John Richard Clay, Jr.

John Richard Clay, Jr. was a kind, loving, soft-spoken man but not timid.  Everyone who knew him had great respect for him and had only good to say about him.  His children knew when they had pushed his patience too far because of the way his bright blue eyes blinked and “snapped” at them.  He never struck or insulted his children and they always knew he loved them.

John was the 5^th of 11 living children, 2 of the 13 children having died as newborn infants. His parents were John Richard Clay, Sr. and Isabelle Adams.  The family had started at Oxford, Oneida county, Idaho where the first 3 children were born.  They later moved to Almy, Uinta county, Wyoming where John was born 24 April 1888.  John’s father & older brother, Samuel worked as coal miners here.

A few days before John’s 7^th birthday in 1895, the No. 5 mine where they worked, had a major explosion killing several miners including Samuel who was just 15.  John’s father had serious injuries but eventually recovered.  Between 1896 & 1897 the family moved to Randolph, Rich county Utah where his mother’s parents & family lived.  John was now the only boy to help his father on the farm to which they moved.  He had only a little schooling in Utah in 1897 to 1899.  When John was 13, the family moved to a farm between Rexburg & Hibbard, Idaho.

By this time, there were now 2 other boys & 6 girls in the family and John worked at many different jobs to help provide for the family.  Soon, the 3 older girls married & left home.  In April 1906 his beloved mother passed away from complications of childbirth when his youngest sister, Alice Ann was born.  His mother was buried on John’s 18^th birthday.  It was a great blow to lose his mother with whom he was very close.  Just a year before in 1905, John’s sister, Sarah Clay Muir, who was 4 years older and with whom he was also very close, had also died in childbirth. 

After his mother’s death, the family moved closer to the Hibbard Ward & John was very active in this ward.  He worked hard to help buy another home for the family & to keep the taxes paid.  Once, the tax money was stolen from his pocket.

In 1907 John went to a circus in St. Anthony with his sister and her boyfriend.  They introduced him to a young woman named Alice Grace Hope.  He took her to a dance that night which was the beginning of a 2 year long courtship conducted mostly by horse & buggy.

John & Alice were married in the Logan L.D.S. Temple March 24, 1909.  Alice’s grandparents, Freeman Dewey Higley and Eliza Ann Cheney were temple workers there at the time and were the only family members in attendance at their wedding.

They lived in the Salem-Rexburg area where they bought a piece of ground and built a small 2-room house together.  He worked on his farm and also hired out to other farmers.  In the winter, he worked at the Idaho Sugar factory in Sugar City which he did for 11 winters.  Part of that time he was the foreman on the lime presses.  In the winter of 1910 he went to the factory & back on horseback 3 miles.

While at his work on the lime presses, the lime vats exploded filling both his eyes with lime.  His eyes were treated with an acid then he was put on his horse to be taken home.  The doctor said there was no hope for the right eye and only a chance for the other.  But they asked the Elders to come administer to him and give him a blessing and through John & Alice’s faith & prayer his eyes were healed.  The next winter he was working at the sugar factory again.  Their first 2 children, Verla and Gladys, were born while living in the Rexburg & Sugar City areas. 

In 1913 they moved to a dry farm 12 miles west of Idaho Falls in the Oswald Basin area and took up a homestead.  Their house was a log house with a dirt roof and a dirt floor.  A small branch of the Idaho Falls 1^st ward was established in the school building nearby and they were both active participants in that church branch. 

They struggled along for 9 years hauling water a long distance, melting snow in the winter for the horses & cow, hauling cedar wood out of the nearby lava beds for fuel and to sell for extra money.  Their food was what they could raise in their garden.

Their first son, Vernal, and their 3^rd daughter, Delpha, were born during these hard times.  Finally, in 1919, the climate was so hot with no rain and the crops dried up forcing them to leave their homestead even though the patent had been issued in 1917.  John said he had no money when he went to the dry farm & had $20 when he left.

They lived in Idaho Falls for a short time, then in Roberts & again in Sugar City.  Then in April of 1922 they traveled by team & wagon along with some other family members to Emmett, Idaho, working on farms and in orchards on the way.  When they arrived in Emmett, John was able to get work on the construction of the Black Canyon Dam.  The family lived in a tent house at the construction site.  They cooked outside over a fire using the prevalent sagebrush plants for part of their fuel.

The dam was completed in 1924, then, they rented a house in town in Emmett.  Their 2^nd son and 5^th child, William LuRue, was born here.

In October of 1925, they and other members of the extended family and some friends traveled by Ford cars to Washington State to seek employment.  The family worked together in the fruit harvest and John also worked on road construction.  They found out there was a branch of the L.D.S. church about 25 miles away at Bellingham and they attended church there.

They really enjoyed the area and would have made it their home but after living there only 9 months, they got word that Alice’s father was very ill & he was requesting them to come back to Rexburg.  They arrived there in 1926 and John was able to work at the Skaggs store then at the Safeway store in Rexburg.

In 1930, Alice’s niece, Olive died leaving a 6 weeks old baby and she had requested that her Aunt Alice take care of the child.  So Violet came into their family as their youngest child and was raised as their own.  Not long after that, Violet’s father asked them to come back to Emmett so he & the other children would be able to visit and be acquainted with her.  So John quit his job at Safeway and moved back to Emmett.  He was able to get a job at the Emmett sawmill but there was a layoff soon after which left him unemployed.

At the time, the government had established some programs to help those unemployed because of the Great Depression.  One of these programs was the Works Progress Administration or WPA. John was able to get on with the one in Emmett where he earned $40 a month.  On payday, he would stop at the grocery store, buy $5 worth of groceries, and carry them home in a box on his shoulder.

They lived in 2 or 3 rental houses until they were able to purchase a home on which they made payments of $10 a month.  They raised a large garden for their own food and also worked in the orchards for fruit and for cash.  In 1942 they left Emmett & moved to Nampa where John worked at the Nampa Sugar Factory.  The older children had all married or left home by now leaving just John, Alice, & Violet so they rented a 3-room apartment.  When the sugar season ended he worked as a night watchman at a fruit packing shed, then at Showalter Chevrolet dealership cleaning cars.

They finally were able to sell their home in Emmett and moved back to Idaho Falls where he worked as a watchman, handyman, etc. for Burgraff Construction for about 1 ½ years.  Then he was able to get work at the Montgomery Ward store as janitor & maintenance man where he worked for many years.  They were also able to purchase a small, run-down house at 995 Cassia St. which he remodeled and repaired and made it into a comfortable home with a nice yard and large garden.

John had been having some health problems which were finally diagnosed as Muscular Dystrophy.  Because of this he also had to retire from Montgomery Ward.  The company and workers there gave him a big retirement/farewell party and everyone expressed high praise for his work and for him as an individual.

Although they had moved so many times during the years, John always took pride in the appearance of the home and the yard wherever they lived.  He always planted flowers, bushes and vegetable gardens and fixed and remodeled the houses and took care of their homes until he become too incapacitated because of the Muscular Dystrophy.

In March, 1959 they celebrated their 50^th Wedding Anniversary and John still said he married the prettiest girl around.  By 1970 John was so incapacitated that he and Alice could no longer take care of themselves even with the help given them by family members.  They chose to go to a nursing home just a few blocks south of their home.  

After living there a couple of years, John passed away 4 days before his 86^th birthday on 20 April 1972 and was buried 2 days later, 22 April 1972, 66 years to the day after his mother’s death.  He was buried in the Sutton Cemetery at Archer, Idaho outside of Rexburg. 

Origins of the Hope Family

This is a manuscript given to me by Dennis Hope of Utah.  I just have 1 correction--it is said here, and I've heard it before, that my great-grandfather, William E. Hope came over on the ship "Nevada".  I have gone over the passenger lists for this ship very carefully but he is NOT listed on the "Nevada" for any of the voyages it made.  However, he is listed on the ship "Wyoming" on the voyage leaving England the 24 May 1879 & arriving in New York 3 June 1879.  His father & 2 brothers came on that same ship--according to passenger lists--on the 6 September 1879 voyage.  I am inclined to believe the passenger lists rather than the family traditions. DB

Origins of the Hope Family

The Hope Family began, of course, with Adam and Eve and then through the lineage of Shem, one of Noah’s sons.  The Old Testament and the history of the world is probably the best reference to where the family was led.  We first meet the Hope name in England.  The name Hope is believed to mean a meadow in a glen, dell or wooded valley.  We can follow the Hope name to the present.

The Hope name first appears, at least for now (2003), in East Sussex, England.  It was part of the old province of Wessex at the time.  Most of the Hope family history in England is centered in this area so a map of the area is listed below for reference.

 Waldron is the heart of most of the Hope history but surrounding towns are mentioned.  Waldron can hardly be said to be a town.  Today it is just a country crossroads with a church, a cemetery, a pub and a few houses.  The entire area is, and was, gently rolling farmland.

The first Hope in our records was Anthony Hope born in Heathfield, East Sussex about 1661 and lived to about 64 years.  He married a woman named Avis from the same town.  She died at age 52 but bore 5 children to Anthony: Elizabeth, Avis, Anthony, Ralph, and William.  Avis and Ralph were born in the nearby town of Waldron so the family must have moved around a little.

Ralph Hope, born in Waldron in 1695, married Anne Pyles also from Waldron when he was 30 and she was 18.  They had 7 children: William, Anne, Elizabeth, Sarah, Avis, Mary, and Charity.  Ralph died at age 73 and is probably buried in the Waldron Parish cemetery.  A picture of the Parish and cemetery taken in about the year 2001 is included.

Avis Hope, the fifth child, born in the year 1735, must have had some difficulties in her life. Her sister Elizabeth, three years older, died when Avis was only ten.  Avis remained single for many years.  She gave birth to Sarah when she was 31 and Stephen when she was 33.  Both were born out of wedlock and she refused to reveal whom the father might be.  She gave both children her own last name.  She lived her entire life in Waldron, which was probably not an easy thing to do with fatherless children.  Avis eventually married Barnaby Jenner when she was 44.

Stephen Hope, Avis’ second child, was born in Waldron in 1769, just 7 years before the American Revolution.  They lived their entire lives in Waldron.  He married, at age 25, Elizabeth Coleman, age 22, in the nearby town of Mayfield.  They had 8 children all born in Waldron. Stephen died at age 52, and Elizabeth died at age 81.  Their children were Stephen, Mary, Ann, John, Jemima, Sarah, Lucy, and Francis.

Stephen Hope, the oldest son, was born in 1823 and lived his entire life in Waldron.  He married Caroline Hook when he was 27.  She was 24 and apparently had been married before.  They had 8 children: Stephen, who died 4 days later, Caroline, Stephen, Frances, Elizabeth, James, Elias and Sarah.

James Hope, the 6^th child, was born 7 Jan 1833.  He was born in Waldron and probably farmed with his father, brothers, cousins and everyone else in town.  After years of living in a small town, everyone was probably related and knew each other from generation to generation.  James married Martha Goldsmith from East Hoathly when he was 27 and she was 19.  They had 4 children: Fannie, William Edwin, James, and Stephen.

James Hope (Jr) was born on 11 September 1864 in Waldron.  His grandmother, Caroline,

died when he was 3 years old.  When James was 13, his mother died at the young age of 36.  Six

months later, his Grandfather, James, also died.  He was 82.

When James was 14 his life changed drastically.  His older brother William, age 17, left in

the spring for America, in company with  some returning LDS missionaries aboard the ship

Nevada.  James and his father and younger brother left Waldron and set sail for America

from Liverpool on 6 September, 1879.  Fannie, age 19, stayed in England and married

William Woodgate about two months after their departure, on 22 Nov 1879.  She lived a full

life and had 13 children.

James turned 15 on board the ship “Wyoming”.  They arrived in Utah on 24 September,

1879.  The ocean crossing and the train trip to Utah took only 18 days. 

(Note:  My heart has often ached for James Hope (Sr).  He came from

 a small town where everyone knew everyone as friends and who 

probably turned against him for his new-found religion.  He left the 

green, wet countryside of England where he had recently buried 

his wife, mother and father.  He left his oldest daughter there 

just 2 months before her wedding knowing he would probably 

never see her again in this life.  Leaving the only home he had ever 

known, he arrived just 18 days later to look over a dry, sage-brush 

covered desert where he had to start all over from scratch.  It was fall,

a time of death for a farmer.  He lived on the frontier 10 more years 

and died of old age at 56)

The Hope Family was sponsored to go to America by the Dansie family from Bluffdale, Utah.  It is assumed, by Dennis Hope, that the sponsor was Robert Dansie and his brother Alfred.  Robert, older by two years, went on a mission to England.  He would have been about 27 years old when the James Hope family emigrated.  There is an “R. Dansie” among the returning missionaries.

Mousley (Bluffdale) before the Hope’s arrived: 

The land was covered primarily with dry june grass and sage brush.  Water was the primary influence to how and where people settled.  There was always too much or too little water.  There were no appreciable streams up on the bench land to sustain a settlement and the low lands flooded each spring.  Forts had to be built for possible Indian depredations and they were built at Herriman, Draper, Union and West Jordan, all near streams.  It wasn’t until the mid 1860’s that settlement could progress without the need of forts.  Indians continued to travel through the area twice a year as they moved from different camping grounds.  Contacts were mostly congenial with some trading and begging.  They routinely camped in the area around 13400 S and 1900 W.  Their migrations continued until almost 1900. 

Trees grew only in low areas, near water.  The first pioneers settled in the river low lands in 1865, but the river was uncontrolled and would flood every spring.  At one time, the low lands stayed covered with water for two full years.  The pioneers built their homes along the bluffs to avoid the floods but have easy access to water.  The lower ground was used for wet grass, alfalfa and other water dependent crops.  The upper bench (high ground) was used for pasture and dry farm wheat.  Raising sheep was a big industry in the early days of the southwest valley.  There was no wire for fences, so brands became important to keep livestock apart.  The first fences, especially in the low lands, were made of intertwined willows and native wood. 

Each family, as all pioneers had to be, was self sufficient with livestock, cows, chickens, sheep, etc.  They hunted in the low lands, bench land and canyons in the mountains. 
It required a lot of effort to go to one of the canyons to get logs for cabins, so early homes were often dugouts, small one-room homes dug into the side of a hill with the front made of local wood or adobe.  The roofs leaked and the floors were packed dirt.  As time went by, log cabins were built and eventually rock/brick homes.  If you look under some of the aluminum siding around town, the old pioneer brick can still be seen. 

 The Hope Family in Bluffdale

1879   James Hope (Sr) and his family homesteaded 40 acres in Mousley (later called Bluffdale) on Redwood road near the Dansies.  They probably built a dugout first, then, built a more substantial place as soon as they could.  James Eli, born in 1893, remembers, “The home was of brick adobe with an orchard beside it.  Eli liked the peaches.”  The location is on the map where Eli remembered the house to be, just below the canal at about 14060 S and 1600 W. 
They were not the first settlers so they probably relied on the Robert and Alfred Dansie families.  Alfred Dansie, Robert’s younger brother, had arrived a year or two earlier and had cleared 60 acres of sagebrush to farm. 

1880   The 1880 U.S. Census lists James Hope age 60, farm laborer and one son, James age 15, farm laborer.  Two entries away are Robert Dansie, rancher, age 30, his wife and two kids, ages 5 and 2.

James (Jr) got a job herding sheep for the Dansies.  He said he would work until he had some money accumulated and then quit and go back to the valley until it was gone then go back to work again.  He told of driving sheep down State Street in downtown Salt Lake City.  He never did pick up the habit of swearing or taking the Lord's name in vain. 

A family story tells of a day when James (Sr) went gunning for rabbits.  He was crawling through a fence.  In maneuvering the gun through the fence, it discharged accidentally and hit him in the arm.  The discharge tore away a bit of his flesh and ignited his shirt.  He caught a bit of the blood with his hand and dripped it onto his shirt to squelch the burning

1882   James (Jr) older brother, William Edwin Hope, age 20, married Lucy Jane Higley from South Jordan. 

1883   Bluffdale Precinct was created on Dec 14.

1884   On Nov 5^th William E. Hope bought 26.68 acres of land just north of his father’s homestead.  He bought it from the widow Elizabeth Jones for $266.80. 

1886   On May 1^st Stephen Hope bought 10 acres from the widow Elizabeth Jones.  He paid $100 (verified through Salt Lake County Land Records).  In the book, “Bluffdale, One of a Kind,” Compiled by the Neilson Family, page 81 it states that Stephen lived in a dugout along Rose Creek Hollow for about six years.  (or this may be the James (sr) family.) 

1886   The name of the town, Mousley, was changed to Bluffdale, Aug 5^th.

1888   James’ younger brother, Stephen, died in October at the age of 19.  There are two death dates in “Family Search” of the LDS Church, this one and one in 1885.  Dennis Hope uses this date because of the May 1, 1886 entry. 

1889   James Hope (Jr), age 25, married Fannie Elzada Higley on Jan 29.  James (Jr) was an honest, likeable man.  The neighbors used to say that everything Jimmie turned to do he did well.  He was diligent and used to get up about 4:00 o'clock in the morning during the summer.  Years later when he came up to Idaho to visit in the summers he could be heard working in the garden with a hoe about daylight.  The farm (Bluffdale) wasn't very good and he couldn't make a living on it so he worked for the railroad days and did the farming morning and night.  He hauled hay by the light of the moon.  He was in a cave-in on the railroad and hurt his back.  This bothered him throughout the remainder of his life.

1889   James Hope (Sr) hand wrote his last will and testament on November 11, leaving his 40 acres to his two sons, William and James.  Stephen is not mentioned as a living heir. (See the 1888 entry)   It was filed in Probate Court of Salt Lake County, by William Hope, on Oct 2, 1894.

1889   James Hope (Sr) died on November 25^th, just two weeks after writing his will.  Family records indicate he was buried in Bluffdale, but he is not buried in the Bluffdale City Cemetery.  The first interment in that cemetery is 1890.  No evidence can be found of any other burial site, private or public in Bluffdale, South Jordan, or West Jordan.  South Jordan and West Jordan have unmarked, unknown graves. 

However, there is a “James Steven Hope” buried in the Riverton City Cemetery in plot 07-01-05.  No one knows who or when this James Hope was buried but the location indicates that it was in the very early years of the settlement of the Riverton/Bluffdale areas, and no other Hope family was found in any of the surrounding communities. The cemetery is on 13200 S and about 1500 W, only about a mile from the Hope Homestead.  It could be James’ (Sr) grave, or his son Stephen, who died about 2 years earlier and his grave location is also unknown.

1889   Fannie, James (Jr) and Fannie’s first child, was born on Nov 25, the same day that her grandfather James (sr) Hope died.

1891   Florence, James (jr) and Fannie’s second child, was born Feb 19^th.   

1893   James Eli, James (jr) and Fannie’s third child, was born on Feb 11^th.

1893  The first schoolhouse was built at 14459 S 1700 W.

1894   William E. Hope cleared his father’s will through probate court, leaving his 40 acres to William and to James (jr), debt free.

1896   Utah became a state.

1898   James (jr) and another man, Jim Koon, traveled to the Rexburg area to investigate the opportunities there.  The area had been opened for settlement in 1890. 

1900   A growing drought forced many farmers to sell and even abandon their farms.  Sugar beets had become a large cash crop in Bluffdale, but by 1901 some farmers couldn’t even pay their taxes.  The canals across the bench land were dry.  Many farmers that were forced out moved to southern Idaho (Rexburg) and Oregon. 
Some residents eventually returned to Bluffdale and later told their family stories for the history books.  Those that didn’t return, like the Hopes, aren’t in the Bluffdale histories except on page 81 of “Bluffdale, One of a Kind,” compiled by the Neilson Family.

1900   In April, James sold their place in Bluffdale and moved.  Their ages at the time were: James (Jr) 36, his wife, Fannie, 31, Fannie age 10, Florence age 9, James Eli age 7, Annabell age 5, Harriet age 3, John Henry age 1 ½.

          James and his son Eli left Bluffdale together.  Years later, Eli related a little of the  move.  A team pulled a wagon with a white top buggy behind.  An unbroken, young saddle horse-with saddle-and

          six cows were tied behind the vehicles.  James and Eli (7yrs) were the "captain and crew".  As they passed Uncle Will's place little Hyrum (6 yrs) came out and wanted to go with them.  He cried when his parents came out and got him.

          They probably went up Redwood Road and got up as far as the main part of Salt Lake when night overtook them. They camped by the rock wall of one of the Tithing yards.  It snowed during the night.  One heifer got loose from her tether and got into the yard and ate some of the church hay.  (Bet it tasted good.)  She bloated but James worked with her and saved her life.  It snowed so much during the night that they stayed over until the following morning.
The other members of the family traveled by train to Preston where Freeman Higley, Fannie Higley Hope's father, met them and carried them home to Thatcher near Grace and Soda Springs, in Gentile Valley.  Freeman had moved there from Bluffdale in 1890 as dated by a land purchase.  James and Eli brought the animals and vehicles up through Gentile Valley (Gem Valley today) and then it appears that the entire family traveled to Rexburg together.  The family continued on to Salem but the exact date is not known.   

           About the journey Eli wrote: "Only part of the streams were bridged in those days.  At one stream in Southeastern Idaho's Gentile Valley the outfit started to cross.  It was my assignment to scurry the cattle into the water after which I would hurry and jump into the trailing buggy.  On this occasion the buggy came unhitched in midstream.  I was frightened but Dad got it re-attached and we continued.  Like most young boys I was afraid of Indians.  As we approached Ft. Hall we came upon two on horseback.  As we approached I was having a turn at riding in the wagon and driving the team.  In my fright I got down off the wagon seat and crouched down in the wagon box peeking up occasionally to see if I was staying on the roadway.  But I thought I would surely lose my scalp here."

 The Hope Family in Idaho

 1900  They went directly to Salem to stay with Wells Cheney, Fannie's uncle, who lived in the old John Ball place (1 1/2 miles straight north of the Rexburg Cemetery).  They traveled to Ashton, Marysville, over into the Teton Basin, and elsewhere looking for the ideal place to settle, and finally selected 120 acres across the street from Wells.  The farm was still occupied so they rented a four-room house with a dirt roof until fall.

1900   William came to Idaho in the late fall and needed a well.  They shoveled the snow away and then built a fire to thaw the ground so they could dig the well.  They got along fine, and always helped each other when they could.  William had to pass James' (Jr) place when tending ditch water and would always come in before breakfast to say hello.  William had to go to Ogden for an operation and James (Jr) went and stayed with him.  He was very good with the sick. 

James (Jr) and Fannie had 3 more children for a total of 10.  Their names were, Jennie Irene 25 Aug 1901, Clarence Dewey 2 Jun 1904, William Earl 11 Jun 1906. 

James (Jr) raised beets, grain, hay, potatoes and livestock.  He was honest and dependable and always ready to help the Bishop with work or money.  He helped build churches, temples and hospitals.  His word was as good as his bond.  He tried to keep out of debt. 

1913   James Eli Hope went on a mission to England on 11 June.  He spent two years there, one year during World War I.

1916   James Eli Hope married Emily Withers on 20 Dec, in the Salt Lake Temple.  James (jr) sold the farm to James Eli and Emily, and moved to Salt Lake.  In colder months of the year, Emily used to kill a chicken, cool it, and send it to them in Salt Lake via mail for their dinner table. 

1917   Jennie Clara Hope was born on 17 Oct.

1918   Arthur Carl Hope was born on 4 Oct

1921   Lester Eli Hope was born on 14 May

1922   Grant Hope was born on 8 Jun.

1923   Ross Hope was born on 31 May

1927   Ivan Nephi Hope was born on 15 Oct.

1939   Fannie died on 30 Jan.  As her and James’ (jr) children were gathering for the 50th wedding anniversary, Fannie took sick with a blood clot.  She didn't know the family when they arrived.  They were at her side when she died.  James took it very well but never got over it.  He was very lonely without her.  They had never been separated but for a few days in all their married life. 

1941   James (jr) lived two years after Fannie’s death.  He died on 2 Feb.  He and Fannie are buried in lots 66 and 67 of the Ferndale section of the Wasatch Lawn Cemetery in Salt Lake City.

1942   Emily Withers Hope died on 9 Aug and was buried in Rexburg on 12 Aug.

1978   James Eli Hope died in Idaho Falls on 6 Dec and was buried in Rexburg on 9 Dec.

7.  Sources

Private Records:

·         A Brief History of James Eli and Emily Withers Hope, Written by Arthur C. Hope, Edited by Rene C. Hope

·         Arthur Hope's summary notes in family records, July 1995. 

·         Family Records in the possession of Dennis Hope

·         Conversations by Dennis Hope with:

- Bart Barton, Bluffdale City Code Enforcement

- Melvin Spencer, grandson of original Bluffdale pioneer

- Ron Jones, grandson of Elizabeth Jones

- Thelma Peterson, great granddaughter of Alfred Dansie

- Brent Dansie, great grandson of Alfred Dansie

Public Records:

·         “Bluffdale, One of a Kind”, Compiled by the Neilson Family, Northwest Publishing of Salt Lake City, 1995

·         “Riverton, The Story of a Utah Country Town” by Melvin L. Bashore and Scott Crump, Publishers Press, Salt Lake City, 1994

Government Records:

·         Cemetery Records for:

- City of Bluffdale

- City of Herriman

- City of Riverton

- City of South Jordan

- City of West Jordan

- State Cemetery database (http://www.dced.state.ut.us/history/Services/lcburials.html)

·         Last Will and Testament of James (sr) Hope, on file with the Third District Court, Probate Division, Salt Lake County, Utah, Nov. 3, 1894.

·         Salt Lake County Records, land and property

·         Utah State Archives

·         Utah State Historical Society, at the Rio Grande Station Museum

·         1880 U.S. Census, FHL Film # 1255337, page 291A

Church Records:

·         Church Archives, Membership Records for the Mayfield, England Branch, Call # CR 375 8, Reel # 1979

·         Church Archives, Membership Records for the Salem, Idaho Ward, Call # CR375 8, Reel # 6083

·         Church Archives, Membership Records for the South Jordan Utah Ward, Call # CR375 8, Reel # 6551

·         Church Archives, Membership Records for the Chiddingly/Heathfield, Branches in England, Call # CR375 8, Reel # 1962

·         Church Archives, Membership Records for the Uckfield Branch in England, Call # CR375 8, Reel # 1993

·         Church Family History Library, Immigration Index, S.S. Wyoming 1879

Hakan (Hogan) Anderson

HAKAN (HOGAN) ANDERSON

[In Sweden, there is an umlaut over the first A making the name sound like HOE-Kahn. When he came to America everyone pronounced it like Hogan so it gradually became the accepted sound and spelling.]

Hakan was born in Tarstad Tirup,Sweden in1826. He was the first child of his parents and their home was an 8’ X 10’ hut with a thatched roof and a dirt floor. When Hakan was just 8 years old and there were 4 children, his father told him he would have to go out to work and take care of himself because there were too many children to feed and they were very poor. The family had a total of 7 children: 3 boys, 4 girls.

He was small for his age and had brown eyes and black hair. When he went looking for work people would look at him and say he was too small and too young to be able to do anything. He finally came to the door of an old couple who listened to his story and then said he could live with them and herd their geese. He wore wooden shoes in the winter and went barefoot in the summer. His food consisted of coarse rye bread and clabber milk, some potatoes and sometimes some fish. He got no schooling.

When he was about 15 years old, he went with an uncle to learn the miller trade, making grains into flour. After 15 years he finally got a diploma as a miller. He worked very hard and carried the heavy sacks on his back until his back became bent and was that way the rest of his life.

One night his cousin, Anders Beckstrom, came and asked him to go to a meeting with him. He was sure the men giving the meeting were Mormons and there had been so much said against them that Anders wanted to know what kind of people they were. So Hakan and Anders went to the meeting and the young men kept going to the meetings and they were baptized into the church September 17, 1857. When their families found out they had become Mormons, they were very hurt and upset and disowned the men and told them to leave and not come back. So they left and never saw their families again.

Neither one of them could keep a job now because as soon as their employers found out they were

Mormons, they were fired. Finally, they were able to get enough money to go to America, sailing on the ship “William Tapscott” that left Liverpool 11 April 1859 and arrived in New York harbor 13 May 1859. The immigrants were escorted to Castle Gardens then traveled by boat & train to Florence, Nebraska. The accommodations were very poor and they had to ride in stock cars.

The arrived in Florence on the 25th of May then began the journey from Florence on June 9, 1859, traveling by handcart in the George Rowley company to the Salt Lake Valley arriving on September 4th of 1859 when Hakan was 33 years old.

He found work as a miller in Farmington then later moved to Mt. Pleasant where he could make more money. His cousin, Anders was a blacksmith so he set up a blacksmith shop in Mt. Pleasant and lived there the rest of his life. In Mt. Pleasant, Hakan was asked to help survey the town into city lots and was given a lot of his choice for pay.

In 1862, the Church asked for volunteers to go back to Nebraska and help bring back immigrants. He was still single so he volunteered to go. His Bishop gave him a blessing and promised him he’d return with 2 women—he was now a 37 yr. old bachelor. When he got to Florence, he was assigned to assist 2 young women from Sweden and an older sister who would be their chaperone. On the trip, he heard the 2 girls talking about how they had no friends or family in Salt Lake so they didn’t know where to go and what to do. Hakan invited them to go to Mt. Pleasant and they agreed as both had fallen in love with him.

After arriving in Mt. Pleasant, Hakan asked Hannah Nelson to marry him which she did. But only 3 weeks later she died. Hakan was very lonely now so he went to Cecelia Swenson and asked her to marry him, which she did. Hakan was 37 and Cecelia was 22. They were married by Bishop Seeley, the 2nd of Novermber, 1863 in Mt. Pleasant. Then on 12 March 1864 they were sealed in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City.

Their first 7 children were born in Mt. Pleasant and the other 5 were born in Hyrum, Utah where they went for better land for farming. Later the family moved to the Snake River Valley area to Salem outside of Rexburg. They worked hard to dig a canal and build a dam to water the land. They had to fight off big mosquitoes and had to keep blankets on their horses to protect them from the mosquitoes so the horses wouldn’t run away.

Haken only lived in the Salem area 6 years before he died from lung trouble caused by the dust created from the milling of the grain. He died 30 October 1892 at the age of 66 and is buried in the Rexburg City Cemetery.

One of his sons was called on a mission to Sweden and he found Hakan’s family. None of the family would listen to him preach the Gospel because they were still angry and hurt about the Church taking Hakan away from them.

Francis Sharp

                     LIFE HISTORY OF FRANCIS SHARP
                              Compiled from his own writings and the memory of his
                                              living children, June 22, 1956,
                                      by Betty Jex Sharp, a granddaughter-in-law
                                      Photos & some editing added by Darline Burke

In the small parish of Wallsend in the county of Northumberland, England, Francis Sharp first beheld the light of day. He was born on Friday, the 24th day of January 1834 to Michael Pearson Sharp and Jane Armstrong.

What was it like in England in the year 1834, and what industry and livelihood did the people follow? In the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and thirty, the Parish of Wallsend, Northumberland, England comprised the townships of Howed-Pans, Wallsend, and Wellington, and was inhabited by 5,103 souls. The village was large and well built, situated near the shields road, and contained many good houses, with a spacious green in the center, crossed by a raised causeway. At its eastern extremity was a school room, with a house and garden for the master, given in 1748 for the education of the children. The Sunday schools were attended by about six hundred boys and girls, the religion being mostly Methodist.

The name of this parish was obviously derived from its location at the extreme end of the wall of Severus, on the east. It was originally a Roman garrison and contained a storehouse for corn, whence other garrisons in the interior were supplied. Beyond this point, the wall does not appear to have been continued. The Tyne River, because it opened into the ocean, formed a great depth and breadth, which made a natural barrier against possible invasion. It was possible the wall was originally erected to protect against potential enemies. The ruins that have been uncovered, give evidence that anciently it was a sizable trading colony inhabited by Romans, who more than a thousand years before, discharged their freight where now are numerous straits, projecting from the northern bank of the Tyne. These straits later find vessels employed in the coal trade and are "Wallsend" for London and the other markets. Also inlets find several ship building industries, extensive lime kilns and manufactories of copper and earthen ware.

Into a setting such as this, Francis Sharp was born. His father Michael Pearson Sharp was the son of John Sharp and Sarah Pickering; his mother Jane Armstrong was the daughter of George Armstrong and Ann Anderson. Because Francis was the first born of this family, his birth was very important and thus began his responsibilities to his family. Other children born to this union were: John Sharp, born April 10, 1836; George Sharp, born January 27, 1838 and died April 22, 1839; Ann Sharp, born March 9, 1841; George and Michael Pearson Sharp, twins, were born May 6, 1843; George died April 24, 1844; Hannah Sharp, born November 5, 1845; Sarah Sharp, born August 15, 1848 and Mary Jane Sharp, born December 26, 1850.

Francis first attended school at Bedlington, when he was about four years of age. After leaving Bedlington, due to circumstances, he lived with his grandparents Armstrong, then sometimes with his parents and other times with his aunt and uncle, John and Hannah Loveless. He attended various schools and was quick to memorize. At one time he committed the Book of James to memory. Francis was religiously inclined and was a regular member at Sunday School. He was registered in the All Saints Church, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, although he was raised as a Wesleyan Methodist. He was a schoolteacher when only in his teens.

When he was about ten and a half years old, he returned to the home of his parents and was put to work in the coal mine at Quarrington Hilltop. This work he followed until he left England. When a boy, Francis followed his father religiously and politically. Since his father was a great unionist, he was in the foremost ranks. Hearing his father talk and read gave Francis his ideas in regards to government and implanted in him a desire for liberty and freedom.

The year Francis was seventeen years old, a man by the name of Thomas Slater came to work at Marley Hill. He was a Mormon. This was something new to Francis and when he learned there were Elders preaching at the home of Mr. Slater, Francis went to hear, only out of curiosity. The young, alert, keen mind of Francis Sharp listened intently and was soon moved by the message he was hearing. After much prayer and serious, deep thought, he was convinced they were preaching the truth. Now that he knew the Gospel was true, he must go against tradition if he would accept this new truth. Tradition was strong. He struggled with this fact and after nearly a year, he was baptized on Sunday, March 7, 1852, by Elder Robert Gilles, into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He was confirmed by Elder Gilles the same day.

While a student in school, he loved penmanship. This saw the beginning of a new way of life for Francis and now his talent as a penman was put to work. He was very busy doing missionary work, and bearing his testimony to all who would listen. This he continued for the rest of his life. He began doing clerical work for the Church and recorded his own ordination as a Deacon on February 19, 1854, by John Dalling. Francis stated in his journal, "While his hands were on my head, he said that if I was faithful, I should be a High Priest in this Church, even the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints." Francis was ordained an Elder, May 13, 1854, by John Dalling. During all this time, he served as a missionary for the Church, preaching the gospel and teaching classes on the Book of Mormon. He was always active in doing whatever he could for the building up of the Kingdom of God. From January 1, 1854 to December 1855, Francis was Clerk of the Council of the Marley Hill Branch in England.

The winter of 1855 was very cold and the snow was knee deep, which made walking hard. Francis had recently turned twenty years old and was devoting all his time and energies to living and teaching the gospel. Into his life on the cold, snowy morning of February 13, 1855, came a young girl who was baptized by Joseph Hunter. The very same evening, lovely Dorothy Gill was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints by Francis Sharp. This started a friendship and courtship of two fine people.

Dorothy suffered no ill effects from being baptized in the cold water and attended church functions with Francis from that day forth. On October 20, 1855, Francis Sharp and Dorothy Gill were married at All Saints Church, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. In the evening they were married again by Elder Benjamin Ashby at the home of her father, William Gill. Afterwards they were given a little party and thus began a new life together.

Francis was clerk of the Lead Gate Branch of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from the time it was organized, August 1, 1856. Because of the long hours and years in the dust of the mines, he contacted what is called miner's consumption. For the rest of his life, he was plagued with a terrible cough, which affected his complete health to a great extent.

The union of Francis and Dorothy brought forth twelve children to bless their home, seven girls and five boys. Their first born was Mary Jane, born September 5, 1856 and died the following year on November 22, 1857 and buried in England; next was Ann Sharp, born July 20, 1858; then came Elizabeth, born December 16, 1860; Jane was born September 24, 1863 and John Gill Sharp was born February 10, 1866; Francis was born February 17, 1868; then Michael Pearson Sharp was born May 7, 1870; William Thomas Sharp was born April 10, 1872; Isaac Gill Sharp was born March 30, 1874; Mary was born February 6, 1876; Dora Clarissa, born March 29, 1878; and Sarah, born November 24, 1880.

Each year that began found Francis and Dorothy still striving to find a way to go to Zion. They had a burning testimony of the gospel and hoped constantly to see their dream fulfilled. Their prayers were answered the morning of April 23, 1862, when they said their goodbyes to their home and loved ones and, with what few belongings they could bring, with their daughters, Ann and Elizabeth, left England to join the Saints in America. They sailed from Liverpool, England, on the JOHN J. BOYD and arrived on June 12, 1862 at New York, after a pleasant and almost uneventful trip. They stayed in New York overnight and left the next day by train for Florence, Nebraska, the outfitting place for the Saints. They arrived there on June 12, 1862, and remained there until August 8, 1862, and because they had little with which to help, they were sustained all the time by the Church. Then began another great event in their lives, their trek across the plains. For the account of the trip, I quote the following letter, written by Francis Sharp to his parents in England:

Farmington, Davis Co.
Utah Territory, U.S.A.
Sunday, Nov. 23, 1862
Dear Parents, Brothers and Sisters:
I received your letter on the second and was glad to hear that you were all well. We arrived in Salt Lake City on Sunday, October 19, after a tedious journey of 10 weeks and 3 days. I did not enjoy the best of health on the plains. I was very often sick, but I managed to walk the entire distance, about 1050 miles. Dorothy enjoyed good health all the way, but had sore feet; she used to ride sometimes. Annie and Libby were quite well all the time.

There were about 450 people in our train. We had 28 deaths in the camp and I think 8 or 10 oxen died. We experience all kinds of weather on the plains, hot warm, cold, mild, rain, snow, and frost. It is a hard road to travel and no mistake, but we are here and I for one am thankful.

The first 200 miles of our journey lay through a plain country, and had houses on the side of the road, at distances of from 5 to 10 miles, from each other. After that we had a sort of barren country for 300 miles, many large sand ridges to go over. We did not get much wood on this part, but cooked our food with dried cow dung, but then we generally had fine weather. After passing Fort Laramie, 535 miles on our journey, we got into a more mountainous country, wood became more plentiful and the weather became colder, especially on Sweetwater River, just in crossing the South Pass, we had a slight snow storm, the only one on the road. This is the highest place on the route being over 6,000 feet above the level of the sea. We then began a descent, as Salt Lake City is only a little over 4,000 feet above the level of the sea. From the South Pass, the weather gradually became warmer all the way during the day, the nights cold and frost. After coming to and passing Fort Bridger, we got into the canyons, which are narrow passes in the mountains and are natural defenses to Utah. I think a few men acquainted with them might hold them against a large army, but as I don't understand much about military matters, I shall not say much on the subject.

I like the scenery very well; we had a few accidents, but not very serious ones. The most serious was one night when necessity or want of water compelled us to travel 'till near midnight, we had a wagon tip over. The wagon was broke to pieces and a girl had her thigh broke. We had another two tip over on other occasions but without doing much damage or hurting anyone. We generally had plenty of water but not always the cleanest or of the best quality.

Our provisions, flour, bacon and sugar were served out weekly and of them we had always sufficient. Tea and coffee were not so plentiful, nor soap although it served us pretty well. There were 18 people to a wagon but we had only 13 in ours. The wagon was smaller than the others. We are charged $40 each for our passage across the plains, the children $20 each, 50 pounds of luggage to each person, half to children, all above that 20 cents a pound. The Church allowed us, while on the plains, the following cooking utensils: Bake kettle, frying pan, camp kettle, and coffee pot. They had all to be returned when we got across the plains. I think I have now given you an outline of how we got across the plains and have told you the truth of the matter as far as I can. If I had better writing accommodations, I might have copied my journal and sent it to you, but I am writing this over a dim wood fire, sitting on the ground or bottom of the house and my paper laid on my thigh. Therefore I shall quit the plains.

We arrived in Salt Lake City on the afternoon of Sunday, October 19, and you may think me overrating it when I say I thought it the grandest sight I had seen since leaving Marley Hill, but then remember I had been over six months on the road and the sight of home made me feel glad; but it is a well laid out city, not so many grand stone buildings as in the towns of Old England. The houses are mostly built of adobes or sun dried brick and are neat little cottages with a piece of garden ground attached to them; the streets are broad, trees in some of them by the side of the foot paths. The city is laid off in large squares or blocks, there are some good public buildings in them but I had not time to see them. We arrived at Farmington on Monday, the 20th. Farmington is about 18 miles from Salt Lake City and two from the shores of the Salt Lake. It is a very mountainous country, what I have seen of it, but the climate is healthy, at least I have found it so, for my health has improved greatly since I came and Dorothy says she never felt better.

On Monday, the 27th, we went to live at William Mannings. I have had sufficient work for our needs. I work as long as it is light in the daytime and candles we cannot get, as the people make all their own here, so we go to bed soon after dark. Wages are pretty good in this country, on the public work the laboring man gets $1.50, but provisions are high; flour $6.00 per 100 pounds; potatoes $1.50 per bushel.

Dorothy sends word that she has learned a great deal since she came here. She knows how to make butter, soap, starch, candles and other little things that the people have to make for themselves. She also knows what it is to travel and live in a tent, which she never would have done had she remained in Marley Hill. She enjoys the country first rate and is thankful that she is here.

You will want to know a little about polygamy. I have seen one or two cases of it. The women seem to agree very well.

I send a kind remembrance to all my relatives and friends and let them know I like Mormonism better now I have added to my knowledge and experience and still hope to continue adding and improving in good works. It was for to enjoy the free exercise of my religion and to live in peace and unity with the people of God that I left my home in England and traveled both sea and land and now feel thankful that I have realized my fondest expectations. That all would be perfect I did not expect, but I have found all I had anticipated and more, and feel quite happy and comfortable and thankful that I am here. If you and them could just view the state of the world as I view it, you would lose no time in hastening to this retreat for I know the present trouble in the United States is but the beginning of sorrows.
Your loving son and daughter,
Francis and Dorothy

(They traveled in the Amasa M. Lyman Company across the plains. The above letter was quoted directly from the Diary of Francis Sharp.)

Their first winter in Farmington, Francis and Dorothy, with their two daughters, lived in a dugout. They had sufficient food for their needs and although they lacked many comforts, they were happy in their new life. Francis continued his work in the Church and that first winter he taught a Bible class. Jane was born while they lived in Farmington. The two winters they lived in Farmington, Francis taught school and enjoyed it very much. The school term began soon after Christmas and continued for 65 school days. Frequently, he walked the distance to Salt Lake City to hear President Brigham Young and other Church leaders speak. His testimony grew stronger each time he had this opportunity.

Francis and Dorothy left Farmington and moved to Smithfield, Cache County, Utah in April of 1865. This was not an easy thing to do. They were among the first settlers in Smithfield, so they had to plan wisely the things they would take to their new home. The trip was made in an ox drawn wagon, which was very slow. They made fairly good time for the trip took seven days. Francis was a leader among the first settlers in Smithfield. Among them was his father-in-law, William Gill, whose building lot was next to him and near his friend, William Henderson Watson, a family from England. The plans for laying out the city of Smithfield into blocks and lots became the task of Francis and the Smithfield of today is evidence of his vision and exactness of his work. They commenced to plow the ground and plant the garden. Then they were off to the canyon to get logs to build a house and prepare for winter.

Francis started the first Sunday School in Smithfield and was the Superintendent of it. It commenced April 15, 1866, shortly after their son, John Gill Sharp, was born, and the scholars numbered over sixty. Francis was ordained a High Priest on May 13, 1866, and was clerk of the quorum. He also worked in the tithing office for the tithing settlement and was the president of the Mutual Improvement Society. They also organized a Farmers Club and appointed Francis the librarian. He was assessor and collector of taxes, also surveyor, Justice of the Peace, and prosecuting attorney. He was very busy because he was loved and respected and before July 1866, he was postmaster for Smithfield.

At this same time, they had been given orders to prepare to "fort up", so as not to give the Indians any chance against them. Francis was enrolled in the Militia of Cache County, Captain of Fifty of the Silver Greys, Nauvoo Legion. During the winter of 1868, after the birth of Francis, there was a dramatic society organized and Francis was elected as secretary and also took several parts acting in the plays. This kept them busy. In the spring of 1869, the grasshoppers ate their gardens again. This made obtaining the necessities of life doubly hard, but Francis remained cheerful, hard working and ever patient, and a leader among his fellow men.

In a letter to another member of the Church in England, dated February 23, 1867, Francis said, "I am not yet a polygamist in practice, but I am one in faith. I believe the principle is a pure and holy one and that it is an essential principle of the gospel." On May 30, 1870, Francis entered into the practice of plural marriage. He married Mary Jane Watson, daughter of William Henderson Watson and Hannah Story, his close friends from England. They were married in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah. This union was blessed with a total of ten children, five boys and five girls. Their first born was Hannah Maud, born February 26, 1870 and sealed to her parents May 14, 1885; Robert, born April 7, 1873; George Armstrong, born July 13, 1874; Henry Watson, born December 26, 1876; James William, born March 27, 1879; Margaret Cloa, born May 30, 1881; Frances, born October 19, 1882; Hugh was born December 25, 1884; Estelle Pearl, born April 20, 1887; and Ruby Isabell, born September 15, 1889. (Note: Mary Jane Watson was 20 years younger than Francis & had been seduced by a married neighbor in Smithfield.  In the Smithfield Ward records it is noted that when this girl's plight was brought up in a meeting of the ward Bishopric, Francis said he would marry her & care for her & her child.  DB)

Francis was in constant demand because of his beautiful penmanship. He wrote constantly for a livelihood and enjoyment since he acted as bookkeeper for businesses and individuals. He never turned anyone down whether they could pay or not. This made obtaining a livelihood harder as he was in constant demand but received little pay for his work.

After Francis and Dorothy had received their endowments, they did the temple work for Francis' mother and father. They traveled to the temple by wagon so the trip was slow and they left the children at home. The night the work was done, Jane received two callers into their home in Smithfield. Jane said they were strangers to her, but she enjoyed visiting with them. When her parents arrived home the next day, Jane told her father of the visitors and upon describing them to him, he realized it was his own parents whom Jane had never seen. The visit with Jane was at the same time their temple work was being done.

Francis loved flowers and spent many happy moments working in his flower gardens. He had a lot of patience with his families and friends and his two wives were the closest of friends. Making his life so much easier, they helped one another in their two separate homes and were company for each other. In the later years, Francis' cough became consistently worse, making anything requiring any exertion almost impossible. This left him with only his writing for his livelihood and it placed more responsibility on his wives and children. Their older boys were working at early ages and enjoyed doing it since the families always held him in the deepest respect and love. He was indeed looked up to as the head of his families.

On July 18, 1882, Dorothy Gill Sharp died, leaving a loving husband and family. At this time the youngest child was just twenty months old. An older daughter, Jane, was married and she took her little sister, Sarah, to raise. The remainder of the family was cared for and raised by their “Aunt” Mary Jane, second wife of their father. She was a blessing to them and a great joy to Francis in the remaining years of his life.

Francis Sharp was ordained a patriarch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on May 5, 1889, at the age of 55 years, by President Wilford Woodruff. He never had too much to do to accept responsibility that would further the work of the Lord. His testimony was his dearest possession, as was his family and this was the heritage of his posterity.

On February 4, 1890, at the age of 56, death came to Francis Sharp, in his beloved Smithfield, Cache County, Utah.