e TITLE PAGE PIONEER (full name ) BIRTH (date and p l ac e) DEA TH (date and place) PARENTS . MARR I ED (who and date ) ARR i VAL I N UTAH (date) (Company arrived with) HISTORY (who wrote) (date written) (who submitted) (address) Eliza Robison Smith 27 October 1835-0uincy, Franklin, Penn. 26 January 1926 - Morgan, Morgan, Utah Alexander Robison , Nancy Ellen W agamon Conrad Smith 5 June 1854 16August 1860 Daniel Robison Handcart Company E unice Cl awson Preece (granddaughter) 1936 Chloe H. Heiner 1440 Ol d Hwy Road Morgan, Utah 84050 CAMP & COUNTY SUBMITTING _M_t._J_o..:..y _________ Camp _M_o_rg_a_n_ ___________ County (Camp Historian & addr ess) Chloe H. Heiner ____________________ __: 1440 Old Hwy Road, Morgan, Utah 84050 County Historian & address )- --V-e-ley- T-on-k-s D-ic-ks-on- -------- PO Box 203, Morgan, Utah 84050 SOURCE OF INFORMATION & PAGE NUMBERS: e History of the life of Eliza Robison Smith Pioneer of 1860 Written by her granddaughter Eunice Clauson Preece 1936 Eliza Robison Smith was born in Quincy, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, e on October 27, 1835. She was the daughter of Alexander and Nancy Ellen Wagaman. She was married to Conard Smith on June 5, 1854. On hearing the humble testimony of Augus M. Cannon, a missionary of the Mormon Church from Utah, she and her husband embraced the gospel and were baptized and confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They resided in Quincy, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, until May 6, 1860, when they prepared for their journey westward. They bid farewell to their native land and traveled six days on the railroad and four days on the water. They arrived at Florence, Nebraska on May 16, 1860. On this same day she gave birth to a baby boy, under very unfavorable circumstances . Due to hard-ships and exposure the child only lived six days and was buried in the Florence Church Yard. They remained here until June 17, 1860, when a hard cart company was organized. It had two hundred and fifty souls, forty handcarts, six wagons, thirty-six oxen and six teams of horses. Her brother Daniel Robison was appointed Captain of the company and he soon won the love and respect of all the members of his company. His efforts as Captain of the company of brave pioneers was crowned with success. When they had traveled scarcely half a mile on their journey, they discovered a very black cloud rising. Orders were given for them to prepare to camp, which they did. In a short time a fierce wind storm arose. It blew all the tents down but those that were held up by a number of men. Conard Smith took his two daughters, Harriet Smith Clauson, and Annie Smith Hines, put them in his handcart, tied the canvas down and fastened the cart to the ground with some -2- e wooden stakes, so the wind could not upset it. Grandma Smith getting uneasy about the children, left her tent and went to their rescue. She took them out of • the cart and started back to her t ent, but the wind and rain were so terrific, she was unable to reach her tent. She sank down on the ground with the two little gir ls clinging to her. She would have been swept away if she hadn't been rescued by some of the brethren. They were carried back to their tent and were cared for by loving hands. This was the worse storm witnessed on their journey The next day found them continuing their journey westward. Grandma Smith being in a very weak condition on account of her recent illness and from lack of food, as they were very low on provisions, was unable to walk. Her brother, William Robison, let her ride in his wagon. He had a very sick boy in the wagon also so she helped to care for him. The little boy died and was left on the plains to be buried by mountaineers. Eliza soon gained her strength and was able to help push their handcart across the plains. Her shoes were completely worn out, so she traveled bare-foot for a number of days in the burning sand until they met a band of Indians, from whom they purchased a pair of moccasins. They arrived in Salt Lake Valley on August 16, 1860. Remaining there three days, they located in Farmington, Utah, where they built a small one room log house. They endured many trials and hardships because of the scarcity of food. She would go out and wash all day and receive food for her work. It was while living here that a cold east wind came and lasted for three days, blowing and snowing all the time. The men bad to prop up their houses to keep them from falling down. Grandma and her two little girls had to remain in bed to keep warm. They had but little food and fuel. • e -3- After the wind and storm was over, all their outside shacks were filled with snow. They had a few chickens, 2 small pigs, a cow and a calf. They were completely covered with snow. Grandpa Smith supposed they were all dead, but when he went out and started to dig and shovel away the snow they were all alive but the calf. Sometime later they moved to Morgan and located at the place now owned by Hyrum Smith. It was called the Stoddard Springs. There were 8 or 9 families settled there. They built their milk houses over the springs. Aunt Eliza Mangart Clauson' s father and mother and my father and David Clauson' s sister were some of the families that lived there. Father said many times he and some of the other boys, would take their bowls and some bread and slip down to Manharts milk house and have a good bowl of bread and milk. Grandma Manhart thought that the tom cats were getting the cream off her milk until she found out who it was . Grandmother Smith's second child. Harriet Smith Clauson, my mother, was baptized in one of those springs . There was a log house where they held their meetings, all were invited and shared whatever they had with each other. Three years later Grandpa and Grandma Smith moved farther up the valley to the place called North Morgan, east of the school house, now owned by Lydia Smith Mitchell. They lived here the rest of their lives. They were good citizens and church members, working hard to help build up the little settlement. Grandfather Smith was a mason by trade. He helped to build many of the buildings throughout the county and also helped to build roads and water systems. He was water master on the North Morgan Springs in the year 1881 and 1882. • -4- e He also served as Secretary of the Z. C. M. I. in 1870 and 1871. Grandma Smith was a teacher in the North Morgan Relief Society for many years. They had a family of eight children. Two died in infancy, the other six, two girls and four boys, grew up and raised large families . They lived true latter-day saints until the time of their deaths. Two of their sons have passed away at the time of this writing and all are buried in the North Morgan Cemetery. Conard Smith passed away August 10, 1910. Eliza Robison Smith passed away January 26, 1926.