1880 Salem, UT census of daughter Alice shows father b. in MA and mother b. in England
(2430.) JOHN C. HIATT (858.) (230.) (38.) (4.) (1.):
b. 30-9mo-1846; to Lyon Co., Kansas, 1871. (May have m. LOUISA ___; b. 1852; d. 25-9mo-1915; settled in Indiana; had the three daughters.)Moved to Lyons Co., KS in 1871. May have married Louisa; she was born 1852, died 25 Sep 1915. Settled in Indiana and had 3 daughters. History, Vol. I, pg. 489.
Bio: I was born in England, 24 Jul 1834. When I was sixteen, I sailed from Liverpool on the ship, "Olympus". After a very stormy voyage of 8 weeks, I landed in New Orleans and took a berth on a steam boat up the Mississippi River for St. Louis. Cholera broke out and many died. We were all put ashore Quarantine Island and kept there until all danger of contagion was over. We were then sent to St. Louis but arrived too late to cross the plains that season. The next April, we went up the river to Reopuk, a town of few inhabitants. we put our wagons together, loaded our provisions, and I took my first lesson as a teamster. I drove four yoke of oxen and wagon about fifteen hundred miles in April of 1852. We arrived at the spot now called Lehi in Sep. of the same year.
The settlers had moved up from Snow Spring and built their cabins on the ground called the Garden Lots on the banks of what was then called Dry Creek. There were also a few families living near the lake.
The people were not to remain in a scattered condition long. On July 13th, the Indians commenced their raids on the cattle, driving them off and killing settlers. It was necessary to build a fort. By the latter part of July we were on the way and succeeded in getting through without any attacks from the Indians.
From 1853 up to the present time the Indians continued their depredations. Sometimes it was the Walker, then the Black Hawk, and the Tintic and others.
In 1854, the Lehi Dramatic Association was organized with Thomas Taylor as President and James Taylor as Stage Manager. The other member I remember were William Taylor, Edwin Strandring, William Hudson, John Field, Joseph Field, William Bandyke, Oscar Taylor and his wife and William Ball. the first play presented was in the old log meeting house. The play was "Luke, the Laborer." Our lights were tallow candles, scenery, wagon covers, drop curtain, the same scenery painted with charcoal and red paint from a rock quarry.
On the 30th of June, 1856, I was married to Sarah Jane Taylor, Daughter of James Taylor, I had previously built a house, intending to live in it, but a man was killed there so I sold it for another lot. I got adobe bricks and went to the west mountain canyon for logs. I built me a room having previously learned the mason business. My wife helped me by putting the adobies on the scaffold. I got it finished with the board roof and mud on the boards. I made a bedstead out of poles. A soap box held all our extra clothing. But we were happy. With all our Indian troubles and famine from grasshoppers caused us to live on thistle roots and fish.
In 1857 Bishop Evans was appointed to take a company and explore the White Mountains and the Beaver Valley. He called William Taylor, Richard Bee, John Norton, William Skines, Doctor Williams, Thomas Randall, and myself. We took tools and provisions for several months. The Indians enjoyed our rations very much, called us "Wino Mormons" or Good Mormons.
We had our social parties and our dramatic enteertainments. After the log house got too small to do far a theatre, we fitted up the upper room of the tithing house and had a performance every week. Tickets were sold for all kinds of produce, grain, potatoes, squash, wood, and sage brush. A season ticket was one dollar and fifty cents and for those that could not get any other way, a load of sage brush was taken for the season ticket. A great deal of rehearsing was done by the light from sage brush.
James was asked by some church members how it was his children were growing up good and respectable, always found in good company, never visited saloons, etc. He answered, "My family is my religion. My whole aim is to bring them up to be honorable members of society. I have tried to make their home happy and attractive, by doing so they have kept out of bad company and I find it has repaid me a thousand fold".
Sarah Jane, was born April 3, 1842 in England. When she was a small child, she came to America with her parents. As they crossed the plains, she walked much of the way, some of the time carrying her baby sister, Margaret, on her back. her mother was pregnant with twins and they died at birth on the plains
Sarah Jane had a sweet voice and the story is told of her sitting in the back of the wagon as they traveled across the plains singing songs to her baby sister. The Indians were attracted by her sweet singing and followed the wagons. They asked her father to trade her to them for a horse.
Her family settled in Lehi, Utah. Her people were poor and as a girl she had to work hard, sometimes gleaning grain in the fields so they could have flour. They had to go barefoot and many times her feet would bleed. Grandfather (James Harwood) was so sorry for her that he bought her some shoes and he finally got her parents to consent to their marriage even though she was very young.
She married James Harwood 30 June 1858 and they were very happy together. They built an adobe house one room of which James used for a store and sold groceries and dry goods. She gave birth to 12 children, 6 boys, and 6 girls. Nine lived to maturity.
She was a sweet, kind, lovable person, always clean and neat appearing, an excellent cook, a good house keeper and a lover of beauty.
They taught their children thrift and honesty and instilled in them high ideals by setting them the example. They encouraged education and the development of talents.
Their home was a beautiful place for their grandchildren. Vines covered the house, hollyhocks, golden glow, and roses grew in their garden. Grapes and good apples grew in the orchard. Trout could be watched in their private fish pond. Walnuts were gathered at their place on Thanksgiving day. The drip of water from a leaky tap in the kitchen sink and the song of the canary is associated in the mind's of their grandchildren with their wonderful warm home.
(Biography written by Zada S Peterson)
Elias was sent by the Church to settle Payson in 1850. He had seven plural wives and a posterity of 41 children, a number of which became early Salem settlers.
Death cert. says he was born in 1854
Daughter Emma's death cert. shows mother's name as Bengra F.