Mormon Pioneer Family History

[classylady]

jacob hamblin was a great great great etc.. uncle in my family. If you havent read his autobiography you should it's really interesting- both as a very spiritual person and with his interactions and insights with the local natives.

also related to the guy that kept Brigham young from being hung for the mountain meadows massacre. Also related to the guy that helped develop the Gunlock area. popular family tale was that he was challenged that he couldn't shoot the loose end of a handkerchef tied to a tree branch (the reason being is because the shockwave pushes the cloth out of the way before the bullet can go thru it) so he set up his cob pipe on a rock nearbuy and shoots that which causes one end of it to shoot through the handkerchef.

 

Jacob Hamblin is also on my family tree.  I'm not sure how, I'd have to look it up.  So, we might be related.   :)

[classylady]

Pam, because you traveled to St. George, here's a snippet of information of my 3rd Great Grandfather (maternal side) Joseph Ellis Johnson who was one of the early pioneers of St. George.  He at one time was Secretary for Patriarch John Smith, uncle to Joseph Smith, Jr.

 

Joseph Ellis Johnson was born April 28, 1817. 

In 1864 or 1865, Johnson moved to St. George. 

He was the original owner of the lot at 173 N. Main Street also described as Plat A, Block 30, Lot 6 on the old pioneer map of St. George. He built a garden and nursery supply store on that property. 

Johnson was a notary public, an auctioneer and commission merchant, and a fruit tree & grape vine by mail salesman. 

In 1868-1869 he published "Our Dixie Times", afterward "The Rio Virgen [sic] Times". In 1870 he published the "Utah Pomologist and Gardener" (a monthly) for several years. 

In 1876 he went to Silver Reef and put up a store and printing office, but sold part of the office before the paper was fairly started. In 1879 it was burned out, with others. He restored the store immediately, but on a larger scale. 

In 1882, Johnson once again moved at his church's call, this time to settle what would become Tempe, Arizona. However, his strenuous efforts all his life finally caught up with him, and he passed away on December 17, 1882. 

[pam]

I am really loving reading these.  

[pam]

I have also learned that some of my ancestors came to Salt Lake City with the Warren Foote Company.  Last name of Blodgett.

 

https://history.lds.org/overlandtravels/companyDetail?lang=eng&companyId=117

 

Newman Greenleaf Blodgett (1800-1882). Born at Chelsea, Orange, VT. Resident of Kirtland about 1836-1838. Received elder's license 18 Mar 1838. Probably expelled from MO 1839. Moved to Iowa. Resident of Nauvoo early 1840's. Died at Ogden, Weber, UT.

[askandanswer]

For those of you who are not familiar with the site, the relatively recently developed BYU relative finder can be fun to play around with. See here for https://www.lds.org/church/news/byus-relative-finder-helps-you-find-famous-ancestors?lang=eng  information about the site, and here  https://www.relativefinder.org/ to see the actual site. You need a family search login to use the site. You enter your name and it comes back with a list of names and connections of prophets and apostles with whom you have a common ancestor.

[David13]

Well, I tried searching in there.  It came back that I was not related to anyone.  I guess they just have no information on me.  But all is not unknown to me, as my uncle had tried to trace our ancestors back some, but he didn't get far.

I know back to my fathers grandfather and have photos going back to 1870 or so, so I have some knowledge, but I do not believe we had any contact with the COJCOLDS or Utah.

Other than I do want to move to Utah.

dc

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

I have a rich pioneer history on my mom's side of the family.  A few of my ancestors knew Joseph Smith.  My great-great something grandfather was married to one of Brigham Young's daughters--but I'm not actually related to Brigham Young because my ancestor was a polygamist and I descend from a different wife.  This great-great something grandfather was Edmund Ellsworth.  He crossed the plains in a wagon and then by request of Brother Brigham, he returned to the east and led the first handcart company across.