Morgan Pioneer History Binds Us 'Togetiier Mary Palmer Graves Porter * Mary Palmer Graves Porter Mary Palmer was the daughter of Reuben Graves and Phebe (Phoebe) Palmer Graves. She was born in Concord, Essex County, Vermont, on September 13, 1818. Five daughters were born to them, but the oldest died young. The other daughters were Elizabeth (Parrish), Laura (Cherry), Eliza (Porter), and Florence (Rich). Mary married George W. Bratton in 1835. Mary's husband was a cabinet maker, and with prospects of increasing the family fortunes, they decided to move farther west, and went to Ottawa, Iowa. Here they were given a very good farm, by a friendly Potowatoma Indian. They lived in Ottawa for about two years, and there their third daughter, Laura, was bom. At the time the Nauvoo Temple was being built, George and Mary moved their family to Nauvoo, and he began to work on the temple. Mary's mother was living with them at that time. They lived in Nauvoo about five years, and while there, a fourth daughter, Eliza, was born. During their last year in Nauvoo, the first Mormon train of covered wagons, under the leadership of Brigham Young, left for the long journey westward. Mary's mother was very anxious to make this trip, as her older daughter, Eliza Graves Rich, had gone with her husband, Charles C. Rich, in one of the early companies. She felt she could not go and leave Mary with her family of little girls. Mary wanted to go very much, but her husband thought they had gone far enough west. Mary and her mother were sincere in their beliefs, and had suffered so much persecution they were reluctant to remain there. Mary wished to rear her family in a community where she would be free to teach them of God in the way of her church. Her husband could not see as she did. Mr. Bratton had also become interested in another woman. They decided to separate. She and her mother and her family of girls, would go to Zion, and he would remain there. Mr. Bratton went with his family as far as Council Bluffs, Iowa, and soon after their arrival, the first daughter, Mary Florence, was born. Her appearance at this time tended to keep the family together a little longer, but it was only a temporary reconciliation. They still owned the farm in Ottawa, the selling of which was put in the hands of Orson Hyde. From the money obtained for the farm, a very good outfit of two wagons and ox teams was procured. Robert Brooks, a seventeen year old boy had consented to drive one of the wagons in payment for his board. The grandmother was to drive the other team, as Mary had her very young baby. In May 1852 a company of fifty wagons left the Missouri River led by Captain Brim. The Brattons were among them. They had a cow as one of a team, and a part of the milk was put in an earthen jar, and with the jolting of the wagon, they always had a nice pat of fresh butter for their evening meal. After, all the members of camp would gather together around a central camp fire, and sing or dance or tell lively jokes or stories. During the prayer everyone knelt with bowed heads in tribute to their God who had guided them safely on their journey that day. At last they came to the great Rocky Mountains. Just as the sun was setting, they reached the mouth of Emigration Canyon. They arrived in September, 1852, and the Brattons spent the winter in the old fort, now known as Pioneer Park. The fort had been erected as a protection against the Indians. The homes consisted of rows of crude houses built together. Many times the women folks were seen cooking over the stove with an umbrella suspended over their heads to ward off the rain coming through the roof. In the spring the Brattons moved into the home of her sister, Eliza Graves Rich, in Centerville, Davis County, near the Nathan Porter home where John P. Porter lived with his three motherless sons. It was under these conditions that my grandmother Mary met and married my grandfather, John P. Porter. Two children, Charles Graves (my father) and Sara Ellen, better known as Nell, were born to this marriage. My father always said that in spite of the fact that there were three families all under one roof, the Porter family was a peaceful, happy one, and the later years proved this to be true, for one of Grandfather's sons, Joseph, married one of Grandmother's daughters, Eliza Bratton. Grandmother was a kindly, thoughtful neighbor. When she reached the valley, she had with her a small box of precious food. This box contained a little brown earthen quart jar of homemade black currant jam, a package of tea and two pounds of sugar. Then when grandmother saw the poverty and food shortage all around her, she determined that these delicacies