THIS IS THE LIFE STORY OF GEORGE WASHINGTON PRICE
UTAH PIONEER -1852
For hundreds of years the forebears of George Washington Price had claimed the right to choose to worship God according to the desires of their hearts. According to legend they fled to Ireland during the reign of Bloody Mary. They were driven from the Emerald Isle because they would not accept Catholicism. Their next home was Holland and then Germany. From there they came to Pennsylvania in the United States of America.
Part of the family were Quakers.
George Washington Price, the first of his family to accept and become a disciple of the restored Gospel as taught by the Prophet Joseph Smith Junior, was the only boy of his family to marry and have posterity.
A SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON PRICE
As written by Sarah Amanda Ferguson Price (Family Historian)
With additional notes by George Lesile Price
With additional notes by his GGgrandsons
Document retyped by his GGgrandson
This is the life story of George Washington Price who was born in Georgetown, District of Columbia, on October 27 1815.
His father, George Price was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 16, 1792. His mother was Mary Ann Biddle. She was born in Philadelphia on November 18, 1795. They Married on July 2, 1812 in Philadelphia and later moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. There George Price died October 1, 1821 of consumption. George Washington Price was at this time but six years of age and three years later he was made an orphan when his mother died.
A last will of George Price, dated September 12, 1821, a states that George W. was to receive 9 months of schooling. His sisters, Amanda and Caroline were to receive 3 months of schooling each year. George W. also received his dad's silver watch. John Beam of Conestoge (spelling uncertain) was to be the "township guardian" of his three children.
A news paper death entry, found, 1990 states: "Died this city on Monday [1 October] Mr. George Price, Editor of the Free Press, Aged 29".
Before the mother died she requested that her children be bound to strangers, (not blood kin). George W. who was now nine years of age, was given three months of school every winter and when he reached the age of fourteen years he was to be bound to some reliable person to learn a trade. This later indenture was to last seven years, or until he was twenty-one, at which time he would be considered capable of taking care of himself. So, in keeping with these terms George W. was apprenticed to a Quaker carpenter-builder where he learned the carpenter and joiners trade.
He was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in March 1840, kat Philadelphia. He was ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood at Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1844.
It is not known who brought the gospel to him in Philadelphia. After accepting the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as taught be the Prophet Joseph Smith Junior and his disciples, he traveled through the Southern States working at his trade. While there he heard the call of the Prophet for all available skilled tradesmen to assist with the completion of the Nauvoo Temple. He answered the call and took passage on a river boat up the Mississippi River to Nauvoo, Illinois. He arrived shortly after the martyrdom of the Prophet and his brother Hyrum. He worked on the Nauvoo Temple and when it was completed sufficiently for ordinance work, he with other had their endowments in December, 1844.
On the morning of the fifth of February, 1845, just a few days after the thaw has set in, George W. was going to his work on the Temple. He left his lodging place early, calculating on getting to the Temple before daylight. A rush was on to complete the assembly room for dedication. He had some moulding to make that were to be used that day. When he turned a corned to take a short-cut across a vacated lot, he was attacked by two masked ruffians who knocked him down. He was gagged and bound with the assistance of two more of the mob, and then taken down to the Mississippi River. On the river's edge there were about twenty other members of the mob who were getting breakfast. George W. was placed with seven other prisoners who were under guard. A husk veteran of violence was their leader. He spoke with an Irish brogue.
He ordered that the prisoners be stripped of their clothing with the injunction that they were to leave this section of the country and if they came back to Navuoo again they would be shot. So saying, the prisoners were pummeled and jostled down to the river's edge. One of the ruffians grabbed a burning faggot from the fire and wiped it across the back of some of the men.
"Good", shouted the leader, "Brand them all. Then we can tell if any of them ever come back." After these words the men were pushed into the river and told to swim or drown. But they didn't drown, for their Lord was watching over them/ An old raft came floating along by the shore. The men got on it and safely reached the other side where friends cared for them at Sugar Creek Camp.
Shortly after this experience George Washington Price returned to Nauvoo to continue his labor at the Temple. He also had another important cause for returning. This cause was a desire to continue his courting of a Quaker maid by the name of Emeline Hutton. She also was working to beautify the Temple of her God. She was an expert knitter and lace maker back in her home town of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, so she had been assigned to make coverings for the temple alters. She also assisted in making of the drapes. Her father also worked on the Temple as a ornamental plasterer.
George W. was older that Emeline--he was nearly thirty and she was twenty-two. They were betrothed and met often in the course of their religious activities. Both desired to be married the "Mormon" way and made plans to be married the coming December.
George and Emeline both lived at the foot of Martin's Hill. George had lodgings at the home of one of the saints, a few rods distant from the Hutton home. The thought of having a home of his own made the world very bright of George after being a orphan for so many years. He heart was glad that Emeline was a girl accustomed to his way of life--a devout member of the restored gospel church. But all of this brightness became dimmed when Emeline became ill at Thanksgiving time. The illness lingered on and the wedding date was postponed until January.
Christmas day found her still confined to her bed, slowly wasting away. In her weakened condition she contracted pneumonia and died. She was buried on the very day that had been planned for her marriage.
George was broken hearted when his sweetheart was gone, for the light of his life had gone out. His only consolation was "The Lord hath need of thee". The gospel had taught him that he would meet her again-how soon he did not know.
George helped to make the coffin for his Emeline. He had made many during his apprenticeship as that was a part of the trade, but the making of this coffin was different. Death was very real and it was cruel. He heart ached and his head was bowed is sorrow as he labored. He also made the headboard for the grave.
After the funeral he went back to his lodgings. He was sick at heart to the extent that he could not even eat. He was indifferent to what went on around him. He couldn't bear to go near the Temple to be reminded of the one whose life had been snuffed out.
There were many others in Nauvoo, also, at this time who were not at pease with the world. There was much agitation as the opposition to the people of the Church grew. Brigham Young had warned the Saints to be ready to evacuate their beautiful city by spring time. Many were making preparations even more hurriedly than they expected to, because the opposition wanted them to leave immediately. The weather was very cold, the skies were dark and heavy winds blew. These were days of uncertainty, days of privation , sickness and suffering for many.
George Washington Price was among those who evacuated Nauvoo with the Saints in this February of 1846. He was known to have crossed over the ice of the frozen Mississippi River with Brother Brigham and other exiled Saints. When he joined the group he had his trusty saw, a square, and an ax wrapped in his bed role. He had never gone back to the Temple to get his "pride and joy" tools that had been there for a long time and had used with much gladness.
As he walked along he was joined by one of his temple working companions who had two children with him. The mother of the family was driving a wagon. George took hold of the hand of the nine year old boy and walked beside the wagon. Suddenly George turned to his companions and said, "We will build a city more beautiful than Nauvoo--out in the Rocky Mountains.
It had been the talk of the town that someday the Saints would build an empire in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains. The Rocky Mountains were an impossible distance away in those dark days of the Church, But this fact made little difference to George. He was alone in the world and had no place to go and so long as he was with the people of the Church and especially Brother Brigham Young he cared not how far away they were going, or how ling it would take to get them there.
The first night away from Nauvoo when camp was made, George was given a gun and assigned to first watch guard duty. This was his first experience as a soldier, but it was not to be his last.
Daniel H Wells came to camp recruiting defenders for the City of Nauvoo. George W. Price responded with hesitancy. He had been raised a Quaker and in accordance with this society was against violence in any form. He sought to follow the teachings of his youth, "Thou shalt not kill". This belief was overfilled by the thought that to be mustered into the army of God's defenders of His Holy Temple and people was a great honor. He reasoned that there was no better way to seal his testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ than to give his life, if necessary, in defense of those principles. So he joined the army and was assigned to Cutler's Division. During the battle of September 11 to 13, he was in the ill fated group that was captured.
The prisoners were rowed across the Mississippi River and landed in a copse of dense growth just below Fort Madison. Fortunately, George made an escape from his enemies and was able to reach a camp of the Saints. There he was pressed into the service of moving the unfortunate Saints westward over the rolling hills of Iowa. The first step was to get them by wagon train to the Des Moines River. George assisted in establishing the ferry service that enabled them to get across the river and head them for Winter Quarters, Nebraska.
While engaged in the ferrying operation, George developed a severe cold that brought on fever and ague. He was relieved of his duties and escorted to St. Louis Missouri.
The next five years of George's life were spent in St. Louis Missouri. He went to work on river boat construction on the banks of the Mississippi River. Where he lived during this period, or what his other activities we do not know.
Living in St. Louis at this time was a staunch Scotch convert and her two daughters. Sister Sarah McDonald Ferguson joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Glasgow. She buried her husband in that city. She and her husband had pledged themselves to migrate to the body of Saints in America as soon as they could make enough money to make the journey. After his death, she with their two daughters sailed on a cotton packet to New Orleans, Louisiana. They were desirous of affiliating themselves with the Saints in Nauvoo. They arrived in St. Louis about the time of the martyrdom of the Prophet and his brother Hyrum. In consequence of this they were advised to remain in St. Louis until a more favorable time came for them to complete their journey.
It is supposed that George W. Price met these people at some of the meetings of the Saints in St. Louis. Nothing has been found that would throw any light on the meeting and courtship of George and Elizabeth Ferguson, one of the daughters. In the later part of the year of 1849 their courtship ripened into marriage. The date of this union was December 30, 1849. After marriage George went to live with the Ferguson family.
How the economic affairs of this family group were handled makes and interesting story. Mother Ferguson was the general manager and banker. Besides caring for the home she did housework for others and took in washing. Elizabeth and Isabel, the other daughter, worked as tailoress, making men's clothing. George continued his work as a carpenter. These four workers pooled their resources, the Sarah Ferguson as the keeper of their funds. She placed the money in a sour-dough jar which was concealed in a secret compartment, high up on a shelf that George had built.
When once this money was in their bank it was almost impossible to get any of out for any purpose, save it was essential to getting an outfit to cross the plains. George often in later years said, "Granny could hold on to al dollar longer than anyone he ever met". Nevertheless, there was no dissention to the plan of management for they all had a great desire to migrate to the city of Great Salt Lake in Deseret.
On October 8, 1850, George and Elizabeth were blessed with the birth of their first child. She was named Sarah Amanda Ferguson Price.
Two years later the next important event of their lives took place. It was their move to the west. The family purchased their outfit in St. Louis in the winter of 1852. On April 19, of that same year they left the city for Winter Quarters. The group consisted of George Washington Price, his wife Elizabeth, their daughter Sarah Amanda, his mother-in-law Sarah McDonald Ferguson and her unmarried daughters Isabel.
The George Washington Outfit traveled west in an independent company of ten wagons. The company joined with a larger group while passing through a section infested with Indians. They then fell our into their original company again for the rest of the journey. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on September 11. 1852, and went directly to the Tithing Yard. After checking in, a tithe of one tenth of all they possessed was paid. George's heart was full of gratitude to his God that he and his family were again associated with the members of the church of their choice. They spend their first week in the valley in the old Fort.
The family then moved to their first residence in the valley. This house was on the northeast corner of Third West and Second South Streets.
They had not been in this home long before they were making plans for the building of a home that would be their own. They selected and purchased a lot, 10 rods in front by 20 rods deep, on Fifth West Street between South Temple and First South Streets. This was the Welch district of the old Fifteenth Ward. On this lot George built one room and moved the family into it by Christmas of 1853. This lot was dedicated to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
George found work on the public works. This was a plan provided by the Church for the benefit of the immigrants to help them to help themselves through their first winter. The workers were paid for their labor in stock and produce collected from the people the Church as tithing. These tithes were in kind--on tenth of whatever the Lord had blessed the people with.
March 1, 1853, was a day of rejoicing in the Price household. Another daughter, Elizabeth Emeline, was born. she was the first child to be born in the valley of the mountains and she proved to be a blessing in their time of tribulation.
Grandma Ferguson was with the Price family and continued to live there until her death. She managed the family finances for many years, as she did in St. Louis. She was a devoted mother and faithful Later-day Saint, and contribute much to the welfare of her family. With the other members of the family nearly all of their lot was cultivated during their first year in their new home. They raised most of their vegetables. Old Mulie, the cow that they had brought across the plains with them, provided milk for the family. The next year they added a few sheep to their possessions. Grandmother Ferguson spun wool on a little spinning wheel that had been brought with them. The yarn was woven into cloth and the cloth was made into clothes for the members of the group.
George Washington Price was a very busy man in these early years of life in the valley. He continued to earn the livelihood of his family by working as a carpenter. He was employed on building some of the finest structures in the city as well as on the humblest homes of the Saints. He had a shop at the rear of his home where he did custom work. At times his regular work was interrupted by call to serve his Church and community. One such call came in the winter of 1856. At this time he was employed by a very good friend, Bishop Robert T. Durton.
A call came for volunteers to go out and rescue the stranded handcart companies, so George left his work and went out to give aid to them. He later told his son about some of his experiences on this rescue mission. He told of how he packed the children's frozen feet in snow to draw out the frost; of putting a boy's head in snow pack because his ears were frozen; of wrapping his buffalo robe around and elderly woman; of how he had assisted in administering to this woman before they had loaded her into his wagon; and how he prayed along the road that she might live until he reached the valley.
At time of this incident George Washington Price's only son was less than a year of age. George Ferguson Price was born in Salt Lake City on February 19, 1885. He was the only son of George W. and Elizabeth Price. At the age of fourteen years he became an apprentice in this father's carpenter shop and made this his life's trade.
During the period of the late Fifties (1850) the Price family suffered the deprivations and hardships common to the people of the valley. Church history refers to this period as the "Hard Times". The people were put on rations so that all would have equal chance of survival. All the members of the Price Family held up well under the conditions except the child Elizabeth. She was growing fast and never seemed to have enough food to satisfy her hunger. She would go to her mother and say, "When will the harvest be, Mother?" But as hard pressed as this family was for food, George Washington Price shared hid flour with those who needed it and were worse off that he. He bore testimony many times that their flour bin was never empty though he shared the contents of it liberally with the widows and orphans and his neighbors. And never was the Price family brought to bran bread like many of the others.
In the year 1858 another event of great import took place in Deseret. There was a great move on the inhabitants of Salt Lake Valley to the South. This was provoked by the expected arrival of an army sent by President Buchanan of the United States. The army was to quell a so called Mormon Rebellion. The move was instigated by the Congress of the United States and by others who wanted to cause trouble.
Naturally the people in Deseret were going to defend themselves so they evacuated and moved the families to the south of Salt Lake City. Many men were detailed in the defense plan. George Washington Price was assigned to the group that were to build bonfires along the ridges of Echo Canyon when the army came. There was a direct purpose in this assignment as will be revealed later in this story.
Early in April of 1858 an advance contingent, consisting of Colonel Kane, Governor Cummings and escort, made the trip from Camp Scott to Salt Lake City. They passed /through Echo Canyon at night. At many points in the canyon the Utah Militia had great bonfires burning and met the governor land his party at three encampments in military order.
As the party neared Salt Lake City they saw many groups with their earthly possessions traveling South. The evacuation was in full force. Daily the streets of Salt Lake City were crowded with stock and wagons as the families moved South in obedience to this order of President Brigham Young. His Declaration of Policy was to remove all the grain and provisions, the women and children with their personal belongings to a safe place and then burn the city to the ground.
At a special meeting held in the Tabernacle on March 21, 1858, the people unanimously agreed to abandon the city to the enemies and leave them the ruins of a burning city which the people themselves had burned.
Governor Cummings saw and heard enough to convince him of the determination of the Mormons to carry out their "Scorched Earth" program if General Johnson made an attempt to take the city.
Amid all of this uncertainty George Washington Price had a special troubles of his own. Dry straw and shavings from his shop had been placed in the attic, ready to set fire and burn his home at a moment's notice. Part of the family had been moved to the Riley home is Spanish Fork. Grandma Ferguson had taken the three children, Sarah Amanda, Elizabeth Emeline and George Ferguson., and most of their essential requirements. But George's beloved wife was still in the home unable to be moved because of the expected confinement which would being into the family their fourth child. The baby girl, Mary Ann Ferguson Price was born on March 26, 1858, while her farther was still on guard duty. As soon as possible the mother and child were taken to the rest of the family. Elizabeth married Stephen Richard Horne, Mary Ann married Thomas Cott Griggs and George married Emily Charlotte Beers
Now to go on with the story of the "war". General Johnson's soldiers were allowed to pass through the city on their was to camp Floyd (Near Fairfield, Utah). The camp furnished work for many of the people and payment for services was made from the surplus supplies of the camp. These consisted of bacon, flour, clothing, an bedding. George W. Price was among those who received of these supplies. He secured for his family a number of things that they would need for their comfort when they returned to their home again.
The date of the return of the family to their home in Salt Lake city at 51 South Fifth West Street is not known. The row of Lombardy Poplars was undisturbed; the garden was in need of attention, and; George W's workshop was as he had left it. Grandmother Ferguson said that was their reward for obeying the teachings of the gospel and following the instructions of those who were in authority as God's servants.
In the year of 1861, George W. was again asked to leave his family. This time it was in response to a request of the Presidency of the Church for two hundred outfits to rescue the stranded immigrants and to gather in the poor Saints and bring them to Zion. This was to be a special mission--no pay was offered and none was expected. Son on April 26, 1861, George W. with his own outfit which included tow yoke of oxen, let with others on their mission.
Two of the oxen that George W. had were the original oxen that brought them to the valley. Nig was a two year old and Bolly was the three year old, when they made their first trip to Salt Lake City from St. Louis in 1852.
Nig lived to make the trip across the plains again the years of 1862,63, and 64. This made nine times in all that he crossed the plains. Bolly died before the time to leave in the spring of 1863, so another ox was bought to take his place.
In 1862 George W. Price worked his outfit hauling granite blocks from the Little Cottonwood quarry to the Temple block. In the winter time he worked on church sponsored projects. He worked on the Salt Lake Theater in 1862. He worked on the Salt Lake Temple several times. He was employed on the Tabernacle roof as a timber framer. The Assembly Hall holds some of his work, both on the inside and outside. Here he helped with the construction o f the inside furnishings. He made the steps of the winding stair on the north side of the hall in his own shop. He also made moldings used in the construction of the original Tabernacle organ.
In 1868 he worked on the Z.C.M.I. store building. He took stock as part pay for his labor. At this time he had given up freighting and made much of his living by work in his own shop back of the home on Fifth West Street. He was a good craftsman, and his work was to be seen in many of the humble homes of the Saints as well as in some of the most elaborate dwellings.
He made many contributions in labor for the construction of houses of worship. In the first chapel of the Fifteenth Ward there were donated days of work done by George W. This same is true of buildings that housed the Fifteenth Ward co-op and the first Relief Society hall that was built. He walked from his home on Fifth West to the Tenth Ward meeting house to fulfill a pledge he had made to donate so many days labor in its construction.
George Washington Price was a great admirer of Daniel H Wells who directed the defense of Nauvoo where George was captured and later escaped after crossing the Mississippi River. Bishop Robert T. Burton and Elias Morris were also his close friends and they favored him with much work. At one time he was approached by Henry Dinwoody about becoming a partner in his business of building furniture and outfitting home for the people.
Besides laboring at his craft George W. had other activities that should be mentioned. He was custodian of the Fifteenth Ward worthy poor funds and supplies. For these supplies he made a cellar in the lot back of his home. This had a cool compartment for storage, a root compartment or pit for vegetables and an upstairs or ground-floor part for the storage of grains. This upper part also had a swinging shelf where small amounts of flour, germade, and other cereals were kept. The room contained a home-made meat block with cleaver, knives, a saw, and other things nearby. An old stellyard balance was used to weigh the provisions. These were used by George W. as he served the poor. He was a just administrator of all that was allotted to his care and kept a strict account of his receipts and disbursements.
The welfare of his family was a vital concern as well as his work for others. During the early years in the valley sweets were hard to get, as sugar was brought 1500 miles by ox team which made it cost too much of the people to have sufficient for their needs. To alleviate this need George W. built a beet press. After extracting the juice it was put into a vat that was also homemade. The juice boiled to a heavy molasses which the family used. He didn't know how to clarify it and it was "crude". Yes, but he was a carpenter and not a chemist, and certainly his intentions were of the best.
George W. was a progressive gardener along this his other accomplishments. He tried out the introduction of wild fruits in his garden such as mountain currants, strawberries, Potawatomi plumbs, peaches and Australian cherries. The peaches were an inferior variety and for five years after they started to bloom they were killed by frost. He afterward raised as fine peaches as anyone in the valley. He was also successful with three varieties of apples, plumbs, apricots, pears cherries and as variety of berries. He garden of vegetables and potatoes provides plenty for the family use.
George W. took pride in his home and when a real estate boom took place in the city he was offered a chance to see it. The Church Authorities had advised the people not to sell their property and so he told all who came that his property was not for sale.
The character of George Washington Price is worthy of emulation. He was a faithful and willing church worker, a full tithe payer and honest in all of his dealings with his fellow men. Other characteristics were extolled at his funeral.
George Washington Price died February 2, 1892 at his home at 51 South Fifty West Street in Salt Lake City. He was seventy-seven years of age. His funeral was conducted in the Fifteenth Ward Chapel under the direction of Bishop Joseph Pollard. The speakers were Bishop Robert T. Burton and Bishop Pollard. Bishop Burton said, "He was too honest to be come rich." Bishop Pollard said, "His word was his bond. He had no desire for public acclaim and would rather be a keeper in the kingdom of his Lord, than to be chosen to sit on the Right Hand of his Master." He was buried in the Salt Lake City cemetery.
A last and most fitting tribute was paid to him by a neighbor and close friend who said of him what he was still a Quaker, honest, meek, humble, industrious, tolerant, and a faithful servant.
These were his sterling qualities. His desires were to do good to all men and evil to none. He lived as he believed.
