Sarah Goode Marshall - First Handcart Company and Captain Ellsworth

Sarah Goode Marshall



Sarah Good Marshall

By Lulu Parry

(Typed as written)

 

 

Name: Sarah Good Marshall
Father’s Name: George Good
Mother’s Maiden: Selina Holder

Where Born: 2 Mar 1821
Where Born: Mitchelldean or Abbinhall, Glouchestershire, England
When Baptized: In the year of 1854
Married to: Thomas Marshall
Date: 7 May 1843
Where: Hereford, England by Wilford Parish
Where Endowed: 28 Sept 1874
Where Sealed: 27 Mar 1884
To Whom: Thomas Marshall
Where Died: Dayton, Oneida Co., Idaho Age 83 Date: 21 April 1904
Where Buried: Franklin, Idaho Cemetery Date: 26 April 1904

Important Events

A Sketch of the Life of
Sarah (Goode) Marshall

Sarah (Good) Marshall was the daughter of George Good and Selina Mary Ann Holder. She was born 2 March 1821 at Mitchelldean or Abbinhall, Glouchestershire, England.
While in her youth she learned the art of making kid gloves. Being deprived of scholastic education she always worked hard. Many times I’ve heard her say, “Idleness is the Devil’s workshop.” However, she became a great reader of the Bible and often remarked, “There is something more in the Bible than the Ministers understand.”

She heard the Gospel in her native land and often walked 20 miles with her baby in her arms to hear the Elders preach. This caused confusion in her home, as her husband opposed here bitterly and would often follow her to the meetings to cause a scene and disturbance, but she always was impressed by the sweet spirit, “Sarah you had better go, Tom is coming.” She would leave the meeting immediately and often took a severe whipping (from her husband) before reaching home.

Sarah Good was married to Thomas Marshall 7 May 1843. During the early part of their married life they lived comfortable and happy until she became interested in the Gospel, thus she became a victim of persecution and continued to live under these conditions until the death of her husband which was in the summer of 1854, leaving her with six children and penniless.

Her dreams of coming to Zion seemed utterly impossible but she sought Divine help in the great undertaking and worked very hard to save means for her migration. During the day, she worked as ladies maid and at night she made gloves and in two years she had saved enough to realized the desires of her heart.

She had many friends as she always lived an honest life and was well respected by all. The night before leaving her native land Grandmother’s relatives and close friends had planned a party to show their esteem and respect for her. Some of the presiding Elders of the British Mission were invited guests at this party.

Unfortunately, the spirit of discouragement spread like contagion among the members who were thus assembled. They began to gather close around her using their powers persuasion in every way trying to get her not to leave telling her she would lose her children and probably her own life on the way. One of the Elders overheard the discouraging remarks, he arose to his feet and by the power of God -- raising his hand over his head--he exclaimed, I will promise Sister Marshall -- in the Name of Israels God -- that she shall go to Zion and shall not lose one of her children by the way.



Painting of ship Samuel Curling



The following day, Saturday, April 19, 1856, my Grandmother Marshall, with her little family boarded the ship (Samuel Curling) and sailed from Liverpool, England, under the direction of Dan Jones. They arrived at Boston, Mass., May 23, 1856, being on the water about five weeks and from there they went by rail to Iowa City where preparations were under way for the long journey across the plains.



Captain Edmund Ellsworth

 This was the first Great Handcart Company from foreign nations, made up mostly of British Isles organized with Edmund Ellsworth as Captain. Grandmother procured a handcart and asked Captain Ellsworth if she could join with this Company in crossing the plains. The Company was large and this was the first attempt in crossing with handcart and he answered, “Sister Marshall, it would be unreasonable for you to expect such a thing. You a widow with six small children, you would only be a hinderance to the Company.” Her answer was, “Well Captain Ellsworth, I’m going and I’ll beat you there.”

Their journey through the state of Iowa was very difficult, but they must become accustomed to the hardships and exhaustion which comes through over work and little nourishment. Alone, she, most of all must become accustomed to being the one who must sacrafice, the one who must endure patiently, the one who must have explicit confidence in their Captain. She must learn to submit to his will and obey Company regulations without question.

After three months and seventeen days of trying hardships, enduring hunger, thirst, and fatigue and ceaseless toil -- pulling her handcart the entire distance -- the end of their journey was near at hand.

The night before entering the Salt Lake Valley Grandmother asked the Captain if she could arise early the next morning and start ahead of the Company, with her little family as this would be their last day of travel. Permission was granted and very early the next morning she -- with her little brood started out.

After traveling some distance and being out of sight of the Company, she discovered some men on horse back coming in her direction. As they came nearer they started yelling. Thinking them to be Indians Grandmother gathered her frightened children about her. The horsemen seeing her terror, stopped their noise and rose quietly down where she was. They were scouts sent out from Salt Lake City to meet the Saints as the settlers in the Valley had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of this Company. These men assisted Grandmother by taking her children on their horses to the settlement thereby leaving her free to pull the handcart. She and her children were the first in the Company to arrive in Salt Lake City. Thus her statement to Captain Ellsworth became prophecy, “I’m going and I’ll beat you there.”

When she had left Iowa City she didn’t realize the tedious journey and trials and hardships she would encounter. Food was rationed out to them -- only two ounces of flour was allowed for each member of the family a day. At night they took turns in using the bake oven.

The members of the Company had retired for the night, and Grandmother was no doubt very lonely listening to the strange night cries of the beasts and birds while preparing her rationed food for the next days journey. It was about 11 o’clock, a young man came to her and said, “Will you please give me something to eat? I’m starving to death.” Knowing that she was taking food from her children she shared what she had with him. I have heard Grandmother say, “I have thanked the Lord many times for sharing my food with this young man, for he was found dead in his bed the next morning. If I had not done so my conscience would have condemned me the rest of my life.”

After camping at night, her first impulse was to look for her children as they would get scattered among the Company during the days travel. Sometimes it was late in the evening before making their camp for they had to travel until they found water.

One night Grandmother was horrified when she discovered her little girl (Tryphenia) was missing. The child was only 8 years of age. Immediately she reported it to Captain Ellsworth and said, “I cannot rest until my child is found.” The Captain tried to discourage her but to no avail. At once he asked for volunteers to go back and search for her. As no one volunteered, he went back some distance with her as it was after dark.



Tryphenia Marshall

They passed by where the child had fallen to sleep. After going back some distance they were forced to return to the Company because of hungry wolves which were encircling around them. After a while the child awoke and startled by finding the Company had gone and she was lost, she started to run. By following the tracks through the sagebrush where it had been trampled down by the handcarts she would stop when tired and put her ear to the ground to see if she could hear any sound. This was one of the instructions they were to follow if in trouble. Tryphenia did this a number of times.

Finally, discovering a light, started to run towards it. When she got close to it -- not knowing for sure whether it was Indians or the Company -- she crawled on her hands and knees into camp, discovering it was the Company, which filled her heart with joy.

Poor Grandmother hungry and tired had traveled late into the night until they came to water. What was she to do, take a chance on her life or return to camp worried and frantic. Approaching the camp, they heard shouts and to their great joy they found everybody rejoicing because the little girl was safe in camp. Grandmother shed tears of joy and thankfulness and rejoicing that words couldn’t express.

The little girl’s own story was as follows: I walked along with a man all afternoon. He sat down by the wayside to rest. He laid over on his elbow resting his head in his hand and went to sleep. I sat down by him and after resting for a while I was afraid I would lose sight of the Company and I started out alone. Dark cam on and I found that I was lost. Finally I saw a fire and walked toward it, and as I came near it I was afraid it was Indians. I crawled on my hands and knees so they would not see me and when I was sure it was our Company I raised to my feet and came in.

The next morning some of the men went back in search of the man and found him resting as the little girl said. But he had passed away. They dug a grave and buried him at his place of resting. This man was an Italian and could not speak English, consequently he and the child had no conversation.

The second story goes as follows: One day after the journey had resumed and following a short rest, Mrs. Marshall missed one of her little girls. She became frantic and sick with fear for the child. A search among the children of the Company was hurriedly made. Inquiries were made regarding the child and her disappearance, but no information could be gained. It seemed no one had missed the child. Mrs. Marshall then appealed to the Captain of the Company and asked permission to go back over the trail in search of her baby. He pondered and stared at her and then said, “You must not leave the Company, too much time has already been lost and all must be on their way.” Her heart was filled with anguish, her sorrow and anxiety was almost more than she could endure. Sympathetic mothers in the Company wept and tried to comfort her. They uttered silent prayers for her and her baby. She obeyed the Captain and slowly she pushed her little cart along the weary trail. Every step separating her farther and farther from her child.

At last halt was called and their days journey ended. Her great mental anguish and suffering made her ill, but after a scant supper had been eaten she carefully tucked her five remaining children in their camp beds and then she waited patiently for darkness to fall. When all was quiet and she was alone she slipped away back over the trail which she had just traveled, hoping, praying, listening, weeping, she often called aloud to her child only to be mocked by the echo of her own voice and dead silence of the prairie.

She plodded wearily on but her fear was consuming her hope and the faith that she would find her little girl became weaker.

Her strength was failing and she was almost exhausted. It seemed that she would fail, she was lost. Alone, weary, and sick she staggered on and then out of the shadows of the night she came upon her babe lying on the trail. Then came the realization that she was rewarded. Her little one lay exhausted at her feet.

Mrs. Marshall knelt beside her sobbing, sleeping little child and on the lonely prairie trail, thanked God. She knew that the prayers she had uttered during that day and night had been heard and answered.

She hugged her babe to her. She could hear the howls of the wolves and the hoot of the owl. After a very short rest she nestled her sleeping baby’s head to her breast and began once more plodding back over the trail to the Company. Just as the Company was about to start on the days journey, Mrs. Marshall appeared in camp baby safe and the heroic mother feeling that she had rescued her baby from the perils of the wilderness.

Handcart Pioneer Marker on Sarah's Monument

Several days after her arrival in Salt Lake City Grandmother was washing and meditating on the hazardous journey crossing the plains and her words to Captain Ellsworth came to her. It was then she realized her statement had become a prophecy. She was not in want for the necessities of life as long as her family remained in the fort for their meals were cooked and brought to them.

My Grandmother was the age of 34 when she left England. Her children were as follows:
Lavina Age 12
Selina “ 10
Tryphenia “ 8
Louisa “ 6
George “ 4
Sarah “ 2

This information was taken from the S Curing boat records by Lulu Parry, a cousin to Delilah Pike.

Editor's Note:  Source of painting of S. Curling: http://www.welshmormonhistory.org/index.php?/resources/view/274

Edmund Ellsworth, "Account of His Mission," Deseret News [Weekly], 8 Oct. 1856



Captain Edmund Ellsworth



Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel, 1847–1868

Source of Trail Excerpt: Ellsworth, Edmund, "Account of His Mission," Deseret News [Weekly],

 8 Oct. 1856, 243.  ACCOUNT OF HIS MISSION.

BY ELDER EDMUND ELLSWORTH, AND HIS EXPERIENCE IN LEADING

THE FIRST HAND—CART COMPANY

FROM IOWA CITY TO GREAT SALT LAKE CITY, BOWERY, SEPT. 28, 1856.

[REPORTED BY G. D. WATT]

Brethren and Sisters: I do not feel competent, this morning, to give you as full a report, as I would wish, of the travels of my brethren and sisters in crossing the plains with me; though I may be able to present a few incidents in this great hand-cart enterprise, that may be somewhat interesting. . . .

But in the midst of all my labors God has been with me, and at no time has he suffered me to lack for the counsels of his Holy Spirit, for when it was not convenient for me to get counsel from the Presidency at Liverpool, by dreams and visions have I had communion with our President in the Valleys of the Mountains. In dreams have I conversed with him in his office in this city, and he has given me such instructions as the next morning were necessary to enable me to discharge the duties incumbent upon me.



President Brigham Young

And long before any communication came in writing from President Young to the old country, calling upon me to lead a hand-cart company across the plains, I dreamed that I was in company with him and that he expressed a wish to have Israel gathered, and looked upon them as I did, in their scattered, forlorn condition, groaning and mourning to be gathered to enjoy the blessings you enjoy, and to hear the Prophets' voices.

He expressed to me, in the dream, his full conviction that he could take a company of the Saints, men, women and children, from the old country, bring them to the frontiers on the Missouri river, there fit them out with hand-carts and lead them across the plains; and that in traveling in such a manner the principle of life would be increased among them, and health and strength would be given them on such a journey, more so than if they rode in wagons; and when they arrived in the valleys they would be better prepared to enter into the duties of Saints.

He also said to me, 'My duties call me to be in another place, I must therefore call upon others to do the work that I would gladly do; can you arise now and be a man of God, and lead the pioneer company of hand-carts across the plains?'

He further said, 'The powers of the wicked would be exerted against me, and the force of the elements would be combined to overthrow me, as was the case with the companies which first left Nauvoo;' and asked, 'Can you be faithful before God, and lead your brethren home to Zion by means of hand-carts?'

In the commencement of the conversation in the dream, I looked upon the enterprise as great and perilous, one that would, perhaps, cost the brethren their lives, but when he had finished his spirit filled my whole system; the Spirit of the Lord was upon me and I said, 'If I am called upon to do this work, in the name of Israel's God I will do it,' and that was my answer to him.

I began to preach, more and more, the gathering of the Saints; and told them that ere long the Lord would open up a way whereby thousands of the Saints would be gathered home, to enjoy the blessings of the kingdom of God with his people.

I encouraged them to believe that with hand-carts they could cross the plains; and although their means were limited, it only needed a few pounds, coupled with economy to enable them to thread their way to some point on the banks of the Missouri, where they could kill wild game and live on it, as did Lehi of old, while they were preparing their hand-carts to cross the plains.

This seemed to inspire the feelings of the people, and they said 'Let us go if we have to carry our packs on our backs. If it were not for those great waters that roll between us and the promised land, how soon would we start and be with br. Brigham and those blessed Saints in the mountains.' These are the feelings that fill the bosoms of the Saints in that country.

Being blessed from time to time with the company of Elder Wheelock, second counselor to Prest. F. D. Richards, the time had come for the appointment of brethren for the ensuing year. Br. Wheelock asked me whether I had any particular choice as to where I would labor during the coming year. I told him that I had none, only that I thought I could do more good where I was acquainted; but, said I, tell br. Franklin to put me where he thinks I can do the most good; if it is to go and lead a company of hand- carts across the plains, let him tell me, and I am on hand for that.

At a meeting for making the appointments, those words called forth some little comment, and br. Franklin remarked that when I left the country I might lead some such enterprize.

Soon after, a letter came from Prest. Brigham Young, wishing the hand-cart enterprize to commence this season. My heart was in the enterprize, and I showed the Saints that if it was a hard journey, they were called upon to pass through; and even should they lay down their bodies in the earth before they arrived in Great Salt Lake City, it was better to do so, keeping the commandment of God in gathering, than wear out their bodies in the old countries; and so the Saints in that country feel now.

Concerning the prosperity of the first hand-cart expedition, I would like to have it understood what kind of people have been called for this season to embark in this great undertaking. A single explanation will show the difference between the people that this season came forth, and those that may emigrate another season in the same way.

Br. Franklin was instructed to call upon the old soldiers, the halt, maimed, weak, and infirm, and not upon those who were particularly young and strong, but upon the old soldiers. [Voice. "those of 19 years standing in the church."]

This counsel called forth all the old men and women, the cripples and infirm, those that had borne the burden of sustaining the church from the first, in the old country.

With this kind of a company we came from England to Iowa city, probably a distance from this place of 1300 miles, or upwards. There was our first place of out-fit for the plains; and there I again received my appointment to lead the first company of hand-carts across the plains.

Again, had the making of our hand-carts been directed by the wisdom of our President here, or could the work there have been superintended by men of more experience, with time to have attended strictly to seeing that the carts were made in the best proportions and of good, substantial timber, much labor on the plains might have been avoided; in fact I presume that one third the labor we have had could have been thus saved. Our hand-carts were of a poor description, but they had to be experimented upon, and the experiment made this season has been at our expense.

At Iowa city, before the hand-carts were ready, some of the brethren and sisters began to despair of ever accomplishing so long a journey; and the inhabitants of the surrounding country offered them great wages; telling them that if they remained there and served them one year, that without doubt they could earn a good team and wagon, and a cow or two, and then they could cross the plains with comparative ease. This had its effect upon some few at Iowa city, and there were a few who had to be considerably persuaded to start from that place.

Br. Spencer felt that he especially wanted those to go who had this season started from the old country to cross the plains, and encouraged us to go on; but I have found, since that time, that those who were dissatisfied and wished to remain back were continually faltering, and that it was of little use to say any thing to them to encourage them; for when greater inducements, as they thought, were offered to them along the road in Iowa; a distance of 300 miles through sand hills and heavy roads, several families left the company in order to get rich and come on another year.

But the Saints who started from the old country with the kingdom of God at heart wanted to come here and assist in building up that kingdom, and see the glory of God and the prophets of the Lord, and receive instructions from their lips.

It was hard to induce them to step off the track; and although the weather was boisterous and uncomfortable, and the roads heavy, they felt willing to continue; and when sickly and fatigued, and ready to faint by the way, if asked whether they wanted to go back would say, "No, let us go to the valley, or go on as far as we can muster strength."

And, as it had been represented to me in the dream, as it had been predicted to me by the Spirit of Brigham, the powers of the destroyer were strongly exercised against the faithful little band that was with me gathering to these valleys.

I found that the adversay of souls was using his influence and doing his best, with sickness, weakness, and fatigue, breaking down the carts, etc., to discourage the faithful and sink their spirits.

I found that unless I had power with God and with Brigham, and could claim their faith and call to my aid their energies to enable me to encourage the spirits of that people, they would sink and the expedition would fail.

But I thank God that we had the blessing of the Lord upon us, and the spirits of the people were buoyed up to go along just about enough every day, and to commence the journey on the morrow.

Nobody had any faith to give away to their neighbor, there was no energy to spare, but there was just sufficient to keep along in the journey.

The Lord has been with us; and from time to time, when I found sickness rather gaining upon the people, I called upon them to exercise faith in God, and to claim the blessings promised to them by Brigham and the servants of the Lord in the mountains, and by br. Spencer at the place of outfit, who promised them that if they were sick and would look to the Lord and have faith in him, and call upon the servants of the Lord to administer to them, although dying they should live, although sick they should be healed.

I regret that there was a wagon in our company, for I realized that wagons had a tendency to destroy the faith of our brethren and sisters; for if they were sick a little they felt that they could get into the wagons.

I am persuaded that if there had been no wagons for such people, there would have been none sick, or weak, but that their faith would have been strong in the name of the Lord.—[Voice, that is true.] Consequently I have had to labor with the people incessantly to keep faith in them, to keep them away from the wagons, by showing them that there was honor attached to pulling hand-carts into the valley; by saying, I have walked 1300 miles, old and decrepid as I am, with these crooked legs of mine, and there is honor in that, brethren and sisters, far more than in having to be carried in a wagon to the valleys of the mountain, and thus I believe that I have stimulated those that otherwise would have gone into the wagons.

I can say, in praise of this company, that they have been faithful before God, have done what I have required of them, better than any company I have ever traveled with. I have been in a company directed by Prest. Brigham Young, but I never saw a company that were more willing to go along peaceably, without quarreling and contention, and more ready in doing what they were called upon to do.

When we came to the large streams that had to be crossed, such as the Platte, it seemed almost too much for human nature, for men, women, and children to wade through a broad stream nearly two feet deep, and some would tremble at it; but the most, as they were requested, boldly entered and went through freely, not caring for the poor gentile sneaks who were watching them on the banks.

The brethren and sisters felt wonderfully tender of the children, on the commencement of the journey, asking, "what shall we do with them?" and saying that they must get into the wagons. I said let them stick by the hand-carts, and pull off their heavy shoes so that they can go along light footed, and the journey will be accomplished easily by them; their feet will become tough, and the mothers who will take this course will see the utility of it before the journey is accomplished; but some were so tender of their children that they nearly killed them by keeping on their heavy stockings and shoes.

Their feet became blistered, and they were soon so crippled as not to be able to walk, only with great pain, and when they could not use their shoes any longer, they had to take them off, and then their little feet were tender and sore, and altogether unfit to tread on the pebbles and prickly pears scattered on the roads in the latter portion of the journey. If they had been permitted to go barefooted at first, their feet would have been hardened and inured to the journey, and been better prepared for the rough roads in the mountains.

The remarks of Prest. Young, concerning our teams having been a hinderment to us, are verily true; and I believe his suggestions were, at first, to provide a few mule teams to travel in company with the hand-carts for hospital purposes, and also to carry some of the baggage. Had the brethren in the States been able to have accomplished this, I believe that the companies of hand-carts already arrived would have been in some ten or twelve days sooner.

Some of the brethren wrote letters to their wives, immediately after starting in the hand-cart train, but I believe they have all had to bring their letters in their pockets; we have passed the ox teams, and everything that started with us. An ox train started ten days before us and anticipated making as speedy a passage as any such company could do, but we passed it, and it is still back.

Our ox teams started with us in the morning, but they would be from one to three hours behind us in getting into camp at night, besides what we waited for them through the day; and we have generally waited from one to three hours in the middle of the day.

A few deaths happened in our company, but this was doubtless due mainly to the fact, as I before remarked, that it was in a great degree composed of infirm people, and many of them had been accustomed to different kinds of labor to what they have experienced this year.

Some had been raised at work under ground all their lives, and been subject only to that kind of exercise, and through this they had accumulated diseases and their lungs had been affected; and some were nearly dead when they left the old country; and in crossing the sea, where they had hardly exercise enough for their good, some sickened almost enough to bring them down to the graves; and all such persons, when they come to where they began to breathe pure air, to breath in a rarified atmosphere such as they had not been accustomed to, were sure to be healed and made strong, or carried out of this world.

God has been with us; and when the people have been sick they have been administered to in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith has raised up the sick, many of them instantaneously. And when accumulated labors and cares came upon me, through administering of and praying for the people so much, I counseled them, when their strength began to fail, instead of laying down and sending for me, to ask the Lord in the name of Jesus to pour on them his Holy Spirit, and he would heal them and give them new life, energy, and strength and so increase it upon them that they would be able to perform the journey of the day.

And night after night, day after day, week after week, men, women, and children have come into camp and said that they called upon the Lord, when they felt that they would be obliged to leave their hand-carts behind, and strength seemed to come upon them immediately and they were enabled to pull their carts up to the camp ground. The Lord has been with us and preserved and blessed us and our teams, and joyful does this company come into these valleys of the mountains; and I felt that no company can come into these valleys that can more deeply appreciate the blessings the people enjoy here. A few days rest will make them ready for labor, and perhaps by to-morrow morning they will be better ready to begin labor than any company that can come here in wagons. And I honestly believe that could they commence labor immediately, it would be better for them than to let any great relaxation take place.

As to the company that came with me, since I can see many of them here to-day, I wished with all my heart a day or two before we reached here, I had time and oportunity offered, to express to them the gratefulness of my heart for their kindness to me is the old countries, and for the way they have sustained me and accomplished the journey over the plains, and the honor they have done to themselves and me by upholding and sustaining me. I feel that I have enjoyed a signal privilege and honor in being permitted to some with this present company to this place, and should I hereafter sink down in sin and folly and go down to hell, (I should feel even there, and it never could be erased from my mind, that God once raised me up to an honorable position in this life, in permitting me to lead a company of Saints with hand-carts to the valleys of the mountains. And I feel that my brethren and sisters who have come with me are honored, and they feel the honor conferred upon them by this people, who turned out in mass and welcomed us with cheers and tears of joy. We have been honored so greatly that I feel that words are inadequate to express the deep sense of gratitude that such kindness and attention have caused to flow in our bosoms. I can recommend the most of this company as being Saints of God, though some of them are not, and I fear never will be, but better saints never lived than are the majority of them, and I can recommend them to our President as being willing to take hold in any form he may suggest.

They will build up the kingdom of God, and they will prove faithful to the trust confered upon them; and I ask the brethren that may hire them to treat them as Saints and pay them for their services, that they may not lose their confidence in you. I can recommend the young women, that have come in this company, as good wives; they are as good a number of sisters as ever come to these valleys, and in performing so hard a journey they have done nobly. Many of them have pulled the hand-carts the whole of the way, and a great portion of the joy of the company was caused by seeing the sisters so joyful, singing songs and hymns while they journeyed through the day.

Joseph Chadwick and Sarah Goode Marshall

Sarah Goode Marshall Chadwick

Recently, I received a copy of the Ben and Sarah Walker Chadwick History, written by Bill Horten. Benjamin Chadwick is the oldest of Joseph and Mary Chadwick's children.  From this history I gleaned important and interesting details that gives insight into Joseph and Sarah's relationship. 

This is what I have learned about Joseph Chadwick from the History of Benjamin Chadwick:

"According to family legend, at age 15 Ben accompanied his father Joseph to the gold fields of California in 1852. According to several life sketches (short LDS biographies) of Ben Chadwick, they traveled down the Atlantic Ocean by sailing ship and then walked overland across the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific Ocean where they traveled by another sailing ship up to San Francisco. According to a life sketch, they wound up in a place called Hangtown which is now Placerville, California. After two and one half years, Benjamin and his father were to meet up with the rest of the family in the Utah Territory or what the Mormons referred to as Zion. Instead, his father Joseph bought some land in Ogden City. Life sketches tell that Joseph Chadwick also built a two room log house in a new settlement to the west in Weber County called Slaterville. They are listed in an 1856 Utah Territory Census. When his mother Mary and other children did not arrive in Utah from Pennsylvania, Joseph assumed they were dead and married widow Sarah Goode Marshall. Ben moved down to Salt Lake City where he worked as a guide."

Mary Whitehead Chadwick

"At age 22, Ben Chadwick had returned to Pennsylvania in 1859 to fetch his mother and younger siblings whom he had received word that they were still living there. It seems that Mary Chadwick was not able to raise the money to travel west with the children and Ben and his father had presume that she and the children had died. ... According to LDS Church History, Ben arranged for his mother and siblings to travel west in June 1860 with John Smith`s Wagon Company where oxen teams pulled covered wagons and he joined the more physically enduring handcart company of Daniel Robinson . Ben worked as a pilot on what was the ninth hand cart company of Mormon pioneers."

As you can imagine, this turn of events would have a dramatic effect on the relationship between Joseph and Sarah Goode who by the time Mary and her children arrived, Sarah had given birth to her second child by Joseph. (1) William Joseph Chadwick, born 6 Oct 1857, (2) Charles Frederick Chadwick, born 6 Aug 1860.



William Joseph Chadwick





Charles Frederick Chadwick


A Decree of Divorcement granted to Mary Whitehead 

Before the Honorable Peter Maugham,

Probate Judge, dated February 28, 1862.



Joseph Chadwick and Sarah Goode Marshall Divorce Documents

Joseph Chadwick and Sarah Goode Marshall Divorce Documents

March 5, 1860

Petition of Divorcement

Division of Property Ordered



A petition for Divorcement with Joseph Chadwick as Plaintiff was granted the 5th day of March, 1860, months before Sarah's 2nd child with Joseph was born. "...satisfied that the parties couldnot live together in peace and happiness and that a separation was absolutely necessary, It was ordered and decreed that the bonds of matrimony heretofore disolve this day." Ogden City 7 or 9? March 1860." Included was a division of property ordered by Judge John which includes Sarah, Defendent to receive 1 good cow near calving, one yoke of cattle (average) 2 pigs, 2 good tin pans, potatoes, all flour in house, box to put it in, a place for a week until she gets a place, leather to make a pair of shoes, the clothing she has, and bed.

Joseph Chadwick - Founder of Dayton Idaho

Historic Marker located in Dayton, Idaho

In 1867 Joseph Chadwick and family (Sarah Goode Marshall Chadwick) settled on Five Mile Creek and built a log cabin. In one room he had a supply store to accommodate the few settlers and freighters. He was followed by Peter Poole, Robert Taylor, Stephen Callan, George Mendenhall, Richard Wickham and their families. The locality was originally known as Five Mile, later Chadville, and in 1890 Card. In 1906 Wm. B. Preston gave it the name of Dayton. Fred Jenson was the first L.D.S. Presiding Elder.

Historical Marker Dayton, Idaho

Other Dayton Idaho Histories:
Dayton a town of about two hundred inhabitants, located across Bear River, west and about five miles from Preston. Is now a productive center for sugar beets, alfalfa, dairying and poultry.

Settlers: -- This town was settled first by Joseph Chadwick and family, who settled on Five Mile Creek in 1867. He built a log house, which is still standing. Shortly afterwards he was joined by Peter Poole, Robert Taylor, Stephen Callan and Richard Wickham.

Name: --The place was first called “Chadville” then “Five Miles” (it being just five miles from Weston and five miles from Clifton.) It was later called Dayton.

First Born: -- The boy and girl having the honor of being the first-born were Alfred Wickham and Sarah Spackman.

Business Houses: -- Joseph Chadwick, the first settler, opened up a supply store in the north room of his home for the accommodation of the few settlers and freights going through. The next to open up places for buiness were: F. B. Wooley, Phillips and Atkinson, Paul Larsen, Doren Perkins and P. Jones.


Postmasters: --The following have served as postmasters: Garett Campbell, Niels Michelson, F.O. Hales, and J. H. Schow, B. A. Johnson and Mary Smith.

Church Organizations

Buildings: -- The settlers first belonged to the Weston ward, presided over by Bishop Henry Jensen. A log house was brought from Weston to Dayton and served for meetings and school. Miss Annie Boden served as the schoolteacher in the log house.

This log building was soon replaced by a two-room frame building, which served as a community center, until 1909, when the present L.D.S. church was built (recently the building was remodeled and provided with class rooms, and a modern heating system).

In 1914, a modern six-room school building was erected; it is provided with a full basement providing a gymnasium.

As the number of settlers increased the town was organized into a ward. Stephen Callan was appointed to act as the first presiding elder. The bishops in their order were. Philo W. Austin, S. J. Callan, Alma L. Hansen and Charles Jones.

The first Relef Society was organized with Mrs. Louise Boyce as President. Mrs. Sarah P. Callan was President of the Y.M.M.I.A., and Luna Nelson Chadwick, President of the first primary.

Railroad: -- 1890, the Oregon Short Line Railroad first passed through Dayton. A flag station “card” served the town until 1906 when a substantial station was built and designated as Dayton. Due to the central location of this town all trains stop here regularly.

(Taken from THE TRAILBLAZER published 1930)

About Dayton


Dayton is situated at the base of the Bannock Mountains, on the west side of Cache Valley, and at the mouth of Five Mile Canyon. The mountains reach to elevations above 6,000 feet just a few miles west of town, compared with 4,818 at Dayton itself. Grass and sagebrush and farmland cover the slopes next to Dayton, with junipers and other trees on the higher slopes. The valley, stretching for miles to the north, east and south, is an important agricultural region, checkered with fields, and dotted with houses. The Bear River passes a few miles to the east.

Dayton is a tiny town, with just two streets running north and south and a few cross streets. State Highway 36 meets the Westside Highway at the main intersection in town. The Westside Highway goes north and south from Dayton, following the base of the mountains. State Highway 36 crosses the valley eastward to reach Preston. At Dayton, it turns south and shares the route with the Westside Highway. Five Mile Road is a dirt road that climbs Five Mile Canyon.

The first settler at Dayton was Joseph Chadwick and his family, who built a log cabin on Five Mile Creek in 1867. The town was called Five Mile Creek, then Chadville and Card. It received its present name in 1906. The population, as of 2000, is 444.
 
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