Morgan Pioneer History Binds Us Together Eliza Robison Smith Eliza Robison was born in Quincy, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, on October 27,1835. She was the daughter of Alexander Robison and Nancy Ellen Wagaman Robison and was married to Conrad Smith on June 5,1854. On hearing the humble testimony of Angus M. Cannon, a missionary from Utah, she along with her husband embraced the gospel and were baptized and confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They resided in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, until May 6,1860, when preparations were made for their journey westward. They bid adieu to their native land and traveled six days on the cars and were four days crossing the water. They arrived at Florence, Nebraska, on May 16, and on the same day she gave birth to a baby boy under very unfavorable circumstances, due to the hardships and exposure. The child only lived six days and was buried in the Florence churchyard. Here they remained until June 7. A handcart company was then organized; her brother Daniel Robison was appointed Captain. When scarcely half a mile on their journey, they discovered a very black cloud rising. Orders were given for them to return to camp, which they did. A fierce wind storm came on and blew down all the tents but two which were held up by a number of men. Conrad Smith took his two children, Annie and Harriet, and put them in a hand cart, tied the canvas down and fastened the cart to the ground with wooden stakes so the wind could not upset it. Eliza getting worried about her children, left her tent and went to their rescue, got them out of the cart and started back to the tent. The wind and rain was so terrific that she was unable to reach her tent and sank down on the ground with her children. She would have, no doubt, been swept away if she had not been carried back to the tent where she was carefully cared for. This was one of the worst storms witnessed by them during their journey. The next day found them continuing their journey, Eliza being in a very weak condition on account of her recent sickness and for lack of food. (That through neglect of a man named Fosket to send for food until they were almost out of everything.) It was impossible for her to walk, so her brother William let her ride in his wagon. He had a very sick boy so she stayed with him, but had to leave the wagon and while (she was) away, the boy died and was left on the plains to be buried by the mountaineers. Eliza being so ~~ very sick, had to lie down by a bush while the company traveled until they camped for the night, when her husband went back to get her and had to almost carry her into camp. However she regained her strength and helped pull the handcart. Her shoes wore completely out but she traveled , L , , tliza Robison vjjj n barefooted across the burning sands until they met a band of Indians, when they purchased a pair of moccasins. They arrived in Salt Lake Valley, August 28,1860. After staying there three days they located in Farmington, Utah, where they lived in a small, one- room log house, and endured many hardships on account of the scarcity of food. Eliza having to go out and do wash and received food for her work. While living there, during a cold east wind which lasted for three days, blowing and snowing all the time, the men had to prop up the houses to keep them from falling down. Eliza and her children had to stay in bed to keep warm, without food or fuel. Their cows, pigs and chickens were completely covered with snow, but no lives were lost. They moved to this valley, settling on the east side now known as North Morgan. Here she lived until the time of her death. Eliza Smith is the mother of numerous posterity, having eight children. Two have departed from this life, one a baby boy buried at Florence and the other a baby girl buried at Morgan. There are forty-eight grandchildren, one hundred and twenty great and twenty-three great-great grandchildren making a total of 199 souls. She has been a faithful Relief Society worker for thirty years and died a faithful Latter-day Saint, January 26, 1925, at the age of ninety years. ©9- 178