In Their Own Words: Nathan Smith

The following biography of Nathan Smith Sr. was written by his granddaughter, Nellie Margaret Griffiths Quinney (daughter of William Griffiths and Margaret Smith).

If persistence had not been one of the chief characteristics of William P. Smith, this story may never have been written, for as tradition has it, the parents of Mary Grimshaw strenuously objected to him as a son-in-law, and pointed out to their daughter the fine characteristics of William's rival. However, his perseverance eventually overcame their opposition and he and Mary were married.

The first child born of this union was Nathan. He made his advent at Bury, Lancashire, England, March 1, 1835.

When he was but seven years old his father joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, through the influence of a very intimate friend who had joined the Church previously. The first time William attended "Mormon" meetings it is said "he went to scoff but remained to pray." He was a fine singer and was invited to come up in front and help with the singing. Before long he and his family were in the Church.

They set sail for America that same year (1842). The family consisting of Nathan 7, Maria 2, and baby Alice, three weeks old. They were seven weeks on the water, landing at New York City, where they resided one year, then continued their journey toward the body of the Saints who were at Nauvoo. They traveled by water--it being the least expensive, by way of the Gulf of Mexico and up the Mississippi River. When but a day or two's journey from their destination, the little child, Maria, died, and was buried on an island in the river. Nathan always grieved deeply over the loss of this little sister, as she had been his constant companion and playmate. However, they were compelled to go on with their boat to Nauvoo and leave the little one in her lonely burial place, knowing the first high water would unearth her and carry her along in its muddy depths.

The family remained in Nauvoo five years where two more children were born. The father, William, worked some time on the temple and Nathan assisted by carrying water.

Nathan saw the Prophet often. He was especially thrilled when he saw him dressed in his uniform (military) riding down the street on his beautiful black horse. He said the Prophet never missed an opportunity to speak kindly to the children.

The family stood by during the martyrdom of the Prophet and his brother, Hyrum, and endured the persecutions by the mobs and when the majority of the saints, plucked and peeled, were driven out of Nauvoo, it was impossible for them to go, as the mother and two children were ill with fever and lay insensible to all about them. Armed men came and ordered them to leave, but the father appealed to them for sympathy and they were allowed more time. The house was searched for guns and ammunition but none were found. The mob had been seen approaching and the father had hurriedly passed the guns and ammunition through a hole (in the chinking) between the logs in the back part of the house, to Nathan outside who hid them in the corn patch.

On the 16th day of October, 1846, they started for Utah. Their outfit consisted of one horse, one ox, and an old wagon with no cover. The weather was cold and wet, and through exposure, the mother suffered very poor health. They, with others, had left Nauvoo in an almost destitute condition. They had scant clothing and very little to eat, however, with stout hearts they moved westward. Ere long they had exhausted their scanty food supply and the winter winds were already beginning to blow. They were many miles from help in either direction, but they had faith that the Lord, who they had sacrificed so much to follow, would not forsake them. When they had reached the extreme point of their endurance, a cold west wind began to blow and to add to their misery, snow began to fall; but when despair was in their hearts, flocks of quail began drifting into their camp. They came with the snowfall, from they knew not where, as their hunters had searched far and near and had found nothing. "It was indeed Manna from Heaven". Nathan helped gather these birds from under wagons and other places where they fell seeking shelter.

They stopped at Ferryville near Council Bluffs, to rest and recuperate, and the father William was called to preside over that branch of the Church while they were there. They stayed there five years and Nathan and his father operated a ferry boat. Here they saved enough to equip their own outfit; they also acquired some sheep and cattle.

In 1852 (Nathan was then 15 years old), they resumed their journey, overtaking Captain Wheelock's company. Cholera broke out among the people and many died and were buried on the plains. Nathan contracted the disease and later said he was saved from death only by his mother's faith and her warm catnip tea. They later separated from the company and under the leadership of Captain McCray arrived in great Salt Lake City, October 6th, 1852, being only seven weeks on the Plains. In ten days more they had moved to Little Cottonwood. They endured the hard times incident to the grasshopper invasion and had been in Utah only five years when the mother, Mary Grimshaw Smith, died, leaving seven children, the youngest only a few months old. This baby also died a short time later. The eldest daughter, Alice, cared for the family in her mother's stead, until her marriage, a few years later, to George Done, Sr.

A pathetic and inspiring incident is connected with the death of this baby whose name was John. While he lay critically ill, a little brother Thomas, aged four years, stood gazing out of the window. All at once he exclaimed, "Come quick, here is mother." Members of the family ran to the window but could see nothing unusual. Tommy said, "Can't you see her, she's standing on the chopping block. She is coming for Johnny at seven o'clock in the morning." And at seven o'clock the following morning, the baby passed away.

This child, Thomas, grew to manhood; he and a companion went to Burnt Fork, Wyoming to get out logs. While there another man, Owen by name, joined them. Tom was of large powerful stature-being six feet three or four inches tall. He could fell more trees in an hour than most men. Owen was jealous and asked Tom to trade axes. This Tom declined to do. A little quarreling ensued and the next morning when Tom was reaching up in a tree, to cut some steaks from a venison, this man, Owen, shot him through the back. The bullet passed through one kidney and paralyzed his legs. He cried out to his companion, "Run for your life, I'm shot." His companion ran and also the assassin. Tom crawled four miles to the main road, dragging himself along by his elbows. Here he was picked up and put into a wagon and taken to the nearest settlement. He was still conscious when found and told the story but died before help could be reached. The murderer was hunted for a long time, but was never apprehended.

While celebrating the tenth anniversary of the coming of the pioneers to Utah, July 24th, 1857, at what is now called Brighten, two messengers, Porter Rockwell and A.O. Smoot, arrived from Independence without the mail. The postmaster refused to forward it. They reported that General Harney with two thousand infantry and a proportionate number of cavalry and artillery were marching on Utah. General Johnston took command of these troops a short time later. General Daniel H. Wells, recently of the Nauvoo Legion, left Great Salt Lake City immediately with 1,200 men for Echo Canyon where they engaged in throwing up breastworks and otherwise fortifying themselves against the enemy. Nathan was one of these men. They had a very strategic position. The Lord surely had foreseen this time and prepared for the defense of the Saints. The General commanded a number of bonfires to be built some distance apart. A few men would march around one fire, pass behind the rocks and then march around another. The enemy believing they were greatly outnumbered feared to attack. They were held in check by the maneuvers of the Mormons without the loss of a life until matters were settled peaceably.

The Indians were also making trouble and Nathan was sent with twenty men to Deer Creek to guard the mail. He often rode the pony express and could always be relied upon to discharge his duty with the utmost resourcefulness and integrity.

He moved to Cache Valley in the spring of 1860 and settled at Summit Creek -- so called because of its position on a high, gravelly summit on the east side of the valley about seven miles north of Logan. Through the middle of this summit dashes a clear, cold mountain stream on its turbulent way to Bear River. This settlement was later renamed Smithfield, in honor of John A. Smith, who was the first bishop called to preside over the saints there. Nathan lived there in the fort among the first families and he and George Done, his brother-in-law, cut and hauled the logs for the first meeting house. He took his turn watching with the minute men during the Indian trouble.

In 1861, he and Lacy Larimy were sent with others of Utah to Mission Valley to assist poor saints to Utah. They carried with them fresh provisions and also their oxen were used to the mountain atmosphere and water, which so often caused sickness to the plains cattle. Once when some days out from Utah, they met a company coming west. Of course they visited awhile before resuming their journey, exchanging news from Utah and the old country. In this company was John Sant and his family. His daughter Jane met Nathan and after he had gone on she told her sister she had met the man she was going to marry. Her mother overheard her and reminded her that she might never see him again and besides he may already be married. "I don't care if he has ten wives," said Jane, "If I ever marry it will be to that man." (I imagine he might well have made a dazzling impression on any girl with his tall, square physique and shining dark eyes. He had a genial disposition and capability radiating from him; in fact, I think he must have been a young man with personality plus.)

The Sants settled in Smithfield as the oldest son, who had emigrated previously, was already there. (The fact that Nathan Smith lived there may have had nothing to do with it. However, it is said that Jane had a way of getting whatever she wanted from her father). So when Nathan returned home, a short courtship followed and he and Jane were married the 3rd of October 1862 in the Endowment House at Great Salt Lake City. The following spring Nathan again went to the Mission Valley, returning in the fall.

In the spring of 1871 he moved to Idaho and settled where Banida now is. The country then was generally known as Battle Creek after a more or less famous fight with the treacherous Shoshone Indians. It was a battle in which the squaws also participated and only ended after exterminating all the Indians, with the exception of one or two who escaped to make future trouble farther north. This new country was a large flat plateau with low rolling hills and covered with a wilderness of grass and wild hay. He went here to procure range for his father's cattle which he ran on shares. In September of that year, my own mother was born--being the 5th child.

As this section grew in population, his home became the center for music and entertainment. His wife Jane had a fine contralto voice and he a pleasing baritone. They acquired an accordion and banjo, which most of the children learned to play. They and their family formed the nucleus for the choir for church gatherings and also those of a social nature.

When the railroad was first extended into Idaho, his ranch became the terminus. It was about one and one-half blocks from their house. During the construction of the railroad the family ran a boarding house for the construction men. Here his beef cattle were used to excellent advantage.

From this point he freighted to Montana, driving by himself four yoke of oxen on two wagons. He made his own yokes, bows and bow keys, hewing them out with an axe and drawing knife. He braided his own bull whips from calf hides, which he cured and tanned, and taught his children this art also (Mother, Margaret, braided six and eight strand nicely). He repaired his own wagons replacing worn parts of the wheels and setting the tires, which he did by heating the rims in a sagebrush fire until they were red hot and then hammering them on the wheel while they were in this expanded condition. He also did much work of this nature for his neighbors and friends.

During the mining fever at Caribou he transported by wagon and horse team, miners and their equipment to and from the mines to the railroad at Banida.

Throughout hard times, wars, pestilence, and struggle for a livelihood, Nathan was always devoted to his Church and his God which he earnestly served. He grew and advanced in the Priesthood. He was honest and industrious, always setting a proper example for his children to follow. He was a staunch believer in the old axiom "Early to bed and early to rise, etc." One night while waiting for the family to gather in their accustomed circle for family prayers, he removed his shoes and stockings in preparation for bed, and when they were gathered round he began the prayer. The kitten hadn't yet been put out for the night, and when he saw Nathan's bare toes he padded softly up, put out one paw and tickled the toes a little. Of course, Nathan moved his foot, which pleased the kitten very much. Thinking it a game he stretched forth his paw and tickled the toes again, when the tickling became unendurable, he stopped, turned around and said "Scat", vehemently, and then proceeded with the prayer, and if the titterings of the circle were the least bit audible, he had too much good sense to mention it.

The hard words he used when he was provoked were a joke among his children. At one time he was trying to get a colt into the barn. The colt was stubborn and would neither be led nor driven. He tried various means of persuasion but to no avail. One of the girls, watching him, said, "Father's getting angry, listen and you'll soon hear him swear," and in a minute they heard him say, "Get in there or I'll knock the mischief out of you."

Another instance - some of the boys were trying to ride a frisky young horse, but none of them could stick on him. Nathan thought he could, but he had hardly touched his back until he found himself, much to his surprise, sitting on the ground. To his children's delight he said, "My conscience, I'm off." Truly, profanity never passed his lips.

I recall several incidents of pioneer days wherein many of the cattle sickened and died from various causes, sometimes from drinking alkali water and sometimes from eating poisonous plants which came up by the roots after heavy rains, perhaps there were other causes. Cattle, of course, was Nathan's specialty. While skinning a poisoned animal, Nathan cut one of his fingers. The poison quickly spread through the blood stream and he became very ill but through his great faith and that of his family, he recovered and was able to continue his pursuit of a livelihood. However, the infection left him with a crippled hand, the injured finger permanently drawn forward and a condition in the food canal which almost always caused him great discomfort and pain while eating. I remember watching him in awe during these seizures but do not remember ever hearing a word of complaint.

The brightest spots in my memory of him are of the times he bounced me on his knee to the tune of many old and lively songs. He carried lemon drops in his pockets, which he called "sour drops" and always delighted his grandchildren with a treat of this homely sweet.

He and his adored wife, Jane, were the parents of twelve children, ten of which grew to maturity and have large families of their own.

He died of pneumonia at the home of his sister, Alice Smith Done in Smithfield, January 20, 1909, just prior to his 74th birthday. He is buried in the Smithfield cemetery.

For the purposes of completeness only, I wish to make mention of the fact that in later years, grandpa and grandma separated, however, they were never divorced. Doubtless there were many contributing causes, I think. Neither of them were really happy afterward. It was a step which both probably regretted to the fullest extent, but the dominant characteristic of perseverance or perhaps some might term stubbornness in the Smith make-up made him stick to the right as he saw it regardless of the cost. His posterity may be justly proud to have descended from a sire so noble and who so ably performed his share and more of the great work of pioneering the West.

In Their Own Words: William P. Smith

This brief biography of William P. Smith was recorded by Becky Porter from information given by Eva Leyland.

William P. Smith was born January 22, 1810 at Tottington, Lancashire, England, a son of Alice Smith and Dr. Thomas Smith. Often William would accompany his father on herb gathering trips. William learned to make healing salves and medicines and helped his father set bones.

As a young man William was high spirited and head strong. He did a lot of boxing and he liked to gamble. Once he won a watch. He won it three times and lost it twice. The third time he won it he kept it and brought it to Utah.

The young men of that vicinity liked to meet together to drink and gamble and often on their way home on a lonely road they would see a ghost all in white. Some were frightened and wanted someone to "lay the ghost", so fearless William offered.

One night he hid near where the ghost usually appeared and when it came he ran up and grabbed it. The ghost was a woman who didn't want the young men drinking and getting into trouble so decided to scare them. She promised that she would never appear again if William would keep her identity secret.

William began courting Mary a daughter of Jonathan and Ann Grimshaw. The Grimshaws didn't approve, as William was classed as wild and irresponsible. One night when William brought Mary home later than her parents thought was proper her father came out to scold. William became angry and doused him in the rain barrel. Being unable to get Mary's parents approval to their marriage, William and Mary had their banns posted in a neighboring shire. For seven Sundays they traveled there and then were married.

While living at Berry (Bury), Lancashire they had five children (2 died in England).

The first time William attended a "Mormon" meeting, it is said he went to scoff, but he was invited to come up front and help with the singing and so he stayed to listen. A friend who had previously joined the church had quite a bit of influence with him, and when Nathan was seven years old the Smith family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They set sail the same year in August 1842 for America taking their children Nathan 7 years, Maria 2 years, and Alice a baby of 3 weeks with them.

Not long before they were scheduled to reach New York. Maria became very ill and died. The Ship's captain wanted to bury the little Maria at sea, but William persuaded him to wait until they reached land. As soon as land was sighted they stopped and buried the dead child (ed. note: other histories indicate that Maria died after the family left New York and was on their way up the Mississippi River going to Nauvoo). Then they went to New York. The sea voyage took about seven weeks. They stayed in New York awhile and then continued their journey to Nauvoo. They went by water by way of the Gulf of Mexico and up the Mississippi River as it was less expensive. The Smith's lived in Nauvoo for about 4 years and there Joseph and Mary Ann were born. William worked on the Temple while there and Nathan helped by carrying water. When the majority of the Saints were driven out of Nauvoo, William's wife, Mary, and two children were very ill with fever so ill they could not be moved. Armed men came and ordered the family to leave, William, who had seen the men approaching had quickly passed the guns and ammunition through a hole in the chinking between the logs in the back of the house to Nathan, who hid them in the cornfield.

After seeing how sick Mary and the children were and finding no firearms, the men gave them more time to move. They even gave William a job cleaning out the wells that the saints had been accused of poisoning.

On October 16, 1847 with an outfit of one horse, one oxen and an old wagon with no cover, they with other saints started toward Utah. The weather was wet and cold and the Mother Mary especially suffered from exposure and poor health. Everyone was in the same fix, poor outfits, scant clothing and very little to eat. However, with stout hearts they moved forward. They had exhausted their scanty food supply and the winter winds were beginning and they were many miles from help in either direction, but they had faith in the Lord for whom they had sacrificed so much to follow, would not forsake them. A cold west wind was blowing and snow began to fall. It seemed they had reached almost the end of their endurance and despair was in their hearts when flocks of quail began drifting into camp. The hunters had searched far and wide for food and had found nothing. The quail, indeed, seemed Manna from Heaven.

The saints stopped at Ferryville near Council Bluffs, Iowa to rest and recuperate and William P. Smith was called to preside over that branch of the Church while they were there. William and his family stayed there five years and William Jr. and Hyrum were born there. Nathan and his father operated a ferry boat across the river. They saved up enough to buy a fine wagon with horses, instead of oxen to pull the wagon.

They had many tools and nice household utensils. There were plenty of provisions and many kinds of seeds to be planted in their new home, and also there was a nice sized herd of cattle and sheep.

In 1852 William and family again started on toward Utah, overtaking Captain Wheelock's company. Cholera broke out among the people and many died and were buried on the plains. Nathan contracted the disease and his mother's faith and warm catnip tea were believed to have saved his life. Later the Smith family separated from that company and traveled the rest of the way to Salt Lake City under the leadership of Captain McGray arriving in Salt Lake City October 6, 1852, after a seven week trip. Ten days more and they moved to land bordering on the Little Cottonwood Creek and later known as Union. Union Fort was built by the settlers to protect them from the Indians.

Most of the families built their homes inside the fort; however, William's first home was of logs brought from a nearby canyon, but built outside the fort.

One day when a group of men were in the canyon getting wood they heard a groaning. When investigating they found an Indian with a broken leg. William set the bone and cared for the injured Indian. Because of William's skill in setting bones and making medicines with herbs, he was looked upon as a great medicine man by the Indians and they never harmed him or his family. William Smith never moved inside the fort. Whenever his neighbors would urge or mention the Indians he would say "Tut, tut, they will not harm thee." The Indians liked and trusted him and many times came to him for aid when they were ill or had broken bones.

One day an Indian squaw came running to his house and wanted William to save her. Her husband had died and as it was the custom to bury all an Indian's earthly possessions, even his wife, with him; therefore the squaw had fled to the home of William for help. She said her tribe lived farther north and if she could get to them she would be safe. William hid her and when her pursuers came he directed them in the wrong direction. Later he helped the fleeing squaw to get safely back to her own people.

William also acted as a doctor and dentist for his neighbors and friends. He used a queer instrument for pulling teeth called a turn key. The turn key was fastened onto a tooth with a piece of soft cloth placed over the near by teeth and the rotten tooth was pried out. This was very painful for the patient.

It was a hard and a trying process making a home in a new land. Willows and sagebrush had to be uprooted before the soil could be made ready and crops planted. Ditches had to be dug from the creeks to carry water to the fields. And the grasshoppers seemed to return every second year. When they came they would devour every living green thing in their path. The settlers would drive them into the streams to drown them. Then they would scoop them out by the bucketful. Huge piles of grasshoppers would decay and stink. The chickens ate grasshoppers until the egg yolks were red.

To add to their troubles little William became sick and on February 22, 1853 he died and was buried in the Union Fort Pioneer Cemetery, Two more sons were born to the Smith's in Union: Thomas and John. Thomas was later killed with a gun by a villain.

When John was about three weeks old his mother Mary, a midwife went to help a neighbor. It was a cold wet night in October and when she returned home and was putting up her horse, one of the pole bars slipped and struck her on the chest. It was not known whether it was the injury or if she caught cold which caused the congestion in her lungs and caused her death on November 14, 1856.

The following January little John lay very ill. A colt had been missing for several days, and the older boys had been hunting for it. Thomas, about four, who was looking out the window called, "Come quickly here is Mother bringing the colt home." Members of the family ran to the window. There was the colt but they could not see Mother. Tommy said, "Can't you see her? She's standing by the chopping block. She is coming for the baby in the morning."

The next morning the baby John died. Alice the oldest daughter cared for the younger children for a couple of years until she married. Then Mary Ann served as house keeper.

William worked very hard to take care of his motherless children. He helped in the home and farmed with his boys help raising hay, grain, fruit, and vegetables.

He gave his time and service to help his friends and neighbors, his church and his community. Although he was not a licensed doctor he could help his fellow man in many ways. He understood herbs and their usage. He made very good salve from herbs mixed in bees wax and tallow for skin and infections. His canker medicine combining herb tea and golden seal drug was widely used. He would gather the herbs in season and dry them to cure them.

When Bishop Silas Richard's counselors were called elsewhere in 1862, William served as a counselor in the Union or Little Cottonwood Ward, he also owned one of the first hand-powered farming mills used to blow the chaff from grain and peas.

As a youth in England, William had learned to be a weaver. He wove three kinds of cloth, one was called jeans for men's or boy's clothes, one was linsey or linsey-woolsey for women's and girl's clothes and the other was flannel. He also wove blankets. His interest in weaving led to his meeting and marriage to a woman who could also weave cloth and blankets. William and Anna Bengston were married in the Endowment House December 10, 1863. They had three children, James, Zelphia and Elizabeth. Zelphia was the only one to grow up. This marriage was not a happy one and ended in divorce, on September 12, 1867.

At the time the step-mother left, Hyrum was 15 and Thomas 13. They became very close as they were always together at work on the farm or relaxing at the community get togethers. Hyrum was six feet tall, but Thomas topped him in height by several inches. Tom although broad and very athletic was a very peaceful boy. When the Sandy youths and Union boys had trouble Tom would try to settle the dispute without fighting. If the fighting had already started Tom would often help stop it and bring peace to the group.

Zelphia's mother married a man (Alfred Johnson) in Oakley, Utah. Throughout the years William kept in touch with Zelphia, doing things for her to show his love and his interest in her health and well being. Later when William heard that Zelphia was working in the mining town of Park City, he loaded a wagon with flour, fruits and vegetables and sent Hy and Tom to take it to her. The boys were very happy to go as they loved their half sister very much.

William became interested in a woman who did sewing for many families through out the many LDS communities. She was Sarah Pidd Griffiths, Ann Robert Griffiths and Sarah's husband was dead and Sarah did sewing to support the children of both mothers, Ann's boys were getting old enough to work her farm so Sarah's help was not necessary.

Ann was afraid that Sarah might marry again so forbade William to come to her home. So William would meet Sarah after church or sometimes at the place where she was sewing and she would go to his home and prepare food.

She made a soda dough which was cooked or a hot griddle. Both liked this kind of bread and began calling the cakes "Sparkling Cakes." When they decided to get married they went up to Salt Lake City to the Endowment House.

Ann found out their plans and got there first. She cried and said if Sarah left she would have no means of support, so the officials would not marry them. They took William aside and told him to come back later when Ann didn't know.

So William and Sarah started home, very angry and disappointed. Suddenly William suggested that they go up to Fort Douglas and be married. So they turned around and went to the Fort and were married by Judge Titus, November 23, 1867. The people of the community were scandalized. They decided that if William and Sarah were married by a non-Mormon they had left the church. Many were no longer friendly. It became dangerous for William and Sarah to be away from home after dark. Several times shots were fired at them as they sat on the wagon seat coming home from a shopping trip. William went unconcerned about his own affair. He and his boys farmed and his wife and ten year old daughter Lucy fitted very well into life in the Smith household.

On November 4, 1868 William and Sarah were blessed with twins, Isaac died after three days and Sarah lived to be eight years old. Little Sarah was a sweet lovable child and everyone grieved deeply when she died. She was buried with roses from Lucy Ann's wedding dress.

Following is a story told by Lucy about her experience helping her step-father weave.

"By the time my mother married William there was a factory in Salt Lake that would take their wool in trade for yarn. William Smith and Mother would bring the yarn home and after the summer's work was over the weaving would commence. First the work was reeled onto the warping frame wick. This kept mother and I busy for about three days. Then it was put onto the loom, then the weaving could be started. Mother and I wound the bobbins and we had to keep the wheel going to keep ahead of father William. He could make the shuttle fairly fly and I can hear him now calling out in his shrill voice, "Bobbins, bobbins" and it made him out of patience if he had to wait for them. We would fill all the bobbins at night to try to keep ahead of him. Sometimes something would go wrong with the warp and he would have to get off the loom to fix it. I'd be glad of this break and to go ahead with the bobbin winding again. I remember one night a kitten was in the house and it got on the loom and tangled the yarn, Father Smith was so angry about having to straighten out the warp that he wouldn't speak to mother or me for almost two weeks. We were glad when company dropped in and he got over his sulking spell."

William Smith being quite a common name William's mail often got mixed up with other William Smith's mail, so he decided to borrow the initial from Sarah's maiden name Pidd. And from then on he signed his name William P. Smith. The Smiths needed a new house so obtained enough adobes to build one. As the work was progressing satisfactorily William decided to go to Idaho on business during the time when crops were uncertain, due to drought and grasshoppers, most houses contained very large bins in them for storing two years supply of grain.

Thomas Smith married and had a family, he and another man went to Burnt Fork, Wyoming to get out logs. While there another man by the name of King joined them. Thomas Smith was of a large powerful stature being six feet three or four inches tall. He could fell more trees per hour than most men. King was jealous and asked Tom to trade axes. This Tom declined to do. A little quarreling ensued and the next morning when Tom was reaching up to cut some steak from Venison, King shot him through the back. The bullet passed through one kidney and paralyzed his legs. He cried out to his companion Louis Anderson, "Run for your life, I'm shot!" His companion ran and also the assassin ran, Tom crawled four miles to the main road on his elbows. Here he was picked up and taken to the nearest settlement in a wagon. He was conscious when found and told the story but he died before help was reached.

In Their Own Words: Jane Sant

This biography of Jane Sant was written by Maria Smith Prescott, a daughter of Jane Sant and Nathan Smith.

On the banks of the river Mercy or nearby stood a little English cottage. Here lived John Sant, born January 11, 1811, and his wife, Mary Shaw Sant, born in 1813. John was a boatman and owned a bay mare and a river boat. He earned a living for his family of twelve children, himself, and his wife by freighting from Liverpool upriver to the towns and settlements. For the large merchant ships could not navigate in those days until later years when the River Mercy was then dredged out in order for them to sail inland as far as they do now. The seventh child was born to those goodly parents on the 8 of March 1846 at Middlewich, England. As Jane (they named her that) opened her steel gray eyes she brought a great love, comfort, and happiness into that home. She had a very pleasant disposition, great personality and always a pleasant smile. She was sent to nursery school at a very young age and due to her quick ability to learn she was kept in school while her other brothers and sisters were sent to work in factories to help earn a living for themselves and their family. Jane made friends in school and thus gained favor with school masters. When the fee for her schooling came due, she was not turned out of school but kept on going. The family belonged to the Church of England and Jane while very young was made a class leader in her hometown. She was blessed with a sweet voice and took part in many community gatherings due to this.

One day two young men from far away America came to their home. They told them of how the angel had flown through the midst of heaven carrying the everlasting Gospel. They told how Joseph Smith had received a manifestation, he had seen God our Eternal Father and his Son, Jesus Christ.

John, her father, said, "This is what I have been looking for all of my life,"

Mary, her mother, was not so quick to jump to conclusions. She being a more conservative type of person, said, "No, no, I have been told about these terrible Mormons from Utah, who build a high wall, take all the women they can get and hold them prisoners," and many more terrible lies that some of their ministers made up and told them about the Saints in Zion. She forbade the Mormon Elders to come to her home.

One night John went to a meeting. Mother Mary, and Janie were home. All at once Mary jumped up, saying: "John has gone and been dipped" (meaning baptized). She was walking the floor and wringing her hands.

Janie said: "Mother, how do you know?"

"I know and so do you, it has been made known to me, I know he has." Just then they heard his footsteps at the door.

"John," said Mary, "you have joined those horrid Mormons."

"Yes, Mary, I have joined the true Church of Jesus Christ, I know that it is true."

Mary said a great many more things that I cannot write here. Poor dear wife, mother, and true Christian as she believed to be was overcome by the evil spirit of Lucifer. No sense or reason could she use at this time. John bowed his head, Jane wept, and Mary walked the floor, cried, and wore herself out completely. Then John removed his shoes, climbed the short stairs and retired to bed. Mary thinking, "I will see how these terrible Mormons pray," crept up the stairs after him, went to his door that had been left ajar, and there she was, now in a very humble position kneeling to listen in quietly so as not to let him know she was near. She heard him pour out his heart and soul and feelings to his Father and God for his beloved wife, the mother of his children; he prayed in her behalf, that she might see and hear the truth.

Janie being about fourteen years old had listened to the Elders and had gone when she could with her father to hear them. She had learned of the Gospel, the angel, the visions, and a Prophet of God. She had prayed and cried, and prayed some more. So when John had finished his pleading with his Father in Heaven for his wife, she too had wilted as it were and crept in pleading for her forgiveness, of John, whom she dearly loved and the spirit of the Lord had made known to her that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was true and restored to earth again.

This put our Sant family back again in living condition. They all were baptized as members, all except Jane's older sisters who were married. They then made plans to come to Zion.

They all put their savings in an America box that was fixed up by Jane and her mother. They put every penny anyone in the family made into this box. Mary surely knew how to save. They served porridge for evening meals, sheep head for dinners and each penny for toffee, instead was put into the box and no more sweets for they were all saving to come to America, to Zion.

The minister came to them telling more evil things of the Mormons. They turned Janie out of her class work, her friends and schoolmates turned against her, for if they associated with her, others would turn against them. This was one way that the evil ones had of tempting those who joined the true church.

The family was all ready to sail when Billie, the younger boy, became very sick. Doctors removed a stone from his bladder. It had to be removed without any anesthetic, ether, or chloroform, as they were unknown and not used at that time. Janie was taken to the hospital to hold little Billie's hand and lovingly talked to him and told stories while the operation was being performed. Jane never forgot this experience.

They set sail on April 16, 1860 on the old sailing vessel Brooklyn, and they arrived in New Orleans in June of 1860. As they left Liverpool Harbor the family sang "Yes, My Native Land I Love Thee." Margaret an older sister and Janie had to do cabin work to help pay passage way. Jane was very sea sick and the family as well as the Elders prayed for her. She often spoke about the fear of being fed to the fishes.

Janie and family joined a company coming to the West and a returning missionary, David Mustard, hauled the Sant families' food and clothing across the plains. While they, the father, the mother, and the children had to walk. With what means they had left they bought a cow for milk, some eggs, bacon, and flour. While out on the long weary trip they walked day after day in the hot sun and dusty roads. Where the wagon wheels and oxen went they cut deep ruts in the desert. The dust from the wagon train could be seen for miles.

Jane, being not too strong one day, lagged behind. The Indians in the West were on the warpath at this time, during the latter part of the Civil War, and so the wagons were pulled into a circle at night to form a corral for the protection of the oxen. When supper or evening meal was prepared, Mother Mary said: "Where is Janie?" All looked at each other and Margaret who helped to drive the cows of our camp said, "O mother, she was ill and faint and the last I know of her she had lain down by some bushes along the road. She must have gone to sleep or still worse, fainted with fatigue and weariness." All were excited for the Captain of the wagon train had warned them that very morning they were to stay close to camp for they were in Indian country and there were bands that were on the war path. Father John rushed to inform the captain of Jane's absence. While he was calling for ten volunteers to go back along the trail and for other men to prepare for an Indian skirmish, for they may have stolen Janie as was frequently known to have happened to former immigrants coming west. Father John with a prayer in his heart and on his lips started back, for it was now growing dark. Mother Mary called her other children together and knelt by the wagon and if ever the hearts of a family and prayer was poured out to one's maker this little group of Saints surely did seek God our Eternal Father at this time. Others of the camp prayed there under the stars in an untamed wilderness for the girl, or child as she seemed, and for her deliverance in safety.

In the meantime the sun had gone down behind the western plains and Janie had lost consciousness but the coolness of the evening and the loud blood-curdling howl of the wolf herd aroused her, imagine this city-raised girl's fear as she awakened and sensed what had happened for many were the stories she had been told about the wolves. The Indians and what had really happened to others who had crossed these desolate plains to get to Zion. John was praying and crying out "Janie, My Janie, answer me," above the long drawn out wailing howls that were piercing the air, there came a loud voice.

She arose and tried to run towards the direction of the welcome sound, when from weakness and fear she fell, just as her father had spotted her form in the fast growing darkness. He caught her up in his arms, though she was now blooming into a young lady, and started back to camp with his burden of love. They had not gotten far when the men from camp came to their rescue and aided them on their way.

When Mary Sant saw her poor pale sick child she fell on her knees with John and the family and offered prayers of thanks for Janie's safe return. The prairie schooners rolled on and in a short time as things were moving along all right and everyone was looking far ahead, they saw the dust of another wagon train coming to meet them. On passing one teamster called "Jee-Howe" and drew his ox teams to a stop by the side of the Sant wagon.

If I can only paint a true picture of the man with my pen you will look into the sparkling black eyes of a young westerner carrying a bull whip over his shoulders, clad in a full buckskin suit, fringe down each side of the pants and a beaded design on the front of the waist coat, his dark hair, a bit long as the westerners then wore it, curled back over his ears, a broad smile on his face and those black sparkling eyes that have been the family's inheritance for all of the future generations. He, Nathan Smith, of Utah was called by Brigham Young to go back to the Missouri River, for that was as far as the railroads came at this time, to bring material that was needed to help build the Salt Lake Temple and the great L.D.S. Tabernacle and to also make it possible for the poor Saints to get to Zion. He was to get much needed merchandise and then take care of as many Saints as he could by having them ride on top of the load. Nathan was heard to say: "Is this the John Sant family from England?"

"Yes, sir," answered John. "Well sir, I have a letter from your son, George. He is on his way by now to meet you and bring some food for the family, but why take your time, for here is the letter, it will explain."

As he came forward and came nearer to the small group who were all ears and waiting with great interest to every word, Janie and Margaret drew near. As Nate handed over the letter, he looked into the hazel eyes of Janie, her eyes were so understanding. They must have been sparkling with interest and joy from receiving a message from her long lost brother who had come to America twelve years before. Nathan being Nathan winked at her and then that long solemn look of, "I must have seen you somewhere before."

Margaret standing by was waiting her turn to be recognized in some way and she felt, "I have lost, Janie has won," for there was no mistaking that warm smile and the twinkle in his eyes. Janie was held spellbound; she never moved, she never spoke, she stood as if in a trance.

When the wagons drove on and this glorious vision that she had beheld was drifting out of sight in the distance, Margaret said, "He is only a man."

Janie said: "If ever I marry, it will be that man."

Mother Sant said: "But Janie, he may already be married and have a dozen wives."

"I don't care how many he may have, if I can ever see him again I know I can win him and gain his love."

They all smiled thinking Janie had gone overboard, and she had, generally speaking, for she never saw another in all her mortal life who took his place.

In a couple of days their food supply had almost vanished and Mother Mary would measure out each meal, so many tablespoons full of flour for they were then on very short rations. All of the family were watching ahead for any sign of brother George. At the close of a long weary day a group of wagons were spotted in the distance. Soon a cry of joy came up from the Sant family. Our George, our American George and the weary worn travelers who had just felt as though they could not go any further began rushing ahead to meet the oncoming wagons and found to their great joy it was the long lost son and brother. Imagine if you can the feelings in each heart at this meeting out on the plains and in the great wilderness of North America. This family reunion was like passing into Paradise. Do you think this reunion of our families can surpass this joy when we return to our Father in Heaven and see and behold our loved ones who have gone before? I wonder!

When the wagons were in a circle for the night and the evening meal was prepared by Mother Mary, the great men of the West, who know how to live in the great open, were all gathered around the white cloth spread on the grassy mound and saw the good food spread thereon. "0", said one of the family, "we surely have gotten to Zion."

When Janie asked, "Mother may I have another cob?" (English folks called biscuits, cobs), Mother Mary said, "Nay, Janie, you have plenty this time."

Still Janie desired some more for she had felt the pangs of hunger so long and that faint tired feeling walking, waiting for just a spoonful of porridge made from the small amount of flour that was left. When the great deep voice of George rang out on the evening air, "Give her another cob, give her all she wants." From now on to Janie's dying day she would repeat these words and never in all her life had any words in the English Language ever sounded so good as these: "Give her all she wants."

Janie's New Home Chapter II

When they reached the great Salt Lake Valley they reported to the immigration committee and then figured out what they would do next. George told of a small settlement on up north where he had moved his wife, Margaret and oldest son (George Sant, Jr.). He had built a log cabin in a fort first named Summit Creek. By this time it had been named Smithfield, Utah. So the decision was made, the John Sant family would go and make a home at Smithfield, Utah.

Janie was quite the young lady, a very gifted girl, quick to learn, educated, a very nice looking maiden, and so she made friends at once. One of these friends was Alice Smith Done. She was not only a midwife and held a doctor's certificate, and Nathan's sister, but she was so busy helping others that she needed help in her home. So, Janie offered to go and help her in her home. Alice Done also taught young immigrants who wished to learn how to spin, weave, and take the wool off of the sheep's back and make the much needed clothing for their families. Winter was coming on and what they had gathered together to come to Zion was now threadbare and rags. Janie was sent to Alice Smith Done's to help her and to be taught.

Just let me paint the picture of when Nathan Smith had finished his mission, where he had been called by the President Brigham Young to take his four yoke of oxen, wagon and supplies and travel over a thousand miles back to get supplies for building and help haul the poor Saints to Zion. When this mission was finished he came to his sister's home in Smithfield not knowing where the Sants had settled, or maybe he did! When Janie heard that same voice again, she knew it at once and her feet seemed to force her to run away and this was the last thing that she desired to do. What a confused child or young lady she was.

(My dear mother, Janie, never did go into detail to tell me just how it did happen, it is too sacred for her to relate I am sure.) However, they let no grass grow under their feet in waiting to get married, for Nate knew a good thing when he found it and he had found Janie, the little lady of his heart. On October 3, 1861 they were first married by John Sant, her father, who held the Priesthood and the authority to marry. Margaret, her older sister, was married the same day to Charles Williams, there in Smithfield, Utah. From there they went in a covered wagon to the Salt Lake Endowment House to be married by the proper authority for time and all Eternity or sealed as husband and wife, so all of us children were born under the everlasting covenant.

At Smithfield they built a log cabin where the one L.D.S. meetinghouse now stands near the bank of the Smithfield creek. The first plowed furrow ever made to take water out of the creek for irrigation was made by Nathan and George Done, his brother-in-law, with a plow and ox team. So well trained were they that Nate was often asked to use a survey and make the plow furrow so water would follow the same around the mountain sides and across country. Nate was with the organized minutemen of Cache Valley Utah for the protection of the settlers from the Indians. After the Indians had made a raid on the small settlement and they had stolen Nate and Jane's first span of horses, a bay and a black mare, the men were driving the Indians up the canyon when a Brother Merrill was killed. His was the first grave in the old Smithfield cemetery.

One day when the men folk were gone to the canyon for winter's wood, Jane was doing her washing in her front door yard, there in the Fort, when an Indian squaw with a papoose strapped on her back appeared with a very sad face and with a buffalo robe for clothing tied around her waist with a rawhide piece of leather or tong. The papoose was moaning and crying obviously sick, and the mother sat down on the dirt floor of the cabin weaving to and fro to comfort the baby. Janie asked what was wrong with the child. The squaw patting her own stomach explained the papoose had been kicked in the stomach by a Pongo or horse. Janie found bread and butter but the child was too sick to eat, so Janie took the last spoonful of sugar she had in the tea cup up in a dry goods box nailed up in the corner of the log cabin for a cupboard. The papoose tried to eat the sugar for this was a great treat for the white people let alone the Indians, but he vomited all over.

A very dark Indian man came following her footprints across a log that was cut down and laid across the creek for a foot bridge and up the trail to the house. He didn't knock but slowly walked in looking blacker than a thunder cloud. He went straight to the old squaw and began talking in the Indian tongue uttering strange sounds. Janie could tell he was wanting her to go but she would not, he kicked her, pushed her, but she would not go an inch farther than he forced her to go. She stood braced there in the dooryard and finally he took the papoose off its mother's back and swung it over his own. He took up a large boulder from the creek bed and began to beat her on the head, a measured beat, thud, thud, thud, the blood began to run down the buffalo robes and congealed around where it was tied at her waist. He would kick her, push her, beat her, and so by force he got her up the trail that ran along the side of the creek until they were out of sight. Just put yourself in Janie's shoes and what this terrible thing meant to her. She dared not to interfere for the settlers were told by Brigham Young not to interfere in any of the Indian's affairs, but Aunt Sally Noble, the wife of our late President Noble of the Logan Temple could speak quite well the Indian tongue so she came running saying, "Mean, mean Indian, no kill the squaw. God will punish you, the Great Spirit will not help you anymore." On inquiry she was told that this cruel buck Indian, father of the injured child, had held the mother responsible for the child's being kicked in the stomach by a horse in camp. She learned that from his cruel beatings she had died that night in her wickiup a short distance up the canyon.

The home of Nathan and Jane was blessed with three children while they lived in the fort in Smithfield. William or Willie, Mary, and Nathan Jr. Jane spent the summer while Nate went on another mission across the plains for more supplies and more immigrants, this took about three months time to go and come.

William P. Smith, father of Nathan had accumulated a great number of cattle and horses and needed more open country for them to graze. He got Nate to take them on shares. So through necessity he and Jane had to look for a new home farther out on the frontier. During those years they had made many dear friends. Both were gifted and blessed with good voices. Jane could sing any part, soprano, high soprano, alto or tenor. In the Cache Valley they formed a dramatics club and made tours during the winter time to all the new growing settlements in this part of the territory. Jane took the leading part as heroine in the plays and was in great demand in the community. She was greatly loved by all who knew her. Thus I have been told by many of the old settlers. When her name would be mentioned the older folks would say, "O yes, we all remember her on the stage as one of our most outstanding citizens. She was so talented." Think what this must have meant to our Janie, to leave her home, her friends, loved ones, and this community life, being a leader, and move miles away from any neighbor.

It was while she dwelt in Smithfield that the Conner's Army from California came and almost annihilated the fierce tribes, who had taken so many lives of the settlers. Since then the Indians were more civilized. At the close of this battle, which was known as the Battle Creek Indian War, Jane and Nate moved to the old home, where what is now known as Banida, Idaho, but they thought they were settling in Utah.

Building Her New Home Chapter III

Nate built a log cabin on the bank of a small creek, about two miles from where the head water came out of the springs and ran down a channel cut into the rolling hills and then opened out into a level valley; just a perfect sight for a ranch, smooth enough to irrigate every foot without levees, fills, flumes, or any other man-made ditches.

When this cabin, about 18' x 20', was built, a wagon load of home equipment, furniture, bedding, groceries, and not very much of any of these things, appeared. There was a young beautiful mother, three robust children, a western stockman for a husband, and a lonely prairie home, miles from anyone in any direction. Do you envy Janie? Of her new adventures she often has said, that she did not envy even Queen Victoria on her throne when she moved into her home with the love of her husband, her three children, some cows, horses, a few sheep; to use the wool and make blankets, a woolen cloth used for dresses, and plenty of milk, butter, and cheese; and health to milk, sew, weave, spin and raise a family of children here in the valley of the mountains that had been spoken of by the Prophets of old.

We were so far from any community, so that there were no schools. Mother knowing how to read, for she had attended high school in Middlewich, Cheshire, England, read everything she could get to read. She taught us children to read, write, and work; yes, to work, for if we did not work we could not eat. As you can see we had to earn our bread by the sweat of our face. We had stock on the shares and one half went to Grandfather William P. Smith in Union Fort--South of Salt Lake City just out of the city limits.

So in Idaho in this log cabin, the following children were born: Margaret Smith Griffiths, 1871; John 1873; Thomas 1876: George Albert 1878; Alice 1880; Maria 1882; Harriet Ann 1885; Sarah 1888, thus making eight children.

Jane gave birth to twelve children, two died in early life: Eliza with diphtheria on Christmas morning and Johnnie, his mother's beloved child, at the age of three. Just picture what this log cabin could tell of the great grief and sorrow in this home on Christmas morning, for Eliza said goodbye to her family, loving mother and father, and asked them to hang up her stocking. Jane often spoke about it, how just as the morning came to herald in Christmas in the Smith home Eliza died. The other ten children all grew up to man and womanhood. They all married and raised a family of children. They all went to the house of the Lord and were sealed for time and eternity. Just imagine the joy of Jane when she went to the other side to meet each one as they followed her, to know they had done this very important work.

Times change and things were not the same, for the railroad came through as far as our home and the terminal was there in our field, the end of the Narrow Gage railroad. A town (Dunnville) grew up over night, tents, lumber offices, shops and mercantile institutions. Jane made a business of her own; she ran a boarding house. She had an addition put on the east end of the old log cabin propered out of wide boards, etc., where the men dined and then a lean-to at the north side that she used for a kitchen. She and the girls did the cooking and the waiting on tables. Quite a change from making cheese and golden butter on the shares to pay Grandfather Smith his rent on his cows.

By now the open stock range was getting more settled and Mary Ann Smith married George Stoll and they took the Smith stock and horses out the Wyoming way, but Jane had made thousands of pounds of cheese and golden butter that each fall Tom and Hyrum came with their father's big team and hauled it back to Utah for their use and part of the increase on the cattle. They had to break the new heifers and milk, by hand, carry it and strain it in tin pans, skim the cream off and mellow or ripen the cream. Then we had to churn it into butter, in a round wooden churn with an upright-dash, and it really took man power, but in this case it was furnished by woman power. We churned the butter, then worked the buttermilk out of it with a homemade butter paddle and salted it ready for use, then we worked it into a great round ball and put it into brine to keep it fresh until fall. That was the reason for building the cheese and milk room that joined on the west end of the Smith mansion. Four feet dug into the earth and two large logs laid on the ground around the top and then a foot of good dry dirt for roofing and to keep it cool. The milk cupboards were there for many years after the dairying was done and this new life came for Jane and her family. Can you imagine the work, the worry, the many steps, early and late a mother would have, to be raising a family and doing all these things at the same time. Jane's babies came along about every two years.

The boom of Dunnville came and went. When the railroad was surveyed about four miles west of our ranch and on through Pocatello and Boise, Idaho, and all other points west to the Pacific, Jane went back to a lonely life there in the ghost town. This had a tendency to make the older children dissatisfied and they began to look for other ways and means of living and making a living as you can see. Jane was the mother of little helpless children and yet she had to watch her older ones move away to find employment and so on. Can you see and understand her feelings, her heart felt sorrow, and the lonely home life.

It seems there were many who came to the old home for miles around for enjoyment, bringing accordions, mouth organs, violins, and almost all of that generation could play these musical instruments by ear. Jane's family and her side of the family are gifted with good voices and an ear for music. All could recite and all could sing. Mother Jane wrote many poems and short stories and all of us children remember well how Dad would take out his pocket size hymn book and we all would sing almost every evening. "The Seer, the Seer, Joseph the Seer" also "An Angel from on High" were Dad's favorites. He lived near the Prophet's home and was there when the two Smiths were murdered. Jane's family song was: "I'll Praise My Maker While I've Breath", Her mother, Mary Sant, as she passed away sang these words, her mouth was following the words until her spirit left her earthly body of clay. Jane asked her children to please sing this for her. Jane's father sang this in England and going on down the stream of life. Jane made this request, at the very last, that her children and grandchildren sing this at her funeral. She said, "I will, if I can, join in and help you sing it." The family, though it cast many tears, did sing this dear beautiful hymn. Some of the grandchildren said they couldn't sing for they all loved her dearly so Mary, her oldest daughter and noble minded as always, seeking to do the things her mother wished, said: "Why of course you can, and you will sing this song. It is our mother's last wish, of course we will sing it." So we did!

Now going back to our home life after Dunnville had come and passed out of Jane's life forever. The water dried up, the land became less productive due to dry seasons and no irrigation systems were established. Nathan grew older and Jane's health failed her, for when we last girls were born, her nerves failed her and in the coming and going of things life became hard. Ann was even born on the front porch, which was the old side of a freight wagon that Nathan had used in freighting from Dunnville to mines up north in Boise, Eagle Rock, Idaho Falls, Butte, Montana, and all the older settlements that were just mining towns. Nate had hitched old Joe and Dan, the family horse team, to a lumber wagon and had to drive about eight or nine miles to get to dear old Aunt Jane Howells home. She was a midwife, or a God-given gift to all women living in this vicinity for she was a learned person as far as midwifery was concerned, a woman of God, a neighbor, friend, and doctor all in one. Jane could not wait any longer for Nate, her nerves were too upset and Mother Nature pressed and due to this, baby Ann was born on the front doorstep. Just for a moment, please, mothers of today think of this dear pioneer life and what it all cost our mothers. I for one do thank my dear mother Jane for my chance to live, for her giving me this tabernacle of flesh that my spirit could come to earth and live in the flesh. May Jane's crown be pure gold for what she suffered to bare me and what she went through in pains, suffering in body and mind to give me a chance to live, for her teachings, for her love, for her pure clean living that gave me a clean body and mind. She lived and died in my home and if I gave her any sorrow for any fault of mine, I do pray today for her forgiveness and I still need her blessing and help ( ed. note: Spoken by Maria her daughter, one of the last three of her children who are left living at this time, July 1956).

She was a great teacher, a great leader and all who knew her loved her. And many of the younger generations remember her as our dear Sunday School Teacher. In politics she was learned and could tell anyone the government rules, laws, and organizations. She knew what ticket she was going to vote and why. She wrote on woman suffrage and added a great deal to the passing of the law to allow women to vote. She wrote poems on the theme of loving and kindness of mothers to children and everyone who ever met Janie Sant Smith loved her, I know.

The Conclusion Chapter IV

Jane, Nate, and we four girls were left on the old farm. Due to sickness in the nearby brother's family, Mother Jane did a great deal of nursing. Nathan, as he had grown older and things were not going too well, sold the old log cabin and homestead and timber culture claims to Geddes. Jane moved to Cleveland with her children who had moved and made their homes there. Nathan bought a little home in Oxford, Idaho and lived there but neither of them were ever the same. I don't think a day ever passed but their hearts went out reaching for their mates.

Jane built a little house on a lot her son, Nathan, gave her, but I never can understand why, for it took from her the only real comfort she seemed to have in her declining years. Her little beloved home burned to the ground, and nothing of her life's long living and cherished things were saved. Her book of records and writings I would cherish today were also burned. The many poems, stories, and family records all went up in flames. I would prize today these things but we must replace them by compiling one of our own and for each family. If we could all know Janie, our mother, we would reverently love and cherish her and the memories of her and for what she forever stood, true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The last words we girls could tell she was speaking were, "My children are so dear to me, and the Lord has always been so good to me." She dreamed (or was it a dream) two weeks before her passing, when she was not apparently as well as usual, that Nate came and held her in his arms. And oh, how she did cry, as if her heart would break. Ann asked, "Would you be happy to go back to the time Nate held you thus?" And dear Jane, our mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother answered, "Nothing could make me so happy, the queens of kingdoms could not know the joy this would give me." So we knew this was our answer.

Jane Sant Smith passed away from a stroke February 6, 1918 at Maria Smith Prescott's home in Cleveland, Bannock County, Idaho. Her funeral was held at Cleveland, Idaho, February 9, 1918 and she was taken and laid to rest by the side of Nate in Smithfield, Utah cemetery. We all earnestly pray he has taken her into his arms as the last words Nathan ever said before his passing, "My Janie, your mother."

Maggie Smith Griffiths and I, Maria Smith Prescott were appointed administrators of her estate after her death. The graves and lot on which they rest have a perpetual upkeep paid on them forever or as long as their bodies rest there in peace until the resurrection.

This is only a short sketch of Jane Sant Smith's life as she lived it, as I remember it and as it has been told to me from her own lips. Her greatest love was her family and the true Church of Jesus Christ. She worked and held many positions of honor and trust during her life. She was a gifted, talented, God-fearing woman and we all as her descendants can well be proud of her as our progenitor.

Amen.

May God bless and may his Holy Spirit make her happy always.

To read more Smith family stories visit: http://www.williampsmith.com/article.html

Nathan Smith

 

Birth: 1 March 1835 in Bury, Lancashire, England

Death: 20 January 1909 in Smithfield, Utah, USA

Nathan Smith was the first child of William P. Smith (22 January 1810-12 November 1893) and Mary Grimshaw (15 March 1812-14 November 1856).

 

When he was seven years old, his parents joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the family set said for America. While traveling on a river boat on the Mississippi River, Nathan’s sister Maria died and had to be buried on an island in the middle of the river. This deeply disturbed young Nathan.

While in Nauvoo, Nathan interacted in the unfolding story of the Saints. He worked as a water carrier, rehydrating men who were working on the Nauvoo Temple, and often saw the Prophet Joseph Smith. Nathan even witnessed the “Miracle of the Quail” and helped gather the birds to be eaten when no other food was available.

Here we see a piece of the 1850 United States Census from Iowa showing Nathan as a 15 year old and his mother, Mary and father, William (the rest of his siblings are on a the next page of the census).

Once the family reached Utah, Nathan, being a strong, young man worked to keep the settlers safe from enemies from the United States and Native Americans. It was his job to guard the pony express, ensuring that the Saints in Utah received their mail.

In 1861, Nathan met Jane Sant, who fell in love with him almost immediately. On 3 October 1862, after a brief courtship, the two were married in the Salt Lake City Endowment House.

The two had twelve children together: William Smith, Mary Smith, Eliza Jane Smith (died as a child), Nathan Smith, Margaret Smith, John Sant Smith (died as a child), Thomas Smith, George Albert Smith, Alice Smith, Maria Smith, Harriet Ann Smith and Sarah Smith.

Here we see the beginnings of the family in the 1870 United States Territorial Census from Cache County, Utah. At that point in time, the family had only four children (William, Mary, Eliza and Nathan) aged seven years down to seven months.

In 1871, the family moved to Idaho where they and their children exercised their musical talents for gatherings of all sorts. I find this particularly interesting seeing as a gathering with my mother’s side of the family is not complete until a number of songs have been sung and instruments have been played.

Nathan was always described as a dependable, loyal man of cheery disposition. He never swore and was always kind. He was also incredibly devoted to God and the Church.

Later in his life, Nathan moved back to Utah while his wife and adult children remained in Idaho. It is not entirely known why this was done.

Above is a portion of the 1900 United States Census from Cache County, Utah, where Nathan appears alone. Nine years before his death. Although Jane has not yes died at this point in time, Nathan has been listed as a widow, possibly to avoid explaining the lack of his wife’s presence.

Nathan died of pneumonia in Smithfield on 20 January 1909. He and Jane are buried in the Smithfield Cemetery.

William P. Smith

Birth: 22 Januray 1810 in Tottington, Lancashire, England

Death: 12 November 1893

William was born in England to Doctor Thomas Smith and his wife Alice. Because his father was a doctor, he was taught about medicine and herbs as a child. As he grew older, he became a very strong and large man that liked to roughhouse with friends.

William P. Smith married Mary Grimshaw (15 March 1815-14 November 1856), who probably had a different first name but went by her middle name. They were married on 23 May 1834 in Bolton-le-Moors, Lancashire, England.

It was in England that the couple first heard about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. William was baptized on 30 September 1840 and the family soon after began to prepare for their journey to meet up with the Saints in the United States.

William and Mary had eleven children: John Smith (died as a child), Mary Ann Smith, William Smith (died as a child), Ann Smith (died as an infant), Nathan Smith, Thomas Smith, Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Maria Smith (died as a child), Alice Smith and Richard Smith (died as an infant).

By the time the family had reached Nauvoo, only two of their children were alive. However, they did not give up. William worked on the Nauvoo Temple and constantly tried to improve his land.

On 19 January 1845, William was ordained to the priesthood, and after the completion of the Nauvoo Temple, William and Mary received their endowments, on 2 February 1846 (they were not sealed until 1863 when the work was done by proxy in Salt Lake).

In 1862, when the family had reached Utah, William served as the first counselor in the bishopric of the Union Ward as well as the “watermaster” for the town.

As Mary had died several years earlier, William married Anna Bengtsson on 12 December 1863. On this same day, Anna stood as the proxy for William to be sealed to Mary. This all happened in the Salt Lake Endowment House.

William and Anna’s sealing was canceled in 1867. William had become dissatisfied with the Church and had become associated with the Reorganized Church and Joseph Smith III. He was excommunicated on 21 April 1867 which caused his wife Anna to leave him and take their three children with her.

The children of William and Anna were: Elizabeth Ann Smith (died as a child), James Smith (died as an infant) and Zilphia Smith.

William then met and married Sarah Pidd. They were active in the reorganized church for the rest of their lives. Their only children were twins in 1865: Isaac Smith (died as an infant) and Sarah Pidd Smith (died as a child).

William was buried with his scriptures. Despite his disassociation with the LDS church, he had a love for the prophet Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.

An excellent reference on the William P. Smith family can be found at this website:

http://www.williampsmith.com/index.html

To biographies about William P. Smith view the link below:

http://beyondthehome.blogspot.com/2012/04/in-their-own-words-william-p-smith.html