{History of Mapleton} Freeman Crandall Bird (1892-1976)

This was found in The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 120.

Freeman Crandall Bird

Freeman Bird was born December 20, 1892 to Charles Monroe and Abby Ann Whiting Bird. Freeman grew up on the farm on Union Bench doing all the farm chores and other work common at that time. He especially enjoyed hering [sic] cows in Maple Canyon and along the foothills. He disliked the tedium of thinning beets and tramping hay but he did it anyway because his father, who had lost a leg from amputation, needed the help.

At a young age, Freeman showed a talent for singing and learned many hymns and Welch songs from his mother and father. When he was six he performed in public for the first time at the 4^th of July celebration. Since that time he has sung in numerous public gatherings with quartettes, duets and male choruses.

In 1898, Freeman attended school in the little red schoolhouse. He also went to the large Central School the year it was completed. His teacher was Anna Whitney. In 1910 he attended B. Y. Academy at Provo. During the summer Freeman continued the farm work and herded the cattle on a large tract of land on Ether and East mountain. He also spent some time helping his brother-in-law in Idaho. During the winter he delivered coal throughout Mapleton to bolster the family coal business. While his older and younger brothers, Elmer and Merrill, went on missions he took sole responsibility for the entire farm.

In 1914 Freeman met Eva Marchbanks and courted her regularly. They were married January 13, 1915 in the Salt Lake Temple. The [sic] lived in the old Bird home for a time until they moved to a house a half-mile west of the church. They had six children: Robert, Norman, Virginia and Genevieve, Barbara and Mary Ann.

Freeman worked on the Strawberry canal project and later left Mapleton because of a railroad spur line which was built beside his home. He and his family went to West Mountain where they operated a sizable farm. They remained there until 1931 when they moved back to Mapleton into a new home that Charles M. Bird had built on the same property Freeman had left previously. By then the railroad had been removed.

On January 8, 1933, Freeman was called to serve in the Mapleton ward bishopric. Frank Jensen was bishop and Dallas Holley was the other counselor. During his tenure in office, the old chapel was razed and a new church was built at the same location. He served for 11 years and was released in 1944. During the second World War, Freeman and Eva lost a son, Norman. He was killed in the Philippines. The loss was a terrible shock to both the family and the town.

Freeman was also active civically. He was elected to the city council for three terms and was also active in the scouting program for more than 25 years. In 1955 he was called to serve as a High Councilman for Kolob Stake. He also filled numerous other church and civic positions. Freeman was probably best remembered for his quick sense of humor and his cheerful disposition. He was a skilled story teller and an adroit historian. He compiled many short histories on both family members and incidents from his life in Mapleton.

Both he and his wife loved gardening and shared a common interest in painting. He maintained an interest in singing, genealogy, politics, national events and church and temple work. He was an adept conversationalist with his own opinions on just about any topic. He was always prepared with a witticism or a humorous anecdote for any social occasion.

Freeman remained socially attuned to people throughout his life. He was well-liked and respected by the entire community. Early in June, 1976, he suffered a heart attack. He passed away suddenly on June 10, 1976. His wife of 61 years survives him as of this writing.

{History of Mapleton} Elmer William Bird (1890-1971)

This was found in The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 119-120.

Elmer William Bird

Elmer Bird, son of Charles Monroe Bird and Abby Ann Whiting, was born February 20, 1890 at Mapleton. His family lived in a small frame structure on south Main Street. Elmer acquired his education in the little red schoolhouse beginning in 1896. Helen Bent was his teacher. The irrigation ditch running by the school was the drinking fountain and Elmer recalled laying on his stomach and taking advantage of the cool water at recess.

In 1893, the Bird family moved into a new six-room home located at 750 South Main. About that time the Indians became more friendly, and many incidents occurred when an Indian named Wansett and his wife Emma came to the Bird home to beg food or visit. Elmer also helped his father on the farm, thinned and hoed beets, harvested crops, hauled wood from the canyon and later, when his father lost a leg as a result of amputation, Elmer and his brothers took over the farm and helped run the family coal business.

In 1906, Elmer attended B. Y. Academy at Provo. He also attended preparatory school and graduated from the eighth grade in 1907. In September, 1909 Elmer received a call to the Somoan [sic] Islands, but a doctor who gave him a physical examination suggested that he stay in the states. Consequently, he requested a mission in the eastern states. After two years, Elmer commented, “I never converted a soul but I had a good time preaching to the people.” He returned home on October 11, 1911.

Elmer married Lenore Banks of Spanish Fork on June 18, 1913. They lived with his parents until he purchased the Alonzo Fullmer home for $23.00. In August, 1914, a baby girl, Lillian, was born. Five years later Elmer bought his father’s farm and went into the cattle business. On June 3, 1925, a second child, Orpha Dee was born. Tragedy struck the young family two years later when Lenore got pneumonia and died May 2, 1927. Elmer was left with the responsibility of the farm and two young children. A year passed and he married Millie Smith MacDonald, a young widow with two children whose husband had been killed in the Castle Gate mine disaster.

The depression hit the family hard. Farm prices plummeted to unheard of lows and the bottom dropped out of the cattle market. Elmer was lucky to get $15.00 per head for beef, 10¢ a bushel for grain and 35¢ for a hundred pounds of potatoes. But with perseverance Elmer managed to struggle through and pay off all the bills.

Elmer served as deputy county assessor under Lawrence Atwood. He also worked for Del Monte Canning Co. at Spanish Fork. Later he worked for the Home Owners Association as an appraiser where he spent many hours on the road servicing accounts. In the meantime, three children were born to Millie and Elmer: Ann Mae, Maurine and Elmer Jr.

In 1937, Elmer gave up his other jobs and devoted himself to his own farm. He also served in numerous church and civic positions. For a time he was the manager of the Amusement Hall where he promoted dances and other social occasions for the youth of Mapleton. He also served on the water board. In 1949 he was elected mayor and served for one term. During his administration all the major roads in town were paved.

By 1953 Elmer decided to quit farming. He was tired of it and within the year sold all of his holdings in Mapleton and moved to Provo. During his last years he came back to Mapleton often. Farm life was too deeply inbred into him to stay completely away from it. He maintained a jovial sense of humer and a volatile Welch temper that often erupted over political issues. He also loved to sing, tell jokes, hunting stories and converse about the good and bad times past. His thousands of friends far outnumbered any enemies. After suffering a sudden heart attack, he passed away at Provo on August 15, 1972.

{History of Mapleton} Charles Monroe Bird (1856-1926) and Abby Ann Whiting Bird (1858-1944)

This was found in The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 118-119.

Charles Monroe Bird

Charles Monroe Bird was born June 15, 1856, in Springville, Utah. His parents, Richard Bird and Emeline Crandall, were among the first pioneers sent by Brigham Young to settle the Hobble Creek area. Charles grew up in a typical Mormon manner. He was required to do his share of the work on the family farm located in the west fields below Springville. He loved to play along the banks of Hobble Creek and in later years he spent many hours hunting and fishing along the stream where it entered Utah Lake. Charles acquired the equivalent of an eighth grade education. He excelled in penmanship, mathematics, and reading. His favorite pastime was getting into mischief and thinking up practical jokes and stunts with his friends. Most of the time it was harmless fun, but occasionally got him into trouble or ill-favor with his father or neighbors. When that happened, it was discipline time. Charles assumed more responsibilities when his father was called on a colonizing mission to the “Big Muddy” in Washington County, Utah. Richard took his second wife, Laura, and her family on the assignment, leaving Emeline in Springville. Charles became the head of the household in his father’s absence.

After Indian troubles subsided in 1876, a number of Springville men tried a farming experiment on the Union Field, or what is now central Mapleton. Richard Bird was among the group who fenced the original site. Years later, under the homestead act, he exempted a section of land where he settled and began farming. Charles, in his late teens, began freighting farm produce to mining towns in Nevada. The freight route ran through 300 miles of rugged, treacherous desert country. There were hair-raising tales of desperados, robbers and hostile Indians along the route so the teamsters traveled in groups for protection. Charles had a wealth of tales about his freighting days which he loved to relate. After nearly seven years he quite the business and soon afterward was called on a mission to St. George to work on the temple. He returned to Springville in 1875, after serving one year on the building project.

On July 15, 1878, Charles married Abby Ann Whiting in the Endowment House. They spent their honeymoon clearing sagebrush on their land in Mapleton where they intended to build a home. They moved to the bench permanently in 1880 and settled on 80 acres of land located on section 14 (850 south Main). For ten years they lived in a frame home with a slab roof and a lean-to on the back. This structure was replaced in 1892 by a larger brick home. By 1895 the family included the following children: Bessie, Hannah, Jennie, Emmogene, Elmer William, Freeman Crandall and Merrill Whiting. The first-born son, Charles Monroe Jr., died of diphtheria at 10 years of age.

The first ten years were extremely hard. The land had  to be cleared of sage brush, water was scarce, crops dried up or were destroyed by grasshoppers, and irrigation system had to be dug, winters were severe and food supplies were nearly depleted. What the spring frosts didn’t kill the summer drought did. The diet consisted of potatoes (boiled, fried, baked, roasted), “lumpy dick”—a floury gravy, corn bread, meat now and then, dried fruit when it was available, and more potatoes.

While hauling wood from the canyon, Charles re-injured his knee. It had been kicked by a mule during his freighting days. The knee abcessed, became infected with blood poisoning, and his leg had to be amputated above the knee. He suffered tremendously, both physically and emotionally, from the ordeal, but he never let his handicap defeat him. During his convalescence the children and neighbors worked the farm and harvested the crops. After he sufficiently recovered, Charles was fitted with a wooden leg which enabled him to perform his regular farm work.

Charles served in many civic and church positions. He was both ward clerk and town clerk for many years. He was a member of the school board and numerous committees for civic improvement. He advocated culinary water for Mapleton, the cement ditch project in Maple Canyon, and worked hard to secure the Strawberry water for irrigation. He was always in favor of new advancements which would help the community.

Charles built a new home in 1919 and sold the old farm to his son Elmer. He lived a full life and always applied his religious principles in his dealings with his fellow men. He died June, 1926.

Abby Ann Whiting Bird

Born in Manti, June 13, 1858, Abby was the first child of Edwin Whiting and his fourth wife, Hannah Haines Brown. Edwin had completed a large adobe home west of the temple for his four wives and growing family. The home was spacious and well designed. Each wife had her own private sitting room complete with large fireplace. Just as they were beginning to enjoy their comforts, Edwin was asked to give it up and move to Springville.  Following orders, he moved the family north in 1861. They occupied a lean-to built against the old fort wall until a new home could be constructed.

Abby was educated in a one-room school on the family property and taught by Mary Cox Whiting, Edwin’s third wife. She grew up as most other children, doing her share of household chores, washing wool, cording and spinning, sewing, cooking and cleaning. During the summer, she and her mother lived in a log cabin in Hobble Creek canyon, on a tract of land homesteaded for cattle raising. They returned to Springville during the autumn and winter. Being the only daughter, Abby and her mother were very close. Hannah came from Quaker origins and Abby was influenced greatly by her mother’s ideals.

When Abby was 12, she learned telegraphy and became one of the first operators in Springville. In the meantime, she was continually being bothered by an obnoxious prankster named Charlie Bird who teased and cajoled her unmercifully. Naturally, it turned into a romance, and after Charles gave up freighting, they were married eight years later. They made their home on Union Bench were [sic] the drama and drudgery of pioneer life provided them with a wealth of experiences, from the optimistic promise of crops growing on soil once overgrown with sagebrush only to see them destroyed by pesty insects; raising a son only to stand by helplessly, heartbroken after diphtheria had caused his death; to witnessing a young man’s dreams of a large, successful farm ruined by the grim reality of leg amputation and the resulting handicap. Life was not all failure, disappointment and adversity, however. There was enough happiness interspersed among the woes to make life in Mapleton worth living. It was all made possible by an undefeatable sense of humor, good neighbors, Welch songs, community outings, Whiting reunions, and an occasional argument about water or when the millennium was coming. The main stabilizing influence, other than the church, was the close family unity. On special evenings the Bird family would sing, pull taffy, tell stories, play games or listen to Abby play a Jews harp.

Abby was active in church and civic affairs. She was a secretary to the Women’s Retrenchment Society and served as first president of the YWMIA in the Mapleton Ward. She was a devoted mother and taught her children lofty principles, among which were honesty, respect, obedience and reverence for Diety [sic]. She also appreciated music and the arts. She lived a full, rewarding 86 years. She passed away May 24, 1944.

{History of Mapleton} The Little Town of Mapleton

This was found in The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 184.

The Little Town of Mapleton

by Louisa Meletia Whiting Johnson

(1910)

There’s a pretty town in Utah,
Beneath a mountain high,
Where breezes from the canyons,
Cool, refreshing, ever sigh.
Once the Red Man built a teepee
On this, our unknown land.
Where rabbits and coyotes,
Roamed undisputed, free
Now stands the Town of Mapleton,
That’s good enough for me.

In the modest Town of Mapleton,
Goodfellowship is found
Among friends and peaceful neighbors.
If you’ll only look around.
Alfalfa fields abundant,
Rich fields of beets and grain,
Small fruits and yellow peaches
Are shipped from here by train.
And rosy cheeked ripe apples
In orchards here we see,
In the fruitful Town of Mapleton,
That’s good enough for me.

Here bright eyed, romping children,
And lads and lassies meet,
At Sunday school and mutual
Or on the quiet street.
At basketball or social,
Or in the mazy whirl,
Each lad is gentle, courteous
Seeing safely home his girl.
And the music of our orchestra,
Makes happy moments flee,
In the opera house of Mapleton,
That’s good enough for me.

When the Bishop makes an urgent call
The Elders are on hand
To guide aright the people,
Dwelling in this quiet land.
Where the Mutual and the Boy Scouts
Meet promptly once a week
Each ernest youth or maiden
Culture and wisdom seek.
And Relief Society sisters
Aid all distress they see,
Of the pleasant Town of Mapleton
That’s good enough for me.

{History of Mapleton} Amos Benoni Warren (1853-1903)

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 182-183.

Amos Benoni Warren was born October 31, 1853 at Springville, Utah. His father, Amos Sweet Warren was an early settler in the Hobble Creek area as well as a carpenter, blacksmith, farmer and bookkeeper. He also spoke the Ute dialect like a native and helped keep the peace with hostile Indians many times while acting as interpreter. Indians were always welcomed at the Warren home and part of the yard was set aside for a camping ground.

As a youngster, Amos B. and his brother John were kept busy with the usual farming routine. He also learned that the trades his father was skilled at but formal education was limited.

On July 23, 1876, Amos Benoni or “Noan” as he was called, married Caroline Lucy Fullmer, daughter of John Solomon Fullmer and his third wife, Sarah Ann Stevenson Fullmer. Caroline or “Caddy” came from a family of three children. She was born March 20, 1860 in Spanish Fork, but her mother soon moved to Springville to join the other two Fullmer families.

In 1880, A. B. and Caroline moved to Union Bench and built a home on a forty acre farm located at 600 East Maple. Their first daughter, Arlie May, died within a year after moving to Mapleton. Their other children were: Amos Wellington, Jesse Benoni, Lucy Deseret, Myrtle Ann, Altha Estell, Tehodore, Kenneth, Aarus Elmer, Leo LaVour, Laurena and Leonard Wesley. The entire family crowded into a three-room home equipped with an attic where the boys slept.

Benoni was described as a jolly person who usually sang or whistled when he worked. He was the director of the dance hall in Mapleton and was an expert caller or “prompter.” He was granted the first contract to carry the U. S. mail from Springville to Mapleton. He was a common sight during harvest season working on the horse-power thresher for Whiting and Haymond. He also served in the local ward as deacon’s advisor. At 49 years of age, Benoni died of pneumonia on February 6. 1903. He was a vital, active man to die so young, but the family carried on in his absence. The children rallied around Caddy who took in ironing and charged 1¢ for each piece of laundry. In this and other ways they were able to make a meager but adequate living. The whole family joined together to run the farm.

In 1912, Caroline sold her farm in Mapleton, and with five of her children she moved to Groveland. After eleven years’ absence she moved back to Mapleton to live with her daughter Ariel. She also spent time with her other children who lived in various western states. She passed away at her daughter Ariel’s home on May 25, 1924.

{History of Mapleton} Oscar M. Whiting (1891-1982)

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 181-182.

Oscar Whiting was born November 22, 1891 in a white two story house that still stands on 300 West in Mapleton. He was the fifth son and eleventh child of Albert Milton and Harriet Susannah Perry Whiting. At an early age Oscar worked in the beets and the grain with his brothers. His older brothes took most of the responsibility of the farm since their father had a weak heart. Oscar shared in the responsibility of the farm work more and more as he grew older. He helped by driving the family cattle to the bench area near Hobble Creek Canyon to graze. When Oscar was eleven years old, his father died of a heart attack. Oscar’s family was very close. They were L. D. S. and active in the church. Each week they would gather around the pot belly stove in the kitchen to sing and play games.

At a young age Oscar showed a better than average ability in sports. He was a whiz at marbles, good at basketball, ice skating, and he was best at baseball. Oscar had a strong left arm which made him a natural pitcher. In 1910-1911 Oscar attended B. Y. Academy where he was back-up pitcher for the baseball team. During the time at the academy, Oscar and his brother, John, lived in a small basement room in Provo. He and John would travel home to Mapleton by hopping a train at the Provo Railroad Depot, and jumping off near the Evergreen Cemetery. They then walked the two miles home.

After a year at the Academy, Oscar went to Midway where he played baseball for the town team. He worked at the Hot Pots hot spring resort to save money for a mission. He served a mission in the Southern States from 1911 to 1914. He served in Virginia for most of that time. He spent the winters in the larger cities such as Richmond and Petersburg. During the summers he and his companion would go into the rural areas to teach those on the farms. The people they met provided most of their meals.

While in Richmond, Virginia, Oscar met the Sullivan family. He later married Mary Sullivan, who had moved to Utah four years before they were married. Oscar and Mary were married in 1918. They moved to a piece of property that Oscar had purchased. The property was on about a quarter of a mile west from his childhood home. They had seven children: Thora, Ray, Juan, Gary, Joyce, Virginia, and Marilyn. Oscar followed the farming life, acquiring a large farm that he and his boys ran. He served on the water board, and in 1920-1921 he served as President of the Town Board. In 1929 Oscar and his family moved to a larger home on 600 North and 300 West. He and his wife and Virginia still reside in this home. The Whitings managed to make it through the depression despite many trials.

From 1943 to 1951 Oscar served as bishop of the Mapleton ward. In 1951 he was released and called as patriarch of Kolob Stake. When a stake was created in Mapleton in 1975, Oscar was called again to serve as patriarch. In 1968 Oscar and Mary celebrated their Golden wedding anniversary. For many years they have been stalwarts of Mapleton.

{History of Mapleton} Leonard Jotham Whitney (1842-1921) and Tryphena Roseltha Perry Whitney (1847-1924)

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 180-181.

Leonard Jotham Whitney

Leonard Jotham Whitney came west with a wave of “gold seekers” during the gold rush of ’59. He was born in Hinesburg, Vermont, on July 9, 1842. His parents were Jotham and Sarah Lucy Smith Whitney. His mother died when he was four years old, and a neighbor couple charitably raised him as their own. The family moved to Wisconsin and then Iowa. At 17, Leonard headed for “gold country” in search of his fortune. He crossed the plains with the U. S. Army, and reached his destination—Eldorado country—in July, 1859. In California, he worked at various jobs, but left for Virginia City, Nevada, when he realized there was no fortune in prospecting. Drawn to the military, he joined the Nevada volunteers and became a commissioned First Lieutenant. Three years later he was ordered to Camp Douglas, Utah. On June 6, 1865, he was sent in command to Duchesne County to move the Ute Indians to the Uintah Reservation. At the close of the Civil War he left the Army and joined the Jesse P. Steel Company in the Black Hawk War.

He met Tryphena Perry in Springville, courted her, fell in love, and proposed marriage. After their marriage they went to the Strawberry Valley where Leonard ran a saw-mill for the government. Returning to Springville, the Whitneys commenced a family which eventually grew to six children. Still interested in prospecting, Leonard went to Tintic where he helped discover and develop a claim which yielded a small fortune. An investment in a merchandise business failed. In 1877 the Whitneys sold their home in Springville and bought a farm in Mapleton. There the family struggled along in a partially finished adobe home. The ceilings were covered with a carpet and the adobes were wrapped in newspaper to protect them against the weather.

Forced to work away from home, Leonard went to St. George to work on the Temple. Next he went to Alta where he worked on a saw-mill, and then he traveled to Park City where he hired on as a carpenter. The family always accompanied him in his travels.

Finally, he returned to Mapleton. Tradition declares that he suggested the name “Maple Town or Mapleton” when a citizens committee petitioned the state to incorporate the Union Bench into a town. He was very active in its development. He helped survey and lay out the town platt, assisted in the building of schools, constructed numerous homes, and was active in the survey and promotion of the Strawberry Canal across the east bench. He was a tireless worker and held many positions in the church and community. His natural leadership qualities aided tremendously in establishing Mapleton as a permanent town.

A skilled carpenter, he was often called upon to make caskets for the dead. Tryphena made the linings. At the close of his active, full life, he returned to Springville where he died November 13, 1922.

Tryphena Roseltha Perry Whitney

Tryphena Roseltha Perry Whitney was born at Mt. Pisgah, Iowa, on June 19, 1847. She was the second child of Stephen Chadwick Perry and Anna Marie Hulett. When she was two, the family began the arduous journey across the Midwest with the Captain Bennett Company. On reaching the Salt Lake Valley, the Perrys were sent to settle in Springville.

As a young girl, Tryphena experienced all of the tasks as well as joys of pioneer life. There were babies to help care for, clothes, to wash and mend, and countless chores around the house which needed to be done. At 14, she began working for other people and was seldom home after taking her first job. She later worked for Lyman S. Wood, a Springville merchant, and was in his employ when she met Leonard J. Whitney. A romance developed and they were married on Christmas day in 1866. Her husband traveled much in his search for employment and she faithfully followed.

The Whitney family consisted of six children. Leonard Nelson Whitney died in childhood; Lilly Semyra Whitney, Harvey Alonza Whitney; Lewis Jotham Whitney; Anna Tracy Whitney; and Jessie Colista Whitney.

Dangerously ill at the birth of her last child, Tryphena was struck with spinal meningitis. Death seemed inevitable. She fought back, however, and after a determined, sustained effort she regained her health. A short time afterward, she applied with the State of Utah and successfully acquired her license in “Mid-wifery.” Her records show more than 500 deliveries, most of them without the aid of a doctor. She was also a skilled nurse and assisted many families during severe illness. When she died December 18, 1924, she was honored as a faithful wife and mother, a talented nurse, a spirit motivated by the principle of love, and one of the most venerated women in town.

{History of Mapleton} Howard Stewart Whiting (1895-1964)

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 180.

Howard S. Whiting was born October 4, 1895 at Mapleton. He was the son of Albert M. Whiting and Harriet Susannah Perry. He attended local public schools and spent much time working with his father on the farm. Howard was a youngster when his father died. He and the other Whiting children learned how to work hard to provide for themselves.

During World War I Howard enlisted in the army and served part of his enlistment in France as a member of Company E of the Engineer Replacement Regiment. While in France he helped create many of the war records that were being shipped back to the states. After the war he returned to Mapleton where he went back into farming.

Howard married Martha Cook on February 5, 1920 in the Salt Lake temple. She was the daughter of Mark Cook and Irene Blanchard Cook. She was born in Springville on December 19, 1900. Martha was an enthusiastic young woman and played an active role in Mapleton in both church and civic organizations. She and Howard had two children: Stewart C. Whiting, who later served as bishop of the First Ward, and Marjorie Whiting (Cox). Martha and Howard also raised a granddaughter, Kristine, who became a fine musician, teacher and social worker.

Howard served as a member of the town board for two terms. He earned his livelihood as a farmer and stock raiser. He was one of only a few men who maintained a successful sheep feeding operation despite set-backs and market fluctuations. Howard was also a fluent story teller. He often stopped at the blacksmith shop to gab with the other farmers who gathered there. In 1922, Howard gave up farming for a year and worked at Winter Quarters in the mines. Needless to say, he soon resumed farming.

Martha served both in Primary and Relief Society. She also assisted Howard with the paper work portion of his cattle business. She also enjoyed the time she spent in D. U. P., the garden club and quilting club. They built a brick home adjacent to the A. M. Whiting estate at 930 North 300 West. Howard lived there until his death on December 10, 1964. Howard and Martha, who is still living, represent the stalwart, steady people of which farming communities are made.

{History of Mapleton} Harriet Susannah Perry Whiting (1855-1935)

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 179-180.

Harriet Susannah Perry was born in Springville, Utah on November 29, 1855. She was the daughter of Stephen C. Perry and Margaret Eleanor Stewart. During her youth she worked for Kate Dougal and was paid ten cents a week for helping care for her children. She attended school while living with the Dougals for three years. At fifteen Harriet went to work for her sister, Tryphena Whitney, in Tintic. Mrs. Whitney operated a boarding house and taught Harriet how to do the various household chores, as well as how to sew, darn, knit and tat lace.

Harriet married Albert Milton Whiting who lived across the street from her Springville home on December 22, 1873. They spent a short time in Springville, moved to Arizona to help settle a town there, and then in 1877 they moved to Mapleton, Utah. It was here that Harriet bore and raised the majority of her sixteen children and became an established member of the town.

Her work days were long, since there were sixteen young people to rear. Still, she seldom complained and even after the death of her husband when she still had eleven children at home she served as a model mother. Thirteen of her children attended Brigham Young University. All of them became respected members of the communities in which they lived. Many of them and their families have held important positions in their church and in local and state government. When her youngest daughter, Lorna, graduated from the BYU Harriet was selected as the Mother of the Class and was congratulated by LDS Church president Heber J. Grant.

Harriet’s life was a busy one from her youth to her old age. She died November 17, 1935 a respected member of the hard working Mapleton community. In her pocket was two yards of tatted lace and her lace shuttle.

{History of Mapleton} Charles Leonard Whiting (1886-1961)

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 178-179.

Charles Whiting was the eighth of sixteen children born to Albert M. and Susannah Perry Whiting. He was born on January 21, 1886 at Mapleton. He was educated in the Little Red Schoolhouse and the North and Central schools through various stages of his childhood. When he was eight years old, he became a herd boy. He herded the cows for 2 ½ cents per cow. Charles and the other boys that herded with him would earn about 15 cents per day. They drove the cows to Ether Mountain, East of Mapleton, watched them during the day, and brought them back to town at dusk. During the day while the cows grazed, Charles and the other boys would play around the hills. Charles gained a love for the hills from these early experiences.

Charles farmed during the summers when he grew older. In his spare time he would go into the hills for timber. Spanish Fork, Hobble Creek, and Maple Canyons were very familiar to him, and her preferred being there than anywhere else.

When Charles was twelve years old he went to Little Diamond to work at a sawmill with his father. When Charles was fifteen, he went to Clear Creek with his Uncle Lon Fullmer where he worked in the timber for two summers, receiving $1.50 per day. At age sixteen he worked on the railroad at Cryden, up Weber Canyon. He was sent to Aspen, Wyoming to help repair a tunnel and there he became very ill, along with several other men, because of some bad water they drank. Charles had to return home.

In 1910 Charles went to work in a blacksmith shop in Winter Quarters, Carbon County, Utah. He married Olive Carleton on January 25, 1911 in the Salt Lake Temple. Charles and Olive lived in Winter Quarters for the rest of the winter and then moved back to Mapleton. Olive had been a resident of Mapleton since 1903. She was born May 1, 1891 at Bear Lake, Manistee, Michigan. She was the daughter of Franklin and Ellen Delilah Bourn Carleton. She was teaching school in Mapleton when she met Charles. When Charles and Olive moved back to Mapleton, they stayed with Charles’s mother for a short time and, later in the summer, they left for Clear Creek where Charles worked in the timber, getting out props for mines.

After the summer, Charles and Olive again returned to Mapleton. It wasn’t long before Charles purchased a piece of land on 300 West and had a home and blacksmith shop built. On November 27, 1911 their first child, Leonard, was born. They raised ten children in the home on 300 West, and Olive still resides there.

In the Spring of 1938 Charles was stricken with pneumonia, which led to an operation in the Payson Hospital. He suffered reoccurances and a year later was hospitalized in the Salt Lake L. D. S. Hospital. He spent a year there under the care of specialists. After several operations, he recovered his health and went to work at Geneva, then the Carbon County mines for two years. He was finally able to return to his timber work; the work he really enjoyed. He worked in the Utah timber for several years, and then he and Olive moved to Island Park, Idaho. He stayed in Idaho for five years working for South and Jones of Evanston, Wyoming. He was sent to Evanston to cut in the Uintahs in the summer of 1955. On August 16, 1955 he was struck by a falling tree and his leg was badly broken. He stayed in the hospital for three and one-half months and then traveled to Pittsburg, California, where he convalesced at the home of his daughter, Buelah, and her husband, Irel Barrus. After three months Charles and Olive returned to Mapleton. His timber career ended, Charles helped his son-in-law, Arland Cloward, in the woods by “bucking up” downed trees and trimming them. He also pruned local orchards, bossed ditch gangs, and did other work that he could. He passed away on May 15, 1961. Olive was called in 1961 to fulfill a stake mission for the Kolob Stake. She served in this capacity until 1964. She has been a Sunday School teacher for many years and many of her students have proclaimed her the best. She has done geneology for many years, sending many names to the temples. All ten of her and Charles’ children are married and busy raising families of their own. Charles and Olive have a large posterity.

{History of Mapleton} Anna Mary Bulkley Whiting (1854-1929) and Edwin Lucius Whiting (1845-1896)

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 178.

Anna Mary Bulkley Whiting

Anna Mary Bulkley was born January 21, 1854 in Springville, Utah. She was the daughter of Newman Bulkley and Olive Amanda Fullmer Bulkley. She married Edwin Lucius Whiting December 18, 1871 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake city, Utah. Soon afterward they went to Mapleton, Utah to build a home. Mapleton was a sage covered benchland at the time which was just being homesteaded. She and her husband took up some acres to homestead and built a house, barn, granary and buggy shed. They cleared off the land, planted fruit and shade trees, berry bushes, grapevines, a garden, and crops of grain, alfalfa, and later, sugar beets.

Anna had three children before her husband, Bishop Whiting, took a second wife. She eventually bore him eleven children. Since her husband was so busy with his ward obligations, and a second family, Anna was chiefly responsible for raising her own little family. This she did by hard work and good management.

Anna spent much of her life alone with her young family because her husband died in 1896. So this pious, hardworking woman and her young family all pitched in together to earn their own way. They did it successfully and even sent some of the children on missions for their church. There was always time for her to help a neighbor, deliver a baby, or nurse the sick. She was active in her church and encouraged her children to be active also. She loved music, and to watch young people dance and have fun. As a result, she always had a house full of young people and visitors.

The people of Mapleton respected Mrs. Whiting so much that they gave her a party at the Town Hall. They presented her with a small table, a beautiful lamp, and a dark wood mahogany rocking chair as a token of appreciation for all the service that she had rendered the community. She used them constantly and appreciated them very much until her death June 10, 1929 at her home in Mapleton.

Edwin Lucius Whiting

Edwin Lucius Whiting was born October 22, 1845 at Nauvoo, Illinois. His parents were Edwin and Elizabeth Partridge Tillotson Whiting. His father was a man of moderate means and worked as a farmer and horticulturist in Nauvoo until 1846 when he moved with his family to Mt. Pisgah. Three years later, when Lucius was four years old, the family was driven out of that area after having their home, a chair factory, and all that they owned burned by mobs.

The Whiting family then emigrated to Utah traveling across the plains by ox team. Captain Ezra T. Benson was in command of their company and they reached Salt Lake City in November of 1849. From there they were directed by Brigham Young to proceed to Manti. After three weeks of hard travel they reached Walker’s Camp of five hundred Indians on the present site of Manti. Here they made dugouts on the south side of the stone quarry, just beneath where the temple now stands. In this dugout father’s sister Louisa was born. It was a very hard winter, snow fell four feet deep and all their cows and oxen perished. Lucius’s father and Orvilla Cox had to travel to Salt Lake City on Snowshoes to get relief for the settlement.

In 1868 President Young called Lucius’s father to Springville where he became a very successful nurseryman and farmer. Edwin Whiting planted many of the beautiful fir trees in Springville, Provo and other central Utah towns. In 1868 Lucius Whiting, with several other young men, made a trip across the plains to get emigrants. This trip lasted six months and was a special calling from the general authorities. Edwin Lucius also took part in the Black Hawk War and was assigned as a minute man in the home guard.

On December 18, 1871 Lucius married Anna Mary Bulkley. She bore him eleven children: Millie, Elizabeth, Lucius Burr, Clarence Othel, Jane, Ovilla, George Clinton, Belva, Blanche, Randall Austin and Edna. On December 26, 1877 he married a second wife, Fannie Johnson, in the St. George Temple. To care for his growing families Lucius constantly engaged in the labors of his choice, that of farming and stock raising. His two young families had to work hard to make ends meet. In 1885 Lucius was selected Presiding Elder of the little branch on Union Bench and on August 21, 1888 a Mapleton ward was organized with Brother Whiting as its first Bishop.

In 1891 Lucius went to Mexico to escape prosecution for being a polygamist. He and his family stayed there eighteen months before they returned. When they returned Lucius resumed his job as bishop and reestablished his family here. Before he completed his activities, however, he was stricken with pneumonia and taken from this life. He left his family and many friends to mourn his loss. He was honored and loved by all who knew his pleasant thoughtful nature, and he was respected by those who opposed his religious beliefs.

He was Bishop of the Mapleton Ward at the time of his death which occurred February 19, 1896. He was fifty years old. His passing ended a career of usefulness and created a void in Mapleton’s social and religious circles which was hard to fill. However, his record of service and hard work has given his family a legacy to be proud of.

{History of Mapleton} Sarah Jane Nielson (1886-1960) and Albert Milton Whiting, Jr. (1881-1963)

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 177.

Albert Milton Whiting, Jr. (Bert) was a direct descendant of the early settlers of the community of Mapleton. Edwin Whiting, his grandfather, was one of the first to establish a home in this area, and his father, Albert Milton Whiting, Sr. and his wife, Harriet Susannah Perry, reared a family of fifteen children, all of whom grew up in this community, many of them staying to make their homes here.

Bert, the fifth child and first son of his father’s family, was born January 1, 1881.

At an early age he began assuming responsibility for many of the chores and tasks associated with the yard and garden; and as he grew older this naturally shifted to assuming increased responsibility for farm work and taking care of the livestock. With the large family of children at home, it was a great problem to provide all of the necessities of life for them, and each child had to assume a share of the work on the farm. As the oldest boy in the family, Bert had a difficult and unique challenge of his own in this respect.

Because of the pressures of the farm work, the school year for Bert was nearly always interrupted either by starting late in the fall or by quitting early in the spring or by both. He did make good use of the time while he was in attendance, however.

When the schoolhouse was being built, he and his brother, Ray, hauled part of the brick and all of the sand and adobes for that building from Mark Cook’s kiln down on the road called “Straight Line.”

Between 1902 and 1904 he filled a mission to the Eastern States and labored all of the time in the city of Baltimore.

Following the mission he returned to the Brigham Young University during the winter quarters where he tried to finish his high school work. The pressures on the farm, however, made it extremely difficult for him to stay with an educational program. He had hopes of one day becoming a dentist, but finally, because of his father’s ill health, he had to give up his education and return home to assume greater responsibility for providing for the large family.

During the winter of 1908 he became acquainted with Sarah Jane Nielson of Sanford, Colorado, who was in Utah attending the Brigham Young University. They became attracted to each other almost immediately and after a courtship that lasted several months, they were married on August 26, 1909, in the Salt Lake Temple.

Sarah Jane (Sadie) was the daughter of Anthon and Maria Beck Nielson, who had been called by the church to help settle the San Luis Valley in Southern Colorado. She was born at Richfield, Colorado, on March 14, 1886. She was the fifth child and the oldest living girl of ten children. Later the Nielson family moved to Mapleton.

Bert had some of the work under way on a home when they were married, and within a few weeks two rooms were completed so they could be occupied. Bert and Sadie made that spot their home for over fifty years.

Bert had a great love for the soil and early began acquiring his own farmland. He was an industrious worker and took great pride in his crops, his animals and his farm machinery, and was known as one of Mapleton’s outstanding farmers. He was also involved in many church and community activities.

Sadie was a capable wife, mother and homemaker. Beside the routine tasks of keeping a home, she always had a flock of laying hens and a garden of beautiful roses. She, too, contributed to her church and to the community. She held leadership positions in the L.D.S. Primary, the Young Women’s Mutual Improvement Association, and for seven years was president of the ward Relief Society. She helped to organize and served on the first Planning Commission for Mapleton.

The first great love of this couple was their family—Quinn, Ruth, Rex, and Niel; but it also extended to a host of relatives and friends who knew that in Mapleton the door of Bert and Sadie was always open.

{History of Mapleton} Albert Milton Whiting (1847-1907)

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 176.

Albert Milton Whiting was born at Mount Pisgah, Iowa, December 9, 1847. He was the son of Edwin and Mary Elizabeth Cox Whiting and came to Utah with his parents after being born during the trek west. They arrived in Salt Lake City in October of 1849, but the family soon went to Manti, Utah to establish a settlement.

When Albert was sixteen years old the family moved to Springville, Utah. His father had acquired quite a number of fruit trees and berry bushes and it was hoped that the Springville location would be better suited for the growing of these crops than San Pete County had been. His early years were spent herding cows on the Mapleton Bench with a number of other Springville boys. At times Indians would steal their lunches and they kept the young men in a constant state of anxiety.

Albert married Harriet Susanna Perry December 22, 1873 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. They lived in Springville, Utah for a few years and then in February 1876 he and his family were called to go to Arizona to colonize. The colonization attempt failed and the Whitings and others returned to Springville the following September. The family lived with the Van Leuvans that winter, and in the Spring of 1877 moved to the Union Bench which was the name of the area now named Mapleton, Utah. Albert’s father, Edwin Whiting, had filed on a quarter section of this land and divided it up among his boys. Albert received twenty acres which became his farm and where he built a one-room cabin. Later, he built a two-room adobe house, of blue clay found near Utah Lake which was made into bricks.

Albert M. Whiting was a good farmer and worked well with animals. He also cut timber and wood posts to supplement his income. He had sixteen children which he and his wife raised and educated. These children have been important leaders in the Mapleton Community and other cities in which they have lived. The family was hard working and frugal. Since they had such a small farm the children often hired out to other farmers to help with the family income. As with many of the early Mormon families they had plenty of family fun, food, and togetherness. They were taught honesty and dependability.

Albert had a special way with animals. He was very patient with them, and was often called on to help cure sick animals. He possessed a blood charm that helped stop bleeding in seriously injured animals or even people. Perhaps, that is the reason that Albert was appointed town marshal by his neighbors. Anyone one that was patient with animals could probably understand and help people.

Albert Milton Whiting died of a heart attack March 25, 1907.

{History of Mapleton} Edwin Whiting (1809-1890)

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 174.

Edwin Whiting was born September 9, 1809 in Massachusetts to Elisha and Sally Hulett Whiting. He was the third of twelve children. His brothers and sisters were: Charles, William, Charles, Katherine Louisa, Harriet, Sally Emaline, Chauncey, Almond, Jane, Sylvester, and Lewis.

When Edwin was six years old, his family moved to Nelson, Portage County, Ohio, which was, at that time, the Western frontier of the U. S. A. Edwin’s chance for an education was limited, but he was taught the “3 R’s”. He wrote in a legible handwriting, and, at an early age, wrote credible verse.

In 1833 Edwin married Elizabeth Partridge Tillotson. She was a highly educated school teacher, quite an accomplishment for those days. In 1837 Edwin, his wife, parents, and some of his brothers and sisters joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They were among the early members and soon moved to Kirtland, Ohio. They moved around with the saints, suffering much persecution. While in Nauvoo, Edwin, under direction of those in authority, married Almira Meacham in 1845, and, in 1846, he married Mary Elizabeth Cox. In 1846 he was also called on a mission to Pennsylvania. He was in Pennsylvania when he heard of the murder of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. He returned home at once to Nauvoo. Edwin and his family were soon forced to move to Mt. Pisgah, Iowa, where they prepared for their journey across the plains. Cholera took the lives of his father and mother, his little brother, and his own little daughter Emily Jane while they were in Mt. Pisgah.

In April 1849, Edwin and his family started westward. They suffered from Indians, stampedes, lack of food, etc. They reached Salt Lake City, Utah on October 28, 1849. After just a few days of rest, Edwin and his family were called, with others, to settle the San Pitch River, now known as Manti. They arrived in Sanpete County December 1, 1849. They made “dug-outs” on the South side of the hill where the Manti Temple now stands. It was a severe winter and they were ill equipped. They sent to Salt Lake City for help, but it was a long time in coming. Almost all of their cattle died. Edwin’s family now numbered fourteen.

In 1854 Edwin was called on a mission to Ohio. He was gone for two years. On October 8, 1856, Edwin married Hannah Haines Brown. On April 14, 1857, he married Mary Ann Washburn.

After finding the climate of Manti unfavorable for raising fruit trees, Edwin and his family moved to Springville in the year 1861. He was able to plant and grow all kinds and varieties of fruit trees, vegetables and flowers. He built a large home where the Springville Second Ward church now stands.

Edwin moved to Mapleton in approximately 1878. He died in Mapleton on December 9, 1890 at the age of 81. His descendants are numerous and found in Idaho, Arizona, Mexico, California, New York, and Utah. 

{History of Mapleton} William Thomas Tew, Jr. (1885-1954)

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 173-174.

William Thomas Tew, Jr. was born in Springville and spent several years in other localities—but he always considered Mapleton his home. He entered this life January 2, 1885, the first child of William T. Tew and Clara Elizabeth Snow, with four brothers and two sisters joining the family later.

When he was about six months of age, William moved with his parents to Mapleton, where they settled on a 20-acre farm on the east side of town. His father engaged in brick-laying and farming to provide for the physical needs of the family.

Of his early years in Mapleton, William recorded in his autobiography: “We had no amusements, only visiting our friends and relatives. These were days when all the “Union Bench” or Mapleton was without fences; roads followed the course of least resistance. I remember that the main road to Springville took a diagonal direction from the old school house towards the Barlow Hill this side of Springville. A baseball diamond was laid out on the east part of Richard L. Mendenhall’s farm. Here, on the Fourth and Twenty-fourth of July, all the citizens assembled and sat around under the cedar trees to watch the baseball games.”

These conditions soon changed and social life was centered around a small school house. This building was used for religious gatherings, socials, plays, road-shows, etc. It was in this school house that William and his family saw their first Minstrel Show, a real thrill in those days.

William attended school in Mapleton a few months each winter, progressing from reader to reader, as was the custom. In the fall of 1901 he and another student, John Bent, decided to complete their education, even though they had to travel on horseback to Springville for instruction. Final examinations were conducted in Spanish Fork and graduation exercises took place in Lehi. Ninety-two students obtained certificates from the Grammar School of Utah County on May 23, 1902.

Brigham Young Academy provided the next educational step, but this was interrupted in 1905 when William was called to serve as a missionary in New Zealand for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He remained there three years and it took another two years after his return to accumulate sufficient funds to continue his education. He enrolled in Brigham Young University, then passed his high school examinations, making himself fully acceptable. In June, 1916 he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in Agronomy, with a minor in Chemistry. During his college years, he had the good fortune to be asked to teach part-time at the university, receiving a salary of $25.00 per month. Low as this salary was, it made his education possible.

William T. Tew, Jr. married Jennie Houtz on June 18, 1913. She was the daughter of Christian Watson Houtz and Mary Esther Waters, early residents of Mapleton.

After teaching two years in Manti and Springville, William moved his family to Lost River, Idaho, where he hoped to use his knowledge of agronomy and become a full-scale farmer. However, a badly-broken leg contributed to severe financial reverse and he re-entered the teaching profession in September, 1920 at the Butte County Junior High School in Moore, Idaho.

The following year a Church Seminary was opened in Fillmore, Utah, and Mr. Tew was given the privilege of pioneering this new venture. He taught four years in Fillmore and was then transferred and became Principal of the Springville Seminary, where he taught until he was called with his family to preside over the East Central States Mission, with headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky. He served faithfully for three years and in September, 1940, he returned to his assignment with the Springville Seminary, continuing his work until his retirement May 24, 1953. Much of this time he also served as a member of the Kolob Stake High Council, and during the summer months he was frequently employed as a carpenter.

Being civic-minded, Mr. Tew was a member of the Mapleton City Council, one year as councilman and one as mayor. During those years the groundwork was laid for the installation of a culinary water system. Successive mayors carried through on the plans and the completion was celebrated Aug. 23, 1919.

Mr. Tew and his wife were parents to seven children: Merlene, Naoma, Helen, Thirl William, Roy Eldon, Dean Leon, and Ronald Kay, all of whom are living at the time of this writing.

Well-versed in the scriptures, Mr. Tew was an influential missionary, a gifted speaker, a capable instructor, and a natural leader. He possessed vigor and vitality and expended it freely in instructing the youth of this area. He was rewarded with the devotion of students, missionaries, friends, and family, and has left an enviable mark upon the lives of his fellow citizens.

On January 24, 1954 Mr. Tew passed away quietly at his home in Mapleton, having suffered for some time from Hodgkin’s Disease. His wife, Jennie, survives him and is living in Springville, now in her eighty-fourth year.

{History of Mapleton} William Thomas Tew (1859-1933)

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 173.

William Thomas Tew, one of the early Mapleton settlers, descended from Thomas Tew, Jr. and Rebecca Bird, Mormon pioneers, his father having arrived from England August 30, 1851 and his mother followed four years later.

The oldest of nine children, William was born in Springville Feb. 2, 1859 and early learned the meaning of work. By age fourteen he had learned his father’s trade and was working as a brick mason. He and his father built many of the early homes in Springville and Mapleton. He also became a successful fruit farmer, having planted some of the first fruit trees in the Mapleton area.

William T. Tew married Clara Elizabeth Snow, daughter of Warren Stone Snow and Elizabeth Whiting, Jan. 31, 1884 and the following year, they, with their young son, moved to Mapleton. They settled in a one-room building and passed through many hardships during the early years, having to carry their drinking water for about a mile and enduring many privations.

Mr. Tew was civic minded and wanted to see progress made in the new settlement. He served as a member of the Town Board and also as president. He was the marshal and had a part in the selection of the town’s name. In 1885 a branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was established in Mapleton with Edwin Lucius Whiting acting as presiding elder. Mr. Tew and John Mendenhall were chosen as counselors and three years later when a ward was formed, Mr. Tew continued to serve as counselor to Bishop Whiting. On May 19, 1896 Abraham H. Cannon ordained Mr. Tew and set him apart as Bishop, a position he held for twenty-four years. He was honorably released May 28, 1920. He also served in other church positions, having been at various times in the superintendencies of the Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association and the Sunday School. He accepted a missionary call in 1927 and spent six months in California in that capacity.

Bishop Tew and his wife became the parents of seven children: William Thomas, Jr., Rebecca, Warren Stone, Monroe Bird, Bryan, Burton Edwin, and Melba. There were forty-one grandchildren.

In 1930 Bishop Tew, as he was called until his death, was thrown from a load of hay, breaking both arms and injuring his back and neck. His health rapidly deteriorated and pneumonia claimed his life on January 13, 1933. He was buried in the Springville Evergreen Cemetery, as was his wife, Clara, who followed him three years later.

He is remembered by his children and grandchildren as a man of determination and character, strong will, great faith, and abundant energy, well-beloved by many.

{History of Mapleton} Edwin Marion Snow (1887-1955)

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 171-172.

Edwin Marion Snow, Jr., a son of Edwin Marion Snow, Sr., and Frances Evaline Perry, was born February 23, 1887, at Mapleton, Utah. He received his education in Mapleton Schools and attended some classes at Brigham Young University.

In 1918 Ed volunteered for service in the U. S. Army. After a short period of training he was discharged because of poor health, so did not see active service in World War I.

He was a member of the Cattlemen’s Association. Also he was on the Irrigation Board for several years and did much surveying for present-day irrigation ditches and headgates. For twelve years he was on the Town Hall Board along with George Murray, Elmer Bird, Bert Whiting and Horace Perry. During his time he managed the “hall” and took great pride in seeing that things were done right.

For about seven years, beginning in 1919, Ed and George Murray were projectionists for the silent movies that were shown twice weekly in the amusement hall. The Saturday afternoon shows were children’s serials which would continue running for several weeks, along with the regular feature. Preal and Thelma Nielson played appropriate music to set the mood for the story.

When sound pictures came along, sound equipment was too expensive for Mapleton to buy so the picture shows came to an end. About this time Mapleton Ward purchased the hall. At this time, R. Lovell Mendenhall was Bishop with Richard Bird and John I Holley as counselors.

Ed played the trombone in the Mapleton band when it was led by Zenna Houtz Whiting and later Frank M. Johnson for several years. This band performed at many town meetings and celebrations.

In the late 1920s Ed worked with the “Vanguards” (young men, ages 16-18) in the M.I.A. He taught them the art of leather work, the sport of archery and how to make their own bows and arrows. Many hours each week were spent sharing the crafts in which he was skilled with anyone who was interested.

He was a farmer and raised cattle, working for many years with his father operating the family farm. After the death of his father, he cared for his mother for several years until she passed away in 1945. After the death of his father, he continued to run the farm with some outside help.

He married Helen C. Marchant in February 1950. They lived in the family home now owned by Richard D. Bills, just northeast of the new bank.

Ed died January 4, 1955 at about age 68, leaving his widow and two step children, Arnold Johnson and Janice M. Stewart.

{History of Mapleton} Edwin Marion (1859-1928) and Frances Evaline Perry Snow (1864-1945)

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 170-171.

Edwin Marion Snow was born November 21, 1859, at Manti, Utah. He was the son of Warren Stone Snow and Sarah Elizabeth Whiting Snow. He lived at Manti until he was twelve years old and then his parents moved to Springville, Utah. During his early life he helped build roads to the Schofield coal camp, worked at a saw mill in Hobble Creek Canyon, and by 1881 he had acquired 3 yoke of oxen and was chopping railroad ties at White River in Spanish Fork Canyon.

Edwin married Frances Evaline Perry on April 9, 1883 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. During that summer he worked in Park City and hauled card wood to his home site in Mapleton. He later worked at the saw mills in the nearby canyons to get the lumber for his home and he hauled the brick from Provo with his ox team and wagon. In the Spring of 1884 Edwin and his wife moved onto their eight acre farm and began to build their house. They lived in a tent on the north end of the farm until the house was nearly completed, and then in November they moved in. It had four large rooms and two nice porches and was the first brick home built in Mapleton. It was in this home that four children were born to Edwin and Frances. Ruby was born November 29, 1884. Edwin Marion, Jr., was born February 23, 1887, and a daughter, Luella, was born September 10, 1890. A fourth child, Perry, was born on April 6, 1896, but he died a short time later.

It was in 1895 that Edwin and his wife decided to build a large brick home nearer to the center of town. They bought a five acre tract from her brother, Lewis R. Perry, and completed the home in the fall of 1896. Most of the work was done by them and their family. They hauled the sand and gravel that they needed. They slacked their own lime and cut much of their own wood. Before the house was ready to move in to, however, Frances came down with typhoid fever and the doctor suggested that she not move in until the Spring of 1896. During the winter Frances and the family saved enough carpet rags to make a carpet for three rooms in the new house. The home had six rooms and a bathroom, and although there was not running water in the house, it was a very elaborate home for the time, and the neighbors referred to it as Eddy’s mansion.

The family worked hard, as most Mapleton families had to at this time, to make a living, but there was still time for parties and family outings. The Snow home was large so it became one of the enjoyable gathering places for the young people of the town. In 1900 an organ was purchased and the young folks gathered more than ever.

Edwin served his community in many ways. He was a class instructor in the first organized Sunday school on the bench. He was then chosen as first counselor in the teacher’s quorum, and later served as its president. When Bishop William T. Tew was called Edwin became his first counselor and served at that position for twenty-one years. In 1919 he was the parent’s class teacher, and in 1924 he was chosen as second counselor to G. Ray Maycock in the new Kolob Stake presidency. In 1890 Edwin became Mapleton’s first road supervisor. He served two terms as a town board member and was president of the board for six years. He actively worked to get Strawberry water for Mapleton and was on the Mapleton Irrigation Board for many years.

During the many years Edwin served in his church jobs his wife helped in many ways. She fed the countless visiting authorities and made them feel welcome. Brother John A. Widtsoe of the Council of Twelve Apostles and George Albert Smith, who later became President of the L.D.S. Church were visitors at the Snow home. Frances also served at several jobs in the Relief Society.

Edwin Marion Snow died on December 11, 1928 after an operation in Salt Lake City. This left Frances a widow for seventeen years, but she had her son Eddie to help her. She enjoyed good health until the last three years of her life when her legs became paralyzed. She died at the age of eighty-one in Mapleton on September 19, 1945 and was buried by the side of her husband in the Evergreen Cemetery.

{History of Mapleton} Sarah Elizabeth Whiting Snow

This is from The History of Mapleton, by Ralph K. Harmer and Wendell B. Johnson, on page 170.

Sarah was born on January 2, 1840, in Nelson, Portage County, Ohio. She was the fourth child of Edwin and Elizabeth Tillotson Whiting. Her parents joined the L. D. S. Church and moved to Illinois. It was there that the mob came and burned their home. Although very young, Sarah remembered the scene of their burning home and father’s chair factory. Sarah’s family was driven with the rest of the Saints away from Nauvoo, and, from there, they crossed the plains. Sarah, although only eight years old, helped drive their wagon team. They arrived in Salt Lake City in late October and were sent on to Manti in November to help settle that area. They were too late to construct homes, so they had to live in “dug-outs”, which were holes they dug in the hillside.

Sarah married Warren S. Snow on April 20, 1857. She was seventeen. Her husband had joined the L. D. S. Church when he was fifteen. He lived with the Prophet Joseph Smith for a while. He crossed the plains and also came to settle in Manti. He arrived in Manti in 1854. He was made a bishop and held that position for six years. He was a general in the Black Hawk War.

Warren and Sarah had three children: Edwin Marion, Clara Elizabeth, and Daniel Wells. The Snows moved to Mapleton in 1894. Sarah’s husband passed away before the rest of the family moved to Mapleton. Sarah worked for many years in the Relief Society. She was lovingly called “Aunt Sarah”. She died in 1918 on November 23 as a result of the flu epidemic.