smith’s death was a difficult tragedy for the Saints in Nauvoo. Most were confident that Joseph would again, as so many times in the past, escape his enemies and return to the Church and preside over the great events of the last days, especially finishing and dedicating the Nauvoo Temple. But it was not to be. The power of the opposition finally triumphed and Joseph and Hyrum returned to...
Man of Steel, True to the Faith	William Decatur Kartchner Adams	Larry La Mar Adams
W. D. KARTCHNER, MAN OF STEEL, TRUE TO THE FAITH William Decatur Kartchner was a man of faith, obedience, sacrifice, and Christian courage from his youth as a meek and humble leader among his family, peers and seniors. He was born 4 May 1820 in Montgomery County, Penn. In 1826 his father, John Christopher Kartchner died leaving his mother with five children, including a 3 year old daughte...
Life of James Kippen	James Kippen	Robert Warner Poll
"Life of James Kippen" Written by Granddaughter Catherine H. White No one can bequeath to posterity a richer heritage than the memory of a noble and well directed life, devoted with unselfish affection to the up building of the human race. Such a man will wield an influence that will not cease with his departure from earth's scenes. The life of James Kippen has been la...
JULIA ANN CHAPMAN LEE	Julia Ann Chapman Lee	Rodney Orr Chapman
JULIA ANN CHAPMAN LEE 20 August 1825 - 10 July 1852 Julia Ann Chapman was born 20 August 1825, in Eugene, Vermilion County, Indiana to Isaac Benjamin Chapman and Solona Brown Chapman. She married Isaac Lee and had a daughter Mariette, born 1846, Elizabeth Ann, born November 20, 1848, Eliza Ann, born December 20, 1850. Isaac helped build the Nauvoo Temple. He was a member of the Nauvo...
Harrison and Mary Freestone Maughan	Harrison Davenport Maughan	Angus H. Belliston
HARRISON DAVENPORT MAUGHAN AND MARY ELIZABETH FREESTONE By Angus H. Belliston My grandfather, Harrison Davenport Maughan was born in Wellsville, Cache County, Utah on 17 September 1861, the fourth of thirteen children in the family. Brothers and sisters were evenly balanced, six of each. His patriarchal blessing identified him as “a mixture of Ephraim and Manasseh.” Wh...
John Harrison Maughan and Sarah Mariah Davenport	John Harrison Maughan	Angus H. Belliston
JOHN HARRISON MAUGHAN AND SARAH MARIAH DAVENPORT By Angus H. Belliston John was the father of my grandfather, Harrison Maughan. He was the eldest son of the first Maughan pioneers, Peter Maughan and Ruth Harrison. John’s birth in Alston, Cumberland, England on 8 October 1830 was just six months after the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which...
Peter Maughan	Peter Maughan	Angus H. Belliston
Because of his prominence, much has been written about Peter Maughan, the great pioneer colonizer of Cache Valley. This account will serve only as a vignette, summarizing hislife. John was the progenitor of the Mormon Maughans, and was my own great great-grandfather on my mother’s side of the family. Born in the little village of Milton in Cumberland County,northern England on 7 May 1811, Peter...
Inspirational Story	James Mellor	Roger Slagowski
At the age of eight, with his entire family (father, James Mellor Sr.(37), mother, Mary Ann Payne (36); sister, Louise (15); sister, Elizabeth (14); sister, Mary Ann (10); brother, William C. (5); and the twins, Emma N. And Clara A. (3)) sailed from Liverpool, England on the ship "Horizon" in 1856. Just before they left for America, Mary Ann Payne gave birth to twins, Elizabeth and Eli...
Marie-Michelle's Enduring Hard Work	Marie-Michelle Pierre-Louis Mileon	Matthew Wayne Vinton
The Story of Marie-Michelle When it comes to pioneers, I cannot think of a better example than my mother-in-law, Marie-Michelle Pierre-Louis Mileon. She came from a small town in Haiti and made it all the way to owning a business in the United States. All the time that she was doing her traveling, the first thing on her mind was always her family; she was crucial in bringing them to ...
The Life and Struggles of Jesse Molen	Jesse Molen	Louis M. Pickett
HISTORY OF JESSE AND LAURANY HUFFAKER MOLEN Jesse Molen was born the son of Aquilla and Docia White Molen on July 25, 1805. The tax list for Henry County, Virginia for 1804 contains the name of Aquilla, his father, so it is likely that Jesse was born in Henry County. While he was still quite young the family moved to Pulaski County and then to Wayne County, Kentucky. Jesse’s fa...
Ane Nielsen - A Self Sufficient Pioneer	Ane Kirsten Nielsen	Louis M. Pickett
ANE NIELSEN – A SELF SUFFICIENT PIONEER Ane kirsten Nielsen was the second child of Christian Sorensen Nielsen and Karen or Caroline Eskildsen. She had a sister, Maren, who was three and one half years older. The family lived In Skaabe, by Aarhus, Jutland, Denmark. Ane was born on April 4, 1844. The Nielsen family belonged to the Lutheran church and was apparently very religious. Ho...
Jens Olsen: An Honorable Pioneer	James (Jen) Peter Olsen	Louis M. Pickett
James Peter Olsen was born in Viemose, Kalvehave, Praesto, Denmark, on the 14th of May 1841. His father was Rasmus Olsen and his mother was Ingeborg Hansen or Sorensen. James was called Jens for short.  The family owned and lived on a beautiful estate, which was on high ground overlooking the ocean. In 1852 the family became acquainted with Mormon missionaries and was taught the gospel. Jens’ fat...
Maggie Anna Ferrell Orr, a life history	Maggie Anna Ferrell Orr	Rodney Orr Chapman
Maggie Anna Ferrell was born September 20, 1847, in a small house on the outskirts of Sugar Grove, Butler County, Kentucky. She was the daughter of John Bell and Frances Jemima Sweatt Ferrell, both born in Lebanon, Tennessee, and both loyal Southerners. Maggie’s father was very likely named after John Bell, a noted Tennessean who was the Independent Candidate for President of the United States i...
A SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF ROBERT ORR	Robert Orr	Rodney Orr Chapman
Robert Orr was born August 2, 1803 at Kilburnie, Ayrshire, Scotland. He was the son of James Orr and Anne Houston. He was an engineer by trade, being employed at one of the large woolen mills where wool fabric was woven. Robert married Elizabeth McQueen in Scotland April 16, 1828, and they made their home at Kilburnie. It was here they were visited by Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Chr...
John Pickett - A Fully Converted Pioneer	John Pickett	Louis M. Pickett
John Pickett 4 February 1826 - 27 September 1898 John Pickett was born at Much Hadham , Hertfordshire, England on February 4, 1826. He was the son of John Pickett and Sarah (Susan) Sapsed. Records show that John’s mother, Susan, died when he was seven years old. She was buried on March 19, 1833. The family lived on a farm which was called Moat Farm at Kettle Green. The farm was loc...
Sanford Porter - A Visionary Man	Sanford Porter Sr.	LaRon Taylor
Sanford Porter, b 7 Mar 1790, Brimfield, Hampden, MA, m Nancy Arreta Warriner 1 Jan 1812, d 7 Feb 1873 Sanford Porter was born 7 Mar, 1790 in Brimfield, Hampton, MA to Nathan Porter and Susannah West. When he was old enough to leave home, he traveled to Willink (since called Holland), Erie, NY and established a farm for one year. He then returned to his parents home for 3 months to cou...
Thomas Rees - Poor Welch Immigrant	Thomas Rees	LaRon Taylor
Thomas Rees, b 4 Jan, 1820, Pembroke, South Wales, md Rebecca Williams 8 Apr, 1841, d 8 Sept, 1892, Wayne County, Utah. This biography is a story of conversion and of a struggle to come to Utah that took years and cooperation of a faithful son. Just 8 days before the Royal Astronomical Society was formed in England (1), heaven sent a choice spirit to earth to experience mortality un...
Christopher Lister Riding, Tinsmith	Christopher Lister Riding	Sydnee Halladay
Christopher Lister Riding was born February 10, 1816, in Burnley, Lancaster, England. At an early age Christopher was apprenticed to a tinsmith to learn the trade. He was very apt at this work and became a master mechanic before he was 21. He married Mary Ann Hale 1839. The young couple had heard of the gospel of Jesus Christ from the missionaries and were both baptized February 14, 1840. Chr...
A Great Pioneer Colonizer	William Frederick Rigby	Jay M. Smith, Jr.
WILLIAM FREDERICK LITTLEWOOD RIGBY William F.Rigby was born in Yorkshire County England. His mother was Margaret Littlewood who was born on the Isle of Man off the English Coast. His father was Joseph Rigby, though Joseph and Margaret never married. Joseph had another family. Margaret later married William Howarth and had several children by him. William was given the name of Little...
Levi Roberts - Converted by Wilford Woodruff	Levi Roberts	LaRon Taylor
Levi Roberts, b 26 February, 1815, in Deerhurst, Glouchester, England, md Harriett Ann Efford abt 18 Aug, 1835, d January 22, 1894 in Kaysville, UT On the day that Napoleon and 1200 men left Elba to start the 100 day re-conquest of France, Levi Roberts was born in Deerhurst, Glauchestershire, England. We find nothing of his childhood until his marriage to Harriett Ann Efford on August 1...
James Henry Rollins, Faithful Pioneer	James Henry Rollins	Roland L. Lee
by: Roland L. Lee, third great grandson My third great grandfather, James Henry Rollins, was one of those early saints who seemed to always be in the thick of things during the restoration period of the Gospel. Henry was born in Lima New York on May 27, 1816 to John Porter Rollins and Keziah Van Benthuysen. At age four, Henry’s father drowned in a shipwreck on Lake Erie. With no way t...
Joseph Benson Roper: A Talented, Civic Minded Pioneer	Joseph Benson Roper	Louis M. Pickett
Joseph Benson Roper Joseph Benson Roper was the second son of William and Susanna Smith Roper and was born on November 2, 1834 in Toynton, Lincolnshire, England. One Sunday night when Joseph was seven years old his father, William, offered to stay home with the children while his wife, Susanna, attended church meetings. While she was gone William packed his clothes and other belongings. ...
MOMMA - A SHORT STORY OF ABIGAIL SCHAEFFER WOOLSEY	Abigail Schaeffer	Wilford W. Whitaker
"MOMMA" The Life of ABIGAIL SCHAEFFER WOOLSEY As Told by Sarah Woolsey Hickerson (her daughter) by Wilford W. Whitaker August 2002 The End of the Road Wet and cold, the little group huddled closer together, seeking warmth from one another. Their somber attitude reflected the grey and lowering skies, pregnant with snow, while spits of snow a...
Joseph Johnson Smith	Joseph Johnson Smith	Jay M. Smith
Joseph Johnson Smith Joseph showed great courage while in Nauvoo, just as the Prophet Joseph Smith did. He and his wife, Mary, came from England in 1843 with two small children, Caroline 2 years and Mercy 8 months. It took them two months on the ship Montreal to sail from England to America. Often these immigrants were in very cramped spaces in the hold of the ship. Storms made the ...
Doug Smoot, Modern-day Pioneer of Technology	Douglas Smoot	Angus H. Belliston (with permission)
Doug Smoot was born in Provo, Utah (1934), as were his father (1909) and grandfather (1878). His great-grandfather, Abraham Owen Smoot, was sent to Provo by Brigham Young in 1868, and was soon called by Brigham Young to be the first president of the Brigham Young Academy Board of Trustees (1875-1895). Through Smoot’s leadership and financial sacrifice, the BY Academy Building was dedicated in 189...
Milton Ezra and Ida Hansen Steed	Milton Ezra Steed	Robert Steed
MILTON EZRA AND IDA HANSEN STEED Milton Ezra Steed was my father. He was born in Farmington, Davis County, Utah January 23, 1899. Very little is known about his younger years. He never talked about himself. We do know that he worked very hard on the Steed farm near Syracuse, also in Davis County, Utah, when he was growing up. He became skilled in all aspects of farming, including the...
Moses Thomson, Jr.	Moses Thomson Jr.	Jolene Spendlove Allphin
MOSES THOMSON, JR. Born: 5 Feb. 1834 Kincardine, Perth, Scotland Died: November 1856 on the Sweetwater River near Devil’s Gate (Possibly at Martin’s Cove) MARTIN HANDCART COMPANY - Age 22 Moses was the 5th of 8 children of Moses and Janet Steel Thomson. It appears that Moses and his two older brothers, George and Thomas Hyslop Thomson, were baptized members of...
Ephraim Twitchell & Phoebe Melissa Knight	Ephraim Twitchell	Clark L. Puffer
Introduction: In order to adequately cover the history of Ephraim Twitchell and Phoebe Melissa Knight I thought it important to join them together as they were so greatly bonded together in life. I give recognition to Mary Almond a great granddaughter of Ephraim and Melissa together my aunt Willie Puffer, my brother Paul Puffer and Grandmother Adeline Puffer (who told me many stories about my...
William Wadley's Short-Handled Hoe	William Wadley	Dale W Adams
In most respects William Wadley was typical of many other people who joined the LDS Church in the mid-1800s in England. Many of them migrated to the Utah Territory, many of them endured hardships during the trip, and many of them settled in difficult places. There are some details in William’s life, however, that shed interesting light on aspects of polygamy and on the pain caused by attempts t...
The Life of George Benjamin Wallace	Geroge Benjamin Wallace	Joan Wallace Weston
Excerpts from journals and books and other sources about his life There are many journals, articles and Daughters of the Utah Pioneer biographical sketches available for George Benjamin Wallace. It seems appropriate to cull the information from many of these sources and pick out the items that seemed of most interest to my family. Early Life "George Benjamin Wallace, my gran...
Stalked by Cholera in 1866: The Anders Peter Warnick Family Saga	Anders Peter Warnick	Dale W Adams
From 1863 to 1875 cholera swept through Europe. The Austro-Prussian War in 1866 accelerated its spread. That fateful year 250 thousand people died from the lethal disease in Prussia and Austria, 90 thousand perished in Russia, and 113 thousand succumbed the next year in Italy. Hungary, Holland, and Belgium were similarly hard hit by the disease. Little wonder, then, that the virulent bacteria m...
A History of James Brooks Wasden	James Brooks Wasden	Philip Asay Wasden
History of James Brooks Wasden Transcribed by Philip A. Wasden. Phil is the grandson of James Brooks Wasden and Tilda Christena Christensen. James Brooks Wasden, son of John Brooks and Anna Sofie Olsen Wasden was born July 16, 1870, at Scipio, Millard County, Utah. His mother gave birth to twin boys and named them James and Peter for her two brothers. Peter died soon after birt...
An Incident in the Life of George Wood	George Wood	Jerald S. Bradshaw
George Wood George Wood was one of the ironworkers sent by Brigham Young in 1850 to start the pig iron industry in Iron County. He was born in Darlaston, Staffordshire, England on November 13, 1822. He was baptized by Theodore Turley on June 8, 1840 and ordained to the office of Teacher under the hands of Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball and Alfred Cordon on August 9, 1840. He married his ...
William Wood Sr. From February 3, 1823 to September 18, 1900	William Wood Sr.	Tim Booth
History of the Life Of William Wood Senior From February 3, 1823 to September 18, 1900 History of the life of William Wood, Sr, written by himself, but never finished. In order that my children and others may have a short story of my life, I write this: I was born 2 February 2nd. 1823, in the city of Hereford, England, although...
Thomas Woolsey, Pioneer	Thomas Woolsey	Wilford W. Whitaker
THOMAS WOOLSEY (1805 - 1897) by Wilford Whitaker Descendants of Thomas Woolsey During the years 1846 and 1847, there was much more traffic across the unmarked prairies than what we usually think. There was that seemingly endless stream of immigrants on their way to Oregon, a few to California, and the Mormons, across Iowa to Winter Quarters [Cou...
Life of John Pannell Wright	John Pannell Wright	John F. Wright
John Pannell Wright was born 18 January 1805 in St. Swithins parish, Lincoln Lincolnshire, England to George Wright and Mary Pannell. He was a man of faith who loved the Bible, but was not affiliated with any church. He married Mary Hill Fish at St. Peters Eastgate in Lincolnl Lincolnshire 31 July 1825. He had worked on a ship from cabin boy to captain and was foreman of the Wake Shipyards, a very...
David Dutton Yearsley...Giving His All	David Dutton Yearsley	LaRon Taylor
David Dutton Yearsley & Mary Ann Hoops David Dutton b 3 Mar 1808, Thornbury, Chester, PA; md Mary Ann Hoopes 11 Sep 1830; died 1849, Rocky Ford, NE David Dutton Yearsley was raised in a prosperous religious family in Pennsylvania and belonged to the Society of Friends “Quakers”. His father was a successful merchant and, after his death, David inherited the family business ...
Experiences of John R Young	John Ray Young	George Lamar Brinkerhoff
My great great grandfather John Ray Young was born 100 years before me. I was born April 13 1937, and he was born April 30 1837 in Kirtland Ohio. His parents were Lorenzo Dow, and Persis Goodall Young. Lorenzo is the youngest brother of Brigham Young, and the son of John and Abigail Howe Young. When John R. was one year old the family moved to Far West Missouri, and a year later were driven ...